#flowertherapy might be right up there with #water #flowertherapy might be right up there with #watertherapy.  Love passing the time in secret wildflower patches. As you do. 🌸
I remarked how pretty that tiny sliver of the moon I remarked how pretty that tiny sliver of the moon was on the way home tonight, and my friend pulled over right away so I could grab a photo. That’s when someone really knows you! It was just too beautiful to resist. 🌙
Weekend photos in review, old school style. ✨ C Weekend photos in review, old school style. ✨ 
Context: 1/ picture perfect weekend, 2/ threw together a quick meal w udon noodles, steak and broccoli, so good, 3/ the sun reflections on this painting struck me today, looked like a cross 4/ it takes all afternoon but nothing like Sunday Gravy, 5/ six months old, 6/ when he wants some serious zzzz’s, he covers his eye with his ears, the cutest, 7/ breakfast pastries at @coniglios
I have plenty of reusable shopping bags since New I have plenty of reusable shopping bags since New Jersey banned the plastic ones last year. But when I spied this beauty for a buck, how could I resist? It just is so darn happy, which makes me happy. The little things aren’t so little. 💛
Cheers to the weekend! This may look like a staged Cheers to the weekend! This may look like a staged photo, but Lola just has ZERO boundaries and Clifford is exceptionally patient. 😂
I’ve been on a smoked salmon kick lately (it’s I’ve been on a smoked salmon kick lately (it’s so good for you), so when I saw that a local patisserie has a smoked salmon croissant available (weekends only), I added it to my list of things to seek out. I popped into @chocolatinenj early on Mother’s Day and was rewarded with this deliciousness. Layers of soft flaky croissant dough, tender smoked salmon, light whipped cream, thinly sliced red and green onion slivers and dotted with capers… it was every bit as amazing as you’d imagine it would be. If you’re local, don’t sleep on this one. 😋
Weekend photos in review, the belated edition. 1/ Weekend photos in review, the belated edition.

1/ hit up a few yard sales and snagged this beautiful pasta dish from Italy with my favorite color for a buck, 2/ and one of these printer trays came home with me too, 3/ pre Mother’s Day celebrations with 30 local moms, 4/ finished the weekend supervising furniture assembly
Today would have been my friend Cathy’s 53rd bir Today would have been my friend Cathy’s 53rd birthday. Unfortunately she’s not here to celebrate because she died suddenly at age 49. I think of her often … every Mother’s Day because we spent most of them together since her husband worked weekends … when I discover a new food adventure (we once did a day long donut crawl) … when I’m sharing a special time with my kids knowing that her then-11 year old is growing up without her. Before she passed, I always appreciated every day, but since then, even more so. You never know what the next day can bring, so relish in the sunshine, surprise rainstorms, making wishes over railroad tracks and all the wonderful randomness life can throw your way. Don’t waste a single second, say yes, live on the outskirts of your comfort zone, laugh often, tell people you love them, give eight second hugs, and squeeze every ounce of joy you can out of life. Do it for the people who can’t. ✨
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Sweetnicks

Food and Life

Irish Eatin’

March 18, 2007 · Holidays and More, Narrative

The dishwasher is running, the counters are clean, and the house is quiet. My first full-on Irish meal is done. Hearty eating, easy recipes, but no real “wows” for me. A quick recap then I’m off to crash.

We made Black and Tans for the guys, and Apple Martinis for the girls. I forgot how much I loved Apple Martinis – delicious, smooth and goes down nice and easy.

For the main course, I made two different recipes for Corned Beef. The first was a Guinness Braised Corned Beef. It gave the meat a slightly sweet taste, and after cooking for eight hours in the slow cooker, it was nice and tender. I also made a recipe for Corned Beef from Better Homes & Gardens. No way can either recipe by itself serve 6, so I’m glad I made two since there was nothing leftover. For side dishes, I did a pan of simple roasted vegetables and also made Colcannon. I’ve never made Colcannon before, but honestly, you can’t go wrong with something that has crispy, crumbled bacon, a well of melted butter and bacon grease, can you? I would definitely make that one again. If you like mashed potatoes, you’ll like this one.

