A spread of bunnies and tulips complete a Spring-themed Easter Dinner at the Z's.
A spread of bunnies and tulips complete a Spring-themed Easter Dinner at the Z's.

After landing in Ottawa at around 6 pm this evening, I was whisked away to an Easter dinner hosted by Graham and Ainsley Z—. I have been over to their home on several occasions, all during Christmas holidays where I recall needing to fight through snow, slippery ice and deathly cold air to get to their front porch. It was pleasurable on this occasion that I had to do none of these things as the weather in Ottawa, Canada is surprisingly warm today. No snow on the ground that for sure!

I thought I would be landing in Ottawa International Airport much later and miss most of dinner. Fortunately, this was not the case. I arrived just as the plates of colorful and delectable dishes were placed on the dining table.

Although, several family members contributed to the meal, I marveled at how the colors of all the dishes seem to still coordinate and match all the Easter decor. Must be Ainsley Z’s magic touch!

Spinach salad with a citrus vinegrette.
Sweet, tender baby carrots. Rumor has it that Peter S. went to Costco to get these.
Freshly roasted asparagus is always a classic dish.
The scalloped potatoes were very popular.
Peas: They were made just for Clint who is a fan of peas. I love them too.
Ham for a traditional Easter dinner of course!
Mustard trio. Dijon with whole mustard seeds is my favorite.
Bread to soak up all the flavors from all the other dishes.
Cucumber jellied salad.
Centerpiece of tulips, rabbits and eggs is festive.
Three rabbits.
The beautiful plates. A Turner family heirloom (Coalport "Indian Tree).
Dessert anyone? Pecan pie with whip cream.
A lemon curd cake. Recipe procured in 1984 and it is another tradition. This is the cake before it is decorated.
Lemon curd cake decorated.
This cake went quickly!
After dinner, these cupcakes were handed to each guest. Each had a surprise inside.
Butternut pesto gratin was a unique and tasty dish.
Cute fluffy chicks on top of the dining room cabinet.
Ainsley Z. the fabulous hostess of the evening.
Loni Stark is an artist at Atelier Stark, self-professed foodie, and adventure travel seeker who has a lifelong passion for technology’s impact on business and creativity. She collaborates with Clinton Stark on video projects for Atelier Stark Films. It’s been said her laugh can be heard from San Jose all the way up to the Golden Gate Bridge. She makes no claims to super powers, although sushi is definitely her Kryptonite.