By Shavaughn Moss, Special Sections Editor, shavaughn@nasguard.com

While most people are at and about in search of their Good Friday fish, also on their minds is the foods that will grace their dinner table on Easter Sunday, which is probably the second most important holiday meal for Bahamians — after Christmas of course.

Barbara Jones, 56, is one of those people making her final purchases in preparation to prepare a spread for her family.

Her menu is set, for the friends and family that she expects to flock to her house to partake of a dinner of baked ham, roast turkey, fried and steamed snappers, minced lobster, conch and rice, macaroni and cheese, a tossed salad and fried plantains.

For her, cooking a meal this size is a tradition in her family, and one she grew up with, and will continue for as long as she is alive.

"It's a very special family gathering day. After church everyone just gathers at one house, and enjoys a special Easter meal. It's like cooking at Christmas time for me, because Christmas and Easter are the two biggest times that we celebrate in this country."

As she prepares a loving meal for her children, and extended family, the two people that Jones says she would love to have at her house, are her mother Laura Cummins, who unfortunately has to work, and her sister Wendy Smith, who was in hospital on Tuesday.

As far as Jones is concerned, Easter is all about the food and family, and the religious message, and a very special gathering time for many families.

Whether you're planning a traditional ham or roast leg of lamb, or going the route of Jones, and throwing in a few Bahamian favorites like minced lobster, you should start planning your meal now, and picking up the ingredients to ensure that it's a meal fit for a king.

While many people opt to serve a leg of lamb or a baked ham, with whatever sides their family likes to eat, you can put out the meal that most pleases your family members.