Happy Easter!

Spring, the sweet spring,is the year's pleasant king

Then bloom each thing, then maids dance in a ring

Cold doth not sting, the pretty birds do sing

Cuckoo, jug-jug, pu-we, to-witta-woo!               by   Thomas Nashe, 14th Century

This Renaissance poem about spring brings thoughts of those bright sunny days we expect at Easter time. Today, although the birds were singing happily from the bare branches this morning, the cold wind still had a sting in its tail and the flurries of snow made the sunshine pause all through the day. Even now, as I sit here writing, the dark clouds of snow quickly made the longer day not seem so.

Still, on the positive side, we did have more sunshine today, so spring is trying hard to break winter's embrace! Perhaps it is the fact that Easter is so early this year, and really we are expecting the sunshine of mid to late April...?

H and I have been treated today with an invite to Mum's for Easter lunch. Before I leave, I make a quick one person cheese and ham quiche for R, and while the oven is hot, make some summer berry muffins (see archives), but this time replace 2 tbsp of flour with 2 tbsp cocoa powder, as well as adding a handful of chocolate chips - you can never have enough chocolate at this time of the year!

                                               Double Chocolate Summer Berry Muffins

At Mum's we are treated to a splendid roast chicken dinner, and then a plethora of goodies for after...

...a selection of spiced cookies...

 ...a traditional Easter Simnel cake...

...and a rather scrumptious Raspberry and Chocolate Egg Pavlova.

Now can you see what I have to live up to?!!

HAPPY EASTER EVERYONE! :-)