Roxanne Rustand, here, wishing you a Happy Easter!
Our winter was so mild, here in the upper Midwest, that I find myself surprised by how much I welcome the arrival of spring. The redwing blackbirds arrived a few weeks ago, our hostas have pushed up through their winter blankets of wood chip mulch, and the grass is lush green. We don’t have lilacs yet, so this photo is from last year. :)
This weekend we’ve had sunshine and temps in the 70’s–enough to make me want to pack away the winter clothes and bring out the clothes for summer…though I have been fooled before. :) How about you–are you having lovely spring weather, too?
New beginnings. Spring. The wonderful message of Easter, just right around the corner. On Palm Sunday every year I begin looking forward to the trumpets we’ll hear on Easter, the lovely scent of Easter lilies filling the church, and of course, the Good News of Jesus’ resurrection…a story that will never grow old.
And, this time of the year brings back wonderful memories of Easters when my brother and I were young, when my husband and I had children who were little, and now, of all the times we’ve gathered with our grown children and grandchildren. Notice the muddy little knee–after an exciting search for baskets. :)
Time marches on! How I love to make a big dinner for everyone who can be here…and even now, I’m planning on all of the pies I want to make, the salads and other side dishes, too.
What are some of your favorite menu items for Easter dinner? It would be fun to hear about some new ideas!
For those who leave a comment, there will be a drawing for a free e-copy of my upcoming book, Falling for the Rancher, which will be out the beginning of June, and also a second drawing for a $10 Amazon gift certificate.
Best wishes to you all for a wonderful Easter week!
Roxanne Rustand
USA Today bestselling author Roxanne Rustand is the author of over thirty-five traditionally published novels, and four indie novels. Prior to 2007 she wrote for the secular market, but since then has been happily focused on inspirational fiction and sweet romance. A Golden Heart winner in 1995, she has received two RT Bookclub Magazine Reviewers' Choice Awards, and has been nominated for an RT Bookclub Magazine Career Achievement Award. She is currently writing for Harlequin's Love Inspired line, and is continuing with self publishing. She and her husband live in the country with three horses, two goofy rescue dogs, and a half-dozen barn cats.
Hi Roxanne, lovely photos, thanks for sharing:) We are well into Autumn here in the Southern Hemisphere, there has even been a dumping of snow on the high country (normally snow does not come until June).
We spend Easter at our yearly church retreat (we call it ‘Big Camp’)- time away catching up with friends enjoying listening to great speakers and participating in workshops and worship.
Blessings:)
Thanks for sharing. I loved the pictures. I cannot wait for Easter and time spent with family! I hope you have a Happy Easter!
I just love lilacs! Thanks for sharing your beautiful photos, Roxanne. Baked ham has always been a staple at Easter dinner. Happy Easter to you and your family.
Hi Roxanne! Yes this weekend was nice in the MIdwwest (Michigan). The daffodils are blooming and my lilac like bush may bloom for Easter instead of May 1. Enjoying the nice warm weather, even though more rain tonight and cooler temperatures through Easter. Seventies yesterday! Happy Easter and happy writing.
Watching the spring flowers appear is my favorite time of year. As a child, mom always got out the double boiler to make a batch of rice pudding on Good Friday. I try to always make it as an Easter side dish now.
We’re enjoying spring here as well. Easter will be our first Sunday after selling our home and traveling to our sons house on way to our daughters. We’ll be relocating in Kentucky near our oldest daughter, and an hour and a half from our son. Lots of new beginnings!
Happy Easter! We always have to have Deviled Eggs with Easter Dinner.
Pretty photos, and I love the book cover. I’m partial to Palomino’s as I had a 1/2 Arab Palomino in high school. We don’t usually do a lot on Easter. Growing up we just had ham and potato salad, now I usually do the same. I also love deviled eggs, so really need to look into making those more. :) So far we’ve had a mixed bag for weather. Seems cooler than other springs we’ve had since we moved 4 years ago, though I’m thinking this may be more normal since the other springs we warm and sunny more often than not.
