LoveFeast Table

Every year, on March 17th, my mom would get the corn beef and potatoes boiling, the cabbage steaming and the Irish soda bread baking.  She would add a bit of green food coloring to the kids milk.  Not knowing a good Irish dessert, she faithfully made creme de menthe brownies.  As simple as the meal was, we always looked forward to it!  I wanted to share my favorite part of the meal with you guys today!  Irish Soda Bread!  For those of you who shy away from ever making bread, this is considered a quick bread.  This bread does not contain yeast, so it does not have to rise.  It’s simple and yields results that will not disappoint even the fiercest of critics!  So, for a very lucky St. Patrick’s Day, pour a guiness and add this recipe to your menu!!!

Whole Wheat Irish Soda Bread

Heat oven to 350 F.                                                                                                                          Combine following dry ingredients in a bowl:

2 C. whole wheat flour

1 1/2 C. white flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1 1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 C. sugar

Cut 1 Tbls. of cold butter into small pieces then cut into the flour mixture.

Add 1 3/4 C. buttermilk and stir to combine

Lightly flour a surface and gently knead to form a round loaf.  Place on a baking sheet.  Cut a large cross in the top of the dough and put in oven for 1 hour.

Let cool for a few minutes before serving.  But, this is best eaten fresh!!

Well, since it is President’s day I thought I share a bit about the 2009 Bytes & Books Inaugural Ball, that my husband Todd attended (see picture seven under George Lucas).  You see, right after New York, while we were in Baltimore with Kristin & Devon, Todd had to go out to “the ball”.  We all stayed home, and wondered how his parking would go down.  Turns out, he easily drove in, and actually parked right in front of the Folger Shakespeare Library, right behind the Capital, next to the Library of Congress.  He didn’t even have to use valet.

This is what they eat at balls in case you are wondering.  While all that “balling” went down, Kristin and I worked on our blog and Urban Spoon posts.  We wrote until we were pressing the keypad with our noses, we were so tired.  Todd came home, and took in a few games of Wii with Devon, ’cause that what you do in your tux after you go to an Innaguration Ball…..in case you are wondering.

Just had to add a quick blip…roasted gems…I personally think should be added to every  Thanksgiving Menu!  Cut golden beets, red beets, parsnips, turnips, carrots in large chunks.  Toss together with a little olive oil, salt and pepper and roast on 375 F, covered with foil until soft.  Can take up to one hour or longer depending on the size of the cut.  Let them cool a bit, then toss and watch the gems glisten!!

So, I was busy cleaning my house and getting the kids ready to hop in the car and my neighbor Meisha knocked on the door.  She handed me a baggie.  A baggie?  “What’s in this Meisha?”  She answered, “A treat just for you!”  I opened the warm bag…unwrapped the napkin and was pleasantly suprised by two homemade, Baltimore style, crab cakes!  That’s the best baggie suprise I ever did have!