celebrate st. patrick's day!

happy (almost) st. patrick's day!!!  every year my parents host an awesome st. patty's day party.  it's open to family and friends, and this year's celebration is even bigger than usual - with upwards of 35 honorary-irish.  in celebration of my irish heritage (50%, baby!), i wanted to share a few things to get you in the green-wearin', whiskey-drinkin' mood : )

drink this...



credit {here}

irish ale cocktail

• 2 oz irish whiskey
• 3 lime wedges
• 3 oz ginger ale

1. add whiskey and squeeze lime wedges into glass.
2. fill with ice and top with ginger ale.  stir to incorporate.

wear this...

i feel like {this} is what kate middleton would wear to a st. patty's celebration : )

eat this...

recipe {here}

after you've had your fill of irish soda bread and braised cabbage, these sweet treats would be the perfect way to end the night.  you can't go wrong with homemade caramel-dipped, white chocolate coated marshmallows!  yummmm!!!

happy st. patrick's day! 

may the enjoy the luck o' the irish : )

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party pictures

last night we enjoyed a delicious st. patty's day dinner over at my parents' house.  they host it every year, and the menu  is always outstanding!  (my mom's a great cook : )

here are some pictures from our irish celebration.

craig's plate

my plate.  see the soda bread with butter??!!

olive.  (don't worry, the headband only went on for the picture.)

"kids'" table

so, what did you do for st. patrick's day?

and, congratulations to ashley from breakfast at saks for winning the brand building giveaway!!!.

irish soda bread

happy st. patrick's day! in honor of today and my irish heritage, i wanted to share my family's favorite recipe for irish soda bread. in my experience with soda bread, i've found it (often) to be very dry and crumbly (which i'm personally not crazy about). not so with this recipe. this   produces a cake-like bread that is so deliciously moist. and just perfect for breakfast, lunch, dinner or a snack : )

best soda bread ever! (adapted from a silver palate recipe)

6 tablespoons sweet butter
3 cups flour
1½ teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 to 1¼ cups granulated sugar
1½ dried currents or raisins
1¾ cups buttermilk (or 1¾ cup milk with 2 tablespoons vinegar)
2 eggs, well beaten

1) smear 2 tablespoons of butter evenly in a 10-inch cast-iron skillet. line the buttered skillet with a circle of waxed paper. melt 2 more tablespoons butter in a separate pan and set aside.

2) preheat oven to 350 degrees

3) sift dry ingredients together. add currents or raisins to dry ingredients and toss well to coat.

4) whisk together buttermilk, eggs and melted butter. add to dry ingredients and mix just until blended.

5) spoon better into the prepared skillet and smooth top gently with a spatula. dot the top with the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter.
6) bake until golden brown and puffed, about 60 minutes. cool slightly, remove from skillet, and cool completely on a rack. or serve warm directly from the skillet. cut into wedges. smear with butter. enjoy!




credit [here]

 

only one more day to enter the brand building giveaway!  click [here] to enter : )

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gettin' lucky : )

as a (50%) irish girl, i revel in the romanticism that accompanies st. patty’s day. each year, my parents host an authentic corned beef and cabbage (and soda bread and potatoes and roasted vegetables...) irish feast on the 17th of march. much of my extended family attends, and we celebrate our irish heritage with food (and drink).

credit [here]

yet, despite my irish roots, i don’t believe in luck in the mythical, haphazard, out-of-the-blue sense. in my version, real luck occurs when the right circumstances come along and you capitalize on them. but, had you not been thinking about, working on and wishing for a “lucky break”, then you wouldn’t necessarily have recognized it as “luck” when it does come along. i also like this version of luck because it gives you some control. i.e. if you’re diligently working towards an important goal, you’re much more likely to catch a lucky break…

yet, despite my somewhat business-minded view of luck, i do (kind of) believe in lucky charms. (i know, i’m a rubix cube of contradictions.) i have a beautiful vintage wishbone pin from my grandmother that i love and consider it a bit of a “lucky” charm. i’m not sure if it has magical powers or just sentimental value, but i love to wear it on special occasions.

credit [here]

well, before i confuse you (and myself) any further. here are some other notable thoughts on luck:

“i'm a great believer in luck, and i find the harder i work, the more i have of it.” –thomas jefferson

“luck is believing you’re lucky.” – tennessee williams

“luck has a peculiar habit of favoring those who don’t depend on it.” – unknown

“success is simply a matter of luck. ask any failure.” – earl wilson

“the day you decide to do it is your lucky day.” – japanese proverb

“what we call luck is the inner man externalized. we make things happen to us." – robertson davies

credit [here]

so…do you believe in luck? what is your lucky charm?
 
p.s. don't forget to enter the brand building giveaway [here]..