Happy Good Friday!

We’ve just read Tasha Tudor’s A Tale for Easter, and loved the part that said, “You can never really tell, for anything might happen on Easter.”

In the story, a little girl dreamed that a fawn took her on a magical ride through the woods and fields, where she saw  “rabbits smoothing their sleek coats for Easter morning,” “little lambs in fields of buttercups,” and “Easter ducklings swimming among the lily pads.” She even got to ride up over the “misty moisty clouds,” a place “where the bluebirds dye their feathers, and the robins find the color for their eggs.”

Mr Cornelius especially liked the part about having hot cross buns (or any other treat) on Good Friday, so he invited a few friends over for fun, food, and games. After all, it’s almost Easter, and anything might happen. 🙂

 

 

Peter Rabbit was the first to arrive, so Mr Cornelius challenged him to a friendly game of springtime chess. Le Lapin Rotund (aka Hoppy Vanderhare) volunteered to officiate.

 

 

Peter would be Team Blue and Cornelius, Team Orange. All the chess pieces just happened to be personal friends — pigs and lambs and bees and ducks and cows and bunnies — who were only too thrilled to participate.

 

 

Since he lives in the woods, Cornelius especially likes his acorn pawns, while Peter is partial to his little carrots. Naturally, they’re not ordinary carrots. They can sing “Here Comes Peter Cottontail” in five-part harmony.

 

 

It didn’t take long for Peter and Cornelius to really get into the game. As other friends arrived, they cheered the players on.

 

 

Now, as some of you may know, chess can be a pretty slow game. So while patiently waiting for Cornelius’s next move, Benjamin Bunny recited this little poem:

 

 

A FINE HEAD OF LETTUCE
by Jack Prelutsky

I’m a fine head of lettuce,
a handsome romaine,
I haven’t a cranium
made for a brain.

I’m simple and shy,
I remain on my own.
I’m known in the garden
as lettuce alone.

*

“Mouthwatering!” said Peter.

“Most clever!” said Hoppy.

“I’m hungry,” said Cornelius, before finally moving his honeybee rook two squares.

Things were going swimmingly as Peter and Cornelius hemmed and hawed, concentrated and strategized. This was a very serious game, after all.

 

 

But then anything might happen on Easter.

There might even be a wee bear dressed in bunny ears with a lot of jelly beans. Naturally, she had a chewy poem to share.

 

 

THE JELLYBEAN BRIGADE
by Jack Prelutsky

They came to town, they came to town,
the Jellybean Brigade.
They marched about in bright array,
a rainbow on parade.

They swaggered in the broiling sun,
instead of in the shade.
They’re nothing but a puddle now —
the Jellybean Brigade.

*

“Pity,” said Peter.

“What color’s the puddle?” asked Hoppy.

“I’m hungry,” said Cornelius, reaching for a cherry jelly bean.

“We can’t let these jelly beans melt,” said the Hippo King. And with that, all the chess pieces cleared the deck, giving the jelly beans center stage.

 

 

“Rawther strange game of chess,” said Eloise.

“Any marmalade jelly beans?” asked Paddington.

“Let’s arrange twelve of them in two straight lines,” suggested Madeline.

“Speaking of jelly beans,” said Max the Poet, “Listen to this:”

 

 

PATIENCE
by Bobbi Katz

Chocolate Easter bunny
In a jelly bean nest,
I’m saving you for the very last
Because I love you best.
I’ll only take a nibble
From the tip of your ear
And one bite from the other side
So that you won’t look queer.
Yum, you’re so delicious!
I didn’t mean to eat
Your chocolate tail till Tuesday.
Ooops! There go your feet!
I wonder how your back tastes
With all that chocolate hair.
I never thought your tummy
Was only filled with air!
Chocolate Easter bunny
In a jelly bean nest,
I’m saving you for very last
Because I love you best.

*

“Cannibal!” cried Peter, Hoppy and Pink Bunny.

“Chocolate hair?”!! asked Eloise. “Oh my Lord, can I lick lick lick it?!!”

