My daughter has to work and won't be home for dinner so we are having a nice early easter breakfast: Fresh fruit breakfast parfaits (strawberries, kiwi, bananas, and pineapple layered with a kind of granola and whipped cream), eggs benedict, hash browns, and coffeecake.

At supper time we are having the usual Polish feast: Beet soup, both fresh and smoked Kielbasa, Ham, Golumki (stuffed cabbage), Sweet and sour cabbage, Pierogi (2 kinds - one is garlic potatoes, cheese, and chives. The other is smoked kielbasa, sauerkraut and cabbage), swiss green beans, balsamic glazed carrots, polish coffee cake, challah bread, and a shamped lamb cake (an orange pound cake baked in a cast iron lamb mold, frosted, dusted in coconut and decorated).

It is a LOT of food! Guess you probably have to be polish to understand it all (everything means something). Supper is just put out as a buffet. After the soup, everyone is usually getting full already and you just kind of taste everything else. The best part is it all freezes well and I don't have to cook again for at least 2 weeks!

-- Karen (mountains_mama2@hotmail.com), March 30, 2002

Answers

The sweet and sour cabbage sounds interesting. Maybe when you get a chance you can tell us how you make it. Unless it is a secret family recipe?????!!!!! Thanks Karen...

-- Melissa in SE Ohio (me@home.net), March 30, 2002.

I use 1 small head red cabbage and 1/2 small head of regular green cabbage (however, it works great with all green cabbage). Put the cabbage in a pan and add water until you can just barely seeing it peeking through the cabbage. Add 1 chopped onion and 2 chopped apples (cored and peeled). Then add 1 tsp. salt and 1/4 tsp. pepper, 1/4 cup sugar, 1/4 cup vinegar (either cider vinegar - (my choice) - or white vinegar) and 3 Tablespoons bacon or ham drippings. You don't have to add the drippings if you are dieting, but it really adds to the taste. You then just cover and bring it to a boil and then reduce to simmer and cook for about 30-45 minutes. You can even make this the day before and just reheat.

I have been cooking all week and am exhausted! It is all worth it though. It isn't really about the food, or the work...it is remembering the old ways, the old folks that have passed on, the old country - and being thankful we were born in the new country...and making new memories for the younger generation.

-- Karen (mountains_mama@hotmail.com), March 30, 2002.

We are the break with tradition kind of people, so we are having: Perfect Pork Ribs ( on the grill of course )

Corn on the cob

Potato salad

green salad

and deviled eggs... and cherry pie for desert...

Not your traditional easter dinner I admit, but if it is what the family wants,,, so be it....LOL

-- Kristean Thompson (pigalena_babe@yahoo.com), March 30, 2002.

This year our dinner will be cold, for a change. Ham, potato salad, cole slaw, ambrosia,devilled eggs, jello beans, relish tray, bread, and chocolate Easter bunny cake. Finally, a holiday I can actually enjoy.

-- Gayle in KY (gayleannesmith@yahoo.com), March 31, 2002.

This year Easter dinner is kind of thrown together-I'm doing a baked ham, sweet potatos, rolls and peas, with ice cream for dessert. Uasually we get a leg of lamb and have asparagus- but the deer got into the asparagus bed before I did, and I wasn't here to make arrangements to order lamb and pick it up- Grandma loves lamb and shes not here to eat with us this time, nor is my brother in law and family, and I'm still pretty tired from being away for a week. whew! Christmas was my cook for a week holiday! The sweet sour cabbage sounds great-I'd like to try it.

-- Kelly (homearts2002@yahoo.com), March 31, 2002.