In the 13-plus years I have written these food articles, I find myself intrigued by the changes that time has brought over so many years.

Re-reading one particular article of February 2020, I had written of the colds and flu viruses that had prevailed in the cold, wet days of January 2020. That January, the COVID-19 virus had just been found in the Northwestern part of the United States, but it was nowhere near the magnitude of spread that was occurring at the time I was writing my February food article.

During that February we were adjusting to a new normal, that of the mandate to shelter at home.

I wrote of ways to maintain a healthy immune system by eating a variety of colorful fruit and vegetables, protein sources such as lean meat, fish, eggs, nuts and beans, and whole grain products while drinking plenty of fluids to maintain hydration in order to assist the body to repair tissue and fight viral and bacterial infections.

While this diet is still advised, whether sick or healthy, because of new techniques for fighting COVID infections we do not fear such severe illnesses and large-scale lockdowns.

To encourage hope and foster good mental health in those bleak days, I wrote of fond memories of Easters past. Medical advances made since the beginning of the COVID pandemic now allow us to safely gather with family and friends and share happy Easter memories, while making new ones.

Recalling visits with three 90-year-young persons provided material for my Easter article in 2010. These three, now all deceased, told of their own Easter memories.

My mom described how, as children, they would use small, yellow wildflowers to color their eggs. A long-time Iberia Parish educator that I often visited was the daughter of a Sicilian-born mother who made for each child a special Easter treat. A pupattola con uovo, meaning doll with an egg, was a pastry consisting of a sweet dough batter, formed in the shape of a chicken, with a boiled egg in the middle.

I interviewed Father Wilson Matt who was a beloved past Pastor of Sacred Heart Catholic Church in New Iberia. He was in residence at Consolata Nursing Home at the time, but had fond memories of a game called “Pacqueing”, that he played with his parishioners at the end of Mass every Easter Sunday. In the game, he would knock the small side of his boiled egg with the small side of a parishioner’s egg.

The egg which would break would be forfeited by the loser to the one with the unbroken egg. This competition was held by Father Matt’s family during his childhood in Eunice. The word for this tradition is derived from the French word pacques, which means Easter.

In my Easter food article of April 2011, I wrote of another sweet Easter tradition which had its roots in New Orleans.

It was during the years of Reconstruction in 1855 when a German immigrant, Christopher Henry Miller, at the age of 24, started what is now one of the longest family-owned candy companies in the country.

Having 12 children ensured that his company would continue to go on, and it did when one of his daughters married an Elmer. The Elmer’s had five sons who carried on the candy-making business of their grandfather. The company continues today in Ponchatoula, LA, filling our Easter baskets with delectable sweets such as Gold Brick, Heavenly Hash, and Pecan Eggs.

In celebrating the ability to gather once again with family and friends, we remember those who brought the sweetness of these traditions into our lives.

The following recipe for Sweet Potato Dumplings comes from a neighbor, April Mullen, herself a much-loved member of our Southwood Subdivision community. During the days of quarantine, she was featured on a Friday’s religion page for her efforts in organizing our neighborhood’s outdoor prayer service for healing.

The recipe for these dumplings comes from her mom, Loraine Weinmann. She described her mom to be a wonderful cook, seamstress, wife and mother, and friend who raised four daughters, while working in a bank for 37 years.

She embodied the spirit of hope for many with her special gifts of handmade sewing items, and delicious, home-made dishes. Born and raised in Atmore, Alabama, she has now entered Heaven, but her legacy lives on in all those who were fortunate enough to be the recipients of her heart-felt gifts.

SWEET POTATO DUMPLINGS

1 package of frozen sweet potato rounds

2 packages of crescent dinner rolls, divided at perforations.

2 cups of sugar

2 cups of water

2 sticks of margarine

Cinnamon or cinnamon sugar, if desired

INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Cut un-thawed sweet potato round in half. Wrap each half in a crescent roll. Place in casserole dish, seam side down.

Boil sugar, water, and margarine for five minutes.

Pour over crescent rolls. Bake for 30-40 minutes, or until golden brown. Sprinkle cinnamon or cinnamon sugar over top before baking, if desired.