My family often chooses to do Greek for Easter. Not that any of us (or spouses) are Greek. It just seems like a fun and fitting range of foods!
We have a favorite family salad – orange jello, cool whip, cottage cheese, mandarin orange slices, and pineapple. Here in California spring is definitely here, although it keeps raining too :-) After our drought, we’re thankful for the rain, and so are all the flowers.
I have wonderful videos of our kids growing up and celebrating Easter. Spring has sprung in our area and my husband has gone plant crazy!
Roxanne, the one thing I miss about living up north is lilacs. I love your photo of them.
I wôuld love to win a paperback
Loved the blog post I’m not inventive,ham and scalloped potatoes.
We spend Easter Sunday with my family and then go to my husband’s family’s house. I love getting to see both families. We don’t always do the same food. It’s different every year at both places, just whatever everyone is in the mood for. I do LOVE my mother-in-law’s green bean casserole. Oh and always NEED to have a couple of those Cadbury cream eggs this time of year! :)
I really like Easter and I’m looking forward to Easter dinner as always because mom always makes the best deserts ever.. We were talking about dinner choices this past weekend and ended up changing conversation into sweets in no time.. I guess that’s Easter food for us. (We’ll eventually decide on dinner, but for now, we do know what we’ll have for desert.)
My favorite is Honey Baked Ham. :) You mentioned looking forward to the trumpets on Easter. Does your church have trumpet players do something special? I’m curious because my son is a trumpet player and is in high demand on Easter, but I’ve never been to a church that uses trumpet players. What role do they play in the service?
Well, here in northern Utah, it’s kind of spring, meaning that, while my daffodils are starting to bloom, there was snow on them a couple of days ago. We got a new coating of snow on the mountains. We did get record snowfall this past winter, though. I’ve had my fill of snow and am ready for some warmer weather.
Can’t believe it is almost Easter! Weather is getting nice here in GA! Gotta have that HAM for Easter!
Growing up in Jamaica, Easter was a deal deal. My parents would make lots Fish and then it’s tradition to have bun and cheese. Those were fun times growing up that I will never forgets.
Happy Easter!!!
This is me commenting! Keep up the food work!!
Good work, not food work!
Good evening Roxanne! I loved your pictures. I am in Arizona and although where I am it is a mile high, we still don’t have that lovely greenery you have shared in your pictures. It is nice to see the spring through your lens and memories. This year we may enjoy Easter service at the Grand Canyon. I don’t have grand babies yet, but look forward to them some day. :)
Dinner will probably be a nice ham. It is our one constant Easter meal tradition.
Have a wonderful Easter. :)
Hi Roxanne! I love seeing your pictures of your lilacs from last year. My grandma used to have them in her yard & I’ve always loved smelling their sweet scent every year :-) It’s one of my favorite memories of her!
We’ve never celebrated Easter like a lot of people do…egg hunts, special dinner or whatnot. For us, it’s a time of reflection of what Jesus did for us & celebrating the freedom He brought to us with His death and resurrection. Church is the first order of business on Sunday, and ours has a special Easter breakfast followed by an extra special sermon by our pastor. The rest of the day is spent in quiet reflection, prayer & just spending time in His presence!
Our winter this year has been full of surprises! We’ve gotten our well above average rainfall (Oregon coast), wind storms, even colder temps and a bit of snow. Even now, it’s still raining when usually we have little to none and it’s been a bit chilly the last few days. Really strange weather everywhere I think this year! I have seen our flowers pop up though, daffodils, crocuses, cherry trees blossoming, and the trees beginning to bud for new leaves. I love this time of year when all things are new, reminds me of my new life in Christ! :-)
Thank you for the chance at either your June release LI or the Amazon card…which would be used to buy books, lol! Blessings!
Hi Wemble! Its always so interesting to hear about life in your part of the world…and to imagine snow in June! Your church retreat sounds like a wonderful way to celebrate Easter!
