How are you handling Easter Dinner?

[LovingLife]

We have a huge Easter ham dinner with my husband's family each year and I haven't managed to stay raw for any holiday family dinner with them yet. :( But I'm in this April Challenge and am determined not to fail this time.

I think I can handle the fact that we'll be away from home for a few days -- I've done that before. But the big dinner stumps me or scares me. My initial plan was to offer to bring a green salad and a fruit salad. (I brought the fruit salad to Thanksgiving dinner, but ate other stuff too -- grrr!) -- But I thought I could handle that just eating what I brought and not feeling like I was eating completely differently from everyone else.

But today my mother-in-law asked my dh if I could make rolls. So I'm going to bake a bunch of all wheat rolls that I make for my kids (and I feel good about that -- especially since my youngest son broke out in a rash after getting into the white rolls at Thanksgiving).

ANYWAY -- So someone else is probably making some jello thing for the fruit salad and someone else is making their dressing-laden green salad. I could easily make my own and eat my own, but I think that would seem rude.

I know I could talk to my MIL about this openly (oh the fear) but she's pretty tough to work with in things like this. So I'm thinking I'll make a few raw "side dishes" -- just add them to the buffet and eat mine and not the rest. Still deciding. A mango pie would be fun to add for dessert too.

Any ideas of what you're doing? I'd love to hear.

[RawNnyc]

Why don't you try some of the fun recipes! That will totally keep you away from eating the SAD food. I mean, if you're eating things that look and taste as good (if not better) than everyone else, you won't be missing anything! That's what I'm going to do. I haven't tried anything special on my own yet, I've been ordering from raw resturarants $$$$$$. Anyway, we're going to my future mother in laws house in the suburbs with a HUGE BEAUTIFUL kitchen I'm going to have all for myself because they are in Florida! Maybe make yourself some nutmeatballs....or some nut cheese with celery and carrots for dipping.......I don't have the recipes on me right now but I'm sure other people will chime in. I'm thinking of trying 'pasta' with nutalfredo sauce! MMMMM I can't wait! People are going to want MY food!

[LovingLife]

Thanks for the suggestions Dani -- I could try pate's and appetizers since you can never seem to have enough of those.

I'm not really even afraid of wanting to eat what they have -- I'm just trying to figure out how to weave in more of my food so they'll want some and will not worry that I'm not eating enough or feel like I'm being rude to the occasion by not partaking of the dinner. Food seems to go so deep into our traditions and ways. So I think I want to add to what they have without looking like I'm trying to replace anything.

The funny thing is that a few years ago I remember fretting about a ladies luncheon (before I was raw, but getting away from SAD) and when I was altering what was on my plate, I realized that no one really even cared about what I was eating -- they're all thinking about themselves too! :D

[carolg]

Try playing with new recipe posted recently. I'm in love with the tuna salad wrap at the moment among tons of other recipes. Whenever I go anywhere I am sure to know if a fresh salad, plain is there or if I can bring one.
Enjoy the dinner. Our dinner is plain and simple: salad. Nothng fancy here.
carolg

[carolg]

Renee,
Wow super mom--6 kids. Was at your nice blog. Hope your health challenges addressed are healing. It's worth your action plan to keep moving forward.
carolg

[LovingLife]

Thanks Carol -- Funny you should say "Keep moving forward" -- Have you seen the new Disney movie "Meet the Robinsons?" -- That's the theme/motto/mantra of the movie -- at the end of the movie, they show a quote by Walt Disney himself where they took the phrase from.

And you're right -- it's all about health. I'm sure my dh's family would be understanding to whatever I ate or brought. I need to just do what will work and not fret about it.

[Conscious Midwife]

My mother called today and said:

To bad you don't eat pork I'd considered making a HAM Dinner for Easter

Me said:

Mom I don't think Jesus ate HAM

Moms Said:

Oh Jesus made everything clean to eat

ME says:

I'm not talking about cleanliness, I'm talking about his Jewishness

Mom:

fumes, huffs, puffs and then says never mind

Hubby says:

Um can she still make Mac n Cheese and Peach Cobbler

ME says:

Honey what about RAW

Hubby says:

I'm 50/50 can she make chicken too!