“I’m curiously hungry,” said Cornelius. “Got more chocolate?”

Anything might happen on Easter.

Take Thing 1 and Thing 2. Please.

“Bite the Chess Pieces” was the name of their game. They nibbled and noshed without any shame.

 

 

“Cannibals!” cried Peter, Hoppy, Pink Bunny and Jemima Puddle-duck.

“We simply cannot eat our chocolate friends,” said Max the Poet.

“I can,” said Eloise.

“Mais, non!!” said Madeline.

“But I’m still hungry,” said Cornelius.

“Écouter! What are chefs for?” asked Hoppy. “Call in the EGGHEADS!”

 

 

A pleasant enough lot. Naturally, one of them had an edible poem to share.

 

 

ODE TO THE EGG
by Clarence Day

Oh who that ever lived and loved
Can look upon an egg unmoved?
The egg it is the source of all.
‘Tis everyone’s ancestral hall.
The bravest chief that ever fought,
The lowest thief that e’er was caught,
The harlot’s lip, the maiden’s leg,
They each and all came from an egg.

The rocks that once by ocean’s surge
Beheld the first of eggs emerge —
Obscure, defenseless, small and cold —
They little knew what an egg could hold.
The gifts the reverent Magi gave,
Pandora’s box, Aladdin’s cave,
Wars, loves, and kingdoms,
heaven and hell
All lay within that tiny shell.

Oh join me gentle friend, I beg,
In honoring our friend, the egg.

*

“Most eggscellent!” said Peter.

“An egg cup makes a very good hat,” said Eloise.

“I’m still hungry,” said Cornelius.

And with that, Hoppy and Chef Jacques whipped up a nice hot dish of Baked Blueberry Lemon French Toast!

 

 

Melted jelly beans, half eaten chocolate bunnies, and upended chess games forgotten, everyone dug in and enjoyed.

 

 

Finally, after three servings, Cornelius said, “I’ve got a poem too.”

 

 

HUMPTY DUMPTY
by Carol Ann Duffy

Humpty Dumpty stood on one leg,
Humpty Dumpty was only an egg.
All the King’s horses
And all the King’s men
Had to have omelette for dinner again.

*

“I’m shell shocked!” said Hoppy.

“Talk about an eggsistential crisis,” said Peter.

“But some of my best friends are eggs,” said Cornelius. “Without them, our resident chefs couldn’t make French toast.”

 

 

“STOP RIGHT THERE!”

Everyone turned to see who was shouting.

There, on the window ledge, sat Mr Dumpty himself, alive and well.

 

 

“Fact is, I DID NOT fall and I hate omelettes. All that nursery rhyme rattletrap about my unfortunate demise? FAKE NEWS! Fake News, I tell you. You can see I’m fully intact and handsomer than ever.”

*Collective gasp*

 

 

“So you see, the yolk’s on you! You guys really crack me up!”

A big cheer from all.

With that, all the checkmates had another serving of Baked French Toast and a Sour Cream Lemon Puff Pastry Shell to celebrate. They also polished off oodles of jelly beans, and some even devoured a few chocolate animal friends (we won’t say who).

I guess it’s true. Anything might happen on Easter. 🙂

 

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🐣 YUMMY RECIPES 🐥

So, just in case you’re looking for a couple of easy, last-minute breakfast or brunch recipes for Sunday, consider Sour Cream Lemon Puff Pastry Shells (as pictured in the opening image of this post) and/or Baked Blueberry Lemon French Toast — both carefully tested by Le Lapin Rotund (aka Hoppy when sporting carrot ear warmers) and Chef Jacques.

If you’ve used frozen puff pastry shells before, you know how versatile they are for sweet or savory treats. Somehow puff pastry always feels decadent and serving these delectable shells with a lemon curd and sour cream filling will add a festive touch to any holiday celebration.

