Holy Thursday and Good Friday 2011

Our Holy Thursday is quite a busy time. We tend to spend a lot of time preparing for our Passover/ Seder Meal and the preparing for the evening Mass that is usually on as well.
We have a script that we use every year and is quite simple to use in a family situation
This year the Mass was in another town in our Parish and we had to arrive early as our boys wanted to serve as well.

We usually do not get to finish our meal as we tend to have to hurry to get to Mass, much like the Jews in being readiness to leave.

A large part of the meal is the roast lamb meal we have after the initial ceremony. We rarely have lamb but it is one of most of the family's favourite meats.

Our treat for sweets is always trifle...however we often don't get to eat it until after we come home from our Mass of the Lord's Supper

It was interesting to see our little children with our wall hanging this year. They were naming each of the Apostles and trying to get Arwen to say them as well.

Our  Cenecle with the Apostles and Jesus, reenacting the last supper. Once again Arwen was happy to play with them for ages and Moran and Myffwyn were constantly re arranging them into the order that was on the wall hanging.

I just adore trifle....in fact it is my favourite sweet.

Well Good Friday arrived quite soon after our Thursday evening activities and the it was time for the 'additions ' to be made to our Calvary Crosses.
The nails were added, paint applied and the crown of thorns and scarlet robe attached as well.

Hot Cross Buns Recipe~
This is a sweet dough recipe and I also use it as a base for our Hot Cross Buns on Good Friday with the addition of fruit and a sweet glaze on top: (I also use it for doughnuts)

Ingredients ~
580ml of water
2 eggs
4 Tbs of butter or oil (I use oil)
2 Tsp of salt
4 Tbs of sugar
7 cups of Bread flour
6 Tbs of milk powder 4Tsp Bread improver
5 Tsp yeast

add 2 tsp of Cinnamon
2 Tsp of mixed spice
2 1/2 cups of sultana (or your own mix of dried fruit)

Method ~
Put everything into a bowl and knead either by hand or mixer until ready.

Shape into balls and place in an oven tray with sides.
Cover with plastic. NB: The best way we have found so they don't stick to the plastic is to cover with a supermarket shopping bag.
Let rise until doubled in size.

When doubled in size blend together 4 TBS of water and 1/2 cup of plain flour until smooth batter has formed.
Spoon into a piping bag and make a cross on the buns (after removing the plastic of course)
Bake in a pre heated oven for about 15 mins
Remove from oven to cooler
Brush with Hot Cross bun Glaze~
1 cup of icing sugar
1/2 tsp allspice
1/2 tsp of ground cinnamon
2 TBS of water
Combine ingredients until smooth and thin and brush on still warm Hot Cross Buns

I think we actually made 5 dozen Hot cross buns this year. They are quite scrumptous.

Rogan had made up some sugar cookie dough for the Easter Cookies to be made so early in the morning Stephen started to roll out the cookie dough and cutting into shapes.

We coloured the sugar  with some food colouring and for some of the colours we used jelly crystals.

Rogan spent ages decorating the cookies with the sugar and organising them.

The finished Easter cookies waiting to be eaten on Easter Day.

Our Crack Me Eggs organised as well.

We finished off the night with watching the Jesus movie with the younger ones and the Passion of the Christ with the Kynan, Braedon, Autumn and Saxon.

It seems so very long ago that we celebrated Easter Day and all the lead up to it. The preparations are so involved but indeed I treasure these days that we celebrate events together as a family.

Blessings to you and your homes,