Colcannon....What I eat INSTEAD of corned beef

Not many people have eaten or even heard of colcannon.  I saw it in the newspaper many years ago and it has become a part of my yearly St. Patrick's feast tradition.  Mostly because it substitutes as my main course as I turn my nose up at corned beef.  Plus it's equal parts good and equal parts evil.  Cabbage and potatoes=good.  Butter and more butter=bad.  Oh...you throw in some ham and green onions to finish it off.

I decided after the first time I made this, that I had to throw the recipe I had away.  I am pretty sure it called for AT LEAST 2 sticks of butter.  I cannot justify that.  And I can't remember the meat, but it was a strange Irish delicacy like...boiled bacon or something.  So, I am going to give you my colcannon recipe.  I don't have exact amounts for everything....you gotta go with instincts on this one a bit.

Colcannon the Hearth way
Potatoes....a big pot of them, cut into smaller pieces
1/2 head of cabbage, chopped
4 Tbl butter.  2 Tbl. Butter, or whatever you feel is a good amount when adding it to mashed potatoes and 2 Tbl for your cabbage
Slosh or two of milk
Ham Steak
3 Green Onions, chopped
Salt and Pepper

Boil your potatoes until they are tender. about 20 to 25 minutes.  A fork should easily slide into them.  Drain. Meanwhile as you are boiling potatoes....

Saute your cabbage.  In a heavy skillet, melt the butter.  Toss the cabbage in, salt and pepper to taste.  Stir occasionally. Top with foil.  Cook for about 10 to 15 minutes until the cabbage is tender and beginning to brown.

While your cabbage is sauteing begin on your ham steak.  This is my favorite way to cook ham steak.  In a large skillet, over medium-high heat, either melt a Tbl. of shortening or veg oil.  Make sure it's good and hot.  Throw in ham steak.  Let cook until it's dark brown and caramelized and so, so yummy.  Turn over and cook other side.  Cool a bit.  Chop into small pieces. 

Chop up your green onions while everything is finishing up.

Time to assemble.

Mash the potatoes.  Add a bit of butter and a touch of milk until they are nice and creamy.  Salt and pepper to taste. If they're my potatoes they'll have a lump or two.  I am never patient enough to completely de-lump my mashed potatoes.

Fold in the cabbage and ham.  Taste as you go.  You will probably need to adjust the seasoning as potatoes are notoriously bland without salt.  You will also need to use your muscles to get everything mixed.

Top with green onions and enjoy a tasty Irish delight.

Thanks for reading!

Heather

Time to Think About Getting your Irish on. Irish Soda Bread!

I will never be the one telling you to make Corned Beef for St. Patrick's Day.  I am not a fan.  But if you celebrate on March 17th, there are other tasty Irish delights that you can make.  My sister is in charge of the corned beef.  I politely ignore it.  I am in charge of...everything else!  This week will be dedicated to the other items I make for our St. Patrick's Day feast.

Perhaps the most important thing I make on this day is the Irish Soda Bread.  To die for.  Imagine a giant biscuit studded with currents and infused with orange zest that you split amongst your entire family.  It serves my family of 4, my sister's family of 5 and my parents.  11 people.  It's a big biscuit!

Irish Soda Bread
4 cups flour, plus a Tbl to dust the currents with, plus some for dusting your work surface
1.5 tsp Baking Soda
4 Tbl. Sugar
1 tsp Salt
4 Tbl. COLD butter, diced
1 3/4 C. Buttermilk
1 egg, beaten
Zest of 1 small orange
1 C. dried currants (they're kind of like raisins)

Preheat oven to 375 F.

In a small bowl, combine the 1 Tbl of flour with the currants.  Toss until the currants are well coated with flour.  Set aside.  The reason you do this is to keep the currants from sinking to the bottom as it bakes!!

In mixer, combine the dry ingredients: flour, soda, sugar and salt.  Using the paddle attachment, combine everything well.  Add the butter a bit at a time with the mixer on medium-low until everything is nicely incorporated.

In a bowl combine the buttermilk, egg and the orange zest.  Lightly beat everything together.  Slowly add to dry ingredients with the mixer on low.  Once the wet and dry ingredients are combined, add the currants.  The dough will be very sticky.

Flour your clean counter top generously and place the dough on top.  Begin kneading the flour into the dough and shaping it into a round loaf.  If the dough is sticking terribly to your counter, add a bit more flour.  You don't want the dough to be dry, but it also shouldn't stick too much.

Place on a cookie sheet lined with parchment.

Using a serrated knife, cut an X into the dough.  This should be about 1" deep.

Bake for 50 minutes to an hour.  Test with a toothpick to make sure it's fully cooked, and if you tap the bottom of the loaf and it sounds hollow, it's done.

Let cool for a bit.  It's nice to serve this bread a bit warm.

When it's cool enough...or when I can't stand the heavenly scent anymore, I cut along the cut lines and then into smaller slices.  Sneak a bite before everyone's at the table.  Shhhhh.

Serve with plenty of butter and your favorite jam.  I use strawberry or raspberry freezer jam from the previous summer.

