Easters Past

Holidays at our house were always a big deal when I was a child. The Mom always did her best to make the day special, but it wouldn't have been holidays with our family without accidents and drama. Burned or forgotten dishes, as well as fights and arguments, not just from the kids.

We had traditions that we did every year without fail. Special meals, family visits, or watching programs on TV. One of my favorite memories is of Easter morning. We would wake up early in anticipation of our baskets waiting in the living room and a special breakfast The Mom made every year, 'Eggs on Toast with Creamed Gravy'. We'd watch our favorite holiday programs and talk to visiting family while dinner was being prepared. I think my absolute favorite programs were "The Easter Bunny is Coming to Town" and "Here Comes Peter Cottontail".

As a child I never understood why everyone wanted to have dinner before most people usually had lunch. I still don't. Looking back I think those 'special breakfasts' were an ingenious way for The Mom to use up the eggs we had colored and hunted in the days before. She also used them to make deviled eggs for dinner. Which was always fun because sometimes we'd come across an egg that color had bled through. I guess to a kid purple and blue deviled eggs are entertaining. As we grew older, my sisters and I outgrew the younger activities and the traditions seemed to crumble. As an adult without any children we hardly celebrate holidays the same. So as each holiday approaches, it makes me a little melancholy for times gone by and family that live far off or that are no longer here.

Here is the recipe for our special Easter breakfast, it's pretty simple to make and easy to double up the recipe for more servings.  What you'll need:

• 4 boiled eggs, sliced
• 1 can of cream of celery soup (or your favorite flavor of cream soup, mine is mushroom)
• 3-4 oz of milk
• 4 slices of bread

Add can of soup to saucepan and stir in milk.
Simmer until soup thickens to desired consistency (I like to wait until mine thickens and starts to turn into a golden gravy).
Toast bread, (I like to butter mine and toast in a skillet, The Mom just uses the toaster).
Place egg slices on toast and cover with gravy.

Enjoy!