Everything Post: St.Patrick's Day Recap, Mac and Cheese, Women's History Month, and Springing on Spring

Post St.Patrick's Day Recap

Baby Enya and my Bodhran making lovely music together. I am hoping to indoctrinate percussion at young age -it is my duty as a drumming mommy.

Adult Leprechaun table setting. I used potatoes, Bells of Ireland, and Irish Oats canister, and a plate with an Irish blessing on it as the center piece. I also embellished the table with green and orange doilies under the drinks, unbleached linen napkins, gold leafed silverwear, burlap, and a strip of green mod-cloth.

The Spread: Corned Beef with Red and Green Cabbage, Onions, Carrots. Virgin Soda Bread (sans fruit because my boys and husband don't like spotted soda bread -much to my dismay.)  An Irish cheese tray featuring Dubliner with Stout, Irish Cheddar with Port veins, and regular Dubliner. Also on cheese tray -Irish Kerrygold butter, Grain Mustard with Guinness, and apples to cut the tart flavor of the cheese. The soup was Potato and Bacon Soup brought by our friends. It was the perfect creamy consistency! The remaining side dishes are sauteed leeks and creamed mashers. I was trying to do a toned down version of Colcannon but I wasn't sure of my guests would go for kale and leeks mixed in with the pratties -so I stuck with leeks only and set them on the side. Finally, the last appetizers were pepper shamrocks with carrots and Dubliner dip and a fruit rainbow (the peppers and the rainbow were the only corny non-Irish dished allowed in the menu simply because they were nutritious and cute. Otherwise I stick strictly to authentic Irish food -no nasty fake green dyes splashed into everything. Just because it is green doesn't make it Irish!) -End rant. Not pictured was dessert (it was devoured before I could take the pictures): Soda Bread Apple Tart Tartain with Cashel Blue Ice Cream and Regular Vanilla Ice cream. Yes, you read right, Cashel Blue Cheese Ice Cream. It is not everyone's cup of tea, but it is a common addition to Irish ice cream and often served with apple desserts. I always serve it with regular Vanilla ice cream to be safe, but I also try to provide as authentic a food experience as possible so I have to add it in for fun.

Little Leprechaun rainbow table. I got the rainbow plates at the store for $1.99. The boys made the "pots of gold" with black cups and pipe cleaners. I filled them with Trader Joe's Peanut Butter, Caramel, Dark Chocolate truffles and then sprinkled "Rainbow Rocks" aka all natural jelly beans (also from Trader Joe's) around the plates. The rainbow is simply crepe paper cut into streamers. SO easy and the kids loved it! Also, you can see in the picture on the left that in the middle I set a St.Patrick's bucket with craft materials in it to keep the kids busy after dinner. Ironically, we forgot to do the craft with our friends because we were having so much fun playing and talking.  

I got the opportunity and blessing to go see an arts lecture by Frank Delaney. My friend could not go and so she gave me the tickets. I took my friend, Wende, and we had an amazing time. Frank has long been a literary hero of mine and of course being Irish only ups his 'amazing factor' in my mind. His presentation was on how he gained his unique voice as a writer. I have not been to a more inspiring speech in a ling time and it was certainly THE most inspiring literary lecture I have ever been to. Mr. Delaney is dubbed by NPR as "the most eloquent man int he world" and it may seem a lofty acclamation to live up to, but I assure you he is the very epitome of such a title. Mr. Delaney was a quote a minute and I could not take enough notes fast enough to capture the almost musical expression coming from his words. This man is truly a sage of our time and I was honored to attend this event.

My sentimental St.Patrick's pendant. I received it years ago as a gift for donating to a children's camp in Northern Ireland that promotes peace and tolerance between Catholic and Protestant families.

Playing my bodhran for the little leprechauns by the fire. A nice and relaxing (aside from the faster songs...;-) way to end St.Patrick's evening.

