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Playful Pupcakes…Too Dog Gone Cute

Posted in Kids' Activities, Recipes, tagged , , , , , , , on 07/09/2012| 4 Comments »

The Family Circle magazine cover that inspired a day of baking.

I know…I know, it’s not ideal to take long breaks from writing posts but {oh my} our summer has been such fun and I haven’t had a moment to write. From cruising to camping, and even some stand up paddle boarding in the Irish Sea, it’s been go…go…go. Finally the kids have just gone back to school which means things are finally slowing down. My head is screaming, “write girl, write”! So I guess that’s what I have to do…hold on folks, it’s back to life in the Irish fast lane!

This weekend my eldest decided she wanted to have a friend sleep over. Check. Then she and her friend decided they wanted to do some baking. Check, check! Whenever my eldest is willing to step into the kitchen, for something other than dinner, I get a little thrill. She’s not the “cooking” type (not yet anyway) and I want to encourage her as much as possible, even if afterwards it means my kitchen looks like a bomb struck.

The homemade version!

The baking challenge the girls took on was recreating adorable cupcakes inspired by those on the cover of Family Circle magazine in April 2008. Yes, I keep magazines forever but THIS is exactly why…you just never know when a picture or article will inspire a moment. The girls saw these playful cupcakes and knew they had to make them.

Being kids, the girls dispensed with the directions immediately. First and foremost, they wanted to have fun. Second, I was told making cupcakes from scratch would take too long. Third, they just wanted to “do their own thing”! Check, check, check. The girls wrote their shopping list, got some cash from Dad, jumped on their bikes and cycled to the local supermarket for some ingredients. An hour-and-a-half later, they made it home with smiles on their faces (remember when grocery shopping used to make you happy?!) and started baking.

Recipe from Family Circle 2008

The afternoon passed with the smell of vanilla wafting through the air and the sound of laughter and “girl-talk” flowing easily. It didn’t matter that a quarter of the cupcakes looked more like messy mutts than pretty pupcakes. What was most important was two young friends spent time in the kitchen and had a ball. I think you’ll agree the results were pretty sweet.

Recipe – The picture (left) is from Family Circle magazine. If you click on the image, you can read it more clearly. The article was inspired by the book Hello, Cupcake! by Karen Tack and Alan Richardson. If the recipe seems long, by all means “wing it” as my daughter did and use the photos from the article for inspiration.

Related Bits & Bobs to Inspire You:

Website and idea extravaganza from Karen Tack and Alan Richardson, creators of The New York Times bestseller Hello Cupcake – http://www.hellocupcakebook.com/Hello_Cupcake_Book.html

Hello, Cupake!…The App – http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/hello-cupcake!/id463891492?mt=8

Video Interview with Karen Tack, author or Hello Cupcake!, What’s New Cupcake?, and Cupcake, Cookies and Pie, Oh My! –http://www.marthastewart.com/search/apachesolr_search/hello%20cupcake

Cupcakes in Dublin, Ireland at A Cupcake Review (greenseggsandhamstrings.wordpress.com)

How to Frost Cupcakes http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/09/03/frosting-cupcakes_n_1846665.html

Nutella Cupcakes http://blogs.babble.com/family-kitchen/2011/05/06/nutella-cupcakes-with-nutella-buttercream/

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A Family Day in Dubrovnik

Posted in Trips/Holidays, tagged , , , on 25/07/2012| 1 Comment »

Yesterday was a day of absolute wonder. Despite the heat, we took the children into the walled city of Dubrovnik and had great fun doing the simplest of things.

The Old City of Dubrovnik Coming into View

First we took a water taxi ride 10 km up the coast from our hotel to the Old Harbor of Dubrovnik. The six of us, the triplets mostly slept, watched in awe as rugged cliffs and an azure sea gave way to a stone fortress and a village teeming with people.

The Harbour and Boats

After walking through one of the ancient archways surrounding the city and rounding a corner, we immediately found ourselves on the main square of Luza. From there it was an easy walk to some of the best sites including the Rector’s Palace, the Cathedral and its Treasury, the Sponza Palace and the Dominican Monastery.

The Cathedral & Treasury

Entrance to Sponza Palace

In need of a break, we stopped for ice cream on the Stradun. With a colourful array of flavours to choose from the difficulty came in picking just one from the artfully presented mounds behind the glass case. In the end I went for my favourite, lemon sorbet, but the sour cherry was very tempting!

