Happy St. Patrick's Day!

In our BK days (Before Kids), St. Pat's was OUR holiday! We were known amongst our friends for our annual Irish celebration.  And while we love a good corned beef and cabbage meal, our goal was to share Irish cuisine with our friends that they probably hadn't heard of, let alone tried. And music! With a husband who is a musician and happens to also be Irish, you KNOW there will be good, authentic, Irish tunes!  Well, with the birth of each of our 3 beautiful girls, our annual St. Pat's bash has become less and less of a bash.  It's kind of hard to get kiddos to sleep when you have a boisterous party with 40+ friends, ever flowing food & alcoholic beverages, and great Irish music going on in your house well into the wee hours.

And so this year, we are sharing our love of our Irish heritage with just our girls! We plan to put on some of our favorite Irish tunes and introduce them to 2 of our favorite Irish foods.  On the menu is Dublin Coddle & classic Irish soda bread. We've tried out various Coddle recipes over the years, but my Aunt's is the absolute BEST! Dublin Coddle is a stew of sorts with bacon, sausage, onions, and potatoes simmered for hours in a rich Guinness / ham gravy. We make it in our 6 qt. crockpot and the recipe below has been adjusted to fit that size. For the Irish soda bread, we've tried a few recipes and the one that follows is also another favorite. I hope you will try one or both recipes! And let me know what you think by leaving a comment! Happy St. Patrick's Day!

DUBLIN CODDLE
Ingredients:
3 lbs small red or yellow potatoes
2 large onions - chopped into a large dice
2 lbs pork sausages - sliced into bite size chunks
2 lbs thick cut bacon - sliced into 1 in pieces
2 cans ofGuinness Stout
Water
2 T.  ham stock base dissolved into 1/2 cup of hot water
3-4 T. fresh parsley - minced (plus more for garnish)
salt and pepper

Directions:
1)   Brown the sausage in batches and set aside (Don't skip the browning! It will not taste NEARLY as good). Cook the onions in the same pan until just a tad softened and the edges are a bit browned. Set aside. Brown the edges of the bacon but do not cook all the way - you are just looking to render some of the fat and get the meatier parts a bit browned.
2)  Begin layering the ingredients in your crock pot: 1/2 the potatoes, followed by 1/2 the sausage, 1/2 the onions, 1/2 the bacon, 1/2 the parsley, & sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Now repeat with the remaining ingredients and top with the ham stock Guinness, & water to fill an inch from the top.
3)  Cook on high for 3 to 4 hours, or low for 6 to 8. Check 1/2 way through the cooking process and add more liquid if necessary.  There should always be at least 1 inch of liquid in the bottom.
4)  Ladle into bowls, top with a sprinkle of parsley, and enjoy!

IRISH SODA BREAD
Ingredients:
3 cups AP flour
1 cup cake flour
2 T. sugar
1 1/2 t. baking soda
1 1/2 t. cream of tarter
1 1/2 t. salt
2 T. unsalted butter, softened (+ extra, melted, for brushing the top after baking)
1 1/2 cups buttermilk

Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment.
2) In a large bowl, whisk together all of the dry ingredients.
3) Using a fork or pastry blender, work the butter into the dry ingredients until it looks like coarse crumbs. Stir in the buttermilk with a fork just until the dough comes together.
4) Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead just until the dough comes together, about 30 seconds. (Do not knead until smooth.)  Pat the dough into a 2 inch thick disk and place onto the prepared baking sheet.
5) Cut a large 1/2 inch deep X into the top of the loaf using a serrated knife. (This is actually the sign of the Cross.) Bake until golden brown, approximately 40 - 45 minutes (only takes 30 minutes in my convection oven).
6) Let cool at least one hour on a wire rack. Brush with melted butter before serving.

We like it spicy!

Tonight we had Spicy Tuna Bowls for dinner. And no, my kids did NOT eat them too. We've been moving towards all eating the same meal for dinner, but sometimes it just doesn't work out. But I digress - this dish was created many moons ago when I hadn't been to the store in a while AND I happened to be craving sushi. It's an odd fusion of dishes all rolled into one tasty bowl. Sweet & spicy. Hot & cold. Soft & crunchy. It really works in my opinion. We've even served it to friends. Everyone can fill their own bowl and make it to their liking. You can use as little or as much of the ingredients / toppings as you like.

