Mom's Easter Sunday Potluck REVISED - 3 dishes no time!

Easter is just about on us and I am thinking about the Easter Sunday Potluck and believe me, the heat is on. Owning Seasons can be a curse at times and any time there is a potluck is one of them.

My friends expect that whatever I bring will be spectacular, creative, and phenomenally wonderful. So what's the problem? I have no time to plan and virtually no time to cook. Whatever I do, it has to be fast and easy! I've turned my brain on "sideways" and here it is...something wonderful, somewhat traditional, and oh yes, it's EASY! (By the way, did I mention I have TWO potluck's to attend?)

First, the entrees-- traditional Easter Ham. Ham yes. Traditional no. So how am I going to dress it up and wow my friends? I'm going to toss the first ham in a liner in the crockpot with a jar of Perfect Pear's Cinnamon Clove Pear Preserve...and that's one down! For the second ham, same process, second crockpot, slather it in Stonewall Kitchen's Bourbon Molasses Mustard and that one is done too! That's "no-hams-down" two thumbs up and thanks to the crockpot liners, not a pan to wash!

While the hams cook, it is off to the side dishes. I'm thinking carrots--this is Easter after all. I hit Stonewallkitchen.com and found the perfect fast and easy recipe for Candied Baby Carrots using the Orange Cranberry marmalade. Doesn't that one sound incredible? To make it faster and easier, I'm using the Glad Microwave Zip & Steam bags to steam the carrots (did I mention I love these things? The texture and flavors are better than traditional steaming and there is no pan to wash--notice the recurring theme here?)

The second side? Well, if it aint broke, don't fix it. I hit Stonewall Kitchen.com again and found Glazed Green Beans with Crumpled Gorgonzola. This one uses the Roasted Garlic Onion Jam--AND GORGONZOLA. This one is all grown up and yummy!

Finally dessert! Nothing too fussy or formal. First, I'll get some Pillsbury slice & bake sugar cookies, slice them thin, and press them in mini tart pans. Bake 'em up fill them with Stonewall Kitchen Lemon Curd, and top with mint sprig! "BAM" instant mini-lemon tarts!

Dessert two takes me back home to Mom and the coconut cake she always made for Easter. She would dye the coconut green for the top of the cake to make fake grass and dot it with jelly bean Easter eggs. All right, so this is the point where I get nostalgic and a little corny, but isn't that what holidays are for? I'm making Barefoot Contessa Coconut Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting. And yes, I'm going to dye the coconut green and add jelly bean Easter eggs--just don't tell my Mom!