Cones for Ice Cream

Cooled and reenergized, we strolled further down the Stradun. The beautiful street is lined with Baroque buildings and is home to many churches, restaurants and shops. We came upon several interesting high-fashion stores including Max Mara, Marella, Dubrovačka Kuća, Maria, Michal Negrin and Ronchi to name but a few. And there were some local street entertainers who kept us enthralled as we walked.

Street Entertainer & His Birds

The afternoon heat did not let up and we were very thankful to find communal drinking fountains, like Onofrio’s Great Fountain which is next to the church of St. Salvation and Onofrio’s Small Fountain at the other end of the Stradun near the Bell Tower. With it’s large dome and sixteen taps going right-the-way-round, the Great Fountain is an ideal respite for those wishing to cool off and refill water bottles. The Small Fountain, whimsically decorated with playful dolphins, is equally lovely.

Onofrio’s Small Fountain

For an early dinner, we ate at a restaurant called Olivia Gourmet (address: Cvijete Zurzoric 2, tel: +385-(0)20-324067). It’s a very relaxed place, with a modern decor, and serves Italian-style food in both an indoor and outdoor setting. The Olivia Pizzeria is right next door and the owners graciously allowed us to order pizza for the five hungry children while we adults enjoyed fresh octopus salads and a bottle of local wine. After dinner the nine of us strolled casually back towards the Old Harbour through tiny streets where people live, work and play.

A Tiny Lane Around the Corner from Olivia Gourmet

As the day came to an end, we weary visitors climbed aboard our water taxi and headed back to the Radisson Blu Hotel. Everyone, even our youngest, had a great day in Dubrovnik.

Eight of Our Nine – All Exhausted but Happy

Related articles

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Visiting Croatia

Posted in Trips/Holidays, tagged , , , , , on 22/07/2012| 2 Comments »

Pozdrav iz Hrvatske! (Hello from Croatia!)

Yes, Croatia…Dubrovnik to be exact. It’s been a busy month. Come to think of it, is there such a thing as a slow month? Since my last post, our little Irish family has been to Arizona, Minnesota, Ireland and now Croatia. We’ve relaxed, exercised, gone to cooking school, been attacked by mosquitoes the size of Texas, visited with family and friends, been doused by Irish rain and sizzled under the Croatian sun. It’s been a roller coaster month but it’s been great!

The four of us, along with my brother-in-law, his wife, and their 18 month-old triplets, left Dublin six days ago for a sun holiday and boy what a sun holiday we’re having! It’s hot here, really hot! I’m talking the kind of heat that makes you sweat when you’re standing still! Thankfully the hotel has four swimming pools and access to a pristine beach so, once you’ve jumped into the water and gotten a lounge under an umbrella, it’s gorgeous.

Why Croatia, you ask? Quite simply, my lovely husband has been coming here for a few years on business and has always expressed an interest in bringing us along…this year he got the chance.

Croatia is what Turkey, Spain and Portugal were like many years ago, before they became over run by tourism. The countryside and islands are not spoiled by cheap holiday-home complexes and tacky fish-and-chip shops. There are no gangs of foreign-and-drunk-young-ones running amok. And, while it lacks the sophistication of the Riviera, Italian or French, it’s still magical.

The locals are friendly, the homegrown wines are good, the seafood is “plucked from the sea fresh” and don’t get me started on the ice cream…it’s so good. I’m glad my husband was finally able to bring us.

As for our hotel, I wish I could say this is the best place for all families but it’s really not. We’re staying at the Radisson Blu Resort and Spa, a 5-star hotel located about 10km outside the walled city of Dubrovnik. On face value it is excellent. There is a small Konzum (the equivalent of an Irish Spar or an American mini-mart), several restaurants, an ice cream parlor, two children’s pools, four adult pools, a beach and marina, a spa, two gyms, a kids’ club, a market area for picking up trinkets, and apartments, which the Radisson calls “Residences”.

Sounds wonderful, I know, but if you’re a family staying in one of the residences, which typically a family with several children would do, the downsides are many. For example, the complex is laid-out horizontally, not vertically, so there is a great deal of walking involved just going from the accommodation to a pool, restaurant or other elsewhere. There are, and I kid you not, literally hundreds of steps and only one lift (elevator), which is located over at the hotel. If you have a pram (stroller) be ready for a ten-minute walk. Children under three must be supervised by a parent in the kids’ club, defeating the purpose of a kids’ club in the first place. The indoor pool is “adults” only, which seems particularly cruel when the temperatures climb over 30°C/90°F. There’s the fact you have to be 16 or older to use the gyms. There isn’t an English magazine or newspaper to be found anywhere. There is no chemist (pharmacy) on site or a shop selling pharmaceutical basics. And, lastly, the only English-language television stations are news oriented.

