A little planning for Easter..

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Easter morning prep..

 

I usually spend a happy half hour in the week before Easter (oops! that’s this week!) to plan what we’re going to do, where we’re going to visit, who’s coming over, and what we’re going to eat over the 4-day weekend..

A lot of Easter food is traditional; it certainly was when I was a kid at home – it was Lent – all 6 long weeks of it – followed by a special Easter breakfast; then Easter eggs, and a Leg of Lamb for Easter Sunday dinner. I love the Leg-of-Lamb dinner – it was one of my Mother’s specialities – she did it with garlicy French beans and roast potatoes; my sister still does this delicious traditional Easter dinner. Mind you, I’m very partial to a nice Roast Chicken (or it’s newer, but equally excellent alternative, Turkey) dinner, with all the trimmings. At home, I take requests for special dinners, so it’s usually whatever the family wants.

I think that a nice dessert after Easter Sunday Lunch is an essential, and my Chocolate and Raspberry Tiramisu fits the bill perfectly.  Here’s the link: https://eatingforireland.com/recipe/raspberry-tiramisu/

It’s best made a day ahead, so it’s really easy from the prep point-of-view. It’s all done and forgotten about until you need it.

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As in many other homes across the country, the Child is coming home for Easter. So this is my chance to take a trip down memory lane for her – and cook or make some of her childhood Easter favourites – Shredded Wheat Chocolate Nest anyone?  https://eatingforireland.com/recipe/crunchy-chocolate-easter-nests-for-kids-of-all-ages/ This is a great one for getting the kids involved – we used to love making the chocolaty nests, and of course, there was always the spoon to lick afterwards !

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It really makes me happy to see those traditional yellow chicks in the shops every year – they’ve been on the go forever! :)

Naturally, there is no limit to the amount of Chocolate on offer at Easter, so my old standby, the All in One Chocolate Cake will get trotted out too. https://eatingforireland.com/recipe/hilarys-all-in-one-chocolate-cake/

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My Chocolate cake often doubles up as a dessert, with the addition of some raspberries and a dollop of cream :)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A new favourite is the ginger cake which, sneakily, just changes its winter coat to become an Easter cake..

https://eatingforireland.com/recipe/preserved-ginger-cake-with-lemon-icing/

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Just click on the link above..

I’m not a great baker, and only do the ‘yeast’ thing rarely, but this year’s Hot Cross buns were, if I may say so, a triumph – and really easy – remember the golden rule: if I can do it, so can you! Click on the link below to have a wee look..

https://eatingforireland.com/recipe/hot-cross-buns-a-little-effort-but-well-worth-it/

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Search for ‘Hot Cross Buns’

 

 

 

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And although they really are only fabulous on the day you make them, they toast very well, and freeze too, for reheating later on.

If you’d rather not mess about with yeast, Mr Saturday Night was extremely complimentary about the Hot Cross Scones which I tried earlier in the month.. https://eatingforireland.com/recipe/hot-cross-scones/

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Hunt for ‘Hot Cross Scones’ in the recipes

I love pulling out all my wee Easter-y bits – like the linen tablecloth made many moons ago by a much-loved Aunt – it still has the laundry mark on it :)

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The china eggs, which by some miracle have survived the years in one piece..

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My gorgeous vintage Arklow pottery egg-cups – a fabulous find in a local charity shop..(the modern ones behind came with Easter eggs I think!)

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So Happy Easter to all – relax, eat Chocolate, chat with family and friends.. :)

 

 

About

I started writing down recipes in an old copybook when I was about 16. With 6 children at home, my Mother was always glad of a hand in the kitchen, and really allowed us to experiment - as long as we washed up afterwards, and left the kitchen immaculate! Having a tidy kitchen has followed me through my life, as has the habit of writing down my favourite recipes; except that these days I write them for my website, and add photographs when I can. The website really started when it occurred to me that my daughter might like to have these recipes when I've forgotten them. In my early days of cooking for family and friends, I used to phone my Mum all the time to ask her for the recipe for some of our favourite family dinners. She rarely had a recipe to hand - I think, like me, she made a lot of it up as she went along.. So welcome to Eating for Ireland - these are the recipes that my friends and family having been eating these past 40 years.. yes, I truly am ancient! They are tried and tested, and have worked for me for all that time - I have updated them as new ingredients became available - I really hope you'll find something that you can make into a family favourite of your own. You don't have to tell anyone where you found these great new dishes that you're serving up - it can be our little secret, but I'd really love it if you could give me a sneaky 'follow' on Facebook and Instagram.. So off you go - have a good rummage around, you're bound to find something new! My sincere thanks to all of you who have found a recipe that you liked and dropped me a line to tell me - I really do love to hear from you! Happy Cooking! Becks xx

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