Only eat this.  Shun the corned beef.

Erin go Bragh !

p.s. that means Ireland Forever

Heather

St. Paddy's supper that doesn't involve Corned Beef and Cabbage!

St. Patrick's day is in a few days and if you're searching for something easy and fun and tasty for St. Paddy's breakfast...or dinner as I only make fancy breakfast for dinner, then make this...

Green Eggs And Ham St. Paddy's Breakfast Sandwiches. 

English muffins-Toasted

Canadian Bacon-fried up nice and tasty

American Cheese-a classic

Kraft Sandwich Spread-Never heard of it....go look next to the mayo...I think it's thousand island dressing mixed with mayo and pickle relish...trust me.  It's good....on this at least.  I've never had it on anything else

Scrambled Eggs-With green dye added to the un-cooked eggs.  

Once cooked they will be nicely green.  My kids were mightily afraid of eating these eggs...and I was a bit heavy handed with the food coloring. I think I did three largish drops of gel food coloring...so, take it a little easy on the dye.

Put all these ingredients together and you have a tasty breakfast that's a little bit green and freaky.  Just what you need on St. Patrick's...or the day after when you've had one too many Guinness Pints and all you want is something yummy and filling to ease the pain.

This is my other, less....green version of this sandwich.  Obviously a fave around these parts.  If the green eggs above freak you out, click here for the every day version

Thanks for reading!

Shared at these lovely sites:
Melt in your mouth Monday
Mrs. Happy Homemaker
Our 4 Kiddos

Heather

 

St. Patty's wall hanging

St. Patrick's Day is rapidly approaching so I thought I'd do a couple posts in a row in honor of it. You'd think, what with my happy little Celtic family that I'd be more apt to decorate for this hallowed day....but turns out not so much.  Maybe someday.  People ask me how I have so much time to make things...truth is, I don't.  I take bits of time here and there and get what I can done.  So the wall hanging above is it.  That's all I've got by way of St. Patty's decorations.  If you want to check out how the above was made you can refer back to Here.  And then here.  And finally here.

I think it turned out really cute.  I like the black binding with white polka dots, I think it frames the quilt nicely. And I feel the yellow isn't too much.  Sometimes I like too much color and too much pattern and the main focus of the quilt gets lost. 

There's only one problem, and I am sad that I didn't pay attention.  Remember folks, the motto of this blog, if anything is PAY ATTENTION TO THE DETAILS!!  The kind of Celtic-Looking patterned fabric on the checker board panels is not facing the same direction in both panels.  It's minor and not terribly noticeable...except to me.  And it makes me crazy.  Maybe not crazy enough to unpick the whole thing...but crazy nonetheless.

Yay!  Happy St. Patty's to my family.  This is our one nod to the land of my husband's and half of my family's ancestors.  A totally cute one too if you ask me.

Instead of quilting it traditionally, I used 3 strands of yellow embroidery floss.  I made bigger stitches and it went so quickly and gives it that extra touch of detail.

It's so hard to see.  Taking pictures with a lot of white makes my camera go crazy. 

Now, I know you have enough time.  4 days to be exact.  Go make something green!

Gratuitous I got a cute Celtic kid pic of the Day

Granny Square Pic of the Day

I'll leave you with and Old Irish Blessing...

May the road rise up to meet you.
May the wind always be at your back.
May the sun shine warm upon your face,
and rains fall soft upon your fields.
And until we meet again,
May God hold you in the palm of His hand.

Heather

Seeds to be sown and St. Patty Breakfast Sandwiches

First things are first...St. Patrick's day is in a few days and if you're searching for something easy and fun and tasty for St. Patty's breakfast, then make this...

Green Eggs And Ham Breakfast Sandwiches.  Super easy.
How to make green eggs and ham as follows...
 Ingredients you need are:

English muffins-Toasted

Canadian Bacon-fried up nice and tasty

American Cheese-a classic

Kraft Sandwich Spread-Never heard of it....go look next to the mayo...I think it's thousand island dressing mixed with mayo and pickle relish...trust me.  It's good....on this at least.  I've never had it on anything else

Scrambled Eggs-With green dye added to the un-cooked eggs.  Once cooked they will be nicely green.  My kids were mightily afraid of eating these eggs...and I was a bit heavy handed with the food coloring. I think I did three largish drops of gel food coloring...so, take it a little easy on the dye.

Put all these ingredients together and you have a tasty breakfast that's a little bit green and freaky.  Just what you need on St. Patrick's...or the day after when you've had one too many Guinness Pints and all you want is some yummy hangover food.

Now, let's talk the time of year.  30 degrees one day, 65 the next.  You know it's got to be spring.  The Mister has a big project this weekend...making me grow boxes for my seeds because they have got to be planted in the next couple of weeks.  What seeds you might be wondering?

These seeds!  My order was just delivered from Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds  I have no science really behind choosing them as a the provider of my seeds...except that they have a store in Missouri and one in California.  I live in Utah...so, I felt like I was right in the middle of the two stores and surely that meant the seeds sold at these locations would clearly thrive in my desert clime.

