Spring has Sprung and Easter is Here!

Easter is right around the corner! The below recipes are delicious options for your Easter holiday!

This key lime cake recipe is easy and a family favorite! It taste better if you make it a few days ahead! Serve for dessert or breakfast for any occasion in spring or summer.

Key Lime Cake

Preheat oven to 325 degrees
1 box Duncan Hines Lemon Supreme Cake Mix
1 box Instant Lemon Pudding
1 Cup Water
1 Cup Canola or Vegetable Oil
4 Eggs
2 tsp Key Lime Juice
Wood Skewers

Beat after each ingredient. Pour mixture into non stick sprayed, large or individual bundt pans. Bake at 325 for 50-60 minutes for large cake and 25 min for small bundt pan and check.

While cake is baking, make the glaze:
2 Cups Confectioners Powdered Sugar
½ Cup Key Lime Juice

Beat the above glaze ingredients well and set aside. You are going to leave cake in pan. After cake has cooled 15 minutes, poke holes in cake with wood skewer. Pour glaze over the top of cake. It will seep down into the holes you made with skewers.

Let cake cool 2 more hours before removing from pan. Place a large plate over the bundt pan and flip over. Top w confectioners sugar right before serving and thin slices of lime make a great garnish.

Soups On!

This recipe is adapted from www.marthastewart.com. This soup is a festive first course for an elegant Easter dinner!

Carrot Vichyssoise

Serves 6
3 large leeks (1 1/2 pounds), white and light-green parts trimmed
1 medium clove garlic, minced
4 small Yukon Gold potatoes (1 1/2 pounds), peeled
5 carrots (9 ounces), peeled
2 1/2 cups Homemade Chicken Stock, or canned low-sodium chicken broth, skimmed of fat
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 cups whole milk
3 tablespoons snipped fresh chives
Olive-oil cooking spray

Martha's Directions
Coarsely chop leeks; place in bowl of cold water. Let stand 5 minutes to rid them of dirt and sand; lift out of water; drain in colander.

Spray bottom of small stockpot with olive-oil spray; place over low heat. Add leeks and garlic; cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until leeks are wilted, about 12 minutes.

Cut 2 potatoes into small chunks; add to leeks. Slice 3 carrots into 1/4-inch-thick rounds; add to vegetables along with stock, salt, pepper, and 2 cups water. Cover partially, raise heat to high, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium low; cook until vegetables are tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from heat, stir in milk, and puree in blender until smooth. Let stand until cool; refrigerate until cold.

For garnish finely julienne remaining 2 potatoes and 2 carrots; place in a small pot of boiling water. Boil until just tender, 2 to 3 minutes. Drain; transfer to ice-water bath until cool. Drain; add carrots and potatoes to pureed soup. To serve, divide soup among six bowls, and garnish each with snipped chives.

Bourbon Glazed Ham


1/2 fully cooked smoked bone-in ham, (about 7 pounds), not spiral cut
3/4 cup packed light-brown sugar
1/4 cup Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons bourbon, cider, or water

Martha's Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Trim all but 1/4 inch fat from the ham, and score remaining fat in 3/4-inch diamonds, just deep enough to reach the meat without cutting into it. Place ham, fat side up, on a rack in a roasting pan.

In a small bowl, mix together brown sugar, mustard, and bourbon. Brush 1/4 of the glaze over the ham. Bake the ham, brushing with remaining glaze every 30 minutes, until heated through (140 degrees on a meat thermometer), about 2 hours.

Let ham stand about 15 minutes before carving. Using a knife with a long blade, carve downward to the bone. Run the knife horizontally through the ham, along the top of the bone, to release the slices.

Sauteed Asparagus



Serves 5 to 6
1 1/2 pounds medium-thick asparagus
Butter
Dried or Fresh Thyme
Salt

Meal Maven Directions
Wash 1 1/2 pounds medium-thick asparagus. Snap off spear ends and cut on the diagonal into 1 inch pieces. In a large saucepan, melt 2 tablespoons butter and thyme. Add asparagus to pan and saute on medium heat for 4 to 6 minutes (depending on thickness). Season w a bit of salt and serve.

Herbed Roasted Red Potatoes


Serves 6 to 8
3 to 5 Pound Bag Baby Red Potatoes
Olive Oil
Dried Herbs De Provence

Meal Maven Directions
Preheat oven to 450. Wash the potatoes and cut each into 4 pieces. Mix cubed potatoes w olive oil and place on sprayed oven pan. Season w salt and dried herbs and bake for 40 minutes. Turn potatoes with spoon at 20 minutes.