For dessert, two more new recipes. I made Bailey’s Irish Cream Cheesecake and Apple Oatmeal Crisp with Irish Whiskey Cream. Again, they were fine, but neither were wows for me. I’m not a huge cheesecake fan to begin with, so I’m not the best judge of it. If I have cheesecake, I’m a bit of a purist and like it plain with fresh fruit on top. The Apple-Oatmeal Crisp was actually an Emeril recipe, and I’ve never had an Emeril recipe that I didn’t like. I just have other Apple Crisp recipes that I like better.

So, all in all, five new recipes, good, hearty eating, and good company – works for me.

Until tomorrow…

P.S. Don’t forget tomorrow is the Weekend Dog Blogging roundup. Want to join in the fun? All the details are here.

Guinness-Braised Beef Brisket
Cooking Light, MARCH 2003
Tender from gentle cooking, this entree is a classic preparation made without the usual pot watching. Serve it with grainy, coarse-ground mustard. Use the leftovers in classic Rueben sandwiches: sliced corned beef with Thousand Island dressing, Swiss cheese, and sauerkraut on sourdough, rye, or pumpernickel bread.

2 cups water
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup chopped carrot
1 cup chopped celery
1 cup Guinness stout
2/3 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup tomato paste
1/4 cup chopped fresh or 1 tablespoon dried dill
1 (14 1/2-ounce) can low-salt beef broth
6 black peppercorns
2 whole cloves
1 (3-pound) cured corned beef brisket, trimmed

Combine first 11 ingredients in a large electric slow cooker, stirring until well blended; top with beef. Cover and cook on HIGH 8 hours or until beef is tender. Remove beef; cut diagonally across grain into 1/4-inch slices. Discard broth mixture.

Yield: 6 servings (serving size: 3 ounces)

CALORIES 226 (39% from fat); FAT 9.7g (sat 3.2g,mono 4.7g,poly 0.4g); PROTEIN 17.9g; CHOLESTEROL 87mg; CALCIUM 28mg; SODIUM 1105mg; FIBER 0.9g; IRON 2.2mg; CARBOHYDRATE 15.2g

Corned Beef and Cabbage Dinner
Recipe courtesy of Better Homes and Gardens

Makes 6 servings

Prep: 20 minutes
Cook: 2 hours 30 minutes

Ingredients
1 2- to 2-1/2-pound corned beef brisket*
1 teaspoon whole black pepper
2 bay leaves
3 medium carrots, quartered lengthwise
2 medium parsnips or 1 medium rutabaga, peeled and cut into chunks
2 medium red onions, cut into wedges
10 to 12 new potatoes (1 pound)
1 small cabbage, cut into 6 wedges (1 pound)

Directions
1. Trim fat from meat. Place in a 4- to 6-quart pot; add juices and spices from package of beef. Add enough water to cover meat. Add pepper and bay leaves. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, covered, about 2 hours or until meat is almost tender.

2. Add carrots, parsnips or rutabaga, and onions to meat. Return to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, covered, for 10 minutes. Scrub potatoes; halve or quarter. Add potatoes and cabbage to pot. Cover and cook about 20 minutes more or until vegetables and meat are tender. Discard bay leaves. Remove meat from pot. Thinly slice meat across the grain. Transfer meat and vegetables to a serving platter. Makes 6 servings.

*Note: If your brisket comes with an additional packet of spices, add it instead of the pepper and bay leaves called for in the ingredient list.

Bailey’s Irish Cream Cheesecake
Recipe via CLBB from Josh Weekley, Executive Chef, Lowe’s Vanderbilt Plaza Hotel, Nashville

For Crust:
2 cups graham cracker crumbs
½ cup granulated sugar
¼ lb (one stick) butter, melted
1 Tbsp honey

Combine ingredients, mixing by hand until crumbs are moist and sticky. Butter inside of a 9-inch springform pan. Press crumbs into bottom and along sides. Set aside.

For Cheesecake Filling:
2 ¼ lbs Philadelphia® (or other high-quality) cream cheese, softened
1 ½ cups sugar
5 whole eggs
2 egg yolks
¼ tsp vanilla extract
1 cup Bailey’s Irish Cream® liqueur (no substitutions)

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Blend cream cheese and sugar with mixer until creamy. Add eggs and egg yolks, one at a time, mixing well, scraping sides of bowl frequently to incorporate all ingredients. Add vanilla extract and liqueur, mixing well again. Pour into prepared crust. Bake at 325 degrees for 1 hour and 15 minutes.

