Buona Pasqua e Pasquetta!
After reflecting on past Easter holidays and reminscing on good times, I had begun to worry how this Easter would stack up. Of course, I am in Bella Italia, I am with my heart’s true love, Springtime is in the air, what could be better, right?
Well, I was worried about the number. The number of people who would be here, that is. You see, as I have mentioned, my family in Texas is enormo, I mean, how does one other person (plus his daddy), compare to 50 + Easter-egg huntin’, fish-fry eatin, chocolate-bunny devoring crazy Texani??
Well he does, and he does it well…
It all started yesterday morning! As I heard Peppe drive up I jumped out of bed and put the final touches on his very first American-Style Easter Basket. He walked into my room expecting to awaken me, and saw his sorpresa!
Gleeming, he sorted through his basket and was thrilled at all of the Good Things he found, especially the excess of chocolate now available and at his disposal. Then? Breakfast! A typical Italian “Easter” breakfast, I am told is when… “the adults eat Colomba, and the kids eat their chocolate eggs.”
“You’re a kid,” he tells me, as he pulls out an over–over-sized, red-foiled chocolate egg and places it on the table with the other Easter-morning goodies.
“Go ahead and open it,” he says as he takes the camera.
So I do. (Please excuse the no make-up pics, I am normally too chochi to broadcast these on the internet, but you have to see this egg.)
You guys might remember how I had a hard time opening my last chocolate Easter egg…
“You have to give it a good karate chop,” Peppe says as he demonstrates on his own Spiderman Super Hero egg I had put in his Easter basket.
So, I try.
And, I try again…
Well, the third time is the charm! Cause the egg breaks open to reveal…
My PHONE!
Well, not REALLY the SAME EXACT phone…but a perfect replica of the one that was stolen a couple of weeks ago, complete with the new “chip” containing my old phone number – reactivated by good ‘ole Wind!
After several minutes of literally jumping up and down…I settle in for some super-sweet Colomba cake and coffee, followed by chocolate-Easter-egg dessert. And, it was Good!
(By the way – my egg was made by the brother of the infamous Antonino Condorelli, whose parents own a bar a few streets over…another Good Thing.)
We visit Peppe’s cousins before church, where they are more than eager to provide us with a pastiera, a Neapolitan wheat-berry cake with ricotta, candied fruit and orange blossom flavoring.
After church we have lasagna upon lasagna upon lasagna…and the boys have roasted chicken and potatoes – but I just can’t hang. We finish up with strawberries with fresh cream and, of course, more chocolate.
I started a new book, I took a nap, I ate more chocolate…all Good Things.
By the end of the day I realize that all Good Things must come to an end. I was quite content with my day, but worried my overindulgence would haunt me. I stepped on the scale just before bedtime (never a Good Thing), to see that – what, is it possible???
I’ve lost 1/2 a kilo!?!
Oh, yea, Martha Stewart, you said it…
Easter in Italy…it is a “Good” Thing.
Happy Easter Cherrye! It sounds like you had a great one. All that food sounds so good. I’m glad you got a phone and by the way you look great without makeup. We had a nice Easter too. My parents and some friends were over and Heather (my wife) made an Italian Easter bread and of course there was honey glazed ham and plenty of chocolate from Mitchels, a local choclateer who makes chocolate as good as any on the planet. We went to the Saturday mass, my favorite, and stayed in bed Sunday morning. Spring isn’t quite in the air here yet. We got over a foot of snow the past couple of days so we made Easter bunny snowmen!
Sound like you had a happy Easter. All that food sounded so yummy! And that was the biggest egg I’ve ever seen!!! Wow!
p.s. I wish I looked as good as you do first thing in the morning…:(
Wow….you had a very, very good Easter.
sigh, why is it when I’m in Italy eating pasta and gelato everyday I lose weight but then in L.A. (a no carb zone) where I eat less pasta, I gain weight? Yet another sign I need to move to the Bel Paese.
You got a phone in your Easter egg?! Wow!
Happy happy Easter to you!
Fantastic big easter egg. And you look great without make up on so don’t think otherwise.
If I ate all that I’d put 2 kilos on not lose weight…lucky you
WOW that sounds AWESOME!!! That is a HUGE chocolate egg, unbelievable!!! That is just too cute that your new cell phone was inside, what a creative romantic you have there!!
Thanks for sharing, sounds like a whole lot of fun….I gotta try out an Italian Easter sometime…LOL!
Have a great day!
Wow what a great looking egg. How sweet to give you a cell phone to replace the one you lost.
BTW I don’t know how fair it is that you wake up looking that good in the morning. I need my make up. 🙂 I love the pictures.
J – It sounds like you had a great Easter, as well. And, I laughed out loud at the mental immage of your Snowbunny…
Erin – The egg was delicious – there is still some left. You interested?
NYC/Car gal – I always gain weight in Texas, too. Although, I blame mine on the Mexican restaurant chips and salsa. My mouth is watering just thinking of them!
Delina – Yes, there was a phone. Isn’t that the greatest “little” surprise ever??
Madelyne – I am pretty sure that chocolate will catch up with me. I am staying off the scales for the next week! 🙂
Yes, Louise, you have to try an Italian Easter sometime. Maybe by next year I will have some recipes I can share. And, yes – my honey is a sweetie. I think I’ll keep him!
And – ALL OF YOU…I DO NOT look good without makeup, but thanks for trying to make me feel better. My mother said, “WHAT WERE YOU THINKING PUTTING THAT PICTURE UP THERE??? You should have put on makeup first!” ha ha ha
I WAS BEPPE ACCOMPLICE!!!
Ah, yes, Antonino! I should have known you were in on it! Good job – GREAT surprise!
Thank you!
I can vouch for the fact that the phone sure is cute…and that Cherrye without make-up is even prettier than in the photo 🙂
[…] Easter in Italy…It is a Good Thing Buona Pasqua e Pasquetta! After reflecting on previous… […]