before Easter

Easter

Easter is tomorrow, and I have yet to make the most crucial Easter decision.  You see in my family it is NOT about what you wear, it's NOT about who you bring, or even what time you show up.  In my loving, amazing, conservative, southern baptist, country family...it is about what dish you bring.  What is your contribution to the Easter meal *and in true Southern Baptist form we have a potluck*.  That is the question that will not only be asked with words, but also the shrewd eyes will be watching and waiting to see what dish you set down on the table *God forbid you come empty handed*.

Our Easter's have been the same for many years.  The family, and a select few neighbors and friends show up around 1 o'clock and we all head on down to the creek and set up chairs, tables, and sit down the tailgates of trucks...and then Grandpa *now one of the uncles or cousins does it* would say the prayer, and everyone would eat.  The kids will swim in the creek, then later there's an Easter egg hunt.

But the main event is something the men are utterly oblivious to, they think the food is simply there to enjoy?!  HA!  They are so blind.  No, it is an expert means of judging the female population of the family.  So as I'm part of the 'new generation bringing a dish so I'm especially watched.  Now there is a lot of pressure, especially because at family gatherings I usually do pretty good and bring home an empty dish. The choice this year is hard though...do I make that recipe I just saw in a magazine? A recipe I made years ago that was a huge hit that I haven't made in awhile? A family classic my grandmother passed down to me?

There is a problem with all these choices. How do I know if the new recipe will turn out good? The recipe everyone loves? There's a neighbor lady who makes it and she may come and having the same dish as someone...it's just not an option. And the problem with the recipe my grandmother made is that I will NEVER be able to make it as good as she did. *and even if I did nobody could actually say it because she's grandma*

The 3 big fears when making a dish

1) Nobody eats any of it

                                2) You make the same thing as someone else

   3) Someone is allergic to it

The 3 things you desperately want to happen

1) it to be completely or at least mostly gone when it comes time to leave

                       2) Someone to ask around who made it while waving a forkful and going this is SO good *and you can nonchalantly go 'Oh that was me, how was it? something new I just whipped up*

                       3) All the women to simultaneously compliment your cooking and give you the stink eye because they're watching their weight and you just blew that all to hell.

I'm thinking of going with a wild card this year, but I'm very nervous.  Wish me luck!  What do you do for Easter?  Do you cook something?  How do you decide?  Have a very wonderful Easter!