Don’t get me wrong, our little family are having a terrific time. We came prepared
with Calpol and bug spray, an iPad and laptop loaded with entertainment,
sun hats, and light-weight clothes. Also, our children are old enough to take
the heat and walk long distances without complaining. Unfortunately my in-laws, with their young triplets, are not having the same kind of holiday. With our help, they are lugging around two prams, a single and a double, and all the necessary baby accoutrements to the pool and back, and the restaurants and back, several times a day. They have had to hire a service to take them into Dubrovnik to get nappies (diapers) and formula. They have had to sit with the toddlers in the kids’ club (even with our children helping out) and haven’t been able to spend much time by the pool because of the heat.

In my opinion, the Radisson Blu needs to make some changes in order to truly be considered “family friendly”, especially given the prices they charge for the residences. If any of us were coming back to this area of Croatia we might stay at the Radisson again but we’d take a room in the hotel with a sitting area (living room) that comes with a pull out sofa bed. At least at the hotel there aren’t as many steps to climb and it’s not too long a walk to restaurants, the pools and the beach.

To be perfectly honest, my husband and I would really love to come back to this part of Croatia and hire a chartered gulet so we could cruise the coastline, snorkel with the kids, explore remote deserted islands, stop in bustling villages at will and truly get to know Croatia better. Maybe next year…

Tomorrow the nine of us are exploring the walled city of Dubovnik!

Related Articles:

A blog fully dedicated to Croatia, especially the Dalmatian  coast: http://secretdalmatia.wordpress.com/

A useful resource for anyone about to visit Croatia: http://essenceofdubrovnik.com/

An insider view of Croatia at: http://www.croatiaonline.blogspot.ie/

A glossary of fish names and English translations that will be helpful to anyone about to visit Croatia: http://suite101.com/article/help-with-the-names-of-fish-in-restaurants-in-croatia-a350085

A short article in Esquire about what Anthony Bourdain ate when he visited Croatia, along with a recipe for grilled sardines that looks delicious: http://www.esquire.com/blogs/food-for-men/anthony-bourdain-sardines-8334870

A website for learning more about Croatian Wines: http://winesofcroatia.wordpress.com/2012/05/20/wines-of-croatia-news-round-up-for-may-20-2012/

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Dinner for One: The Perfect Omelet and a Simple Spinach Salad

Posted in Recipes, tagged , , , on 09/06/2012| 2 Comments »

Tonight, in this Irish Home, my lovely family is out. I am alone and the feeling is…delicious!

It’s been a hell of a week, I don’t mind telling you. The school year has come to an end and, as is always the case, the last five days have been utter chaos. Final exams, sports days, music recitals, choir concerts, art shows, teacher meetings, desks cleared, books and everything imaginable brought home for sorting and cleaning – wshew. All you Dear Readers who have children understand that this is only the beginning of the end of school madness!

My shoulders are tight. My head hasn’t stopped pounding for two days. Oh, I need this night to myself…if only as a reward for getting our family through another successful school year. Yes, school is out, bring on summer.

So what is the perfect dinner for one? For me, on this evening, it is a light omelet and a simple spinach salad.

And that is exactly what I made tonight, with the help of Alice Water’s The Art of Simple Food cookbook. I set a pretty table in the back garden just for myself. I poured a virgin Rhubarb & Mint Mojito. I lit the candles in my Tipperary Crystal holders and cut lilacs fresh from the tree to complete the picture. With some soft music playing in the background, I dined alone and finally started to unwind.

Tomorrow is the first day of summer in our Irish Home. After a good night sleep (and this evening to myself), I’ll be ready. Hope you are too!

Omelet with Mushroom, Spinach, Tomato and Manchego

Serves One

Ingredients

2 eggs, cracked into a medium bowl

2 tablespoons chopped tomato (no seeds)

1 brown mushroom, sliced

8 spinach leaves, roughly chopped

2 tablespoons Manchego, grated

1 tablespoon butter

salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. Prepare all the ingredients and have ready before starting to cook.

2. Preheat a six-inch heavy or nonstick pan for 3 to 5 minutes over medium-low heat. When the pan is completely heated, add the butter.

3. While the butter is melting and foaming, beat the two eggs with a fork. Do not beat the eggs into a completely homogenous mixture, just beat until well combined. Grind pepper into the eggs as desired.

4. When the butter stops foaming, add a pinch of salt to the eggs, mix quickly, and pour into the hot pan.

5. Turn the heat up to medium. As the egg begins to set, pull the edges towards the center with a spatula, allowing uncooked egg to flow over the exposed bottom of the hot pan and cook.

