This morning Bo and I headed to New Jersey to enjoy our first Polish Easter with lots of extended family!

Luckily, I had some quality reading for the hour and a half train trip from Penn Station to Hamilton, New Jersey. If you haven’t ordered Tina’s new book, Carrots ‘N’ Cake, I highly recommend it! It’s a fun light read that gives a great deal of background to her wonderful blog.

When we arrived the house was already alive with children’s laughter and long conversations. The wine and beer was also already out for the taking! There was a great array of beer, wine, and liquor but I stuck with water the entire afternoon.  

This little heartbreaker, Gavin, kept us all smiling the entire afternoon. He discovered the cat toy early in the afternoon and this remained his favorite toy all day!   Meredith, my cousin, decorated her house perfectly with eggs and flowers everywhere! How cute is this napkin and flatware holder at the end of the buffet?

The buttered lamb was another Polish tradition which I had never seen before! It is traditional addition to the Easter meal for Polish Catholics and is a symbol of Spring and the new beginning.

The deviled eggs were a family favorite, as always! This lovely display was bare within five minutes!

In Polish tradition, the lovely Easter buffet included far more than just ham! There was delicious kielbasa and sauerkraut, cooked in beer and applesauce, rye bread, and babka. In addition, there was grilled asparagus, mixed green salad, and macaroni. Everything was delicious but the sauerkraut and kielbasa was my favorite. After a relaxing lunch, enjoyed while catching up with everyone, it was time to break into the desserts! As you may recall, I gave up sweets for Lent, and was more than ready to enjoy some homemade baked goods. Luckily, Meredith and Rich’s niece is an amazing baker and brought macaroons and rum cake.

I enjoyed a little bit of everything including a small slice of angel food cake, a small slice of rum cake, and one macaroon. The macaroon was definitely my favorite and ten times better than anyone I’ve made or tried before. Maybe she’ll share the recipe!

It was so nice to be with family today and out in suburban New Jersey. The warm air, blue sky, and sunshine was a welcome break from the hustle and bustle of the city. But, by the end of the afternoon we were ready for a nap back to the city.

I hope you have a wonderful Sunday and enjoy it in the best way possible, with good food and family!