Let cheesecake cool slightly at room temperature, then chill completely – preferably overnight. The cheesecake will have a mousse-like texture when it comes out of the oven and requires thorough chilling to set. Serves 12.

Apple-Oatmeal Crisp with Irish Whiskey Cream
Recipe courtesy Emeril Lagasse

1 stick cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces
2 pounds Rome Beauty or Winesap apples, peeled, cored and sliced
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons Irish whiskey
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon cardamom
Pinch salt
1/4 cup Irish oatmeal
1/4 cup toasted, chopped walnut pieces
Irish Whiskey Cream, recipe follows

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly butter an 11 by 7-inch baking pan and set aside. In a large skillet, melt 3 tablespoons of butter over medium-high heat. Add the apples, lemon juice, 1/2-cup of the brown sugar and 1 tablespoon of the flour. Stir well, and cook for 5 minutes. Add the whiskey, cinnamon, cardamom and salt, stir well, and cook for 1 minute. Remove from the heat.

In a large bowl combine the remaining flour, oatmeal and remaining 1/2-cup sugar. Add the remaining 5 tablespoons of butter, and with your fingers or a pastry blender, work the mixture until it resembles coarse crumbs. Add the walnuts and mix well.

Place the apple mixture in the greased pan and sprinkle the crumb mixture evenly over the top. Bake until golden brown and bubbly, about 35 to 40 minutes. Serve hot with the Irish Whiskey Cream.

Irish Whiskey Cream:
1 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon sugar
2 tablespoons Irish whiskey

Whip the cream until it begins to form soft peaks. Add the sugar and whiskey and beat until stiff peaks form. Cover and chill until needed. Yield: about 2 cups

Diane’s Colcannon
From AllRecipes

2 1/2 pounds potatoes, peeled and cubed
4 slices bacon
1/2 small head cabbage, chopped
1 large onion, chopped
1/2 cup milk
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup butter, melted

Place potatoes in a saucepan with enough water to cover. Bring to a boil, and cook for 15 to 20 minutes, until tender.

Place bacon in a large, deep skillet. Cook over medium high heat until evenly brown. Drain, reserving drippings, crumble and set aside. In the reserved drippings, saute the cabbage and onion until soft and translucent. Putting a lid on the pan helps the vegetables cook faster.

Drain the cooked potatoes, mash with milk and season with salt and pepper. Fold in the bacon, cabbage, and onions, then transfer the mixture to a large serving bowl. Make a well in the center, and pour in the melted butter. Serve immediately.

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Posted In: Holidays and More, Narrative

Comments

  1. Claire says

    March 18, 2007 at 2:32 am

    I LOVE the green tulips! I have developed a great love for and obsession with tulips. Sounds like you had fun. The oatmeal apple cake sounds good…minus the Bailey’s cream for me.

    Reply
  2. Connie Peterson says

    March 18, 2007 at 2:42 pm

    Okay, you blew it!!! No recipe for apple martinis!!! Please, please post that — they sound lovely… I love apple anything!!

    Reply
  3. Sarah Caron says

    March 19, 2007 at 1:28 am

    . . . you know I was looking for a good Bailey’s cheesecake recipe Friday night! Of course, as it turns out, I didn’t make the cheesecake because of lack of time (and missing one package of cream cheese). None the less, I will keep this one in mind for next time.

    And since you obviously had a plethora of Guinness and Bailey’s around, where are the requisite Irish Car Bombs?!? Now those really go down smooth and easy . . . hehehe.

    Reply
  4. Cate says

    March 19, 2007 at 2:12 am

    Claire – nothing says Spring like a bunch of tulips. :)

    Connie – added it to the Recipes archive. Here’s the direct link. Can’t remember where we got the recipe from originally, but they are SO good.

    Sarah – ok, ‘fess up. How do you make an Irish Car Bomb?

    Reply
  5. Sarah Caron says

    March 19, 2007 at 3:45 pm

    Oh Cate . . .

    You pour half a pint of Guiness into a beer mug (or pub glass). Then you put one ounce of Jamison into a shot glass and top it with 1/2 an ounce of Bailey’s.

