by Cathy Mcclellan

Created on: January 13, 2009

Do you remember when all the extended family gathered together for an Easter egg hunt for the kids and a huge Easter dinner? Ham, potatoes, salads, vegetables, rolls, fruit salads, pies and cakes made the table groan under the amount of food that was served! The kids traded their eggs, adults gossiped and laughter could be heard through every corner of the house. Those were the days!

Today, with so many family members spread out to other areas, it is oftentimes too hard to get the group all together for the traditional Easter Dinner. Or it's simply not affordable. That's OK though, making a new tradition is always fun. Trying something you have always want to try or just different than the normal fare is a good way to start a new tradition.

My husband has never liked large gatherings and we always lived one or two states away and our trips back home were reserved for summer and Christmas. So we started our own tradition with a close group of ours and our children's friends.

We would have the Easter Egg Hunt, of course, but everyone had a hand in the meal choices. Our group of friends and my family loved to barbecue. So, we barbecued, Texas style. We would cook a brisket, smoked sausage, potato salad, baked beans and Cole Slaw. We then made homemade ice cream with the kids involved. You could even grill steaks, chicken breasts, hot dogs and hamburgers. This is a more relaxed and enjoyable atmosphere.

If grilling is not your style, other ideas for an Easter dinner could be Steak and Lobster, Beef Pot Roast, your favorite pork loin roast recipe, fried chicken or lasagna. To round out these ideas could include a fresh garden salad, Mashed or baked potatoes, vegetable medley or green beans, rolls or garlic bread and chocolate cake for dessert.

An Easter Breakfast or Brunch is always a great idea too. A lot of people would rather have their get together before church or any social function that may be planned for the afternoon. Ideas for breakfast or brunch can include French toast, cinnamon rolls, sausage, egg, cheese casserole, fresh fruit, fruit and nut salad or any quick breads such as pumpkin bread, banana bread or zucchini bread.

Or if you just don't want to cook or unsure where to start, going out to a nice restaurant is always an option. A benefit to this is you wouldn't have any dishes to clean! Or leftovers to put up!

Go ahead, start something new for Easter. Choosing your family favorites will ensure that your Easter breakfast or dinner will be perfect, no matter if it is traditional or not.

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