So yesterday was Easter.
Happy Easter.
Even when it's just the four of us for Christmas and Easter, we still like to do a big meal. My favorite part of Easter dinner is definitely the ham. Not the honey, pre-cut ones. Just a plain, simple ham. It tastes better in big chunks. Along with that, I made my mom's potato casserole - hash brown potatoes, cream of chicken soup, sour cream, cheddar cheese -- YUM! It's not new to make this dish. But as I was thinking about dessert, I suddenly had the longing for something I hadn't had in a long time -- my Aunt Melinda's lemon hole cake. Fortunately, I happened to have the recipe in an old write-your-own cookbook that my grandma had given me right before I got married (over 15 years ago). It's a good thing too because I checked the internet for reference and couldn't find quite the same recipe. So I happily made my list (I was only missing three things) and ran to the grocery store while the ham and potatoes finished their last 30 minutes in the oven, complete with a phone call to my mom to confirm the type of baking pan I should use.
Some two hours later after my tummy was WAY too full. I reflected on the meal itself and I realized something. Growing up close to extended family, meals had certain familiar tastes and traditions; the aforementioned lemon hole cake and potato casserole, Grandma's cherry pies, rolls, Mom's waldorf salad. My kids don't have the luxury of growing up close to grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins like I did. I realized, though, that I want to be a little more intentional about certain foods for certain meals. I want my kids to associate the memories of a holiday with a specific food. In other words, I can see lemon hole cake becoming a staple of Easters to come!
I don't think I've ever shared a recipe on my blog before, but I feel it's my duty to help immortalize Aunt Melinda's lemon hole cake (she now lives in Texas and I'm curious to find out when the last time was that she made one). Warning: it's delicious and I'm sure not kind to the hips, but enjoy anyway!
Aunt Melinda's Lemon Hole Cake
Cake:
1 pkg. lemon cake mix (like Duncan Hines Lemon Supreme)
1 pkg. lemon instant pudding
4 eggs
3/4 cup oil (I used vegetable)
3/4 cup water
Topping:
1/2 cup orange juice
2 cups powdered sugar
3 tbsp. oil
Put all cake ingredients in large bowl and mix 10 minutes (I don't think I mixed it quite that long). Bake according to directions on the box. When done, remove form oven and poke holes all over the top. Don't remove from pan. Mix topping. While hot, pour on the topping mixture.
Enjoy!
4 comments:
You are so cute. but it does make a difference, seeing as we spend like 67% of our life eating. Some of my food to love associations come from really strange Italian dishes like Orange salad (which includes anchovies-ew) Spit Roasted Lamb, Baked ziti, Mint Pie, and Tomato Caprese.
Your kids made it off lucky with lemon hole cake and baked ham...
I was thinking along similar lines last week. Being away from my family, holidays like Easter just seem to slip through the cracks. There aren't any family dinners or special traditions to follow. Maybe I'll have to come up with my own, even if it's just a special breakfast all by myself. Then, when I have my own family, I can develop new traditions or pass on the ones from my childhood...
Also, I can't wait to try that cake.
i wish we did awesome dinners like that on easter...
I know what you mean...my in laws couldn't come for Easter this year, and it really didn't feel like Easter without family around. I'm glad you posted your Aunt Melinda's recipe, and it sounds wonderful. I'm definitely going to make that.
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