Just pre-bake the shells per the box instructions (we used Pepperidge Farm brand), let cool for five minutes, then fill with the sour cream-lemon curd filling. Top with fresh berries and some toasted almond slices and you’re good to go. Nothing could be simpler. Again, maximum satisfaction from minimum effort (our new motto). 🙂

 

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The Baked Blueberry Lemon French Toast is a wonderful make-ahead dish. Of course you’ll be busy Easter morning and don’t want to fuss too much with breakfast or brunch. So you assemble everything and refrigerate it the night before. You can even make the topping ahead of time and then just sprinkle it on just before baking.

The secret to this recipe is using King’s Hawaiian Sweet Dinner Rolls. My recipe for Hawaiian Sweet Bread Pudding (posted years ago) remains one of the most popular on this blog. The two recipes are similar, as you’re basically combining an egg-milk custard with pieces of bread.

 

 

While the bread pudding calls for a full cup of white sugar, the french toast only uses 2 tablespoons of maple syrup, and just 1/4 cup of brown sugar in the topping.

This recipe was adapted from one I found online at Damn Delicious, which specifies using a 9″ x 13″ baking dish, and a 12-roll bag of dinner rolls (12 oz), layering bread and blueberries several times. I knew that wouldn’t work since my bread pudding recipe uses the same size dish with a 16-oz loaf of sweet bread.

So I used a smaller dish — 8″ x 11″ —  and it was just right. If you want to make a larger amount and use a 9″ x 13″ dish, I suggest increasing the amount of bread to at least 16 oz., the milk to 2 cups, and the eggs to 5 or 6. This recipe is quite forgiving, though, so you can juggle the amount of bread and custard to your liking.

Both my sweet bread pudding and this baked French toast are great for breakfast, brunch, or dessert, and are good pot luck choices. May I also add: this baby smells sooooooo good while it’s baking. 🙂

 

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A Special Note to My Passover Friends:

Thinking of you as we all celebrate important holidays this weekend. My favorite Passover picture book is More Than Enough by April Halprin Wayland and Katie Kath. In case you missed it, check out my interview with April, which includes lots of personal photos and a recipe for Charoset!

 

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Hope everyone has a delicious, family-and-friend-filled weekend! Why not put the electronic devices aside and sit down for a good old-fashioned game of chess?

 

 

Who knows? Anything might happen. 🙂

 

 

🌷 HAPPY EASTER & HAPPY PASSOVER! 💐

 

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🐊 GATOR BOOK GIVEAWAY WINNER! 🐊

We’re happy to announce that the winner of a brand new copy of There Was an Old Gator Who Swallowed a Moth by B.J. Lee and David Opie is:

EILEEN MUZZEY HECTOR!!

🎉 CONGRATULATIONS, EILEEN! 🎈

Thanks for entering the giveaway, everyone. Have you entered this week’s Surprise Book Giveaway yet? The resident Paddingtons are offering a copy of Margarita Engle’s new verse memoir, SOARING EARTH! Leave a comment here to enter!

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The charming and talented Amy Ludwig VanDerwater is hosting the Roundup at The Poem Farm. As you probably know, she’s been busy creating an interesting Poemstory for NPM. Put on your bunny ears and hop on over there to cheer her on and to check out the full menu of poetic goodness being served up in the bloggy world this week.

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This post is also being linked to Beth Fish Reads Weekend Cooking, where all are invited to share their food-related posts. Put on your best bibs, aprons, and bunny ears, and come join the fun!

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*whisker twitch*

 

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*Poem sources:

“A Fine Head of Lettuce” and “The Jellybean Brigade” is from A Pizza the Size of the Sun by Jack Prelutsky, illustrated by James Stevenson (Greenwillow Books, 1994).

“Patience” by Bobbi Katz is from The Random House Book of Poetry for Children, selected by Jack Prelutsky, illustrated by Arnold Lobel (Random House, 1983).

“Ode to the Egg” is from Scenes from the Mesozoic by Clarence Day (Yale University Press, 1935).

“Humpty Dumpty” is Part 3 of a five-part poem entitled “Not Not Nursery Rhymes,” included in New and Collected Poems for Children by Carol Ann Duffy (Faber & Faber, 2014).

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