The Easter feast was fun. My parents came, which made it a small Easter celebration for us — just six people. #1 daughter had only herself and her husband, and they just went out to dinner and a movie. I may have conveyed to her my feeling that holidays need crowds for proper celebration.
#2 daughter went to an Easter picnic in the park, in the cold, with our glamorous aunt. My mother had asked about the cold in talking with this aunt, so we knew that they planned to light fires in the firemaking areas of the park and I guess to wear warm clothing and huddle around the fires.
This is the Devil’s Food Easter/birthday cake. 
#1 son, whose birthday it was, does not care for icing, so we made an un-iced cake in a sort of basket shape and a set of egg-shaped cupcakes. I iced the cupcakes and piled them in the “basket” with some green-dyed coconut for grass. Then we made shortbread rabbits, gave them coconut fur and cottontails made of halved mini marshmallows and attached them to the cake with dabs of icing.
Understated elegance was not the goal.
In fact, with a cake of this kind, it seems to me that the fact that you went to so much trouble is the message. The recipient must be important, if someone is willing to cut mini marshmallows in half for him.
I am still not recovered from my monstrous cold. I have reached the stage at which this fact is making me very cross. However, I spent the entire afternoon — after our guests left, of course — ensconced in a recliner with a fleece throw and a stack of novels, calling hoarsely for tea at intervals. I am doing my part to vanquish this virus.
I am not over my cold either, and I am getting extremely cranky about it. I was in no position to be preparing feasts or cutting mini marshmallows in half yesterday. I found it required superhuman strength just to get through the most basic Easterly mom duties. I worry that my mood is so bad that by the time I am well, there will be no one left who cares.
Fire starting areas? I think not. We just drove a huge van on the windy side of the table and huddled next to it.
Wishing you vanquishment, and a long quiet day of doing what you did yesterday afternoon after your guests left — except that you’d be fixing your own tea, of course.
The feast looks delightful!
Good idea with the deviled eggs. Now why didn’t I think of that?
My boys would love that cake. They like icing, but all the effort would make them supremely happy. Plus the bunnies.
Have you seen the doctor about that cold?
Lovely! The cake is especially wonderful. Might you have an ear infection or sinus infection or bronchitis that might benefit from an Official Diagnosis? Just a thought….
I like the cake. You really have got a monarch of colds have you not. Not quite sure where the 7 day rule comes from – my colds usually last for longer than that and then I’m coughing for a week or so more. Over here the advice we are given by doctors about a cold is ‘stay in bed and drink plenty of fluids and eat sensibly’ as there is nothing they can do about viruses. Sleeping helps as well…