6. When most of the egg is set, sprinkle the tomato, spinach, mushroom and cheese over the top. Cook for a moment to heat the cheese. Fold the omelet in half over itself and slide onto a plate. Serve immediately with the spinach salad below.

Spinach Salad

Serves One

Ingredients

a handful of spinach leaves, torn

1/2 tomato, sliced and deseeded

1/2 avocado, sliced thinly

red onion, thinly sliced, to taste

1/2 teaspoon red wine vinegar

1 tablespoon good quality olive oil

salt and pepper, to taste

Directions

1. In a medium bowl, add the spinach, tomato, avocado and red onion.

2. Add the red wine vinegar and olive oil.

3. Crack fresh pepper and grind salt, to taste.

4. Mix well and serve immediately.

Additional Notes, Related Articles & Credit:

* Update 5/11/17: I used my garlicky marinated tomatoes in an omelet this morning and my sweet husband commented on how lovely they tasted.

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Rhubarb Mojitos with Mint

Posted in Recipes, tagged , , , , , , on 30/05/2012| 1 Comment »

Spring has finally sprung in the Rockies and Ireland and with it has come the first new shoots of mint. The only other edible plant currently of use in our garden just happens to be rhubarb. Hmmm…mint & rhubarb, rhubarb & mint…what’s a girl to do?!

Fortunately, a few weeks ago, Caroline over at Grow It Cook It Can It  posted an article called Mint Syrup & Rhubarb Mojitos. Oh, thank you, thank you, Caroline! I believe I am saved.

Yes, with Caroline’s recipe in one hand and a few pots and pans in the other, I’ve been making mint syrup and Rhubeena (think Ribena but made with rhubarb instead of blackcurrant) every few days for the past week. The two syrups, when combined with seltzer water, some crushed mint, lime and a splash of rum (or not), make a really refreshing cocktail, just perfect for spring.

Rhubarb Mojitos with Mint a la Caroline

Makes 2

Ingredients

ice & seltzer water

2 ounces rhubeena

1 ounce mint simple syrup

6 or 7 fresh mint leaves

3/4 of a lime

1 ounce rum (optional)

Directions

Cut the lime into wedges.  In a pint glass, combine the rhubeena, mint syrup, and rum.  Squeeze the lime wedges into the glass to release the juice and then throw them right in there with everything.  Add the mint leaves.  Add some ice.  Top with seltzer water.  Mix well.

Note: If you make your own Rhubeena be sure to save the pulp…it’s delicious over vanilla ice cream.

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Original Nestlé Chocolate Chip Cookies

Posted in Recipes, tagged , , , , , , on 29/05/2012| 3 Comments »

Question: When is a biscuit, not a biscuit in Ireland?

Answer: When it’s a chocolate chip cookie!

In Ireland the treat one often takes with a cup of tea is called a biscuit. In America the same treat is called a cookie. The only time I am unable to comply with this basic understanding of linguistic difference is when talking about Nestlé Toll House Cookies: aka Chocolate Chip Cookies. No matter how I try it just doesn’t sound right. Here, see for yourself:

Say: Chocolate Chip Biscuit……………now say: Chocolate Chip Cookie……………Do you hear it? It’s just not right. The biscuit doesn’t roll off your tongue the same way the cookie does. I’m not for changing the biscuit/cookie reference for all treats…just the ones with little morsels of chocolate as a main ingredient.

I remember years ago when a group of women from the American Women’s Club in Dublin sent a letter to the Nestlé Corporation in Switzerland asking them to please sell their famous yellow bags of chocolate chips in Ireland. I don’t think the reply was ever made public but the gist of it was, most politely, “No – but thank you for asking.”

What Americans living in Ireland can’t understand is why (or is it, why not)? Nestlé products are readily available in Ireland. There is, for example, bottled water, coffee, breakfast cereals, sweets and dairy products in every corner shop and supermarket across the nation. One can even buy Nestlé’s Nesquik to turn their glass of milk chocolaty. You’d think that bags of chocolate flavoured chips would be equally popular?! But, alas, it must not be or else the corporation that is Nestlé would be selling them.

Thankfully one can buy non-Nestlé chocolate chips from places such as Avoca Handweavers and Caviston’s Food Emporium and, maybe, even Donnybrook Fair. I’ve never had a need to know but, most likely, they are also available elsewhere sold in small plastic tubs or from large glass jars on shelves behind counters. If one is truly desperate, it is possible to make excellent chips by chopping up a bar of good quality chocolate into small pieces, much the way Ruth Wakefield, the inventor of the first chocolate chip cookie, did long ago in her B&B in Massachusetts.

