Easter!

There's nothing like a 4-day weekend, especially when the weather is as nice as it was. I went to visit my family, and did lots of cooking, as we had 2 dinners on the weekend. Unfortunately, I didn't do so well with the photos--just some snapshots before we demolished everything (literally, for the cake). I got up early on Friday morning to make this coconut cake for my brother's birthday. His birthday was in March, but this cake is worth the wait. The only change I made was to use fresh grated coconut on top and between the layers. I made it last year and after the first bite my brother said 'I'm taking this with me'. This devolved into a 4-way fight for the cake, but we made up and shared it in the end. This year the cake got a bit mangled on the trip, but it was mostly fine. I got a quick picture, and thought I would get more at my brother's house. What I didn't expect was that my nephew would fling it onto the floor! It was in a carrier, but looked a complete mess after that.

Hmm, having some white balance issues, but it was good--really. This is the before shot.

                            

Before Mr. Trouble got a hold of it. He's the best nephew ever, so all is forgiven.

For every family dinner I have to make coleslaw. I prefer making desserts, so I usually make something sweet too, but this is what my family always asks for. I've been making this since I was a teenager working in the kitchen of a local hotel. 

1 head cabbage, shredded (I do this by hand, but you can use a food processor)

3 carrots, grated

1 red onion, finely chopped

Place these in a LARGE bowl, and salt and pepper generously. Pour over a mixture of:

2 cups mayonnaise

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

2 cloves garlic, minced or crushed

1 bunch of dill, finely chopped (about a cup)

Mix with your hands. This keeps well, and is best made a day, or at least a few hours, in advance. 

Yup, same white balance issues. Bright yellow walls+skylight make for tricky pictures!

I also wanted to make some rhubarb desserts, but I will have to wait a while longer, as you can see below. No doubt everyone will be eating raspberries by the time my rhubarb is ready, but I consoled myself by making 2 more maple sugar pies. I can wait a long time if I get to eat more sugar pie!