The first side dish from our Easter supper was a rich, creamy, cheesy, and garlicky potato au gratin. So Good!

Bonus! A new tip comes along with this recipe. I found the tip on Epicurious.com and thought it was brilliant!

The most time-consuming and frustrating herb to remove the leaves from is thyme. Here is a new way to go about it.

TIP: Use a strainer! Stick the end of a sprig of thyme through one of the little holes and pull through. The leaves stay behind in the strainer. See – Brilliant!

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Things are beginning to work themselves out around here. Connor got his car back yesterday. I think I figured out what area of our water usage the major water leak is coming from (now to exactly pinpoint it) and I think my dad is taken care of for the next few days, at least enough for me to get out of town and away from it all for a long weekend.

I’ll be in Austin, visiting the newlyweds, Marissa and Jeff. Marissa and I will be taking day trips to Waco to shop at the Magnolia Silos and to Round Top, Texas to hit the last day of the spring Round Top Antiques Fair. I am so excited!

While I’m there, I’ll still be posting recipes from our Easter supper. Yesterday, we started with my well-deserved cocktail. Today, we have the soup.

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The week leading up to Easter and now a couple of days since have been wrought with angst and issues.

What sort of issues?

1. Missing cats (found after 4+ hours of searching)

2. Connor’s 1:30 AM backed-up kitchen sink – which led to apartment flooding, stinking, and day-long cleanup (not his fault, came from the apartments above him)

3. Connor’s car problems – are still ongoing … now into day eight

4. Quadruple water bills at our house (obviously a leak, but not one that has yet been found)

5. Ongoing care for a parent who had surgery and a subsequent fall

With all that and the fact that I gave up alcohol for Lent, it should come as no surprise that the first recipe I’m going to share from our Easter dinner is a cocktail recipe!

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I thought you might need a little reminder that there are better ways to dye Easter eggs than those little kits you buy at the store.

Here is what I am doing today…

… opening up 100% silk ties to make my Silk Transfer Easter Eggs.

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I want to wish a very happy birthday to two of my sweetest friends.

Happy Birthday, Tram!

Happy Birthday, Amy!

Love you both! xoxo

Ahi Tuna Tacos with Pickled Slaw and Wasabi Cream & Chipotle Mayo

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I’ve been busy nursing my dad back to health so this is the first post since last week. I returned my dad to his home on Wednesday afternoon, after a nearly 2-week stay with us. He resisted because staying at my house and having me wait on him hand and foot is his ideal lifestyle. He is healing well, so it was time for him to get back to doing things for himself and time for me to get back to my own needs and routines.

Need numero uno was to go to opening day at the March Sweet Salvage event and did I ever find something SWEET! It may not look all that fabulous from this side…

…but turn it around and this huge 2-sided sign is downright fantastic, especially in the shadow of my fig tree.

And even more spectacular under the actual blooming tree! I am not yet certain where the sign will hang, but it will definitely be somewhere in the backyard – AKA “Linda Land” as my dear friends, Steve and Tram, call it.

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You may think from the title that this post is an update on my dad’s recent shoulder surgery. Or me updating you on the fact that he went down our staircase on his butt. That wasn’t the original intention, but I will give you that update first and then tell you all about the difference between pork shoulder and pork butt.

So … less than 48 hours after his rotator cuff surgery, my dad decided he should attempt coming down the stairs on his own. Not the best idea! While holding the rail with his left hand (not all the strong since his stroke a few decades back) and with his right arm in a sling, he slipped, hit his right side on the stairs, and slid down to the bottom on his behind.

I could wring his neck! We’d talked about the stairs the day before and I told him I didn’t want him on them without me, Dave, or Connor there to assist. Sunday morning, he decided he didn’t want to bother us, so down he went.

Monday, I took him in for x-rays, and thankfully, the shoulder is fine but he does have two broken ribs. Arrrg!!!! So we’ll be tacking on several more days is not weeks to his stay at the Hopkins’ Recuperating Home. OK, enough of that – on to the pork.

There is often confusion about the cuts of pork referred to as pork shoulder and pork butt. Pork shoulders, pork butts, and picnic “hams” are all part of the same front leg and shoulder of a hog.

What is commonly sold as a pork butt and Boston butt are the same cut of meat – the top portion of what is considered the “whole shoulder” of the hog. This cut is very marbled and often sold skinless, with a large portion of fat on top. The “butt” can be sold boneless or bone-in and weighs between 6 and 9 pounds on average for bone-in, or between 4 and 7 pounds if boneless. There is no need to search out the boneless variety. The bone, the blade, is thin and flat and not at all a nuisance, as you’ll see in the photos below.

In comparison, the pork shoulder is the lower portion of the shoulder. It is located below the joint and above the shank (leg). It is smaller than the pork butt and contains more fat, bone, and connective tissue. It is often sold complete with skin and is rarely sold boneless. This smaller roast usually weighs in at between 4 to 5 pounds.

The important thing to know is that no matter which cut you find in your market, all are interchangeable in any recipe (shredded pork or otherwise) that calls for pork shoulder or pork butt.

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My dad had shoulder surgery to repair his rotator cuff last Friday. He has been recuperating at our house. His favorite meal is pot roast. Since his every wish and need is my command, I made it for him.

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Today I have the links for the Spring Reunion Dinner in one place for easy access and ideas for repurposing shutters, including the super simple Spring Shutter sign I made.

Spring Reunion Menu

• Fresh Fruit  – Smoked Salmon Spread
• Pumped Up Hummus
• Lori’s Honey Paloma Cocktail
• Jonathan’s Bourbon Lemonade
• Layered Fruit and Mozzarella Salad
• Grilled Chicken and Asparagus with Creamy Goat Cheese
• Grilled Shrimp, Vegetable, and Farro Salad

There are so many fabulous projects and crafts that can be done with old discarded shutters. I’ve pinned dozens of ideas on Pinterest. Here is a direct LINK to my “Shutters” board.

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Before I post the final recipe from our Spring Reunion Dinner, I want to acknowledge that today would have been my mom’s 81st birthday. She passed away this past August after a long battle with Alzheimer’s. I wasn’t posting at the time, taking a break while preparing for Marissa’s wedding, but I remember her today. Happy Birthday, Mom. xoxo

Along with the Fresh Fruit – Smoked Salmon Spread, I served this “super hummus” as an appetizer to go with Lori and Jonathan’s super cocktails.

You can use store-bought hummus or any hummus recipe you like and then “pump it up” with these toppings.  I’m linking you with what I made, which is my favorite hummus recipe, it begins with dried chickpeas.

We enjoyed the appetizers and cocktails on the front porch. I’ll share more about the “Spring Shutter” sign later in the week. Photo credit goes to Lori Vento for the two photos above.

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