I felt less than awesome when I woke up this morning, owing only partially to the pre-dawn rising of my toddler. I have always loved cooking and feeding my friends and family. Over the past year I have discovered that I also love creating and sharing recipes. When a reader tells me that tried and … Continue reading »
Posted in March 2012 …
Whiskied Brown Bread Pudding
In my mind a traditional dessert seemed like the best way to wrap up this series of Irish travel narratives. However, when I think about sweets what stands out are chocolate treats from the corner shop. Don’t get me wrong I love to indulge in something crafted by Cadbury’s but it just isn’t a dessert. … Continue reading »
Some Whiskey to Cure Your Ailments
Last week I had grand hopes of wrapping up my Ireland travel narratives with a decadent dessert, Whiskied Brown Bread Pudding. Unfortunately I hadn’t finalized the recipe. However, it did come in handy that we had a bottle of whiskey in the house. We needed it for medicinal purposes. I was first served a hot whiskey in … Continue reading »
TGIF It’s Happy Hour!
There is a fairly long list of things I ought to be doing at this moment but I chose option D none of the above. I spent the day outside knocking out DIY projects that included painting new photography backgrounds, building a sieve to seperate rocks from dirt in the garden, and mixing compost into … Continue reading »
The Lasagna at the End of the Trail
Healthy living is all about balance. While I was staying in Dublin I fell happily into a balanced lifestyle. My feet provided the majority of my transportation and anything I acquired along the way I had to carry home in my backpack. The foods I ate were higher in fat but far less processed than … Continue reading »
Sláinte! Happy St. Patrick’s Day
Everyone is Irish on St. Paddy’s Day so I hope you decked out in green just for the craic¹! Our family dressed like we were headed to Croke Park for the All Ireland² and attended a party where nearly everything was green from the vegetables to the Rice Krispy treats. Mr. Second Helpings and I indulged … Continue reading »
An American Sandwich in Dublin
July 4th is nothing more than a day on the calendar for the Irish. Knowing my family and friends back in the U.S. would be celebrating Independence Day motivated me to organize a little celebration of my own. Preparing an authentic American meal stood out as the easiest way to celebrate. I was able to buy a … Continue reading »
Seafood Chowder on Galway Bay
Fresh seafood is at its finest when cooked delicately with very little accompaniment. There are a few exceptions, one is when it goes into a pot with a handful of diced potatoes and becomes a chowder. The absolute, hands down, best chowder I have ever eaten was at Fat Freddy’s in Galway in the west … Continue reading »
Jet Lag and a Full Irish Breakfast
[Editor's note: I have had two incredible opportunities for extended stays in Ireland: first, in 2002 with a work visa, and again from 2003-2004 as a student at University College Dublin. This week I thought it would be fun to change gears a little with a few stories from my time on the Emerald Isle. … Continue reading »
Three Bean Stew
Monday afternoon I made some bean stew. It was going to be chili but as I began cooking the things in the pot sort of took on a life of their own. Maybe it woman’s prerogative or just a wandering mind but I often start out making one thing only to watch it transform into a … Continue reading »