I hope you had a wonderful Easter holiday weekend.  I love this holiday as we get the opportunity to blend family traditions from both sides of our families while creating new ones for our children.

We had a very relaxing day which included attending Easter service and the annual egg hunt in the orchard.  My girls also colored eggs~~ it is the only time of the year we buy store bought white eggs, which color and peel easily.

So what to do with all those beautiful hard boiled eggs?  There’s a breakfast tradition in my husband’s family passed down from his mother, Mabel.  A life-long educator, Mabel, wasn’t a gourmet chef, but a simple, straightforward cook.  She didn’t waste much and came from a generation where less is more. She learned to cook in a Home Economics class in school (remember those?) and this recipe is one of the first meals she made as a new bride for her husband, John (Scott’s father). This recipe, entitled Goldenrod,  is straight out of the Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook.  We have the 1968 printed edition, and yes, Goldenrod is on page 267.

Scott makes his mother’s Eggs a la Goldenrod recipe for Easter and Christmas and it has become a family favorite.  This recipe utilizes all aspects of the hard boiled egg (except the shell of course!) and makes a wonderful special breakfast.

First, peel the eggs and slice in half.  Separate the yolks from the egg whites. Chop the egg whites and reserve. Smash the yolk with a fork until it is crumbly (or press through a sieve).  Make a white sauce and then add the chopped egg white.

Toast a slice of bread, butter it if you’d like.  Pour egg white/white sauce mixture over the toast and then sprinkle with the egg yolk (the goldenrod).  Season with salt and pepper to your liking.

Here is the recipe for Mabel’s Eggs a la Goldenrod.

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Have a wonderful weekend!

Easter lamb cake (known as agnuszek or baranek wielkanocny in Polish) is a traditional Eastern European dessert. Every year during my childhood, we looked forward to Mom making the traditional Easter Lamb cake.  The cast iron mold was a cherished gift from her mother.  I knew, being one of 5 children, that I probably wasn’t the one who would inherit the lamb cake mold, so I purchased mine online several years ago on eBay.

The mold came in the original box and was made by Griswold Mfg. Co. from Sidney, Ohio. The price tag is still on the box~~~original price was $4.95 marked down to $3.95!!

In previous years I experimented with cake batter made from scratch and boxed cake mix, but this year I decided to make the recipe that came with the mold, which I believe to be from the 1920s.  Pound cake or firmer cakes seem to work best.

I seasoned the mold by greasing it and then baking it for 20 minutes on 375 degrees.  I poured out the excess melted shortening and then let the mold cool.

I made the batter according to the recipe, and put it in the face side of the mold (after I re-applied shortening and flour). In order to make sure the ears don’t break off, I put a toothpick (or shortened wooden skewer) between the ears.

With the leftover batter, I made a small bundt cake.  After I put the back side of the mold on top of the front side, I baked the mold face down on a baking sheet for 25 minutes and then turned the mold over for the last 20 minutes in the oven.

For the frosting, I made a Vanilla Swiss Meringue Buttercream from Tessa Huff’s cookbook, Layered. 

I then coated the lamb with coconut, making the eyes and nose with Jelly Belly jellybeans.

Here’s the finished product!!! Isn’t he sweet? I am so happy that I can create this tradition for my family while bringing back fond memories of my own childhood.

I have purchased 3 lamb cakes molds over time that I will give to my children with hopes that they will continue this tradition when they have their own families.

Have a blessed Easter Sunday!

I love a bargain, especially an unexpected one!  During a simple grocery shopping trip to Safeway a few months back, I stumbled upon a 75% off display of floral items.  Not that I need any more vases, but I was so drawn to the cool, serene blue color of these glass ones designed by Debi Lilly.  I purchased 6, yes 6 of the smaller ones at $3.25 each and the two larger ones were $3.75.

Don’t they just make you happy?  I also bought the most beautiful white roses with a pale pink blush to the petals.  Hard to believe the flowers cost more than the container but I’m thrilled with my discovery!  It’s nice to find unique items in ordinary places and at such a great price.

A very long time ago, I worked for a company that had fresh flowers delivered to everyone’s desk each week. Flowers add such an elegant touch to every environment.  Wouldn’t this make a great hostess gift or a “just because” gift to a friend or family member?

I get to enjoy 3 arrangements on the living room mantel and 3 on the dining room table!  The blue containers are perfect for adding a touch of spring to the house! Love, love, love a bargain!!!!

I hope you have a bargain story of your own.  Also, treat yourself to some flowers ~~you deserve it!

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With the coming of spring, I am calm again.  

Gustav Mahler

This weekend, I made a cup of my favorite coffee and enjoyed a stroll around the property.  You can definitely feel a difference in the air~~spring has sprung!