    Then comes the fun part :)

    You drop the shot glass straight down into the beer mug (or pub glass) and chug it down . . .

    Ahhh . . . the joys.

    Reply

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#flowertherapy might be right up there with #water #flowertherapy might be right up there with #watertherapy.  Love passing the time in secret wildflower patches. As you do. 🌸
I remarked how pretty that tiny sliver of the moon I remarked how pretty that tiny sliver of the moon was on the way home tonight, and my friend pulled over right away so I could grab a photo. That’s when someone really knows you! It was just too beautiful to resist. 🌙
Weekend photos in review, old school style. ✨ C Weekend photos in review, old school style. ✨ 
Context: 1/ picture perfect weekend, 2/ threw together a quick meal w udon noodles, steak and broccoli, so good, 3/ the sun reflections on this painting struck me today, looked like a cross 4/ it takes all afternoon but nothing like Sunday Gravy, 5/ six months old, 6/ when he wants some serious zzzz’s, he covers his eye with his ears, the cutest, 7/ breakfast pastries at @coniglios
I have plenty of reusable shopping bags since New I have plenty of reusable shopping bags since New Jersey banned the plastic ones last year. But when I spied this beauty for a buck, how could I resist? It just is so darn happy, which makes me happy. The little things aren’t so little. 💛

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#flowertherapy might be right up there with #water #flowertherapy might be right up there with #watertherapy.  Love passing the time in secret wildflower patches. As you do. 🌸
I remarked how pretty that tiny sliver of the moon I remarked how pretty that tiny sliver of the moon was on the way home tonight, and my friend pulled over right away so I could grab a photo. That’s when someone really knows you! It was just too beautiful to resist. 🌙
Weekend photos in review, old school style. ✨ C Weekend photos in review, old school style. ✨ 
Context: 1/ picture perfect weekend, 2/ threw together a quick meal w udon noodles, steak and broccoli, so good, 3/ the sun reflections on this painting struck me today, looked like a cross 4/ it takes all afternoon but nothing like Sunday Gravy, 5/ six months old, 6/ when he wants some serious zzzz’s, he covers his eye with his ears, the cutest, 7/ breakfast pastries at @coniglios
I have plenty of reusable shopping bags since New I have plenty of reusable shopping bags since New Jersey banned the plastic ones last year. But when I spied this beauty for a buck, how could I resist? It just is so darn happy, which makes me happy. The little things aren’t so little. 💛
Cheers to the weekend! This may look like a staged Cheers to the weekend! This may look like a staged photo, but Lola just has ZERO boundaries and Clifford is exceptionally patient. 😂
I’ve been on a smoked salmon kick lately (it’s I’ve been on a smoked salmon kick lately (it’s so good for you), so when I saw that a local patisserie has a smoked salmon croissant available (weekends only), I added it to my list of things to seek out. I popped into @chocolatinenj early on Mother’s Day and was rewarded with this deliciousness. Layers of soft flaky croissant dough, tender smoked salmon, light whipped cream, thinly sliced red and green onion slivers and dotted with capers… it was every bit as amazing as you’d imagine it would be. If you’re local, don’t sleep on this one. 😋
Weekend photos in review, the belated edition. 1/ Weekend photos in review, the belated edition.

1/ hit up a few yard sales and snagged this beautiful pasta dish from Italy with my favorite color for a buck, 2/ and one of these printer trays came home with me too, 3/ pre Mother’s Day celebrations with 30 local moms, 4/ finished the weekend supervising furniture assembly
Today would have been my friend Cathy’s 53rd bir Today would have been my friend Cathy’s 53rd birthday. Unfortunately she’s not here to celebrate because she died suddenly at age 49. I think of her often … every Mother’s Day because we spent most of them together since her husband worked weekends … when I discover a new food adventure (we once did a day long donut crawl) … when I’m sharing a special time with my kids knowing that her then-11 year old is growing up without her. Before she passed, I always appreciated every day, but since then, even more so. You never know what the next day can bring, so relish in the sunshine, surprise rainstorms, making wishes over railroad tracks and all the wonderful randomness life can throw your way. Don’t waste a single second, say yes, live on the outskirts of your comfort zone, laugh often, tell people you love them, give eight second hugs, and squeeze every ounce of joy you can out of life. Do it for the people who can’t. ✨

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