Monday, March 17, 2014

HAPPY ST. PATRICK'S DAY ...


In the early 80's my brother moved his animation company to Ireland. At one point or another we all went to visit Uncle Don. I even let my 8 year old daughter fly over with Grandma and Grandpa.  My heart nearly stopped when her plane took off. She came home singing and dancing and Ireland has been a little part of our family ever since.


When you visit Ireland don't miss the "Dublin Doors."  It is said, mostly by tour guides, that the citizens, were ordered to paint all of their doors black, in mourning for the passing of Prince Albert. Instead, to show their rebellion toward the crown, they painted them in a rainbow of colors. 
                  
Another story has it that the wives decided to paint their doors bright colors so that their drunken husbands wouldn't enter the wrong house and crawl in bed with the wrong women. 

I painted my front door blue.

Either way... don't miss the "DUBLIN DOORS"

A limerick gets its name from Limerick, Ireland where this type of poetry was popular in the pubs and taverns. It dates back to the 14th century.



There once was a lady from Leeds,
Rashly swallowed six packets of seeds,
In a month, silly lass,
She was covered in grass,
And she couldn't sit down for the weeds.

_________

A flea and a fly in a flue,
Were imprisoned so what could they do?
Said the fly, "Let us flee."
"Let us fly" said the flea,
So the flew through a flaw in the flue.

Here's Brigham Young University "Vocal Point" singing 
DANNY BOY
On a side note (no pun intended) the lead singer on this song, Kieth, is the son of one of my good friends. It is so satisfying to watch our kids be successful!


Have a wonderful day!

Sunday, March 16, 2014

A PLACE IN THE CHOIR...

The Irish are full of music. On my mother's first trip to Ireland (mid 80's) she came home singing this little song. My children immediately latched on to "grandma's song." I can remember them giggling about "the hands or paws, or anything you've got now" It's become part of our family culture.


 Have a Happy Sunday!



Sadly, I just learned that principal singer George Donaldson passed away from a massive heart attack on Wednesday, March 12, 2014 at his home in Glasgow, Scotland. He leaves behind his wife, Carolyn and daughter, Sarah, 13, who he described as the "light of my life" He was 46 years old.

Saturday, March 15, 2014

Friday, March 14, 2014

IRISH STEW 
Better get your green on!






                 











from... SIMPLE RECIPES 

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 1/4 pounds well-marbled chuck beef stew meat, cut into 1 1/2-inch chunks
  • 3 teaspoons of salt (more to taste)
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 6 large garlic cloves, minced
  • 4 cups beef stock or broth
  • 2 cups water
  • 1 cup of Guinness extra stout (optional)
  • 1 cup of hearty red wine (sub with tomato juice)
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • 1 tablespoon dried thyme
  • 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 3 pounds russet potatoes, peeled, cut into 1/2-inch pieces (about 7 cups)
  • 1 large onion, chopped (1 1/2 to 2 cups)
  • 2 cups 1/2-inch pieces peeled carrots (3 to 4 carrots, can substitute some of the carrot with parsnips)
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

METHOD

 irish-beef-stew-2
1 Sprinkle about a teaspoon of salt over the beef pieces. Heat the olive oil in a large (6 to 8 quart), thick-bottomed pot over medium-high heat. Pat dry the beef with paper towels and working in batches, add the beef (do not crowd the pan, or the meat will steam and not brown) and cook, without stirring, until nicely browned on one side, then use tongs to turn the pieces over and brown on another side.
2 Add garlic to the pot with the beef and sauté 30 seconds or until fragrant. Add the beef stock, water, Guinness, red wine, tomato paste, sugar, thyme, Worcestershire sauce, and bay leaves. Stir to combine. Bring mixture to a simmer. Reduce heat to the lowest setting, then cover and cook at a bare simmer for 1 hour, stirring occasionally.
 irish-beef-stew-6
3 While the pot of meat and stock is simmering, melt the butter in another pot over medium heat. Add the onions and carrots. Sauté the onions and carrots until the onions are golden, about 15 minutes. Set aside until the beef stew in step 2 has simmered for one hour.
4 Add the onions, carrots, and the potatoes to the beef stew. Add black pepper and two teaspoons of salt. Simmer uncovered until vegetables and beef are very tender, about 40 minutes. Discard the bay leaves. Tilt pan and spoon off any excess fat. Transfer stew to serving bowl. Add more salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle with parsley and serve.

Thursday, March 13, 2014

SPRING INTO SUMMER...

So comfortable for warmer weather, this skirt from Boden USA is destined to be a summer favorite. Top it with a sweater set (there's many blues to choose from) or pair it with a striped t-shirt for a trendy look. You will be the hit of the "Boardwalk."

To shop, follow the links below...



SKIRT - Boden USA  $98.00
FLATS - Mod Cloth $29.99
SWEATERS - Talbots $39.50 - $62.50
STRAW BAG - Dillards $198.00

 Add a personal touch to your wardrobe with a custom made initial necklace or bracelet from Tom Design. Debbie, the owner makes each piece by hand. They start at $15.00 +

Click on TOM DESIGN




Tuesday, March 11, 2014


THE BOOK THIEF



 by Markus Zusak

DON'T read this if you haven't read the book or seen the movie.  I don't want to spoil it for anyone.