Our pool has become a love pond for a female and two male ducks.  Last week she had 3 suitors, but now the final two seem to be competing for her attention.  Lots of quacking and flapping of wings from the males as the female seems rather bored!

It’s also the time of year where the air is heady with the fragrance of orange blossoms (and grapefruit, lemon and all citrus) from our orchard.  What an intoxicating smell!

The Lady Banks roses which we planted years ago to hide an original chain link fence, has since turned into a thick, lush wall of green.  The pale yellow roses are just starting to bloom and soon will be a long blanket of yellow.

The scented geranium has lovely delicate purple flowers that stands out amid the fragrant leaves.

The grapevine is just beginning to show some foliage.  I will need to keep an eye out for those creepy bugs that destroyed all the leaves last year (see my post here about the Western Grape Skeletonizer).

Lavender does very well in our Phoenix climate.

We have a few succulents in our planting beds and the Cape Aloe, which is native to South Africa,  produces the most gorgeous orange-red spikes in the spring which attract hummingbirds.

The fruit trees are blooming-especially the apricots!

The peaches have already bloomed and are producing fruit!

We’ve had a strange hollyhock year.  Typically this is what you see growing in our yard in early spring, the seedlings sprouting from the earth.

But last year, my chiropractor, Dr. Diane, gave me some hollyhock seeds and I scattered them in various locations around the yard.  These plants have taken off and grown throughout the winter months.  They are huge and I feel a bit like Jack in the Beanstalk as these are over 8 feet tall.  Here is one plant that has taken over the well tower window.

They have such beautiful brilliant clusters of showy flowers.

The property is full of new spring colors.  The nasturtium adds a bit of bright yellow and various shades of green to the garden.

My father’s memorial garden (Pop Pop’s favorite spot) is showing fullness and growth with all the rain we received this winter.

And of course, here’s my trusty companion, Cooper, who follows me wherever I go!

For those of you who are hunkering down in the big snow storm, I hope you enjoyed a bit of spring at Bella Terra!

What an honor to host a charitable English tea party event at Bella Terra, our historic home in Phoenix, Arizona. Speaking at this tea is New York Times best selling author, Rhys Bowen. Since Rhys Bowen is British, our fundraiser’s theme is a proper English tea party. And if you aren’t familiar with her books, you must add them to your reading list! Many are on the New York Times Bestseller’s list.

The Entrance

This afternoon event is set outside. As guests arrive, they travel through the gated entrance with a tea cup wreath to the side garden.

The Attire

And what is a tea party without a fabulous hat! Nearly all participants arrive wearing such lovely head attire. Fortunately for me, Dillards has such a great selection of springtime head wear. And the tea length Ralph Lauren dress is a comfortable choice for this event.

With anys fundraiser, one needs to minimize expenses.  My dear friend, Linda, let me to borrow her extensive collection of old English china.

The Table Setting

Susan, my lifelong friend and co-sponsor is the best person to help organize the event. Using Party People, we easily rent the tables, chairs and linens. Julie Greder is a very creative local caterer. She creates a fabulous menu centered around the English tea theme.

The tables, set in the side garden, remain cool under the shade of the immense date palms. As our guests gather and mingle, we serve chilled champagne. It is such a civilized time to make new friends and participate in interesting conversation.

The Menu

Everyone claims their seats at the tables, and we begin to enjoy the delicious menu. Teacups are filled English tea. The menu includes: Currant scones with fresh Devonshire cream and lemon curd; cucumber dill, champagne egg salad and tarragon chicken salad sandwiches (no crusts).

Next, for dessert, come lavender shortbread cookies and chocolate praline tarts. Rhys regals us with her stories of being an author. With a longstanding career as a an author, we learn about her inspiration for her settings and character development.

The Presentation

As a parting gift, our guests receive a package of French macarons from Bonbon Macarons. These macarons rival anything I’ve tasted in Paris.

The Charity

With nearly 40 people in attendance, we raise significant contributions for a non-profit organization that works through one of our local high schools.  Family to Family Foundation provides scholarships to students in rural El Salvador.

Living in a low socio-economic area with no funds for schooling, these children are unable to receive an education. Each year the students from Brophy College Prep travel to this village in El Salvador to meet these scholarship students.  

What an enjoyable and very informative day!  Between the delicious food, stylish hats and outfits and Rhys’s delightful personality, it is the perfect afternoon. We hope this will become an annual fundraising affair.

Thank you for joining me on my very first blog post! I hope this inspires you to subscribe and follow more adventures from Life at Bella Terra. To see the second fundraising English tea event with Rhys Bowen, please click here.

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This post shared with 617th Tablescape Thursday at Between Naps on the Porch.

For more information about Rhys Bowen and her books (I just completed the Royal Spyness series), check it out here: http://rhysbowen.com/

Photos were done by Unfading Beauty Photography http://unfadingbeautyphotography.com/SaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSave