Easter..........

We had our family easter get together today....every year for donkey years now....we gather for Good Friday prayers with Joseph's family. They are catholics and every good friday....they do the passion of Christ and the 7 last words of Christ prayers after lunch...and it is timed to finish at 3pm as that is the time that Christ died. It's a meaningful prayer and a beautiful tradition and I love it....I love family time....I love it that we all get to read part of the prayer.....I love it when they sing the traditional Filipino songs although I don't understand much of it. I love family traditions full stop. We all take turns in hosting this prayer....we hosted last year...this year in Joseph's Aunty's place...and we were there at 10.30am and came home at 11.30pm. Long but fun day.

Every friday during Lent....we don't eat meat on Friday...and Good Friday is no exception...we eat seafood and usually everyone has their special dish to make. We have brunch together before prayers...then after prayers...we all cook together...each making their special dish...then we have dinner together. Beautiful tradition.

For about 5 years now...I have been making Pasta Marinara with the freshest marinara mix...full of fish, calamari, prawns, mussells, fresh tomatoes, spring onion and garlic....and with the best egg fettucine that i can buy. The family can't get enough of it...and to keep it special...I only make it for them once a year....tee hee....at home...for my little family...we probably have it about 4 times a year. Today, when we went out to buy marinara mix....there was none...all SOLD OUT!!! So sad....frozen simply will not do...I will not cook pasta marinara just for the sake of making it with frozen pre-cooked seafood....NO WAY! So...I reverted back to an old old family favourite.....CHILLI CRABS! Done with black bean sauce, white wine, garlic, ginger and yummy chilli. I spent a small fortune on female blue swimmer crabs and cooked a huge potful. Out of all the food on the table for dinner....my crabs was finished first.......absolutely delish and utterly more-ish. I always eat the scrump-deli-umptious sauce with rice first...then after that...the actual crab. FINGER LICKING GOOD. Someone brought 4 dozen of huge oysters....we had an absolute feast as there are only 5 people who eat oysters...so I pigged out on oysters and chilli crab...didn't eat anything else.

Because this is our get together...family members were giving out easter eggs/rabbits today. My two older boys...just because they are 6 foot tall and are taller than everyone else....only got easter chocolate from one family member. FFS...they are 16 and 14 years old...they're still kids although they look like young men........ok...it's not that they need it......they don't.....it's not that I am petty.....definately not that....it's just that....it's the thought that counts and I hate it when family members overlook the fact that I have 3 children...not just a little one. The little one gets chocolate from everyone....and they all know that he is anaphylactic to peanuts. Grrrr.....so every chocolate he gets....he has to hand over to us...so that we can check it. This is his first year of eating chocolate too....and he LOVES it....what kid doesn't right??? He's fantastic though....when we read the ingredients and we tell him that he can't have it....he's still cheerful and says that he will give it to his brothers.

This is what happened to him when we went out to dinner one night...our dinner didn't contain any peanuts...but maybe the previous diner had satay or something and there was some oil residue on the table. He merely rubbed his eyes as he was tired and this happened to him...Scary huh??? Because of the severity of his allergy (anaphylaxis).....we have to carry around an Epipen (adrenaline injection) with us where ever we go. We have one at home, one in the car and one in his medicine bag which goes everywhere. We've never had to use it...thank god...and we hope we never have to.

I've rambled on enough..........

This is a photo of my 3 boys.........a canvas I did of their 2005 Christmas.....aren't my boys gorgeous? I'm utterly biased though...lol