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Five White Dresses

16/10/2013 by Kim McGuire

IMG_4192As we round out week three on our epic road trip across North-West America, our foursome has become a threesome. My wonderfully gifted, beautiful, sweet, funny, eldest daughter is staying at Concordia for an extra immersion experience. She loves languages and has proficiency in three of them, including Irish. We’ll pick her up in less than ten days and return home to Ireland, but it was with a heavy heart that I kissed her today and said good-bye.

She’s growing up fast…this baby girl of mine…faster than I expected. Not yet a real teen, she is looking beyond the safety of our home and wondering about the world around her.  Secondary school, boys, make up, fashion, parties, dating…I can hardly believe it’s time for us to address these issues in depth. Heck, what I mean to say is it’s hard to believe we’re actually having to LIVE these issues in depth. We’ve talked about them plenty. The dress rehearsal is over and the real show is just beginning. Where has the time gone?

DSC_0100I remember her Baptism day like it was just yesterday. She wasn’t even a month old. I was doing up the pearl buttons on the back of her Irish Christening gown, while my husband held her to his chest. “Why are you crying?”, he asked. “Are you ok?” My lovely husband…so concerned and so bewildered at the same time. “No, Love. Don’t you know? This is the first of her five white dresses.”, I choked out between sobs. “Her what?!”

Her five white dresses.

Growing up a Catholic girl, I can define my life in a series of dresses…all of them white. There’s the Baptism gown, followed by the Communion, Confirmation, graduation, and, finally, the wedding gown. On that special day so many years ago, I realised that our daughter’s Baptism day was the beginning of the end. The first time I understood that precious babies, placed carefully in our arms, are only ours on loan for a {brief} period of time. These amazing children we so desperately want and love are ours by the grace of God and we don’t get to keep them. He gives them to us and then demands we let them go.

We’re only two dresses into her life right now, but I am already struggling with the idea of letting go. Three dresses remain. Most likely she’ll leave our Irish home long before she dons the final dress. It makes me sad and I can hardly bear thinking about it. But, I must…for her sake…and for mine.

Little by little, I let the sadness escape. I liken it to fiddling with a balloon. Because you don’t want to let all the air out at once, you pull back on the sides of the mouth piece and let a little out at a time.  Today was one of those times. We hugged. We kissed. I imparted a few gems of wisdom and then turned completely on my heels {with a glance or two back}, got in the car, waved, and drove away. Through tears, I could see her in my rear view mirror, standing in the gravel car park, waving back.

IMG_4142The last few weeks have been tough. Four of us, strong personalities, in a car traveling the highways of North-West America. Those roads are pretty dull, yet our experience has been anything but. We’ve argued. We’ve cried. We’ve shouted. We’ve smelled bad. We’ve been sick. Through it all…we’ve been together. I know it has not always been easy but it has been special. There’s still several hundred miles ahead of us. I don’t have to wonder any more whether this adventure has been worth it. I already know that it has.

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Trying Out a New Language

07/09/2013 by Kim McGuire

Gathering round the evening campfire.

Gathering round the evening campfire.

It has been several weeks since I last blogged but you’ll understand when I explain that our traveling four-some has been deep in foreign-language country.

Technically we were in north-west Minnesota, at a camp run by Concordia Language Villages, but the immersion of the camp was so deep that we might as well have been abroad. From food to spoken word, we were in another world.

Language learning through crafts.

Language learning through crafts.

So how was it? It was wonderful. Interestingly, each of us had a different experience. The two girls seemed to thrive because they did what all kids do…they just got out there and spent time with their peers. With no real effort, their language proficiency grew with each passing day.  And God bless my dad, after three years of taking a foreign language at his local university, he had no problems whatsoever with the cultural shift. He found the adult group talks about politics, religion, and social issues a very pleasant and invigorating way to test his skills. Getting sick mid-way through the camp didn’t even set him back much. As for me…I felt like I was on a roller coaster ride of exhaustion and breakthroughs the entire time. For a few days, I was fine and then, suddenly, I was unable to think or speak. Our camp administrator said this was a perfectly normal adult reaction to full language immersion. In other words, “Don’t give up, Love.”  Sure enough, about every three days, I hit a wall and then, after a good night sleep, was able to translate words in my head and speak them with relative ease.

