Scratch the Test Run

Sunday was Easter. Naturally, I wanted to make a real Easter dinner. If you remember, I'm still figuring out how to use my oven. But what is Easter without ham and potatoes? On top that, I really wanted to make Easter eclairs. I'd only used my oven a couple times--once to warm up a ham steak and once to bake a home made pizza--neither one is very easy to mess up. But eclairs can be temperamental. I figured I would have time during the week to bake a cake to test out the oven, but that didn't happen. There are just a few problems, okay not problems, differences with the oven. One: the temperature dial. Two: it is gas, not electric. Three: it is half the size of a regular oven. Four: it is not capable of being lit on the top and the bottom; I have to choose one or the other.

My friend, Michelle, wanted to learn to make eclairs, so we just decided to go for it--without the test drive. We bought an oven thermometer, used a small cookie sheet, and opted for the bottom light. Then we watched them closely.

They turned out wonderfully. We also had cola cooked ham, funeral potatoes, fruit salad, cabbage salad, rolls, fresh fruit, corn on the cob, and deviled eggs. Everything an Easter meal should possess and more! We had a wonderful Easter with wonderful friends!


In the morning I did a combined Easter basket for Jadyn and Cody. I figured Jadyn wouldn't really be able to hunt for it anyway. I kept it small for two reasons. First, Jadyn doesn't really care at this age. Second, you can't buy Easter stuff in Taiwan. Jadyn received an Easter dress and Carebear book and Cody received Brisigr and Reeses eggs (I packed them home from UT). Jadyn loved carrying the basket around, then taking out all the candy, putting it back in, then carrying it somewhere else, and repeating the process.