BASIC INGREDIENTS
Cooked rice or quinoa - hot
Salad greens - whatever you have on hand
Spicy tuna salad (recipe below)
Rice wine vinegar
Hoisin sauce
Sriracha

OPTIONAL TOPPINGS:
Shredded carrots, sliced green onions, chopped peanuts, diced avocado, cilantro, sesame seeds, furikake seasoning, sliced snap peas, fresh shredded spinach

SPICY TUNA SALAD:
Canned tuna mixed with mayonnaise, hoisin sauce, Sriracha & chili garlic paste to taste. Chill for at least 30 minutes.

ASSEMBLE:
Add hot rice or quinoa to the bottom of the bowl.
Add veggies & drizzle lightly with rice wine vinegar.
Mound with spicy tuna salad.
Add a drizzle of hoisin & Sriracha.
Add and additional toppings and or seasonings.
Enjoy!

The verdict...

Family Dinner Night was OUTSTANDING! The company was delightful, the soup was excellent, and the brownies were not too bad! Plus the weather was nice enough we dined alfresco - which is good because my patio farm house table seats 6 adults way more comfortably than our tiny indoor table.

THE SOUP: we made some modifications to the original recipe due to some food allergies of our "family" members. One friend is allergic to dairy and citrus, I am so sad for her! So, for the meatballs we left out the lime juice and served lime wedges on the side. And we substituted 1/2 a cans worth of diced green chilies for the pepper jack cheese. Another friend is allergic to avocados, like really REALLY allergic, so we didn't even slice into them. Can I just say... I LOVED this soup! LOVED IT! The most time consuming part was the meatballs but it was oh so worth it! I can see maybe making up a triple batch of them, browning them, and freezing the extra for another time. And maybe making the meatballs smaller too. They were 2 -3 bites each and a smaller meatb all would make for mour refined eating with company. ;-) I will definitely be adding this to our regular rotation of soups!

THE BROWNIES: these were ok. I made some modification to the original recipe. I substituted granular maple sugar for the white sugar. I like the deep but less sweet flavor of the maple sugar, and it is less processed than white sugar, which is something I'm trying to reduce in our diet. I also added some coffee extract which always helps in intensifying the chocolate flavor in my opinion.

So... what went wrong you ask? Well, I'm going to go back and measure my pan - I think I used a 9 x 9 instead of 8 x 8. The brownies were thin and a tad dry in my opinion and the size of the pan may have been the cause. I might try date paste as the sweetener next time instead of the maple sugar. Date paste should still give it that rich deep flavor, plus add extra moistness and more sweetness that most people expect in a brownie. That said, my husband said he liked them - he liked that they were less sweet and thus had a deeper chocolate flavor. And when I told him the were completely grain free and made with black beans, we was shocked.

CONCLUSION: make the soup. Tonight. I mean it. TO-NIGHT!! But take a pass on the brownies. If you are really curious, stop by my place, I have left overs you can try.  Although, I'm not done messing with the recipe. I'm going to see if I can make these work. You may see "Black Bean Brownies, Part Two" in the near future!

(Here is a photo of my husbands 2nd bowl. My 1st AND 2nd helping was gone before I remembers to take a picture, it was THAT good!)

Family Dinner Night...

Just over two years ago, we started Family Dinner Night. My husband had a standing gig on Tuesday nights that left me on my own to take care of dinner, bath, and bed time for our girls who at that time were almost 2 and almost 1. A few of my dear friends took pity on me and started coming over each week. They'd help me feed the girls, play with them in the bath, get them in their pjs, and read bedtime stories. Once my sweet babies were sleeping, we'd finish making our yummy adult dinner, crack open a bottle of much deserved wine, and sit down for some girl talk over a wonderfully gourmet meal! One of them started referring to our Tuesday nights as Family Dinner Night, and so it was!