Camp counselors hamming it up.

Camp counselors hamming it up.

If you’re not familiar with Concordia Language Villages, here’s the scoop: Concordia is the premiere language and cultural immersion program in the United States. For 50 years they have helped learners develop a deeper appreciation and skill base for going out into the non-English-speaking cultures of the world. Concordia offers courses in 15 different languages and uses skits, songs, meals, games, activities, class sessions and general conversation as their teaching methods. From the minute you check into a camp, you feel as though you have left the United States and entered into the country whose language you wish to learn. There are programs for youths, adults, and families, and classes are available year round.

Remarkably, few people have heard of Concordia. Case in point, while we were staying in Detroit Lakes we mentioned to people that we were on our way to a foreign immersion camp nearby. No one we spoke with knew there was a clutch of foreign language schools just a few hours away! Such a pity.

Meringues (14)If you’re interested in a foreign language immersion experience that isn’t in the Gaeltacht (the Irish-speaking region of Ireland), perhaps Concordia Language Villages is the place for you. We certainly enjoyed it.

And, speaking of things this Irish family enjoys…today I am passing along this easy-to-make recipe for mini-meringues. They keep well for weeks in an airtight container or ziplock bag and are a great snack in the kid’s lunch boxes or for when you want a little something sweet with a cuppa. They even make an adorable pudding (dessert) when served sandwich-style with a dollop of cream, caramel or jam between two of them. Mmmmhhh….wish we’d brought some along for this road trip. Enjoy!

Mini-Meringues

Makes 24

Ingredients

2 egg whites, room temperature

½ cup/4oz/100g caster sugar (granulated sugar)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 225°F/110°C. Line two baking sheets with greaseproof paper (parchment paper).

2. In a spotlessly clean bowl, whisk the egg whites and sugar with an electric mixer until it forms stiff peaks. (You know you’ve whipped it enough when the mixture holds a stiff  a peak that looks like shaving foam.)

3. Using two teaspoons, spoon 24 little blobs on the greaseproof paper. Bake for 40 minutes or until crisp. Turn the oven off and leave the meringues in the oven for another 5 minutes, if you like your meringues crispy on the outside and chewy on the inside, or 20 minutes, if you like them crispy inside and out.

4. When completely cool, put in an airtight container. Meringues will keep for weeks.

Related articles

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Multi-Generational Road Tripping

16/08/2013 by Kim McGuire

Day five of a road trip is a good time to stop and take a break. So today we are resting in Detroit Lakes, Minnesota {which has absolutely nothing to do with Detroit, as my eldest daughter keeps pointing out}.

Image from Detroit Lakes Chamber of Commerce Magazine

Image from Detroit Lakes Chamber of Commerce Magazine

At first glance this little town of 8,600 is another American tragedy, with strip malls and fast food restaurants to greet you as you exit the highway. Head down to the lake shore area, however, and a  wonderful little village of shops and restaurants opens up. Located just 40 minutes east of Fargo-Moorhead, Detroit Lakes is in the heart of Minnesota’s famous “lake country”. There are some 400 lakes within 25 miles. Today, I care only about this one.

Driving with my dad and two daughters across the country has been more difficult than I thought it would be. The moment my father disciplined my youngest with a stern, “Because your mother said so!” and she replied with an equally stern, “I wasn’t speaking to you!”, I wanted to find the eject button in my car and fly myself someplace less stressful. You see, my youngest child and my dad are birds of a feather who definitely can’t flock together for too long. Both are strong willed and short tempered. I have been the little piggy in the middle more than once and I am not sure how much longer I can go on without a burst of tears to clear the air. Family road trips…don’t you just love them?

