Happy Easter 2024!

I'm not at all sure how this happened... but it's Easter... already!

I hope you and yours have a wonderful day together, and, to help make Sunday (and the days thereafter) a bit easier, here are some of This Old

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Stock Up for Hamapalooza!

This is truly not the glamorous part of cooking... but it’s a really valuable one. 

If your family is in the Ham-at-Easter camp, on Easter Monday, you get ready to break down all that's left of that pig taking up…

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Ham "Chili" with Heirloom Beans

Eanie Beanie, Chili Beanie, The Hamapalooza Spirits Are About to Speak!

I had some gorgeous heirloom beans from Deb in L.A. ...

Good Mother Stallards (on the left) and Snow Caps (on the right)…

I also had some absolutely delicious…

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St. Patrick's Day 2024 - Home Is Where The Feast Is!

Happy St. Patrick's Day! 

I know, I know... but the family names are McCann, Kavanagh, McCullough, Shannon, Murphy, O'Gara... 

Clearly... I have no choice.

 

In these rollercoaster times, we're at least back to traveling a bit more and enjoy spending…

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Irish Soda Bread for St. Paddy's!

 

Following a large number of requests... I'm going to repost a recipe for soda bread today...

Bear with me... and be prepared, I like a far more traditional recipe... no fat and no sugar or raisins...

 

 

So... while I have…

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The Salmon Are Always Running... in Ireland!

For your consideration...  A St. Patrick's Day flashback from a few years ago:  salmon three ways!

It's that time of year again!

You're either really Irish, or you wish you were!

So do yourself a favor, eschew the supposedly traditional…

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It's Chocolate. It's Shortbread. It's Christmas!

Stop What You're Doing and Make These!!!

Seriously.  I love all the traditional Christmas cookies.  But I'm telling you:  make chocolate shortbread and bring those elves to their knees!

These come from Chef Extraordinaire Bob Chambers.  You will never, I…

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Hooray for Snowballs! And Christmas Cookie Time!

 

Forgive me.

The switch from "after Thanksgiving" foods to Christmas prep can induce whiplash...

And now it's mid-December!

So let's get going, people...  Over the next few days, we'll be re-posting our greatest Christmas cookie hits.

You're welcome!

(And please…

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Santa Will Thank You for Christmas Shortbread!

 

Shortbread.

I have always been helpless when confronted with a plate of shortbread...

And these have forever replaced decorated sugar cookies in my affections.

Shortbread

Yield:  Approximately 50

Cream:

1 lb. Unsalted butter

1 C Sugar (processed fine)

½ t…

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Perfect Christmas Cookies! Melting Moments!

Mother's other "famous" Christmas cookie contribution was the "Melting Moment."

I know these are seriously out of fashion... but I don't care...

The texture is sooooooooo different from most cookies... because of the cornstarch.  But it's the very, very lemony…

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