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Do you remember the song that "It's the most wonderful time of the year. With bells jing-a-lingin' and hearts will be singin' a word of good cheer"... a winter/Christmas song. However, it is indeed a most wonderful time of the year. It's spring in Minnesota, it's warmer and Easter is coming. Easter is my favorite holiday. When I was younger, my mom and I would walk the roads along ditches where the pussy willows grew, to cut some of the branches to bring to church on Willow Sunday - Palm Sunday in the protestant churches. We would bring them to church, they were blessed and each parishioner was given two or three branches adorned with puffy silver-gray catkins. We didn't put them in a vase with water as they would continue to flower and become fuzzy lime green catkins. Without being in water they will keep for a long time, just as when they were picked. But after a few weeks it's time to let them go. They are getting harder to find these days. Where the ditches were, there are now sidewalks. But... I found a spot not too far away where there is no building going on and that is where I pick pussy willows.

Easter is just a few days away and if you are entertaining on Sunday, I hope you will have leftover ham and hard boiled eggs (from an egg hunt maybe), as today's recipes have both ham and eggs in the ingredients. If you aren't entertaining and don't have eggs, buy some. And if you don't have any ham, stop by the deli and buy about a 3/4-inch slice.

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HAM AND EGG SALAD

1/2 c. uncooked small pasta shells (can use elbow macaroni or rotini)

1 c. diced cooked ham

2 hard-cooked eggs, sliced

5 cherry tomatoes, sliced in half

1/4 c. diced celery

2 T. each, sliced green onion and chopped dill pickle

1/4 c. plus 2 T. sour cream

2 T. each, snipped fresh parsley and Parmesan cheese

3/4 t. Worcestershire sauce

1/4 t. salt - optional

1/8 t. pepper

Lettuce Leaves

Cook pasta according to package directions; rinse in cold water and drain. In a large bowl, combine pasta and next 6 ingredients. In a small bowl combine next 6 ingredients. Pour over ham mixture; gently mix well. Chill, covered, for 3-4 hours to blend flavors. Serve in a lettuce-lined bowl.

Makes 3-4 servings.

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DEVILED HAM AND EGGS

6 hard cooked eggs

1/2 c. minced ham

2 T. mayonnaise

1 t. grated or minced onion

1/2 t. each, dry mustard and Worcestershire sauce

1/8 t. pepper (I use a few dashes of white pepper)

Cut eggs in half, lengthwise. Take yolks out and put them into a small bowl; mash. Combine rest of ingredients; mix well. Refill whites using about 1 T. yolk mixture. Note: I mince up two or three green-stuffed olives and add to the mixture... adds a little zip.

Makes 12 halves... imagine that!

I don't think it's quite time for a picnic but it's good to plan ahead. I usually don't add ham and broccoli to my potato salad but it's really quite good.

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PICNIC POTATO SALAD

4 medium potatoes, peeled, cut into 3/4-inch pieces

1/2 medium cucumber, peeled and diced

3/4 c. broccoli florets cut into pieces about the size of a nickel

1/2 c. diced celery

1 c. cubed ham

2 hard-cooked eggs, chopped

3/4 c. mayonnaise

2 T. each, milk and diced onion

1-1/2 t. snipped fresh parsley

1-1/2 t. each, vinegar and prepared mustard

3/4 t. celery seed-optional (I use a couple shakes of celery salt)

1/4 t. salt - optional

1/4 pepper

1/2 t. sugar

Cook potatoes in water just to cover until tender - don't over cook. Drain and cool. In a large bowl, combine potatoes with next 5 ingredients. In a small bowl combine rest of ingredients. Pour over salad and mix gently. Cover and chill at least one hour.

Makes 6 servings.

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HAM'N EGG COMBO

1-1/2 c. macaroni, cooked according to package directions; drained and cooled

3/4 c. each, diced ham and salami, diced in 3/4-inch cubes

1 c. diced Cheddar cheese, Monterey Jack or Swiss cheese, cut in 3/4-inch cubes

1-1/2 c. diced celery

1-1/2 c. sliced green onion

2 hard-cooked eggs, coarsely chopped

1/2 c. sour cream

1/4 c. mayonnaise or salad dressing

1/4 c. Western (French) dressing

1/8 t. pepper

In a large bowl, combine first 7 ingredients, mixing gently. Combine next 4 ingredients in a small bowl; mix well. Pour over salad mixture; fold in gently.

Makes 6 servings.

TFD: May your Easter celebrations be filled with hope, love, peace, thanksgiving and rejoicing in our Risen Lord. Christos Voskres - Christ is Risen - Voistinnu Voskres - He is Risen Indeed. Hallelujah! Alice

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