IMG_4163

Sun Setting Over Detroit Lakes

As I sit here at the lake, watching the sun set, I’m trying to figure out if this family drive was a good idea or a bad one. Are we really only half-way through it? In this exact moment, this trip feels like a bad idea but, maybe {just maybe}, when time has sanded the edges off the harsh reality that is four people, three generations, two kids all in one SUV, I will be glad we had this time together. Thank goodness the car isn’t smaller.

I’m being called for S’mores on the beach. Gotta run. Thanks for hanging in there with me. Just one last question for the night…do you think there’s any chance those S’mores will come with a side of wine?

Related Articles:

Pairing Wine with S’Mores at Sunset.com, Wine and Good Food, and Real.Good.Wine.com

Semifreddo S’Mores Recipe at Food & Wine

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South Dakota and a Dollop of Presidential Ice Cream

18/07/2013 by Kim McGuire

The Corn Palace, Mitchell, South Dakota

The Corn Palace

To a writer, the open road and a blank page are a lot alike: both are ideal spaces for creating a good story. As I climb into bed with my laptop tonight, I wonder what kind of story we will have written by time this epic holiday is over: a thriller, a horror story, a comedy, perhaps?

The first two days have gone well. The kids are delighted with the movies I bought a few days ago at Walmart. They have watched them back-to-back nonstop since we left. Some of you Dear Readers may abhor this idea, thinking kids should be looking out the window at all the lovely changing vistas before them but to that I say: “Ha! You clearly haven’t been on a road trip since your parents last took you!”

Yes, my friends, road trips have changed. Back in the dark ages {that’s when you and I were kids} there was nothing to do in a car except look out the window, listen to whatever radio station your parents deemed appropriate, play classic car games like Spot the License Plate, play cards with your siblings {when you weren’t wishing them dead for bothering you} or go to sleep.

Crazy Horse Memorial

Crazy Horse Memorial

Nowadays, particularly in America, but also in Ireland, cars and parents are equipped with so much modern technology that kids are used to and expect to live in a bubble of full-on entertainment. And, while I know there’s been no scientific research done on this, when forced to stare out the window for long periods or listen to our music or deal with one another for hours on end, modern kids may actually spontaneously combust! I don’t know…I’m just saying…

My dad is a young 70-year-old. He remembers, very well, driving my mother, two brothers and me across America in a two door Mustang many years ago. I can tell he’s not completely happy with the way families today road trip. Don’t get me wrong, he’s very thankful my girls aren’t fighting like cats in the back seat, but he wants them to SEE America. Several times, in the last forty-eight hours, he’s stopped their movie-viewing pleasure with comments like “Girls! Do you see the cows?” and “Hey, look, antelope!” I haven’t the heart to remind him that, when you live in the country, live-stock and wild animals are something you see every day, and that I’m ok not having to bring peace to the middle seats while driving at 85+ miles per hour.

The other thing I can tell my dad’s not really au fait with is spontaneity. He’s much more of a “we’ve decided to do X, so that’s what’s we’re going to do” kind of guy. Right now he’s tolerating our unplanned stops and no-hotel-booked-laissez faire attitude but I’m not sure how much longer that will last.

Mount Rushmore

Mount Rushmore

Since leaving yesterday, we’ve ticked Wyoming, South Dakota and a wee bit of North Dakota off our “states of the north-west” trip. We’ve stopped for our first chocolate dipped ice cream cone at Dairy Queen, had our fill of fast food, and visited the Badlands, The Corn Palace, the Crazy Horse Memorial, and Mount Rushmore. We did not stop at Wall Drug Store, the Ingall’s Homestead (of the Little House on the Prairie book series), Custer State Park, the Jewel Cave, the 1800 Town, the Wind Cave or many other local attractions because there just wasn’t enough time. Who knew there are so many beautiful, historical, interesting, and kitschy places to see along U.S. Highway 90?

