Happy Easter, Welcome Biscuit

This was a relatively low-key Easter for our family. Some of the family are traveling, and I was not in the mood to do a big production. I made Eggs Benedict with Julia's hollandaise sauce, various pastries and mimosas for breakfast, then we transitioned into lunch, with a leg of lamb crusted with fresh herbs and garlic, scalloped potates with Gruyere, and more mimosas.

When I make Easter dinner, I always think of my French teacher in Paris. We were going around the room, each student talking about how we celebrate Easter in our countries of origin. I said, "in the United States, we celebrate Easter with the Easter Bunny." "And how do you cook the Easter rabbit," my teacher asked me, "with a mustard sauce?" It took a little explanation that the Easter Bunny brings eggs and candies and chocolates, it is not to be eaten for dinner.

This year, the Easter Bunny brought us a puppy, Biscuit, who came from Fox Island Kennels in Palm Beach. Mom and I got her at LAX last evening, and Mom casually walked in the house with the puppy and told Dad "look what I found floating down the river." There was no protest; I think this is what you can get away with when you have been married for 51 years. Did I mention we did not tell Dad in advance? He grew up with little terriers exactly like this, so he can't resist them.

Here is a head shot of Biscuit; she really is little, I think she weights about 4 pounds; she is 8 1/2 weeks old:Biscuit is 3/4 pure Australian Russell Terrier lines; they have bred out the craziness; she's too new to the household to really tell, but she is indeed very calm, and cries when anyone leaves the room; "come back" she seems to say! Here is Biscuit with Honey, both held by my niece Gabrielle. This isn't a great shot of Honey, she looks like a real hairy beast, but it was tough to hold onto both dogs at once!

There was play all day, and all kinds of tempting things for dogs, like blue Goose eggs in the plants, which I had to snatch away from Honey:

The dogs are working out their pack order; Honey is establishing herself as the leader, but the little Biscuit is tenacious and does not give up easily, until she is tired and ready for a nap; her favorite place is in anyone's arms; she loves loves loves to be held:

Problem is, both dogs seem to be answering to each other's names; if I call for Biscuit, Honey comes running. Call for Honey, and Biscuit is there. Like Bennifer or Brangelina, I think I have to come up with something good: HoneyBiscuits for now, but maybe something else, without confusing them. Here are the two dogs waiting for a piece of lamb; like Napoleon, Biscuit is a gobbler; the food is gone without chewing, while Honey is very ladylike and chews each piece:

We were in the guesthouse today when the Baja quake hit; a very gentle roll but unmistakeable; even Honey started to cluck about it. Be safe everyone and hope for no aftershocks....