Once you have your mind set on making these crunchy yet soft, sweet yet salty, treats, a recipe must be found. I love the original recipe baked accidentally by Ruth and made famous by Nestlé but I am told that Alton Brown and the New York Times have excellent versions worth considering. What follows below is the original recipe and links for the other two for your consideration.

And, if I may, here are four suggestions I have found helpful in making the chocolate chip cookies. I hope they are helpful to you too.

1. After you make the dough, refrigerate it up to 24 hours, if you have time.

2. Use room temperature eggs.

3. Take the cookies out of the oven before they bake past a “golden” colour: brown cookies are hard cookies.

4. Be sure your oven is set at exactly the right temperature. If not, your cookies may sink in the middle.

Original Nestle Toll House Cookies

Makes 5-6 Dozen Cookies

Ingredients

1 cup/8oz butter

3/4 cup/6oz sugar

3/4 cup/6oz packed brown sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 1/4 cup/13oz self-raising (all-purpose) flour

1 teaspoon baking soda (bread soda)

1 teaspoon salt

2 large eggs

1 package Nestlé Real Semi-Sweet Chocolate chips or 12oz/340g chopped chocolate or chocolate pieces

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375°F/190°C.

2. Combine flour, baking soda (bread soda) and salt in a small bowl.

3. Beat butter, sugar, brown sugar and vanilla extract in a large mixer bowl until creamy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.

4. Gradually add flour mixture to butter-sugar-vanilla mixture. Add chocolate chips (chocolate pieces).

5. Drop by rounded tablespoon onto ungreased baking sheet (baking tray) and bake for 9-11 minutes, or until golden brown.

6. Cool on baking tray for about 2 minutes and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Notes: For High Altitude Baking (5,200 feet above sea level): Increase flour to 2 ½ cups. Add 2 teaspoons water with flour and reduce both sugar and brown sugar to 2/3 cup each. Bake drop cookies for 8 to 10 minutes and pan cookies for 17 to 19 minutes.

NY Times Article about the Best Chocolate Chip Cookie at: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/09/dining/09chip.html?pagewanted=2&_r=1&ref=dining and cookie recipe at:  http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/09/dining/091crex.html?ref=dining

Alton Brown’s Recipe for Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies, which he calls The Chewy at: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/the-chewy-recipe/index.html

The History of the Toll House Cookie at: http://www.nestleprofessional.com/united-states/en/Documents/TollHouse/NESTLE%20Toll%20House-%20Story.pdf

May 15th is National Chocolate Chip Cookie Day in America.

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Lemon Chiffon Cake

Posted in Recipes, Trips/Holidays, tagged , , , , , , , on 26/05/2012| 1 Comment »

Jen Castle’s Lemon Chiffon Cake

Yesterday I promised to tell you about the Lemon Chiffon Cake I had at Hell’s Backbone Grill in Boulder, Utah. Here’s everything you need to know:

1. The recipe was created by Jen Castle, co-owner of Hell’s, and is featured in With a Measure of Grace, the cookbook she wrote with her business partner and friend, Blake Spalding.

2. This cake won Jen a blue ribbon at the Coconino County fair in Flagstaff, Arizona.

3. It is the lightest cake you can imagine: akin to an angel food cake but made with egg yolks and oil (which are not in angel food cake).

4. It is so le-le-le-lemony.

5. It is easy to make.

6. Everyone who tastes it will love it!

And that, Dear Readers, is everything you need to know about the Lemon Chiffon Cake at Hell’s Backbone Grill. A big “thank you” to Jen and Blake for generously sharing their recipe with us.

My Attempt at Hell’s Cake: Not as Pretty but Delicious!

Lemon Chiffon Cake

Serves 10-12

Cake Ingredients

2 cups/8oz/240gm flour

1 ½ cups/10oz/300g sugar

1 tablespoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup/8oz cold water

7 egg yolks

8 egg whites

½ cup/4oz canola oil

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Zest of two lemons

½ teaspoon cream of tartar (optional if you can’t find it)

Icing Ingredients

1/3 cup/2oz softened (not melted) butter

2 cups/8oz icing sugar (confectioners’ sugar)

3 teaspoons lemon juice

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 335° F/168°C. In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.

2. In a small bowl, thoroughly combine water, yolks, oil, vanilla, and zest. Stir yolk mixture into dry ingredients until smooth.

3. In a large mixing bowl, beat egg whites with cream of tartar at medium-low speed until foamy and frothy. Increase speed and beat whites until stiff, but not dry, peaks. If you do not have cream of tartar, beat egg whites until stiff peaks form.

