Context

 What a serene winter landscape.  Normally in November, this scene would be calming, welcome, and beautiful to a Minnesotan.  However, today is March 23rd and I'll bet everyone in the state could spit nails right now especially since 2 weeks ago we had temperatures in the upper 60's.  Mother Nature is such a tease around this time of year and I fell for it.  I re potted all my house plants and I started thinking about the garden, etc.  We always have to have a winter relapse or two before spring truly arrives and really this isn't too bad. 

I put out my Easter decorations yesterday including the wooden painted eggs I bought in Poland this fall.  I'd had this ceramic egg holder and used to put the real dyed and hollowed eggs Melissa and I've made over the years in it.  It was always short lived though because I'd end up putting it safely up somewhere the eggs wouldn't be disturbed and then no one would see them.  These are perfect because they aren't fragile.  They are proudly smack in the middle of the table.

 My parents returned home from their trip to Bosnia and Croatia on Saturday and we had an informal and late St. Patrick's Day meal waiting for them.  I made a corned beef brisket in the crack pot with red potatoes, carrots and cabbage as well as croissant rolls from scratch.  For dessert we had an Irish Queen of Puddings which is basically a milk, bread crumb and egg yolk custard on the bottom, topped with melted strawberry jam, and then the egg whites are whipped into a meringue and piled up and browned to finish.  Num num.  I used the heel of the french loaf I baked this week for my bread crumbs.  Recycling at it's finest!