Our Holy Saturday was busy as ever.  And every bit as fun.  This year, we were minus Dan and Dominic.  They had their own exciting things to do at Dave's house.  But we were joyed to have two teenagers in the homeschool group of polish decent to join us. I also had my sis in law and her two older children helping.  At times, her youngest two and my Rose would pop in and help.  And then there was Sam wondering in and out.  I don't know what the count is up to, but it was quite a few people in our small, 10 x 10 kitchen!  But lots of fun.

Our main task for the day was chrusciki, a wonderful little polish cookie that, according to Dan, tastes like a funnel cake.  We also managed to make a couple nut rolls and poppy seed rolls.  The help was amazing!  I thought we'd be lagging since Dan, my usual fry guy, wasn't there.  My nephew was a great substitute, and the polish gals did great and my niece did great...at everything! Usually when we do this in mass production, we do one batch at a time in the kitchen aid, and someone rolls it out, and another cuts, and another twists the cookies and another fries.  This year, we had so much help, when I was finished making one batch of dough, I had to immediately start the next because they were making those cookies that fast!  I don't know how many cookies we made all together, but I know we made six batches of dough...30 egg yolks total!

Here's a few pics with my two helpers before the crowd came.

Finished product!

Unfortunately, in the pandemonium of the day, a few mistakes were made.  They were with the nut rolls.  The dough didn't raise really at all. 

 I think it was a combination of not letting the yeast 'proof' long enough, and forgetting to add the eggs!  And then the nut roll filling itself cooked too long and burned really bad on the bottom.  We salvaged what was still good, and still had plenty to spare.  Overall, the rolls turned out okay, and tasted okay.  The texture was a bit different but the taste was good.

The great rush of the day is to get all these goodies in baskets for the basket blessing at 4pm. I'm so bummed I didn't get a picture of the baskets.  The weren't really that impressive but we did have a lot of traditional polish goodies.  One of them was the lamb butter.  Usually this is left till last by me, and some years not even done.  Gratefully, Rose is old enough to appreciate, and help in such things!  She had fun putting the 'fleece' on the lamb, as well as the clove eyes.

And lastly, the feast.  Since I didn't get pics of the food in the baskets, I took a shot of the Easter morning spread.  Yum yum. 

 Kind of a tribute to my Grandma Rudge, Granny Symsek, and of course, my mom. I remember mama making all these goodies at Easter. Although I'm not a huge fan of perogi (next post), mom told me how much Grandma Rudge liked them.  I'm proud to be able to make these things that my mom made for so many years and maybe not realizing the deep sense of heritage she was imparting in me in doing so.  What joy I get out of doing the same for my family, and even friends this year!  Thanks mom!