4. Pour yolk mixture over whites in ribbons, folding mixtures together very gently until just combined. Pour into ungreased 10” tube pan.

5. Bake 55 minutes until the top of the cake springs back when touched. Immediately invert pan and hang upside down on the neck of a bottle for 2 hours to cool.

6. Run a long, thin knife around the edge of the pan to loosen cake and remove from pan. The wider end of the cake will be the top when turned out onto a serving dish.

7. Make icing by combining all ingredients in small mixing bowl and whipping until smooth. Spread icing over cake top, allowing some to drip over the sides. Top with lemon zest.

Notes: I wasn’t sure what kind of flour to use for this recipe, so I used cake flour. I have since seen, on at least one other blog, that self-raising (all purpose) may also be used. And, if you’re not a fan of butter icing on cakes, consider a glaze made of lemon juice and icing sugar (confectioners’ sugar). Once made, pour the glaze over the cake and let set before serving. Add a dollop of freshly whipped cream on the side with a spring of mint.

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With a Measure of Grace: Hiking and Dining in Southern Utah

Posted in Uncategorized, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on 25/05/2012| 4 Comments »

Hoodoos in Bryce

Last month, for Easter-break, our family packed up our small-house-of-a-car and drove to southern Utah. Why southern Utah? Two reasons really: 1) we’d heard the landscape was like none other and 2) I wanted to visit a restaurant called Hell’s Backbone Grill (you knew food was going to be involved!).

The route we chose to explore was Highway 12. Nicknamed Scenic Byway 12, it was designated “All American Road” in 2002 and is considered one of America’s most beautiful drives. From its northern point to its western, it passes through Capitol Reef National Park, Anasazi State Park, Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument and Bryce Canyon National Park. It includes a white-knuckle drive through Hogsback, a section of road much like those found in the west of Ireland, a gently meandering journey through Fruita, a tiny village with its still-operating Mormon fruit orchards dating back to 1880, and breathtaking red sandstone vistas.

126-Foot Waterfall at Calf Creek Falls

For every day we drove, we hiked. Our favourite places included Hickman Bridge in Capitol Reef, Calf Creek Falls in Escalante, and Navajo Loop Trail in Bryce Canyon. All three were just the right length for the children to walk comfortably and ranged from 1 1/2 hours to 4 hours in length. Most importantly, the surroundings were superbly unique. We were never bored. The highlights included fantastic sky-high hoodoos, a cascading waterfall and natural pool, and remnants of what was once an active Fremont Indian community. All three were ideal family hikes and I promise to write about each one, in-depth and with photos, in the coming weeks. For now however, I’d like to switch gears and talk about the other driving desire for our road trip…Hell’s Backbone Grill.

I stumbled across Hell’s Backbone Grill not long after coming to America. I was sitting in the hairdressers, flipping through the latest fashion rags, when With a Measure of Grace: The Story and Recipes of a Small Town Restaurant  surfaced from the heap.

I was captivated by the cover’s photos: a barefoot girl walking on a split rail fence, Tibetan prayer flags blowing in the wind, a basket of farm-fresh eggs and a lemon chiffon cake. These sweet, serene, images are in strong contrast to the name of the restaurant and I was curious to see how they fit together. As it turns out, they do so quite well but only because of the philosophy of the co-owners, Blake Spalding and Jen Castle, and the courage of the townspeople of Boulder, a quiet Mormon community of less than 200 people.

With a Measure of Grace

Their story, the photos and the recipes literally beckoned me. I had to see the place for myself. I was so captivated that I didn’t want to buy the book on Amazon. I wanted to touch Hell’s. I wanted to meet Blake and Jen. I wanted to experience it for myself. I, so desperately, wanted to have this experience that I called the restaurant as soon as I got home from the hairdressers. Be warned, Hell’s closes for the winter! I left a message to please call back when they reopened in the spring and I waited. Before they could call, my husband suggested a trip to Utah over Easter-break and I quickly bargained for a hiking/food holiday. Done!

Boulder, Utah is at the base of the Aquarius Plateau. When you see the “Welcome to Boulder” sign you can’t help but wonder “is this it?” There are no street lights, no buildings…just open land with clusters of sagebrush and some tall trees on rolling hills, dotted by what appears to be small farmsteads. It is a quiet place, just the way the locals like it. As we arrived, I felt panicked that we were in the wrong place but my lovely husband took a turn here and another turn there and then, suddenly, it was right in front of us…like an oasis in the desert.

