March 2013:
By our modern calendar it is officially Spring, therefore Easter is near. I was raised in a secular family and Easter was only about backyard Easter egg hunts, candy and a few coins for my piggy bank, which actually was a ceramic pig. In later years I would enjoy half day off from work on Good Friday and my son Blaze would enjoy the same backyard hunts, public Easter egg hunts at the neighborhood community park, candy and a few coins for his green robot piggy bank. Easter is different things for many people. I have a co-worker that would annually arrive at work with a smudge of ash on their forehead to mark a 40 day period of fasting, prayer and repentance known as Lent.
By our modern calendar it is officially Spring, therefore Easter is near. I was raised in a secular family and Easter was only about backyard Easter egg hunts, candy and a few coins for my piggy bank, which actually was a ceramic pig. In later years I would enjoy half day off from work on Good Friday and my son Blaze would enjoy the same backyard hunts, public Easter egg hunts at the neighborhood community park, candy and a few coins for his green robot piggy bank. Easter is different things for many people. I have a co-worker that would annually arrive at work with a smudge of ash on their forehead to mark a 40 day period of fasting, prayer and repentance known as Lent.
Almost everyone knows these small bits of tradition, but do you know how to calculate the Easter calendar? As we also know Easter is celebrated on a Sunday, but which Sunday, which month, which day?! It can be very confusing. The Easter celebration window is anywhere between March 22 to April 25th. Grab you calculator and follow these step by step instructions below:
HA HA-This program was written by scientists of the South Australia Astronomical society. Try it if you dare, I will opt for the principal known as the 'Google Method'. Easter for 2013 will be celebrated on March 31st, celebrate Easter in 2014 on April 20th. Save this handy-dandy link for future reference: List of Easter Dates 1700-2299 (click).
"Tall Blonde's Style" is all about Fashion, Food and Travel. This upcoming Sunday March 31, 2013 dust off your white shoes that have been collecting dust since last Labor Day, wear a floral hat while walking to your neighborhood Easter Egg Hunt to watch the kids at play and create something tasty for your table. The best Carrot Cake recipe courtesy of 'Best Foods' is below. It is rich, moist, fruity, gooey and crunchy.
Ingredients
- 1 box (1 lb. 2.25 oz.) yellow pudding in the mix cake mix
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1/4 tsp ground ginger (optional)
- 3/4 cup Hellmann's® or Best Foods® Real Mayonnaise
- 3 eggs
- 2 cups grated carrots
- 1 can (8 oz.) crushed pineapple in natural juice, drained
- 1 cup chopped walnuts OR pecans (optional)
- 1 FROSTING
- 1 package (3 oz.) cream cheese, softened
- 2 cups confectioners sugar
- 2 Tbsp Shedd's Spread Country Crock® Spread
- 2 tsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Directions
- For Cake, preheat oven to 350°. Grease 13 x 9-inch baking pan*; set aside.
- In large bowl, combine cake mix, cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger. With electric mixer, beat in Hellmann's® or Best Foods® Real Mayonnaise, eggs, carrots and pineapple at low speed 30 seconds or until moistened. Increase speed to medium and beat 2 minutes. Stir in walnuts. Evenly spread into prepared pan.
- Bake 30 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center of cake comes out clean. On wire rack, cool 10 minutes; remove from pan and cool completely.
- For Frosting, in medium bowl, with electric mixer, beat cream cheese, confectioners sugar, Spread, lemon juice and vanilla until light and creamy, about 5 minutes. Evenly spread frosting over cooled cake. Garnish, if desired, with additional chopped walnuts.
- *Or, prepare cake mix as above in two 9-inch round cake pans and bake 30 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
Happy Easter, ENJOY!