Within the first few pages, when I realized that "Death" was the narrator, I was hooked. What an interesting approach to the Holocaust. I have witnessed death up close and personal three times. First as I held my infant son and then as I walked my father and later my mother to it's door.  I am not afraid of death, but the look of it always disturbs me. In that moment the body is just a shell. It is always sad... so when Death describes Rudy's passing, it tore my heart out.

"On many counts, taking a boy like Rudy was robbery—so much life, so much to live for—yet somehow, I’m certain he would have loved to see the frightening rubble and the swelling of the sky on the night he passed away. He’d have cried and turned and smiled if only he could have seen the book thief on her hands and knees, next to his decimated body. He’d have been glad to witness her kissing his dusty, bomb-hit lips."

"Death just has a job to do... even Death has a heart."

I loved the characters in this book, especially the sweet relationship between Liesel and her papa and the conflicted relationship of Hans and Rosa Hubermann... there was so much more than what appeared on the surface. Love sometimes has a strange way of manifesting itself. It was touching that the mayor's wife, in her pain, was actually allowing Liesel her thievery and of course it was sad that Rudy and Liesel never got the time for their romance to blossom.. But isn't that the way life is? We shouldn't put things off.

It was about 2:00 AM when I finished the book. I cried of course, as Death did his job. I thought it was poignant that they were taken in their sleep, no fear, no pain... whisked away in the night.  But more than that I was angry. I got out of bed and threw the book in the garbage. My reaction surprised me. I knew, going in, that this book would have a sad ending so why was I so upset? I couldn't put my finger on it.

Then... about two weeks later, after I had retrieved my copy of the book, and was thinking about something completely different, the answer suddenly bubbled to the surface...

It doesn't matter that Death has a heart or that he has a job to do.  It doesn't matter that he gently lifts our spirits upward and that the sheer numbers of people dying was exhausting to him. He is no respecter of persons and he's coming for us all.  We don't know when and we don't know how but we do know he will come. I guess as I tossed the book I was saying...

"Not yet, not now. I plan to dance in the rain a few more times."


THE BOOK THIEF... the movie

It is not often that a movie is as good as the book.  This one comes close. We trade the richness of Zusak's writing for the depth of character in the actor's portrayals.  I can not pick a favorite. I gasped when I first saw Rudy... what a beautiful boy and Liesel's eyes, they spoke without words. Hans was the grounding force but Rosa was his perfect counterpoint. I'm sure I will watch this again and again. It is destined to be a CLASSIC.


 LOOK WHAT I FOUND...

I was going to save this post for the weekend but this beautiful "silkie" jacket is flying off the shelf at Anthropologie. It will be GONE soon so better check it out... follow the links below.


"SILK" JACKET   Anthropologie  $118.00
NECKLACE   Nordstrom  $28.00
HANDBAG   Dillards  $248.00

AN IRISH FEAST...
Corned Beef and Cabbage (baked!)

Recipe from... http://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/corned_beef_and_cabbage/
Corned Beef (baked)
  • 3 lbs corned beef (in package)
  • 10 whole cloves
  • 1/4 cup hot sweet honey mustard
  • 2 Tbsp brown sugar
Cabbage (sautéed)
  • Olive oil
  • 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
  • 1 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 large head of cabbage, sliced into 3/8-inch to 1/2-inch wide slices
  • Salt

METHOD

corned-beef-cabbage-6.jpg corned-beef-cabbage-7.jpg

Corned beef can be very salty, especially when baked. To remove some of the salt before cooking, cover with water, bring to a boil, discard the water, add fresh water and bring to a boil again, discard the water again. Then proceed with the directions.
corned-beef-cabbage-4.jpg1 Preheat oven to 350°F. Drain the corned beef from the package and discard the spice packet. Lay corned beef, fat side up, on a large piece of heavy duty, wide, aluminum foil (you may have to get creative with the way you wrap the beef if your foil isn't wide enough). Insert the cloves into the top of the slab of corned beef, evenly spaced. Spread the top with the hot sweet honey mustard. Sprinkle brown sugar over the top.

2 Wrap the corned beef with foil in a way that allows for a little space on top between the corned beef and the foil, and creates a container to catch the juices. Place foil-wrapped corned beef in a shallow roasting pan and bake for 2 hours. 
3 Open the foil wrapping, spread a little more honey mustard over the top of the corned beef, and broil it for 2-3 minutes, until the top is bubbly and lightly browned. Let rest for 5 to 10 minutes, then place on cutting board and cut at a diagonal, across the grain of the meat, into 1/2-inch thick slices.
Serve immediately.
Cabbage Sauteed
 
1. Heat 2 Tbsp olive oil on medium high to high heat in a large wide pot or saute pan. Chop the onion and cook for several minutes and add the garlic.
2. Add a third of the sliced cabbage, sprinkle with a little salt and stir to coat with the oil and mix with the onions.  Spread out the cabbage evenly over the bottom of the pan and do not stir until it starts to brown. When the bottom is nicely browned use a metal spatula to lift it up and flip it, scraping the browned bits as you go.
3.Once the cabbage in the pan has browned on a couple of flips, add another third, mix it in with a little more olive oil and follow the same process. Add the remaining third and repeat.

Serve with baked corned beef and fluffy mashed potatoes.