My husband no longer has a Tuesday night commitment AND we've had a third baby, so we haven't gotten together as regularly. But we definitely all look forward Family Dinner Nights and it is something we're trying to get back to doing more often. We've even started a group pin board on Pinterest for future meal ideas.

 Well... tonight IS a Family Dinner Night! Woohoo! We will be making a delicious looking Meatball Tortilla Soup by Ree Drummond (aka The Pioneer Woman) and a Pinterest recipe I tweaked just a bit for Black Bean Brownies. And no wine tonight - Mexican food calls for beer!  Though none for me, I'm still nursing.  Check back in with me tomorrow to find out how it all turned out - I'll also share the brownie recipe if the Family likes them!

Kickin it up!

Miss M is a few days shy of 10 months, and now that she is nursing less, my weight loss efforts need to be kicked up another notch! I hate counting calories and I loathe exercise. I also really enjoy yummy food. All that combines to make being my fittest - after having 3 babies in 3 years - just a tad difficult. My desire to drop a few pants sizes is not just for me, but for my kiddos too. I want to be a good example of healthier living and eating AND I need as much energy as I can get to chase around these 3 beauties!

Here is my current game plan:

1). Drink a glass of water before each meal & snack.
2). Fill my plate at least 1/2 full of fruit & veg.
3). Include more whole grains, nuts & legumes.
4). Get outside and move.

So I began this morning with my glass of water. Followed by a waffle breakfast: whole grain waffle, non-fat Greek yogurt, sliced strawberries, a drizzle of agave, & 1/2 a banana. Oh and of course my one big vice - coffee! Next time I'll add some sliced almonds and some flax meal. Every little bit counts!

In the middle...

My middle child is my extreme child. She can bring the greatest frustration and the greatest joy! Everything she does is with fabulous flare. Whether it be her contagious whole body giggle or her tenacious stubborn defiance - she does it all in grand style. When she walks, she stomps like a herd of elephants. Whisper is a word outside of comprehension. Don't get me wrong, at almost three years old, she knows HOW to whisper, she just can't seem to do so when it is called for. Her eyes twinkle and her little nose wrinkles when she smiles. She's goofy and silly and delightful. I love to listen to her earnest little prayers at meal times. And I love to watch her skip around the back yard with her whispy blond hair flying around her beautiful face. She can drive me crazy and sometimes brings out the worst in me. She will be the cause of every grey hair I will some day possess, and the cause of so many smile lines.

Healthy oatmeal raisin muffins!

I'm trying to reduce the amount of processed foods we eat. This is not convenient and takes much prior planning. Here is a recipe we all love to eat and I am happy to feed my family! BONUS: they are gluten free, processed sugar free, and chocked full of fiber! AND the kids love to help make them! To quote my oldest, "These are GOOD mama! Can we have another?"

OATMEAL RAISIN MUFFINS
1 banana (the riper the better!) *
1 cup date paste (recipe below)
1/2 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk
1 egg
1 1/2 Tbsp baking powder
1 1/2 cups old fashioned rolled oats
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 - 3/4 cup raisins (or chocolate chips! Yum!)
Non-stick cooking spray

DATE PASTE:
10 to 12 pitted dates, packed + enough boiling water to make 1 cup. Let soak 30 minutes or more. Blend in your food processor or high speed blender until smooth. You can double the recipe and store extra in your fridge for up to 1 week. Use in smoothies or baked goods.

MUFFINS:
- Preheat oven to 375.
- Spray 12 cup muffin pan with non-stick cooking spray.
- Add all ingredients except oats & raisins to your blender or food processor & process until smooth & combined.
- Mix oats, raisins & wet ingredients in a large bowl.
- Divide batter into prepared muffin pan (I like to use my cookie/ice cream scoop).
- Bake for 20 - 25 minutes.

Let muffins cool completely in the pan. They will be a bit crumbly. You may need to run a knife around the edges to loosen and remove. Refrigerate or freeze any left overs. Good for 1 week in the fridge, 2 months in the freezer. Reheat for 10-20 seconds in the microwave to remove the chill.

*You can sub 3/4 cup apple sauce for the banana. The muffins will be less sweet.