Where sheep are nervous…

Easter Sunday is nearly upon us, and once again I am channeling my inner Food Network Star. Tomorrow, I am going to do the final grocery shopping for the weekend and the holiday meal. That means that this afternoon will be spent cleaning out the fridge, mopping the floor in the kitchen and clearing the “stuff” off the countertops.

So here’s what’s on the menu; first of all, there has to be an Easter Egg hunt for the grandboys. Since they are one and four, the hiding spots have to be fairly low to the ground and easily accessed. Two weeks ago, I got out the Easter Basket and the plastic eggs and filled the eggs with jelly beans and M&Ms. By some miracle of willpower, I managed not to devour half the candy. Done.

Next, what to have for dinner? The choice came down to ham or lamb. My daughter voted for lamb, which was more than fine with me. Knowing that none of the grocery stores here in the urban backwater ever carry lamb I knew it was time to call on my friendly butcher. Remember the incident with the pig in the kitchen at Christmas? Yeah, me too. I called the butcher and asked for a six pound, bone in leg of lamb. I gave my name and said I’d pick it up Saturday morning. Within five minutes of that call, the butcher called me back and said that the smallest leg he could get with the bone in would be about 10 pounds. With visions of bone chisels and hacksaws dancing in my head I asked what we could do to get a smaller cut. Well, he said, you could use a boneless leg, I can cut that to any size you want. Good, let’s do six pounds of that. Bless his heart, then he started speaking my language, did I want that tied for roasting? Yes, please. And did I want the caul removed? Oh golly, could you? There you have it, rosemary and garlic rubbed roast leg of lamb with two sauces. I even have my own rosemary growing out in the herb garden. Done.

I plan to keep the sides simple; oven roasted fingerling potatoes and sautéed sugar snap peas with carrot ribbons. Let’s not forget dessert; triple layer carrot cake with cream cheese frosting. Please think of me on Friday as I will be up to my patootie in grated carrots. Bake on Friday, rest on Friday night and frost on Saturday. I think I’ll eat dessert first.

On Easter Sunday, it will be my daughter and her horde, and possibly a “plus one”, my friend Orion, and a neighbor and a friend of hers. Oh, and while I’m at it let me wish all of you a happy, safe, and blessed Easter celebration, however you choose to celebrate it.

Next, a rundown of the top three (or so) Kentucky Derby contenders. A little over a month away and there’s mint growing in that herb garden too!