Tomorrow our plan is to drive to Detroit Lakes, Minnesota. Before I sign-off this evening, I’ll leave you with a recipe we saw at Mount Rushmore for Thomas Jefferson’s ice cream. It dates back to the 1780s and was served to guests at a state dinner in 1802. Enjoy!

jb_progress_icecream_2_m[1]Thomas Jefferson’s Ice Cream Recipe

2 bottles of good cream

6 yolks of eggs

½ lb. of sugar

Directions

1. Mix the yolks & sugar.                                                                                                                                                                                        2. Put the cream on a fire in a casserole, first putting in a stick of Vanilla.
3. When near boiling take it off & pour it gently into the mixture of eggs & sugar. Stir it well.
4. Put it on the fire again stirring it thoroughly with a spoon to prevent it’s sticking to the casserole.
5. When near boiling take it off and strain it thro’ a towel.
6. Put it in the Sabottiere (an ice cream mold).
7. Then set it in ice an hour before it is to be served. put into the ice a handful of salt.
8. Put salt on the coverlid of the Sabotiere & cover the whole with ice.
9. Leave it still half a quarter of an hour.
10. Then turn the Sabottiere in the ice 10 minutes.
11. Open it to loosen with a spatula the ice from the inner sides of the Sabotiere.
12. Shut it & replace it in the ice.
13. Open it from time to time to detach the ice from the sides.                                                                                                                    14. When well taken (prise) stir it well with the Spatula.
15. Put it in moulds, justling it well down on the knee.
16. Then put the mould into the same bucket of ice.
17. Leave it there to the moment of serving it.
18. To withdraw it, immerse the mould in warm water, turning it well till it will come out & turn it into a plate.

Related articles

* Recipe information sourced at: http://www.mtrushmorenationalmemorial.com/jefferson-ice-cream-8850.html, http://www.monticello.org/site/research-and-collections/ice-cream, and http://www.thekitchn.com/recipe-thomas-j-10903.

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North West American Road Trip

08/07/2013 by Kim McGuire

Dear Friends…I’m a little behind in my posting so please excuse the delay as I work towards present day. I have been writing regularly but because we have been on a family road trip {often without internet service}, I have been unable to get those musing uploaded. What follows for the next little while will be a series of delayed posts until I can bring you back up to speed with what’s been happening In {our} Irish Home.

Road Trip America: Destination…North Western States

DSC00966DSC00968DSC00417DSC00961

June 8th – When you’re an American mom with Irish American children, there’s a certain niggling feeling of wanting your children to better understand their “other” home country. With that in mind, I have decided to take the kids and my dad on a road trip across north-west America. {note: the lovely husband has decided not to join us…could this be because he’s wiser than I am?}

We’ll be following no particular agenda, but rather blazing a path through Minnesota, North Dakota, Montana, Idaho, Utah, Wyoming and South Dakota. You may be wondering, “why this particular route?” In a nutshell, my children have been very fortunate to see the glitz and glamour of America. From surfing in Maui to ferrying past the Statue of Liberty, they have seen it all and now I think they need to see “the middle bits”…the not so chi chi miles in between.

Another reason for this particular trip is we are planning to immerse ourselves in a foreign language. By that, I don’t mean English! Following the Irish tradition of kids going off to Irish summer colleges, where students live the Irish language for a few weeks, we are heading off to immerse ourselves in a foreign language at Concordia Language camp in northern Minnesota. In reality, I know we should probably be sending the girls to the Gaeltacht to learn cúpla focal (a couple of words) in Irish but that wouldn’t suit my goal of getting them better acquainted with America, now would it.

And so, today we’re off. The car we keep at our home on the edge of the Rockies is packed to the brim. We have snacks (see the recipe for Irish Flapjacks below) and water and road side emergency at the call should anything go wrong. Our musical selections have been uploaded to our iPhones and iPods. My dad has even brought a big box of c.d.’s for our listening pleasure. New memory cards have been inserted into everyone’s camera. We have maps and movies. I only hope we haven’t forgotten anything.

The things I’m most looking forward to include: finding some great places to eat, having a DQ chocolate dipped ice cream, stopping at some of the “World’s Largest”…whatevers, seeing Mount Rushmore, driving through Yellowstone National Park, and, of course, being on the open road.

Road trips in America are epic. I’m ready to share the experience with my daughters and dad. Wish us luck…here we go!