I mean, some of the online heirloom seed providers are located in Maine.  Come on, I know for a fact that a Maine sown seed is definitely not going to work for me.

Wanna know what I'm gonna attempt to grow?  I am only doing two re-grows.  Everything else is a complete experiment.  And starting my own seeds is a complete experiment...this could be the worst garden disaster EVER!

Purple Podded Pole Bean...they're purple.  How could I not choose them?

Country Gentleman Sweet Corn...sounds so refined

Parisian Pickling Cucumber or cornichons...this group of three is going to be my attempt at re-creating the Native American growing practise of the 3 Sisters.  Normally there would be squash in there..but I feel that Parisian Pickling Cucumbers will work just as well as squash...right?

Detroit Dark Red Beet

Golden Beet...Yum on the beets.  My husband who swears beets are the devil....actually loves them.  Well, he loves the beet greens lightly steamed with lemon juice, salt and pepper sprinkled on top.

Parisienne Carrot...These are supposed to taste just like a carrot is supposed to taste...and are small and round!!!  Can't wait to see these pop up!

Honeydew Tam Dew Melon...I have a terrible record with melons.  I have never attempted honey dew though...cross fingers.

Padron Peppers...these are supposedly Martha Stewart's new favorite pepper. 

Emily Basil...chosen strictly because of a beloved member of our family has the name Emily.

Blue Curled Scotch Kale...these are going in my flower beds.  Shhhh... don't tell The Mister...he has a thing about planting produce in the flowers.  Whatever.

French Breakfast Radish...yes, there is a French thing going on here...but from what I've heard the French are very finicky when it comes to their produce.  They only want the best.  So if it's good enough for the French,  yeah...you know.

A slew of tomatoes...Green Zebra, Black Cherry, Pierce's Pride, Fox Cherry and Egg Yolk.

Lincoln Garden Peas and a bunch more. 

You may be wondering at the size of my garden...

Extremely petite.  This is a photo from last year's weeding attempt.  I would say it's approximately 8 feet by 8 feet and that might be generous.  This is why I am desperate to convince The Mister to let me tear up some grass on the side of our yard.  This is where my precious 3 Sisters are going.  I need more space.  I'll keep whispering sweet nothings in his ear until he consents to my wishes.

Now, one more thing...You may have noticed I was wearing something in the top picture...

Only the sweetest most perfect pair of slippers ever!  We searched high and low for them.  I wanted a soft sole.  Because, how can you get comfy if you're wearing shoes...which a hard-soled slipper basically is.  I wanted a back on them and I wanted them to be perfectly fuzzy.  They are called Sophie Soft Sole Sheepskin Slippers and I bought them on Amazon.  They are truly amazing. 

Granny Square Pic of the Day

As always, thanks for reading!

Heather

Signs of Spring

Do you know what this means?

Spring! 
Leaps of joy!
Hallelujah winters frigid grip is losing it's hold!
The Crocuses are blooming!  I've already begun planning when I am going to plant my peas and what lovely veg I'm going to plant in my garden this year!

Here's the progress on my St Patty's Day Quilt...St. Patty's or St. Paddy's?  I've seen it both ways.

My assembly line ready to be assembled.  I find that when I'm first putting together a block, I don't pre-cut anything.  I just cut as I go, that way if I don't like something or if something isn't the wrong size, I haven't wasted a bunch of precious fabric.  But, once I get it figured out, then pre-cutting is the only way to go.  Of course remember...Cut once, measure twice.

I feel like such a rebel when I cut these fabric ears off.  Of course, I have made the mistake of sewing my pieces on the wrong, then cutting the ears off and then...well the fabric can't be used again.  So...again, watch carefully that you are sewing your pieces properly before you cut.

See, less bulk.  Makes everything much tidier.

Here's what I had, 3 blocks.  My original and then the two I made after.  I had run out of my main white and so started using the white with yellow dots, which I like quite a lot.  But I was stuck knowing what to do to complete it.

I love a checker board.  Plus I had this cute fabric that looks celtic to me and i figured it would work perfectly.  I didn't have much though...just enough for this...

And I think this is about what it's going to be.  I'll throw on a border somehow and then call it done!

A warning to all parents of toddlers.  My husband was running on the treadmill last night when my 2 year old was playing nearby, I don't know if she was trying to get on or what, but she ended up face down on the treadmill, trapped and unable to get up.  Luckily Ryan was quick, ripped out the safety stop  latch and pulled her off with only minimal damage.  I've read where kids have gotten 3rd degree burns off the moving track.

So my youngest is doing fine.

A burn on her wrist.

And on her chin, but you can't even seen the chin owie in this picture.  I think she's going to be fine.  This is just a lesson to mom and dad!  Be careful!

Banana?   Milk?   Yogurt?  Geez, you'd think I don't feed these kids!  She's holding an egg I crocheted.  I think Easter last year made a big impression on this little one.  She has loved eggs ever since!

One last glimpse of spring.  sigh