When you are 14 years old and incredibly self-conscious, even a 6am Easter Sunday Sunrise Service warrants a finished hair-do and makeup. It was practically the only day of the week I could sleep until 7am, so I wasn’t exactly thrilled at the idea. I grew up attending Sunday School and church every single Sunday, in a family church dating back to our family’s German immigrants, so it wasn’t like I was protesting attending church on one of the busiest Sundays of the year – it was all about the hour! And watching the sunrise at the same time was not exactly what I would consider necessary, or even all that special. The sun rises every day! Interestingly, this year, we actually considered attending a sunrise service, which made me chuckle just a bit thinking back to those least favorite Easter memories.
For me, Easter is about family. It is a day to celebrate the resurrection of Christ. It is a season of rebirth, spring, sunshine and white shoes. I was raised on the family farm and every Easter Sunday started with an extra special gift my father would bring home from my Grandmother. After feeding the cattle, he would stop into my grandparents home to say ‘good morning’ and chat for a few minutes, and on this particular day, she would carefully cover and hand over the basket painstakingly decorated and filled with chocolate marshmallow rabbits and eggs, solid chocolate eggs, and pastel colored m&m’s. My sister and I could hardly wait for the basket to arrive on this one day each year, diving into it as soon as it landed on the kitchen counter. When my children were growing up, I took great pleasure in filling their baskets with chocolate treats, a new outfit, a toy, video or in later years, gift cards for their favorite stores.
This should have posted four or five days ago, not sure what happened, but better late than never… An evening dinner out at a local restaurant inspired me to try and replicate its recipe for butternut squash gnocchi. After a trip to the grocery store, I was armed with a package of gnocchi and a fresh butternut squash. Squash has always been one of my favorite vegetables, so I often look for creative ways to use the funky shaped gourds.
While the recipe I selected as a guide turned out absolutely nothing like the restaurant version I was striving for, it is tasty enough to share and rounded out a lovely home cooked meal.
Butternut Squash Gnocchi
1 pound butternut squash
2 tbls. olive oil
salt & pepper, to taste
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup butter
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup chicken stock
1 lb. gnocchi
4 thick slices bacon
1-2 tbls. fresh minced parsley
Preheat the oven to 400º. Peel the squash and then cut in half lengthwise, scoop out the seeds. Cut into 1/2 inch cubes. Using a gallon ziploc bag, add squash, olive oil and seasonings. Seal and toss to coat. Roast in a single layer on a sheet pan until golden and tender, about 25 minutes. Read More
Several years ago, I was looking for the “right” chili recipe. Some were too spicy, others focused more on beans than meat, white vs. red chili, and so on. None were quite right. (Now, I sound like Goldilocks!) So, I picked elements from a variety of recipes and made my own. We’ve been pleased with it ever since.