Irish Flapjacks

Makes about 24

Ingredients

24 tablespoons/12oz butter

2 tablespoons golden syrup

1 teaspoon vanilla

½ cup/4oz brown sugar

½ cup/4 oz sugar

1/3 cup+1 tablespoon/3oz flour

4 cups/13oz jumbo rolled oats

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F/180°C.

2. Melt butter in a large sauce pan.

3. Add golden syrup, vanilla, and butter. Bring to a simmer and stir.

4. Remove from heat and add flour and oats. Stir well and spread into a Swiss roll tin or deep baking tray approximately 10 x 15in (25 x 38cm).

5. Bake in the oven on a middle shelf for 20-25 minutes or until golden.

6. Cut into squares while still warm. Remove from the tin and allow to cool completely on a wire rack.

7. Store in a container with a tight fitting lid.

Related articles:

On online guide to offbeat American tourist attractions: http://www.roadsideamerica.com/blog/

Follow the Elliott family as they travel, slowly, across America: http://awayishome.com/

For thirteen months, this Florida family of six travelled all 50 states: http://www.hoamteam.com/Hoamteam/Welcome.html

Sticking with the family road trip theme, this family of four have made visiting America’s “World’s Largest” sites their driving goal: http://gobigorgohomeblog.com/912

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Life Mottos and Chicken Casserole

31/05/2013 by Kim McGuire

life-is-not-a-dress-rehearsal[1]My life has many mottos. For example:

Be Positive.

Go For It.

Stop Complaining and Start Doing.

Be the Change You Wish to See.

This is Not a Dress Rehearsal.

Sleep is One of God’s Greatest Gifts.

Everything in Moderation.

It’s all about Love.

Life is Short.

Breathe.

But the one motto I find myself quoting the most is:

wheel[1]

Which is exactly what I said to a friend recently when she asked if I wanted a copy of one of her “famous” recipes. What? Me? Want a great recipe…duhh! Of course I want it! I’m not too proud to serve my family a meal that’s been tried-and-tested and family-approved by someone I call friend.

Sure, not having to reinvent the wheel at supper time is what has kept my little family well fed this past {crazy busy} month! If I’d been left to my own devices, we’d have had more takeaways and pre-prepared meals than I care to admit.

DSC_0289 (2)

Last night, after having driven back and forth to the kids’ school not once, not twice, but three times, I came home and whipped up a chicken casserole made famous {in our home} by my girlfriend Linda Maguire. I have no idea where she got the recipe from or what it was originally called but it was/is delicious. Even better is that it’s simple to make: only one pot, no fussy ingredients, and not a lot of time spent in the kitchen. This is definitely my kind of recipe and it leads me to one final motto for today…

imagesCAECYWND

Linda Maguire’s Chicken Casserole

Serves 4

Ingredients

4 skinless chicken breasts

1 onion, diced

2 carrots, peeled and diced

2 sticks of celery, diced

1 cup frozen peas

2 cups/1 pint good quality chicken stock

2 tablespoons olive oil

Directions

1. Heat the olive oil in a large stock pot on moderate heat.  Add the chicken and cook until all sides are lightly browned.

2. To the pot add the onions, carrots and celery and cook until softened.

3. Add the chicken stock.  Be sure to fully cover the chicken breasts in the stock.  If the suggested 2 cups/1 pint is not enough, add more.

4. Bring to the stock to a boil, reduce to a simmer, cover, and cook for 45-50 minutes or until the chicken is fully cooked.

5. Add the frozen peas to the casserole and cook for another 5-10 minutes.  Serve immediately over mashed potatoes, couscous or slices of warm rustic bread.

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Mad for Mars Bar Biscuits

15/05/2013 by Kim McGuire

DSC_0428When you live in a home with three women, no day is complete until something a little sweet is served. It doesn’t have to be a fancy treat – like a slice of roulade or carrot cake. It just has to be satisfying.

I love the ease with which today’s recipe, Mars Bars Biscuits, can be made. Four ingredients, one pot on the hob (stove), and a tin for pressing these absolutely delicious bars into…that’s all it takes. There’s no baking and no fuss. In fact, this recipe is so simple, it’s ideal for making with children.