Hell’s Backbone Grill

Hell’s Backbone Grill is a four-hour drive from Salt Lake City so the fact Jen and Blake can run a restaurant in such an incredibly isolated location is a wonder. They do so by relying on locally produced food, grown mostly on a nearby six-acre farm. The girls also avail of local ranchers, for their naturally raised meats and poultry, and orchards, for their heirloom fruits. They tend their own bees.

You’d think with all the work these two ladies do, there’d be precious little time for them to socialize. Luckily for me, that is not the case. I met Blake Spalding (and her fiancé) the night we arrived for dinner and again the next morning at breakfast. She was down-to-earth, quick with a smile, and very gracious. She allowed me to take pictures – lots of them.

The lovely Blake Spalding

She signed the book I bought, posed for a photo, and listened actively as I talked about gardening, cooking, moving from Ireland and blogging. She was even good enough to suggest I post a few recipes from With a Measure of Grace on In an Irish Home (please see tomorrow’s post on Lemon Chiffon Cake).

With the welcoming hug I got from Blake after breakfast the next morning, our trip to southern Utah was complete. Satiated, and with a packed lunch from Hell’s in the cooler, we drove back to our home on the edge of the Rockies. Our little family was well exercised, well fed, and, well, happy! I look forward to visiting Utah’s southern lands again and dining at Hell’s Backbone Grill. I hope you will too.

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Twelve Miles to Make Pea & Mint Soup

Posted in Recipes, tagged , , , , , , , , on 23/05/2012| 3 Comments »

Photo from Jessyparr on Flickr

There’s a belief in Ireland and elsewhere that Americans are fat. It’s a stereotype to be sure but a quick look at the website for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows that “more than one-third of adults and approximately 17 percent of children and adolescents in the U.S.” are obese. While it’s unfair to capture all Americans and lump them in one big fry-pit, if things don’t change it is conceivable that by 2o2o, 83 percent of men and 72 percent of women in this country will be extremely unhealthy.

What I can’t help but wonder is this, “Where are all the large people the C.D.C. is talking about?” They’re not living near me on the edge of the Rockies. The trend here seems to be quite the opposite. I wasn’t kidding when I wrote back in March about the 60-year-old with arms like Madonna and the well toned thighs of some ladies taking a Boxercise class. The people around me are fit. Really fit. I mean…über fit!

There’s a joke among us “blow-ins” about how many athletic enthusiasts live around us. There are walkers, joggers, mountain bikers, road bikers, hikers, rollerbladers, tennis players, golfers, lacrosse teams, rugby teams, swim teams…the list is endless. Those of us who are new to the area find it funny until we get hooked too.

Take me, this morning. I rode my bike 12 miles (19.3 kilometers) to buy ingredients to make my family’s favourite soup for this evening’s supper. TWELVE MILES! Getting to the shops was easy: it was mostly downhill. It was the six miles (9.6 kilometers) back up the hill that was the killer. Remarkably, I enjoyed it.

As I rode my bike I kept thinking, “What would my friends back in Ireland say?”

“Kim! Are you mad?” immediately came to mind.

Mad? No. A little crazy? Maybe. Thrilled I made it? Definitely!

Today marked the day I went from blow-in to settling in. Actually, I’m not ready for that leap, so let’s just say I’m a temporary “local” bucking the American trend towards obesity. You might even say I’m living Irish in America. In Ireland people don’t think much about exercise or their weight because they walk everywhere. Conversely, in many America cities, shops, restaurants, schools and churches aren’t within walking distance so people are forced to get into their car and drive. With such a sedentary lifestyle it’s easy to pile on calories and gain weight.

Twelve miles to make Pea & Mint Soup…was it worth it? Absolutely! What’s the craziest thing you ever did for exercise?

Pea and Mint Soup

Serves 4

Ingredients

450g/3 cups fresh or frozen peas

1 bunch spring onions/scallions (or onion) roughly chopped

1 head iceberg lettuce, roughly chopped

2 tablespoons olive oil

900ml/3 ¾ cups vegetable or chicken stock

1 large sprig mint

Black pepper

For the Garnish (Optional)

Yogurt

Mint leaves

Directions

1. Wilt the peas, onions and lettuce in the olive oil.

2. Add the stock and simmer until the vegetables are tender, about 15 minutes.

3. Add the mint and liquidize. For a smoother texture, the soup can be put through a sieve.

4. Garnish with a dollop of yogurt and the mint leaves

Note: This recipe is taken from Terence Stamp’s cookbook called The Stamp Collection

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“What is Irish Food?” – Part 1

Posted in Uncategorized, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , on 15/05/2012| 3 Comments »

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake at I Can Has Cook?