Sweet Potato Mac and Cheese Recipe

 Sweet Potato Mac and Cheese

 

It is still cold and snowy here in Rochester, I am still making cozy warm meals to fill us up and keep the frigid temperatures from turning us into living ice sculptures. I am also always looking for ways to sneak veggies into my kids meals because anyone who knows me and my kids knows they are THE pickiest eaters on the planet, hands down. "Oh no", you say, "My kids are the pickiest." I DARE you to challenge my picky kid stories with yours. You will be schooled -BIG TIME. And what a happy thing to lose at. I hope to lose this title some day. Please. Anyway, here is the recipe that I whipped up the other day simply because I had previously made Sweet Potato soup (the box variety will work just fine for this recipe, too) and I was desperately conspiring with other the child-loved ingredients in the fridge on how to get that soup in their bellies. Here is the result of desperation. It was a VERY tasty scandal. 

Ingredients

• 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, plus more for dish
• 6 slices good white bread, crusts removed, torn into 1/4- to 1/2-inch pieces
• 3 cups milk
• 2 1/2 cups sweet potato soup
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste
• 4 1/2 cups grated sharp white cheddar cheese (about 18 ounces)
• 2 cups grated Gruyere/ or Mild Cheddar cheese (about 8 ounces)
• 1 pound elbow macaroni

Directions

1. Heat oven to 375 degrees. Butter a 3-quart casserole dish; set aside. Place bread in a medium bowl. In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt 2 tablespoons butter. Pour butter into bowl with bread, and toss. Set breadcrumbs aside.
   
2. In a medium saucepan set over medium heat, heat milk. Melt remaining 6 tablespoons butter in a high-sided skillet over medium heat. When butter bubbles, add flour. Cook, whisking, 1 minute.
   
3. While whisking, slowly pour in hot milk. Continue cooking, whisking constantly, until the mixture bubbles and becomes thick. Next, stir in the soup. Stir another 4-5 minutes until it bubbles slightly again.
   
4. Remove pan from heat. Stir in salt, nutmeg, black pepper, cayenne pepper, cheeses ; set cheese sauce aside.
   
5. Fill a large saucepan with water; bring to a boil. Add macaroni; cook 2 to 3 minutes less than manufacturer's directions, until the outside of pasta is cooked and the inside is underdone. (Different brands of macaroni cook at different rates; be sure to read the instructions.) Transfer macaroni to a colander, rinse under cold running water, and drain well. Stir macaroni into the reserved cheese sauce. If you want to, sprinkle top of macaroni with bread crumbs and finish off in a 400 degree oven until cheese bubbles. If you want to serve out of pot, sprinkle with bread crumbs just before serving. Enjoy!
   

Women's History Month

My reading for Women's History Month. There are countless books about women and women's issues. I urge you to pick on up despite it being near the end of the month. You won't regret it. Another incredible book that EVERY PERSON ON THIS PLANET should read, especially women, is Half the Sky: Turning Oppression in to Opportunity for Women World Wide. Here is the link for that book: http://www.halftheskymovement.org/  
Here is another link with some good ideas to celebrate Women's History Month:
http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/article/recommended-books-women39s-history-month
Here is the link for Women's History Month. I strongly encourage you and your families to sit down and look at the the incredible facts and stories on this site. Women really do hold up half the sky. I am so grateful for the countless strong women who have touched and influenced my life. I hope to bring up my daughter so that she does not succeed in spite of being a woman, but BECAUSE she is a woman. God bless women and those who respect us everywhere.

Springing on Spring

Remnants of spring and Easters past: Easter cards, spring May Day baskets I made for a funeral, and my favorite King Daffodils which I planted in my backyard forest area. 

More remnants of spring and Easter: A nest inspired angel food cake I made last year. The branches are chocolate ganache, the nest is chocolate shavings, and the eggs are the candy robin eggs. Also, our indoor seedlings are getting large and ready to transplant. Carrots made of crepe paper adorn the kitchen table.

 I have been incredibly busy editing my novel, so I am a bit behind on Easter things. I plan to catch up in  a frenzy (I have fun, I promise) this week before family arrives to celebrate Easter with us. And just for the record, I am not a fan of cramming St. Patrick's Day and Easter together in the same month! Too crazy! Anyway, if you are looking for some great Easter inspiration aside from Pintrest and Instagram, here is my go-to Martha Stewart concoction of endless ideas for all things spring, Easter, and of course -Passover. http://www.marthastewart.com/  I will get back to you all in a few days when I have Easter underway here at the Teran house! Until then...