Thank you, lraines! I hope you have a Happy Easter, too!
I so agree—I just love the sweet scent of lilacs. I wish they would bloom all summer!
Sounds lovely up in Michigan!! I do wish I had daffodils planted…they are such a beautiful, cheerful breath of spring!
I just love rice pudding…but my mom was Swedish, and it was her family’s tradition on Christmas eve. Now, you’ve got me thinking about adding it to Easter menus as well!
Congratulations on your move! It’s so wonderful being close to family.. Our daughter has been a 15 hour drive for the past several years but this spring she is moving an hour away from us. I cannot wait to have her closer!
Oooh…yum! I love them, too. I forgot, and should have made them today, when part of our family was visiting, as we won’t get to see them at Easter.
Thank you for the comment on the bookcover! The horse on the cover is a dead ringer for a halter mare we owned years ago, and I’ve been trying to remember if I sent in a photo of her when filling out the “Art Fact Sheets “for the book–where authors get to describe the aspects the hope to have on the cover.
We’ll be having ham too. I don’t think I’ve ever made anything else, unless we have a big crowd and I need a second entree. Interesting–I usually think of mashed or scalloped potatoes, but your potato salad sounds really good!
Hi Roxanne! Nice photos!
Here is autumn but this week the temperature got so high it looked like summer.
I guess what I liked most on Easter was my grandma’s chocolate cake that she made in the form or a rabbit. Unfortunately there’s no more “rabbits cake” for us nowadays, but I do plan to make it for my kids one day.
Hi Roxanne! We enjoy maple/brown sugar ham for Easter. Also, love the cover of your book because the horse looks so much like the beautiful Palomino mare I had growing up. :)
I love Greek food. There’s a beautiful Greek Orthodox church here, that puts on an annual Greek dinner every spring. Just thinking about it makes me hungry! :
Your salad sounds yummy!! I’m so glad that your state is no longer suffering through a drought emergency. What wonderful news for everyone!
What kinds of plants is he putting in? I’m always so excited about putting in our vegetable garden and all of the annual flowers!
Lilacs are my very favorite. Soooo beautiful, and I love the scent!
Good luck! :)
Mmmmmmm. Love your menu!
It’s so ice that you get to see both sides of the family. Ours were always too far apart to make it very easy. Cadbury eggs…yum!
Desserts. The best part! :) I’m thinking about lemon, chocolate silk, and coconut cream pies, but often also make brownies and chocolate chip cookies for the younger set. :)
Honey Baked Ham–the one from the company by that name, or a recipe? We’ve had the ham from the company by that name, and it is fabulous. Which reminds me–I need to order our, fast
The brass ensemble creates a lot of fanfare at the beginning of the service, has their own music pieces during the service, and accompanies some of the hymns. The music gives me chills. Love it!
So that’s where our snow went this winter. We hardly had any! Very strange winter.
I think Utah is such a beautiful state!
Yes–it seemed to come so soon this year. The year is flying by!!
I love Jamaica. We’ve been three times, at least. It’s beautiful! Do you still live there?
Thanks, Elena!
It is beautiful there. I live in the States. I haven’t been back in a while. ?
I love the variety in Arizona, Years ago, I drove a hose trailer through the state and encountered a sand storm and then falling snow on the same day! :) How beautiful—spending Easter at the Grand Canyon!
What a beautiful post about your Easter traditions, Trixi.
I’ve been to Seattle, but never to Oregon, and have always imagined that it would such a beautiful place to live!
What a lovely tradition with your Grandma….and how sweet of you to plan to continue it for you children!
Susanne, your ham sounds delicious! And thanks for the comment on the bookcover! :)
The one from the company by that name. My mom and I have food allergies, and that’s one we can both eat.:) thanks for the info on the brass ensemble. It sounds wonderful.
Mostly succulents. He’s propagating them. A coffee plant he calls “Gail” in my honor. Several potted green plants.
My family is untraditional when it comes to Easter dinner and we had quiche yesterday with homemade ice cream for dessert.