Blimey!

In my haste to consume the delicious corned beef goodness that I cooked up for our St Patrick's Day dinner, I forgot to take a picture of the finished product for the blog! Unforgiveable, I know. It really did look quite nice- I braised the cabbage in a little chicken broth rather than cooking it with the meat and potatoes so it wouldn't "contaminate" the rest of the food, making it inedible. (Fer is not a big fan of the cabbage component of the meal). Anyways, the braised cabbage kept a really nice green color and looked so beautiful on the plate. I was very happy to spend the holiday having dinner at home, especially after fighting my way through hordes of green-clad zombies every time I passed an Irish pub today. Seriously, do these people start drinking at 9 am? They wake up, slap on their blinking shamrock head-boppers and pour some Guinness over their breakfast cereal? Maybe I'm an old fogey, but it seems like this might not be the best way to celebrate your pride in the Emerald Isle.

My Irish Eyes are Smiling!

Every year growing up, I looked forward to St. Patrick's day when me bonny mum would whip up an Irish feast of corned beef and cabbage, potatoes, carrots, and my very favorite, Irish Soda Bread. She usually made extra for me, because I could eat the whole pan of it myself. Last year I cooked the meal for the first time myself, and plan to do so again on Wednesday. So I was so happy to get a package from Mom today, with an Irish Soda Bread baking mix and the raisins to go along with it! Can't wait to celebrate with a hearty Irish supper at home this year. You should try it too! Or at least the bread, if you're unsure about the corned beef and cabbage (c'mon it's just once a year!) My mom's recipe is really easy and delicious:

2 cups baking mix
6 Tbsp margarine
2 Tbsp sugar
1/2 cup raisins
3/4 cup milk

Mix baking mix and sugar. Cut in the margarine. Add raisins and milk and stir until blended. Put in greased 9" cake pan or pie plate. Bake at 375 for 25-30 minutes. Serve warm!