Spring and Summer holidays looked a little different this year. Instead of having big parties or family dinners, holidays were celebrated quietly at home, but they were celebrated! While usually each holiday would get its own post, since they were so small and simple this year, I just complied them all together.
First came Easter. I still got dressed up in my easter dress, and made easter brunch. I got a beautiful loaf of Challah bread from the store and turned it into french toast, with sides of raspberry compote and whipped cream. It was the best french toast of my life.
Then I attended Easter Sunday church via Zoom.
I made myself an easter basket with some of the online purchases I had made recently. Online shopping has become a hobby .... and of course I had to enjoy some easter candy, it's the best kind of candy!
During the entire week leading up to Easter, I had been listening to Emily Belle Freeman and David Butler's Holy Week lessons. Each lesson was dedicated to one eye witness that was present during the events of Christ's last week before His crucifixion and resurrection. On Easter they gave their last lesson, which we had been leading unto all week long.
Love my new Easter sweatshirt. It has become 2020's mantra.
On May first, Bethy and her family celebrated May Day and spread the happiness of the upcoming Spring season by surprising their friends and family with traditional May baskets.
These adorable gifts are a big part of May Day celebrations:
"Another European tradition that survived is hanging May baskets on doorknobs. People make small baskets, usually out of paper cones, filled with treats or flowers to give secretly to friends and neighbors. It is customary to leave the basket on the doorstep of a neighbor or friend, ring the doorbell and run away. If the friend catches you before you get away, you must give them a kiss."
Such a fun surprise!
A few days later was Cinco de Mayo. I celebrated by joining the rest of Utah County in the Costa Vida drive through to get a yummy, celebratory meal. So in a way, I went to a party, a party in the drive through with cars snaking through the entire parking lot ...
When I finally got the goods, I came home and watched Nacho Libre while I enjoyed my chips and salsa and pork salad.
I again dressed up for the occasion, even if I was just celebrating at home.
Next came Mothers Day.
This picture pretty much sums up holidays in 2020, with clorox wipes and hand sanitizer close by.
By now, we were beginning to visit with family, as long as we were outside and socially distanced, so we were able to do a little something for Mom. During lockdown had been worried about our favorite little bakery, Backers Bakery, so we thought we would support them by getting one of their famous cakes. It was absolutely gorgeous.
One of my Mom's favorite things to eat for breakfast when we travel is biscuits and bacon. So, Bethy made her some homemade biscuits and cooked some hot, crispy bacon for a delightful Mothers day Brunch, complete with Mom's favorite beverage, ice cold Coke.
The biscuits were huge and so delicious, just how you want a biscuit to be.
Happy socially distanced Mothers Day!
We were all really hoping Covid would be over with by the time Fathers Day rolled around, but nope, it was still going strong. So we had another little celebration, outside. By now Mom, Dad, The Madisons and I had combined our quarantine bubbles, so we could all hang out, but we still gathered outside.
Since May, we had been doing weekly Utah Taste Off's together, I'll be posting about those next. In a nutshell, there is this super fun company called Utah Taste Off, and each week they pick a category, sugar cookies, cupcakes, sweet rolls etc, and they compile a kit of six items from different restaurants and bakeries around Utah. We pick up the kit and try all the goodies at home, and then send in our ratings and they declare the winner based on our ratings. Its super fun.
So for Fathers Day, I had dad pick a category, he picked donuts, then I researched the best donut places in Utah County (I had to limit it since I was the one driving around and picking them up) and compiled our own Taste Off.
I got donuts from:
Days Market
Provo Bakery
Avenue Bakery
Lehi Bakery
I made a scoring sheet that looked just like the ones we get with our Utah Taste Off kits.
Lehi Bakery was the clear winner in Dad's ranking, he could not decide wether he liked their maple bar or lemon bismarck better, they were both sooooo good. Lehi Bakery is now his favorite bakery, whenever they participate in the Utah Taste Off's we get excited because we know they are going to submit something delicious.
While holidays had to be celebrated differently this year, I still made the best of each holiday and had a fun time doing so! A global pandemic won't stop me from trying to make the best with what I am given. It was kinda fun thinking outside of the box and finding ways to celebrate while staying safe.
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