little leprechauns

Well, the leprechauns struck again!  They left tiny muddy footprints all over the house (thanks to Anna, who told me to use REAL mud and my thumb to make them.) They also left the kids new shoes filled with treats, including some green mustaches.  The children thought they were hilarious!  Since the children never get sugar cereal they were thrilled to find some lucky charms at their seats this morning. I am thinking that next year we will have a top of the mornin' brunch.  But, for today. we don't have any plans, which is fine with me. I plan on making some Irish Soda Bread and hanging out with my little leprechauns!

For each petal on the shamrock.
This brings a wish your way
Good health, good luck, and happiness
For today and every day.

deck the halls with boughs of holly

Yesterday I went in to my daughter's kindergarten classroom to share some Irish Christmas traditions.  I focused on holly since that is a common decoration used in Ireland during the holidays.  You can read about what I did last year here.    This year I decided to have the children make tiny hanging arrangement with fresh cut holly and greens.  I used recycled baby food jars and tied some green floral wire around them as a handle.  I loved how the children came up with the great idea to float the holly berries in the water- it looked beautiful! After they made their arrangements they choose ribbon to tie around the jar and also used some tiny cards (that were punched with a holly cutout) to write Merry Christmas in Gaelic.  For the snack I made some holly wreaths with m&m berries.  We listened to some Irish Christmas music and it was a really fun way to spend the morning.

Nollaig Shona Duit

My daughters pre school asked if any parents wanted to come in to share a family tradition. Since my husband comes from Ireland I decided to go in to share an Irish Christmas tradition, decorating with holly. Since holly is poisonous I brought some in to show the children but used faux holly for our project. I found these wonderful clear, plastic ornaments at Michael's craft store. I also picked up the silk holly and red glittered berries along with some white glitter. At school I showed the children pictures of houses decorated with holly, taught them how to say Merry Christmas in Gaelic, and then gave them directions for making the ornaments. The children painted the fabric holly leaves with watered down glue and sprinkled them with glitter. When they had dried I pushed them in the ornament with a long wooden skewer and added some red ribbon and "Nollaig Shona Duit." I also brought in some Irish Christmas music to listen to while they nibbled on cupcakes that I decorated with candy holly (spearmint leaves and red m&m's.)

back soon!

I'm heading to Ireland today! I will be taking the next two weeks off from blogging. I hope that you will come back in June to check out a Teddy Bear Picnic in the park and a Bird themed Baby shower. Until then...

cliffs of moher

The west coast is a must see for any visit to Ireland. Galway, Dingle, and the Cliffs of Moher are some of my favorites. I remember the first time I saw the cliffs, it was a similar feeling to when I first saw the Grand Canyon. It is simply breathtaking and pictures just don't do it justice.

Lá Fhéile Pádraig Sona Duit!

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

st. patrick's day menu

Most Americans enjoy eating Corned Beef & Cabbage on St. Patrick's Day. In Ireland they have something similar that they call Bacon & Cabbage- but, Corned Beef and Cabbage would not be a traditional meal to eat on St. Patrick's Day. I thought I would share our menu for St. Patrick's Day this year. To start we are going to have brown bread with smoked salmon. For the main course, I am making Avoca's recipe for Shepard's Pie and will be serving it with a simple green salad. And for dessert...Irish Cream Rice Pudding. I like to set a table that is both simple and elegant and that has a mix of formal and casual. I have some bells of Ireland in a crystal vase and have pulled out my Irish linen napkins. This year my husbands sister will be visiting us from Ireland, so I wanted our table and menu to be extra special. What will you be serving for St. Patrick's Day this year? I would love to hear about your recipes and menu.

irish coffee

"Only Irish coffee provides in a single glass all four essential food groups: alcohol, caffeine, sugar and fat." ~ Alex Levin

I made these individual Irish Coffee's as gifts. In each cellophane bag there is an Irish coffee glass and a petite bottle of Bailey's Irish Cream. Traditional Irish coffee's are made with whisky, but I prefer Bailey's. However, you could certainly include a small bottles of Irish Whisky instead. On each tag I included the quote from above. I think these would make darling gifts for your Irish friends or as favors for people attending a St. Patrick's Day dinner or party at your house. Slàinte!

