Easter Dinner

Because Conservative Mom and Dad were on their way home from a week down south last Sunday, the Orphaned Conservative Children and their significant others once again made the trip to Q and MB's lovely farmhouse for Easter dinner.

It's a real hardship, I tell you.

But if you saw my posts about Easter Dinner two years ago and last year, you already knew that.

This year, the table was set


and the dishes were served. They included a beautiful ham


which was carved to look like this ...


and was topped with this lovely salsa


plus a plethora of absolutely delicious vegetables, including corn


and peas (with basil—how yummy!)


and lovely carrots


and the most beautiful mashed sweet potatoes


with a pecan topping that was amazinggggg ... (sorry, got wrapped up in imagining those potatoes) ...


plus a cheesy potato dish that did not make the cut because hot melted cheese and my camera do not get along, despite how well hot melted cheese and I get along.

Of course, we also had the dish commonly referred to as Grandma Fran, which is a classic


and another classic dish passed down through Q's family, which looks sort of questionable but actually is pretty good. (Although MB said it's best that we don't know what's included in the recipe.)


We also had this beauty, which I enjoyed immensely but promptly forgot what it was called. This happens when you're in a food-induced haze.


So there you have it. Easter dinner.


Good bye.

Wait? Why? What did I forget?

Oh my. I must still be in that food-induced haze, though it's days later. I almost forgot DESSERT. But, fortunately for all of us present (and unfortunately for our waistlines), MB would never dream of forgetting dessert.

This year we had a lovely, light lemon crepe cake. (And yes, Little Diplomat, I just pronounced crepe properly, just for you.)


And this chocolate creation,


which featured three layers of ridiculously rich chocolate. It was swoon-worthy, to say the least.


And now, for this year's surprise ...

Just kidding. There isn't a surprise this year. Besides, what could top last year, when Kid Sister showed up with one heck of a diamond ring on her finger after T-Bear's stellar Easter egg hunt proposal? It was quite a day.

Speaking of which, the BIG day for those two love birds is just over a month away. Can you believe it?

(Dear Kid Sister: Do not panic. You already knew this. And everything is in great shape so just sit back, relax, and enjoy the ride. Love, Your Sister-in-Law.)

Sorry. I digress. As usual.

Happy belated Easter, from me and this handsome fellow.

A Summer Feast

I was perusing a random assortment of photographs from this summer, looking for a tasty little tidbit or two to post for you today, when I came across something I should have shared long ago. It's not a tasty tidbit, mind you. Rather, it's a big, beautiful, M.B.-style feast.

The weekend My Family came to visit, Q and M.B. graciously hosted My Family, Conservative Family, and some additional friends at their farm. The majority of us arrived in style in one giant RV, which we tumbled out of like we were in a clown car.

Between glasses of wine and to-die-for appetizers, we took turns riding in the Gator with Q for visits to their newly installed wind turbine on one side of the house and the destruction caused by an August tornado on the other.

As if that wasn't enough excitement for one evening, M.B., of course, prepared a feast of epic proportions. That is what I am about to share with you now. Prepare to drool, for we enjoyed:

Tasty little dishes of peppers.

A most beautiful salad.

Baked beans.

Potato salad.
Baked cheese grits.

Wait a moment. I must dwell on these grits for a moment. They were heavenly—and up until this point, I've never been very impressed with grits. But these beautiful babies—cheesy, flavorful, firm (not soggy). These babies I could eat by the spoonful.

Oh wait. I did.

Petite corn muffins.


An ribs. Beautiful ribs. Flavorful ribs. Fall off the bone the moment you touch them ribs. Ribs that eventually were mounded high on this plate, only I got too excited and didn't wait for M.B. to finish dishing before I took a photo. Can you blame me?

I won't even mention what came afterward for dessert. And by dessert I mean not one, not two, but three desserts.

I was too satiated to snap a photo—and trust me when I say that to describe them without sharing a bite is considered cruel and unusual punishment in at least 300 countries.

So I will spare you. I promise I'm doing you a favor here.