Category — Holiday

There will not be a recipe posted today, I am far too busy to cook! I’ve been scouring every store I can think of for items for this year’s Easter buffet. I’ve been to Cost Plus World Market, Pier One, Holland Boone, and a couple of consignment stores, and I just returned home from Crown Imports. Maybe tomorrow I’ll hit Micheal’s and JoAnn’s … but I’ve done all I can do today.

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When my kids were young, I loved to trick them with food on April Fool’s Day. The year Marissa was in fourth grade and Connor was in first grade was a stellar year! 

I started the day off with a non-food trick on my husband, Dave.  The day before, I took a new bar of soap and coated it on all sides with clear nail polish.  After it was dry, I replaced the soap in our shower with this new bar. I stood outside the bathroom and listened to him cursing as he continually dropped the bar of soap, trying to get a lather going.  He was so frustrated, that I actually began to feel sorry for him, and went in to replace the bar for him.

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I know… when the temps start rising, I start complaining! But I’m pretty certain it wasn’t still March when I began my rant last year! Look at those temperatures! That is crazy talk – nearly 100 degrees tomorrow – on April 1st! Maybe the forecasters are just playing an April Fools joke on us and it will actually be a lovely 78 degrees. Fingers crossed!  Just in case, I’ve got the perfect spring breakfast or brunch dish for you. I’m going to consider making this again for Easter…. as long as we’re not tipping over the century mark by then. If that is the sad and sorry case, I plan on serving only ice cream, sorbet, and a nice light, but heavily chilled, Rosé!

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These darling green tartlets are perfect for St. Patrick’s Day but they will soon be serving another purpose for me.

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As promised, here is the fantastic recipe for a traditional Irish Soda Bread, given to me from Sharon Cereska. The recipe writer in me couldn’t help but rewrite it a little bit, but I only changed one actual ingredient from the original recipe, and that was using unsalted butter instead of margarine. I don’t use or buy margarine, sorry, can’t help being a foodie snob about that one!

My reworded recipe is first and Sharon’s original family recipe is below. But first, here is what Sharon wrote to me when she sent the recipe, accompanied by a lovely treasured family photo of hers.  Thank you Sharon for sharing with me and everyone out there in the blog-a-sphere.

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Unfortunately, no time to post a recipe today. I’ll be on Valley Dish today at 3:30… not cooking this time, but instead showing how to set up a Mardi Gras tablescape. Tune in if you get a chance.

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A couple of weeks ago I posted a delicious and rather decadent recipe for a Crêpe Gâteau. That recipe came from the need to use up a big stack of crêpes leftover from making Lobster Crêpes for an appearance on Valley Dish. Well… this is the 3rd reincarnation using those same crêpes! I think it would be perfect for Valentine’s Day; it’s rich, a little bit sweet, and lovely soft pink. When I say rich, I mean really rich, so a thin wedge would be perfect as an appetizer or alongside a salad with a light vinaigrette. Just a thought…

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… is Valentine’s Day!  Are you ready? Here’s a pretty, fun, and festive tart to make and present to your loved ones. It’s easy and comes together quickly, all you need to do is get yourself a heart-shaped tart pan. You’ll find them at kitchen stores such as Williams-Sonoma, Sur La Table, or locally at ABC Cake Decorating. Or, if you get on the stick today, you can even order it from Amazon at THIS LINK.

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There’s nothing like a little salt with your chocolate, the flavor combination is irresistible, no wonder peanut M&Ms are a snacking favorite. The pretzels can be difficult to make into crumbs for this crust, but not to worry, the mixer will do the finishing work for you. Be sure to use the pulse button of your food processor to coarsely chop the pretzels, otherwise, you’ll just have a pile of fine crumbs. Then when you add them to the butter and powdered sugar in the mixer and let it go to town, they’ll end up being a perfect consistency. Picture proof below!

Valentine’s Day is only 2 weeks away. This is a special little something you might like to consider making for the sweethearts in your life.

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Guess what that big pile of citrus that I showed you last week, looks like now? Exactly the same as it did then, except it has a blanket covering it. It’s all still overflowing in the crates, still sitting on the back patio, right outside the French doors, staring through the windows at me. Mocking me and saying, “Hey, you there – stop what you’re doing and get to the work at hand; zesting and squeezing us!”

But I continue to turn a deaf ear and a blind eye to that pile and TRY and keep motivated enough to get all the Christmas stuff taken down and put away. 

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