My Merry Easter Plans

With Christmas festivities put on hold last year, this coming Easter feels like the celebration many of us have been waiting for. A chance to be merry after what has felt like the longest winter ever.  I don’t usually go to town with Easter decorations or preparations, but quite frankly, it is making me so happy to plan the weekend, think about the menu, flowers, table setting and activities, that I am letting myself run with it. Unashamedly, I might add.

I am crossing both my fingers and toes for good weather, as lockdown rules here in England mean that from 29th March outdoor gatherings of either 6 people or two households will likely be allowed (although the dates are not set in stone, this is the suggestion so far). Easter is the following weekend, 4th April. If things change, well it will just be our little family, but I will have had a lovely time in the preparation anyway so I’m not too worried.

All being well, however, we will invite some of our dear friends over for lunch, and the little ones will go on an egg hunt, whatever the weather! I’ve suggested warm clothes and coats for everyone, and we will set up an outside table in the kitchen garden to dine at. There will definitely be wine, and quite possibly a thermos or two of tea. Here is the rest of the plan….

The Activities

I love the idea of making a floral Easter wreath, so I think Willow and I might get crafty and make one for the front door as a seasonal welcome to our guests. (I learned how to ‘build’ a wreath from watching Willow Crossley’s incredible flower arranging course on Create Academy – highly, highly recommended if you love flowers!) We will also think about making an Easter bonnet too, too, which should fill at least one drizzly afternoon of the holidays if needs be. This Easter craft kit also looks great and I will get Willow some of these fun Easter chalks for a little outside art.

On Easter morning, I will sneak out and hide a whole load of these fluffy chicks around the garden. Later on, the children will each take their bag or basket, and find as many fluffy chicks as possible (I’ll re-used them year after year), quite possibly dressed up as little bunnies too! They’re a little bit small to go wild with buckets of chocolate at the moment, so they will exchange their bounty for a little party bag with a fairtrade chocolate chick, adorable egg cosy, some bee-friendly seeds and stickers at the end. Then we will all sit down to lunch.

P.s., For slightly older children, this make your own Easter Treasure Hunt Kit looks gorgeous, and they could even help make it.

The Table

I love a beautifully laid table, perhaps even more so when it is outdoors. We’ve got a big parasol, which should keep the worst of the rain out if necessary, but I’ll only lay it with things that won’t spoil if they get a little damp.

I’ll start with a big cheerful tablecloth, and these stunning rattan chargers. I love my trusty Portobello white plates, these wine glasses are really sturdy and don’t topple over easily. I’ll finish with some lovely block-printed napkins and as a final touch, Willow and I will collect some daffodils and other spring flowers from the garden and fill a tray of jam jars to run down the middle. I think the more the merrier when it comes to these foraged flowers.

P.s., I’m a tiny bit obsessed with this duck water jug. One day soon!

The Menu

I think I am going to go fairly traditional with the lunch menu, and make this incredible slow cooked leg of lamb with creamy cannellini beans, served with a platter of roasted parsnips and carrots with green tahini dressing and big bowl of steamed seasonal greens.

For pudding, I can’t help but make this beautiful rhubarb and custard tart although I am also pondering making a few of these mini carrot cakes too.

Absent Friends

While we might be able to mingle with one other household over the Easter weekend, we still can’t have a big gathering. So I am planning to send out some beautiful, plantable wildflower notecards which will go on to grow a mix of 24 native British wildflowers) to my nearest and dearest in the days before the celebration.  For the children, I will be sending these beautiful, personalised enamel mugs and these gorgeous little boxes for collecting their Easter treats in. A little reminder that we are thinking of them and hoping for a bigger party next year.

Don’t forget the chocolate!

It will come as no surprise to many of you that I don’t eat chocolate all that regularly. I don’t really have much of a sweet tooth to be honest. So when I do choose to buy it, I like to get something really delicious and grown-up. And I certainly enjoy a bit at Easter. A good diet is, afterall, about sensible balance. Not about being ‘perfect’ all the time. Chocolate can absolutely be a healthy choice from time to time. I think my partner and I will be sharing a Booja Booja Almond & Sea Salt Caramel Egg, although I did spot some lovely other options too such as this organic dark chocolate egg from Cocoa Loco or for something really spoiling, how about this Easter Celebration Hamper?

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Photos by Jen Rich, Susan Bell, Emma Goodwin and Guillaume de Germain and Andreas Brun on Unsplash.