Easter In a Coronavirus World
Easter is almost here, and this year it’s a lot more low-key. The Easter egg hunts are cancelled. Churches are closed. However, low-key or downsized doesn’t mean missing out on the excellent food or company. Instead, think in terms of the “new normal”. Here are some suggestions.
Downsize your menu
Fewer items, smaller versions.
Halenda’s sells small Ontario turkeys, roasts, mini dinner hams, black forest hams, prime rib and more fresh meats and deli.
We sell prepared cabbage rolls, perogies, coleslaw, soups and other prepared items to make your meal special. A Halenda’s team member can help you decide how much to buy.
These are a few of our Easter favourites:
Turkey
Halenda’s locations carry Hayter’s farm-fresh turkeys, one family business with a commitment to excellence supporting another.
The Hayter family has lived on the farm in Dashwood, Ontario (near London) for generations. What makes Hayter’s turkeys so delicious is they start with healthy, vigorous birds. Their turkeys are grain-fed, with plenty of fresh air, and they are free to roam in spacious open buildings.
Read this:
Make this:
Halenda’s Mini Hams
We start with a tender and lean pork knuckle and smoke it to perfection and partially cook it. Our mini hams are gluten-free.
Make this:
Smoked Bone-In Ham
Halenda’s Smoked Bone-In Hams are delicious. We have taken off the hock end and removed part of the “H” bone, which gets you more meat for your money, and it is easier to carve.
Read this:
Cooking instructions for ham (bone-in and boneless)
Prime Rib Roast
You can’t go wrong with prime rib. Prime rib dinners are perfect for Easter. Delicious and tender, Halenda’s Prime Rib Roast is the perfect roast for any occasion. Prime Ribs are generally well-marbled, which gives it an excellent mouthwatering taste. Treat your family to the best Prime Rib Roast.
If you end up with leftovers, it’s a good thing: Thinly sliced prime rib, horseradish, mayo, cheese, bread. It’s the perfect sandwich, cold or grilled.
Make this:
Halenda’s Kobassa
Over 40 years ago, the first generation that opened the Halenda’s business started it by making a family favourite, Ham Kobassa. It has won many awards since. Eat our kobassa sliced as an appetizer or snack or crackers, or work it into a dish the way you would a smoked sausage.
Make this:
Perogies
Get your perogies from us and boil, bake, fry or barbecue them.
Make this:
Cabbage rolls
Buy premade cabbage rolls from us, or buy ingredients to make your own.
Plan for the week
You can’t eat out anymore, so plan for leftovers. Buy a family-sized turkey, ham or roast. Make all the sizes.
Meal planning is a good idea, anyhow. It’s more important than ever to strategically plan your shopping list so that you can get in and out of the store. Take inventory of what’s already in your pantry and use what you’ve got. Plan your Easter weekend meals and your meals for the week, and remember that grocery stores are closed on Sunday and Monday that weekend.
Read: Ways To Stay Safe At The Store During Coronavirus
Order your Halenda’s Meat
Call or email your preferred store to place an order.
Host a virtual cooking party
Videoconferencing isn’t only for work meetings anymore.
Zoom has soared in popularity in the last few weeks. Whether you use Zoom, Skype, Facetime, Google Hangouts, Houseparty, Instagram Live or something else, make your Easter prep interactive.
Share recipes online with your friends, and have your favourite music and videoconferencing set up while you cook and bake.
Do the same with your Easter egg decorating with the kids (psst – we sell eggs).
Pretend you’re hosting a cooking show.
Drink wine, sparkling water with frozen fruit in it, or your beverage of choice.
Swap tips.
Laugh.
Set the table
You don’t need outside guests to make it fancy. Use your linen tablecloth and napkins. Bring out “the good stuff” that you save for special occasions. Make place cards.
Make the table elegant. If there was ever a special occasion, a “shelter in place Easter dinner” is it.
Dress up
Get out of your yoga pants and PJs. Leave the sweats on the floor. Put on your finer clothes. It’s still Easter. Be comfortable, but make it different.
Videoconference the dinner
Put a laptop or tablet at one end of the table and eat with your friends! Share stories. Show what you’re eating. Raise a glass together. It’s not the same as all being together, but it’s a special way to be together under the circumstances.
To pre-order, contact your local Halenda’s store.
*A lot of these tips can work for your Passover seder too.
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