First Monday of the Easter Season

Walk into any supermarket in America today and you will be greeted with bins of baskets, plastic eggs and chocolate bunnies all priced to move. For the secular world, and even some Christian denominations, Easter is over.

For the Catholic Church Easter is either the longest or second longest season of the Liturgical year. I think of it as the longest season, while some in Church considers Ordinary Times as the longest season despite the fact that Ordinary Times; beginning after the Epiphany and ending with Advent, are suspended for the Forty Days of Lenten and the Fifty Days of the Easter Season that follows. I’m sure by the end of the Easter Season our neighbors are telling themselves there goes that Crazy Lady again with her “He Is Risen” banner up well after Easter. Catholics who see it will get it. Just as they understand why our Nativity stays lit until early January.

The Church refers to the eight days from Easter Sunday (yesterday) to Divine Mercy Sunday (next Sunday) as the Octave of Easter. Every day within the Octave of Easter is important, treated like a continuation of Easter Sunday itself. For that reason each day is a celebration and fasting is prohibited. For those who find the Friday abstinence difficult, there’s good news for you too. During the Octave of Easter the Friday obligation is waived. Yeah, we just might head to our favorite Pub on Friday for burgers and fries.

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Today is also National Chocolate Covered Cashew Day – like we haven’t had enough Chocolate for Easter. Although, is there really such a thing as too much chocolate?

Salty Cashew Clusters
16 oz Quality Milk Chocolate
2 tablespoons Lard
8 oz Cashews
5 squares Hershey’s Dark Chocolate
Kosher Salt for finish

In a double boiler over medium-low heat melt the Guittard chocolate.

Once melted, add lard. Stir until smooth. Add cashews, a handful at a time, stirring constantly to coat.

Snap dark chocolate into smaller pieces. Add broken squares of Hershey’s Chocolate into the pot. Stir to melt dark chocolate into the cashew clusters.

Note: The dark chocolate is purely optional to give the clusters a richer, deeper chocolate flavor.

Use a place spoon to spoon onto waxed paper. Sprinkle with a pinch of salt while the chocolate is still warm. Let cool. Store in an air-tight container to enjoy as you please.

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A Lamb the sheep redeems;
Christ, who only is sinless,
Reconciles sinners to the Father.