Celebrating Easter as a child meant so many things to me. My family would go to the 7:30 a.m. Mass (as we did every Sunday) at St. Peter & Paul Church in Waterbury, not far from where I grew up.
I can still smell the overpowering scent of the Easter lilies that were placed all around the altar. My parents loved to go to the early mass because it was peaceful and quiet.
Sometimes, for Easter, we had a special guest like a missionary from some far off exotic place like Africa, offer a sermon at church. I loved listening to their accents. They always told good stories.
On Easter, I usually got a new dress, white tights, shiny white shoes and sometimes, even a white hat to wear. My whole family got dressed up, even my brother, and after church, we took a family photo or two in front of the garden of colorful tulips and daffodils that were in bloom on the side of our house.
Then, it was time to look at our Easter baskets. When I was very young, I sometimes got a small present. For several years, I would get a Dawn Doll, which was like a miniature-sized Barbie Doll. My brother and I would stuff ourselves with chocolate bunnies and jelly beans. I made out very well each year because my brother didn't like the black jelly beans, but my mom and I loved them. I even traded other colors with Bobby to get the black ones.
Sometimes, my grandmother would give us a big package of chocolate eggs that had different flavors inside. I usually ate the peanut butter eggs first and saved the yucky flavors, like strawberry cream, for a few days later when that was all that I had left. Hey, even yucky chocolate is better than no chocolate!
In the afternoon, it was time for our Family Easter Egg Hunt. My dad was the one who hid the dozen eggs we had colored the day before. He was an excellent hider...in fact, sometimes it took us a long time to find the last few eggs. Dad once tucked an egg into the hem of our curtains in the living room. I think he enjoyed the hunt as much as we did, maybe more. He would walk around and laugh as we opened closets, checked drawers and the cookie jar. There may still be an egg or two that we never found!
We had ham and vegetables and biscuits and dessert was always "The Bunny Cake!" Every year, my mom and I would make the coconut-covered cake that looked like a bunny rabbit. Now, I try to carry on the tradition and make it for my family.
I wish all of you who celebrate Easter a very happy holiday. I hope you get to spend the holiday surrounded by family.
Here is the Bunny Cake recipe that my mom used:
Original recipe makes 12 servings.
1 (18.25 ounce) package of yellow cake mix.
3 ¾ cup of flaked coconut
1 (16-ounce) package of vanilla frosting
Package of jelly beans
At least four pieces of red licorice
Directions
Heat oven and prepare two 9-inch round baking pans as directed on cake box. Prepare cake batter with as directed on package adding in 1/2 cup of coconut. Divide batter evenly between the prepared pans. Bake and cool cake as directed on package.When cooled, place one whole 9-inch cake layer on serving tray, forming the bunny's head. Cut 2 convex-shaped ears from each side of the second layer, place on each side of head to form ears. Use concave shaped piece for the bowtie, place about 1/2 inch below head.Frost entire bunny covering top and sides of bunny. Pat remaining 3 1/4 cup coconut evenly over top and sides. Decorate the bunny face and bowtie with jellybeans and use the licorice to make whiskers.