Thursday the 9th: Octave of Easter

 *What do we eat in the Octave?

*For Easter: For several years now I get as much ready for Easter on Easter Saturday. The practical reason for that is I play for several Masses in the Triduum, including Easter morning, and if I want to eat a nice meal then I need to get it ready beforehand. My husband and son are really good cooks as well but they need guidance, and they don't always know how to make last minute substitutions or changes if necessary. So on Easter Saturday I made the crust and filling for chicken piccata potpie, and all the Husband had to do was roll out the crust, put it on the filling, and bake it with an egg wash.  I bought arugula and cheese crisps, made a vinaigrette, and opened a can of smoked salmon from the pantry. On Friday I hard boiled eggs, the boys colored them on Saturday, and on Sunday they made delicious deviled eggs. There were two other things I prepped on Friday and Saturday. One was a flourless chocolate cake. I already described this a couple days ago in my post; we just ate the last pieces last night with ice cream and luxardo cherries. The other was a cream cheese coffee cake with an incredible lemon flavor. It's a little fussy to put together but it really does taste so good. I had the last piece for breakfast this morning. The last piece to the meal was broiled asparagus with olive oil and salt and pepper. I did not prep those ahead of time but I did give the boys a quick lesson on how to snap the asparagus.

*Since Easter: I've made pork stirfry, the boy made an Italian bowl with dried chickpeas and red lentils and rice, I made ditalini with peas. Tonight I'm making chicken salad for sandwiches, and then Friday is going to be leftovers. 

 

Wednesday the 8th: Octave of Easter

 *We have finished two concerts last month, and this month is solo regional festival/large group state/small group state, all three weeks in a row. Then our final concert is May 6--so we are both finishing up this music and prepping the next set of music. Pretty quickly after the final concert is a trip to St. Louis and the Baccalaureate, and then the work load is done and it's just cleaning and sorting.

Tuesday the 7th: Octave of Easter

 I made a flourless chocolate cake for Easter and served it with whipped cream and berries. The cake was super super rich--only a very small piece! It's also better out of the fridge for a couple hours, not just the 30 minutes the recipe calls for. I think this might be partly for the chocolate--it's from Aldi and tends to actually be a little less fluid than a less quality product.

 

 

Monday the 6th: Octave of Easter

 *This week every day is treated as if it is Easter, and that means no saints! Just Easter!

 

 

Friday the 3rd: Good Friday

 

Isaiah 52:13—53:12

See, my servant shall prosper,
            he shall be raised high and greatly exalted.
Even as many were amazed at him--
            so marred was his look beyond human semblance
            and his appearance beyond that of the sons of man--
so shall he startle many nations,
            because of him kings shall stand speechless;
for those who have not been told shall see,
            those who have not heard shall ponder it.

Who would believe what we have heard?
            To whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?
He grew up like a sapling before him,
            like a shoot from the parched earth;
there was in him no stately bearing to make us look at him,
            nor appearance that would attract us to him.
He was spurned and avoided by people,
            a man of suffering, accustomed to infirmity,
one of those from whom people hide their faces,
            spurned, and we held him in no esteem.

Yet it was our infirmities that he bore,
            our sufferings that he endured,
while we thought of him as stricken,
            as one smitten by God and afflicted.
But he was pierced for our offenses,
            crushed for our sins;
upon him was the chastisement that makes us whole,
            by his stripes we were healed.
We had all gone astray like sheep,
            each following his own way;
but the LORD laid upon him
            the guilt of us all.

Though he was harshly treated, he submitted
            and opened not his mouth;
like a lamb led to the slaughter
            or a sheep before the shearers,
            he was silent and opened not his mouth.
Oppressed and condemned, he was taken away,
            and who would have thought any more of his destiny?
When he was cut off from the land of the living,
            and smitten for the sin of his people,
a grave was assigned him among the wicked
            and a burial place with evildoers,
though he had done no wrong
            nor spoken any falsehood.
But the LORD was pleased
            to crush him in infirmity.

If he gives his life as an offering for sin,
            he shall see his descendants in a long life,
            and the will of the LORD shall be accomplished through him.

Because of his affliction
            he shall see the light in fullness of days;
through his suffering, my servant shall justify many,
            and their guilt he shall bear.
Therefore I will give him his portion among the great,
            and he shall divide the spoils with the mighty,
because he surrendered himself to death
            and was counted among the wicked;
and he shall take away the sins of many,
            and win pardon for their offenses.

 (Picture found on Pinterest from Archdiocese of Toronto, no longer on their website)

 

Thursday the 2nd: Holy Thursday

 First reading from Chrism Mass

Isaiah 61:1-3a, 6a, 8b-9

The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me,
            because the LORD has anointed me;
He has sent me to bring glad tidings to the lowly,
            to heal the brokenhearted,
To proclaim liberty to the captives
            and release to the prisoners,
To announce a year of favor from the LORD
            and a day of vindication by our God,
            to comfort all who mourn;
To place on those who mourn in Zion
            a diadem instead of ashes,
To give them oil of gladness in place of mourning,
            a glorious mantle instead of a listless spirit.

You yourselves shall be named priests of the LORD,
            ministers of our God shall you be called.

I will give them their recompense faithfully,
            a lasting covenant I will make with them.
Their descendants shall be renowned among the nations,
            and their offspring among the peoples;
All who see them shall acknowledge them
            as a race the LORD has blessed.

 (https://www.pinterest.com/pin/14425661293111772/)

 

Wednesday the 1st: Wednesday of Holy Week

 Isaiah 50:4-9

The Lord GOD has given me
            a well-trained tongue,
That I might know how to speak to the weary
            a word that will rouse them.
Morning after morning
            he opens my ear that I may hear;
And I have not rebelled,
            have not turned back.
I gave my back to those who beat me,
            my cheeks to those who plucked my beard;
My face I did not shield
            from buffets and spitting.

The Lord GOD is my help,
            therefore I am not disgraced;
I have set my face like flint,
            knowing that I shall not be put to shame.
He is near who upholds my right;
            if anyone wishes to oppose me,
            let us appear together.
Who disputes my right?
            Let him confront me.
See, the Lord GOD is my help;
            who will prove me wrong? 

 (Picture from https://www.pinterest.com/pin/4644405856076126/)