For anyone who has never lived in Ireland, it is hard to imagine the wonder of Irish food. Fresh, wholesome, delicious and as varied as the people who inhabit the 32 counties making up the country, there is nothing boring or bland about it. Sure, long ago, when money was tight and people didn’t travel so easily there may have been a repetitiveness to Irish food but, truthfully, even then, people were creatively whipping up simple dishes and desserts that would knock your socks off. I only have to think of my lovely mother-in-law who, while raising twelve children and running a B&B, used to make rhubarb compotes, wild berry jams, savory and sweet crepes (especially for Pancake Tuesday), loin of bacon with spring cabbage that was incredibly more-ish, brown and white soda bread, delicate meringues, ratatouille, grilled mackerel…the list was deliciously endless.

It’s a wonder then that when you Google the term “Irish Food”, you mostly find horrid-looking pictures of stews of boiled meat and potatoes and recipes for corned beef and cabbage or dishes made with Guinness. Yuk! That’s not real Irish food. That’s kitsch Irish food.

Brunch Frittata at An American in Ireland

When people visit In an Irish Home they often ask, “What is Irish Food?” In my experience, real Irish food follows the seasons and celebrates the holidays. It’s sensible and healthy. It’s mostly made from scratch, despite the fact that chain supermarkets are desperately trying to force-feed buyers preprepared meals. It is uncomplicated. It’s influenced by international cuisine. It has many artisan producers. And now, thanks to the advent of blogs, it has many outlets.

So, in answer to the question I get asked the most at In an Irish Home, “What is Irish Food?” I offer you four Irish blogs and one website to whet your appetite. In the coming weeks and months, I will continue to share with you the ever-growing list of Irish food-experts whom I like to consult. I’ll also be adding a “My Library” tab to the top of In an Irish Home so you can see what books make up my cookbook collection. For now, however, enjoy your exploration of Ireland’s amazing food landscape. I think you’ll be surprised at just how wonderful it is. Please be sure to let me know if you have your own favourite Irish food sites you like to visit.

I Can Has Cook? – Aoife started writing in 2009 as a way of becoming (in her own words) a better cook. Her journey in the past month has taken her and us from deep-fried cauliflower to chocolate peanut butter cake and everything in between, including beetroot hummus, lamb flatbreads and homemade gyoza. At I Can Has Cook?, Aoife offers an excellent list of some of her favourite Dublin food haunts under the tab “Visiting Dublin?” – well worth a review if you’re visiting Dublin any time soon.

Donal Skehan’s new book “Kitchen Hero”

Donal Skehan – Without a doubt, Donal Skehan is Ireland’s food pop star! Young, handsome and talented, he was approached by Mercier Press after only six months of blogging his food adventures and recipes. A self-taught “home-cook” (I love that term…isn’t it what we all are?) and photographer, Donal has been blogging since 2007. This year he appeared in America on NBC’s Today Show with ideas for Saint Patrick’s Day. His recipes are simple, healthy and interesting. Most recently he’s written about wild garlic pesto, rustic rhubarb tarts, ham spring rolls with ginger dipping sauce and chocolate chip, oat and raisin cookies.

An American In Ireland – This blog has me hooked. Part “personal journal”, part “food blog”, Clare writes about her experiences of moving from America to Ireland and the experiences and foods that move her. Hmmm, sounds like me in reverse! This month Clare is writing about missing America, her wedding plans, chocolate beetroot cake, buttermilk cornmeal pancakes with blueberry sauce, cheesecake tart with fresh berries and stuffed Portobello mushrooms.

Photo courtesy of Elizabeth Maybury at www.elizabethmaybury.com

Biabeag – Biabeag is Irish for “small food”. Keith Bohanna writes in celebration of entrepreneurs and businesses who are passionate producers of Irish artisan food. From local brews to food festivals, Biabeag has everything covered except recipes – there are none. If you want to know about specialty packaged and branded food products in Ireland, this is the best place on the web.

Dinner Du Jour– Kelly and Kristin are friends who live thousands of miles apart: Kelly lives in Milwaukee and Kristin lives in Ireland. As

Chicken Soup at Dinner du Jour

friends do, they’ve been swapping recipes for years. Finally, their food exchange of complete menus (think mains & sides) are available to all, with ingredient conversions (cups to grams) for foodies in both countries. The meals are tasty and easy to follow – a God-send for anyone who has to whip up a meal on a busy day! The “Browse by Category”, down along the left-hand side of the blog, is really helpful as is the “Family Favorites” tab at the top of the blog.

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