I started by getting Jack excited a few days before Easter. I told him that the Easter Bunny would be coming and bringing him a basket of treats. He also knew that we would be going to church and celebrating Jesus. He loves going to church and enjoying the worship music. He especially loves the church nursery so he can play with his friend David in the playhouse.
I had a budget for all three boys' Easter baskets which was $75. I am happy to say that I was able to stick with my budget and give all three boys a special basket with treats. Funny story: I was super excited to put together the baskets and lay them out in the living room for Jack to find. Well, being the awesome mom that I am, I forgot. I forgot to put together the baskets. Even after being super excited. So at 3:00 in the morning, I remembered, got out of bed and put together the baskets. I kind of suck.
Here is Jack's basket:
He got the following treats:
* Big boy underwear
* A Buzz and Woody t-shirt
* Elmo eggs with some M&M's
* Two Sesame Street books
* Play-Doh eggs
* Three pieces of candy (of which Mommy will probably eat)
His favorite was the Elmo eggs. He picked those right up and yelled "ELMO!"
Here is Cal's basket:
He got the following treats:
* A bear sleeper
* New socks
* A fun twisting rattle
* Taggie blanket
His favorite is the taggie blanket. He loves holding it, chewing on it and rubbing it against his face.
We had a very nice time at church and it was nice to be back at church after a long time away. I am not sure if it's going to be a weekly occurrence but it was nice.
I made a delicious and beautiful Apricot Nectar cake for our Easter dinner over at my in-laws' house. It was very easy and the flavor reminded me of spring.
Favorite Apricot Nectar Cake
from: The Cake Mix Doctor
1 package (18.25 oz) plain yellow cake mix
1 package (3 oz) lemon gelatin
3/4 cup canned apricot nectar
3/4 cup canola oil
grated zest of 1 lemon (1 teaspoon)
4 large eggs
Glaze:
3/4 cup powdered sugar
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
4 tablespoons canned apricot nectar
1. Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 325 degrees. Lightly mist a 12-cup Bundt pan with vegetable oil spray and then dust with flour. Shake out the excess flour and set the pan aside.
2. Place all the cake ingredients in a mixer and blend on low speed for 1 minute. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula. Increase the mixer speed to medium and beat for 2-3 minutes more. The batter should look thick and smooth. Pour the batter in the prepared pan.
3. Bake the cake until it is light brown and springs back when lightly pressed with your finger, 40 to 42 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and let cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes.
4. Prepare the glaze. Combine all the glaze ingredients in a saucepan and heat over medium-low heat, stirring, until the sugar is dissolved, 3 to 4 minutes.
5. Run a long, sharp knife around the edge of the cake and invert onto a serving platter. While the cake is still warm, poke holes in the top with a toothpick or wooden skewer. Spoon the glaze onto the cake so that it seeps into the holes. Let the cake cool before slicing.
I love the pretty yellow color of this cake. This piece was consumed while I was sitting at my desk this afternoon.
Jack got the chance to do an egg hunt over at my in-laws' house. I wasn't sure if he would really understand the concept of what an egg hunt was but we pumped him up by giving him a basket and telling him to find the eggs. He went right outside and ran around the yard looking for eggs. It was so cute watching him put them in his basket. At one point the basket got super full and we weren't sure if he would be able to hold onto it. He did!
Here he is going through his loot. The eggs were filled with pennies which is perfect because he loves feeding money into his dinosaur bank ("bink").
It really was a fun Easter. I love that as the boys get older, they really start understanding the concept of holidays and enjoying them.
I hope everyone's Easter was blessed and memorable!
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