:eek: UGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHH WTF* is wrong with these people!?!?!??!

Easter is a resurrection celebration, right?!?! Sounds like a great time to celebrate new life with a wonderful devotional, spring flowers and a bounty of fresh RAW FRUITS and VEGGIES in their most natural form. Then consecrate your life and have a rededication ceremony, vowing to take better care of your one and only temple for the rest of the year.:)

If all this is to deep then skip it, grab some raw trail mix and catch a Sunday matinee.:eek:


I tell you what folks if I die and come back again I'd like to think folks would be doing more than eating in my honor. Have a celebration, dance a jig in the street, go buy some new shoes. Just do something more than eat!!!



By the way I've always got jokes, ain't NO way a sister can make over 1700 post in a year and be serious all the time.

:D

PEACE



* what the fruit

[Rawmney]

Loved this post. Thanks for the pre-bedtime chuckle. Sounds like you'll be packing your own meal. Enjoy your holiday. Best, Caryn

[Cinnamon]

Since DH and I are doing the 30 day challenge together this month, Easter dinner will be easy for us. I am very glad for this!! Tonight I made another dessert (an orange/chocolate cookie) and DH loves them. We also have a Date Nut Torte in the freezer. Main dish will be a large taco salad that we are really hooked on. Not traditional at all but we will be happy with it. This will be the most easy holiday I've ever had for eating raw, I usually take a green salad and fruit salad though for holiday meals and everyone enjoys them along with me. Anytime I've made anything else raw no one seems to like it (main dishes mostly, usually the desserts go over well) so I just keep it simple and have something everyone will eat.

Enjoy your holiday and have a great time!

[juliebove]

I'm having a big salad. Luckily my family puts the dressing on the side since many of us prefer ours without any dressing at all.

[Trolltyget]

Im having my family over for dinner and I am making a Greek style raw food buffé. My mom is bringing one or two cooked dishes, but the rest is just raw food. We´re having greek salad, stuffed vegetables, olivetapenade and crackers, greek pizzas, black olives, capers and some pumpkinseeds to snack on. For dessert I am planning on making a lovely fruitparfait (not very greek, but still..). My family are very open to my kind of eating and extremely curious. My father actually asked if i couldn´t make a raw dessert also, and who can say no to such a request? :)

[emily]

Lifeagift - I loved your post about your conversation with your mom! I know those sorts of conversations well... I also loved what you said about dancing and buying shoes - yes, yes - we need to dance more! And I've never understood people eating lamb or ham at Easter. WTF. Especially considering how they're treated while still alive.

If you don't want to "upstage" the person bringing the green salad with all the dressing (and usually with meat - what's that about?) then you could bring a tray of vegetables with raw hummus or some kind of dip, and a tray of fruit. I think the raw pie is a great idea, and maybe some raw truffles, too. Or "chips" and guacamole. Maybe small squares of raw pizza? That's a lot of work for you, though! Do they at least understand that you don't want to eat meat? I think people are usually concerned that you're not eating the meat, and once they get over that, they don't really notice what's on your plate - people tend to think mostly about the meat.

[Morn]

I am lucky. We will be going out to eat after church so I don't have to cook a big meal and can order a salad. But at my family's christmas party I just brought a big salad and fresh fruit that I could eat. I also brought baked desserts for them because that is what my sister wanted me to bring.

So if someone is bringing a salad already, why not make a coleslaw? Alissa has a great recipe in her book for apricot coleslaw (sweet and sour coleslaw). If you don't have apricots use raisens and apples instead. I like to add sunflower seeds to mine too.

[Wendee]

Organic salad mix blended in my Vita Mix
nacho chips (raw)
salsa and guac.(raw)

Oh, and white roses at each place setting for viewing not for eating, LOL!

Happy Easter