Wow. That’s all I have to say.
Well, that’s not true. I also have to say thank you. Lots and lots of thank yous.
Many thanks to Country Living Magazine and Monica Willis (no relation!) for asking me to be a part of this special issue. I am so grateful to Jona and the rest of my family for allowing their Easter dinner to be transformed into a photo shoot last year, thank you to my aunts and cousins for helping with the food, thank you to Gene, Kathy, and Meghan for opening their home, thanks to Gena Berry for her assistance, delicious thanks to Robert at Melissa’s Produce for helping with the ingredient sourcing, thank you to Heather, Harry, and John for making such beautiful photos, and lastly, but by far not the least, thanks to my Mama for all her love and support.
I told her it was TEN pages. She asked me where the rest of it was. I reminded her the magazine wasn’t titled Virginia Willis’s Country Living.
Here’s the full Country Living Easter Dinner article and here are the recipes.
I am so honored and thrilled to be the subject and also the author of the piece, a little written ramble about cherished childhood memories, my abhorrence of dotted Swiss, and sunrise service at Riverview Methodist church. It’s about how my family’s Easter menu has evolved and changed, but much of it remains true to the Easter Sunday dinners of my youth and the memory of my grandparents.
And this year? This spring I look forward to starting new traditions of family celebration and expanding the circle of sharing with people I love. Spring is after all, about shedding the old and celebrating newness and rebirth. It’s the perfect time for new lives and fresh starts.
Bon Appétit, Y’all!
VA
PS Click and read here, too, but help keep print alive my buying one at the newsstand. That is if Mama left you any. I think she’s gathered enough to wallpaper the spare room she’s so proud.
I like Country Living magazine. I’m liking a whole lot more now that you’re featured in a 10 page spread. As for Mama and more….just give her time Mama, just give her time and she’ll have her own magazine soon enough.
Congratulations, beautiful piece.
Looks great! Mama did not get all of the magazines at my Publix. I grabbed one this morning.
Hi Virginia,
I just wanted to say that you are by far my favorite “famous” Southern cook, probably because you are trained and your recipes are usually slightly different from the ones we all grew up on — but of course, in your Bon Appetit many of your recipes are made the old Southern way.
I read somewhere that you lived in Montezuma as a child — I’m from Oglethorpe, just across the river, so many of your recollections are similar to mine. Love that your Mama is so proud and I will pick up a copy of Country Living next time I run to the store. Congratulations on the article, very nicely done!
Congrats! That is so exciting, Virginia!! Looking forward to getting a copy.
I read your lovely article in Country Living. My family will be using your recipes for our Easter dinner! I made the shortcakes tonight, and just smelling the dough as I was stamping out the cakes made me want to gobble up all the little cakes as soon as they came out of the oven. I turned the leftover shortcake dough into cinnamon rolls! The buttermilk biscuit dough is currently rising in the fridge and everything else will be made tomorrow. I can’t wait for dinner! Thank you for sharing your wonderful family recipes!