Traditional Recipe for Irish Coffee from the Food Network:

1 cup freshly brewed hot coffee

1 tablespoon brown sugar

1 jigger Irish whiskey (1 1/2 ounces or 3 tablespoons)

Heavy cream, slightly whipped

Fill footed mug with hot water to preheat it, then empty. Pour piping hot coffee into warmed glass until it is about 3/4 full. Add the brown sugar and stir until completely dissolved. Blend in Irish whiskey. Top with a collar of the whipped heavy cream by pouring gently over back of spoon. Serve hot.

orla kiely

(photo courtesy of Anthropologie)

My favorite Irish designer is Orla Kiely. Anthropologie carries some of her handbags... but, you can browse and purchase her designs straight from her website here. She has fabulous handbags, some clothes, and beautiful housewares. "The world of Orla Kiely is one where color, pattern, graphic control, texture, and rhythm continually work and rework together. Orla has a unique, immediately recognisable design language, developed though graphic patterns that celebrate her optimistic spirit."

leprechauns

I created some fun traditions for my children for St. Patrick's Day that I thought I would share with you. After my children go to bed on March 16 I use this technique to make small green footprints all around our house. I used to do this in my classroom when I was teaching and the children always loved the magic of it! All day they would try to figure out who could have left such tiny footprints. I use green acrylic paint and only put the footprints on places that will be easy to clean after St. Patrick's Day is over....like counter tops and windows. And, since leprechauns are cobblers, they leave the kids new shoes (preferably green) outside their bedroom doors, filled with gold coins and other little treats. Although these traditions certainly are not of Irish origin, I had fun creating them for my kids. Do leprechauns ever visit your house? I would love to hear all about your St. Patrick's Day traditons too.

irish soda bread

(picture courtesy of Ina Garten)

This is a wonderful recipe for Irish Soda bread from Ina Garten's cookbook "Barefoot Contessa at Home." Although this is not a traditional recipe for soda bread, it is delicious and even my husband approves! You can look at the recipe here on food network. I love the combination of the orange zest and currants. I'll definitely be making this soon. I hope you'll give it a try too.

pottery

(photo courtesy of Nicholas Mosse Pottery)

If you ever get a chance to visit Ireland you should definitely pick up some Nicholas Mosse pottery. I love all of the bright colors and patterns, they simply make me happy! He describes his designs as "Inspired by the rural surroundings, our patterns capture the charm of Irish country-living and bring it straight to your home." Now, who wouldn't love to bring a little Irish charm into their homes? Check out his website to see more of his work.

shopping

(photo courtesy of Avoca)

My favorite store in Ireland, hands down, is Avoca. It has fabulous home furnishings like the beautiful blanket above, gourmet foods packaged to perfection, toys for kids, oil cloth and so much more. It sort of reminds me of Anthropologie here in the States. The original Avoca store is in Wicklow and is well worth the trip. The drive just to get there is beautiful and worth the effort. I have also been to the newer store in Rathcoole on the Naas Road in Dublin. I can spend hours just walking around looking at all of the amazing displays. And, the best part, when you have finished your shopping you can go upstairs and enjoy delicious gourmet food or simply have a cup of tea. There is only one Avoca in the United States located in Annapolis, Maryland. If you are lucky enough to live anywhere near there I suggest you make the trip. I am confident you won't be disappointed.

tea time

(photo courtesy of the Shelbourne Dublin)
If you have ever been to someones house in Ireland I am confident that you were offered a cup of tea. And, even if you said no, they would have told you "oh go on" until you politely obliged. Tea is a major part of the Irish culture. The kettle is always on and Irish people definitely have a favorite type. My husband will only drink Barry's, preferably from the red box. Whenever I am in Dublin I love to go to the Shelbourne for high tea, located right on St. Stephens Green. My 5 sister-in-law's brought me there for the first time eight years ago and I have been hooked ever since. My husband and I even considered having our wedding reception there but decided the country was a better fit for the style and feel we wanted. But, I did have my bridesmaids tea there before our wedding! I hope that if you ever have a chance to visit Dublin, Ireland that you will stop by the Shelbourne for an afternoon cup of tea and that you will love it as much as I do.

Below is a description of the tea room from the hotel's website, which can be found here:

Lord Mayor's Lounge
"Timeless elegance in a luxurious setting, the lounge offers the perfect opportunity for quiet discussions and deep thoughts, all enjoyed around the aroma of the freshest whole leaf tea. Famous for serving Dublin's only true Afternoon Tea experience. "


Doesn't that sound inviting? I have not been back since The Shelbourne was bought by Marriott, but I am heading to Ireland in May and will certainly have to make a stop there to check it out.