Technically these could be classified as an Irish tray bake. Interestingly, I’ve learned the term “tray bake” is more often used in Northern Ireland than in the Republic (the rest of Ireland). Biscuits, bars, tray bake…whatever you call them…they’ve been made famous in my neck of the woods by the very fashionable style emporium that is known as Avoca Handweavers. Any time I come home from Avoca my girls greet me at the door with “Did you bring home Rice Krispie treats?”.

DSC_0411These may seem a lot like Rice Krispie Squares, made with marshmallows, or Rice Krispie buns, made with chocolate, but they are entirely different. The Mars Bars (or Milky Way bars, if you live in America) give this treat the perfect chewiness and crunch that the other two lack. Assuming you like chocolate, I have no doubt you will enjoy these.

Mars Bar Biscuits

Makes about 12 large biscuits

Ingredients

390g/6-7 Mars Bars (Milky Way bars)

200g/13 tablespoons butter

200g/6 cups Rice Krispie cereal

300g good quality milk chocolate (or a combination of milk and dark chocolate)

Recipe

1. Line a 9″x 13″ or a 30cm x 20cm baking tin with parchment paper.

2. Cut the Mars Bars and butter into small pieces and place in a saucepan. Put over low heat and stir with a small balloon whisk until melted and well mixed.

3. Add the Mars Bars and butter mixture to the Rice Krispie cereal in a large bowl. Stir until ingredients are combined.

4. Spoon into the lined baking tin and press mixture with the back of the spoon to firm up shape.

5. Melt good quality chocolate over a saucepan of simmering water. Pour over the rice cereal, spread evenly with a palate knife, and allow to set.

6. When chocolate has set, and rice cereal has cooled, lift the content of the tin to a cutting board and slice into squares.

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Guinness Bread

10/05/2013 by Kim McGuire

Photo Credit: Wikimedia.org

Photo Credit: Wikimedia.org

Guinness: rich, gorgeous, creamy, the national drink of Ireland, available in over 100 countries, dark ruby-red (not black), better served in Ireland than anywhere else in the world…oh, how I’ve tried to like Guinness. Sadly, it’s just never happened. In twenty-plus years of living in Ireland, I have never enjoyed a pint or a glass of The Black Stuff.

But before you break out the tiny violins and tell me to stop whinging (whining), there is one exception to this no Guinness life. Hand me a slice of dark, rich, sweet Guinness bread and I’ll ask you for seconds before you’ve had a chance to slice off a piece for yourself and say, “Cheers!”

Mmmmm…Guinness Bread. It’s dense and packed with flavour and from the very first time I tasted it I was hooked.

DSC_0376And here’s the good news for you, my Dear Reader: you don’t have to live in Ireland to get a bit of this traditional Irish treat for yourself. And, what’s even better, is you don’t have to spend a day in the kitchen making it. Guinness bread is a “quick bread”, which means there’s no rising time. Just like soda bread or brown bread, Guinness bread can be mixed and baked in one hour.

It’s the perfect side to a hearty stew, a thick homemade vegetable soup or a toasted cheese and tomato sambo (sandwich). Sure, it’s even a great elevenses (morning snack) when served with a slathering of {Kerrygold} butter and a cup of tea.

The recipe I use comes from The Guinness Storehouse. Enjoy!

Guinness Bread

Makes One Loaf

Ingredients

4 cups/600g wholemeal flour

1 cup/150g self-raising flour

1/2 cup/75g porridge oats (rolled oats)

2 1/2 teaspoons bread soda (baking soda)

1 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons brown sugar (optional)

16oz/500ml buttermilk

6oz/200ml treacle (black strap molasses, if outside Ireland)

1 cup/1/2 pint Guinness

Directions

1. Pre-heat oven to 170°C/325°F. Lightly oil a bread pan and line with parchment paper.

2. Mix flours together with the oats, bread soda, salt and brown sugar. Be sure to smooth out any lumps with your fingers.

3. Make a well in the centre and add buttermilk, treacle and Guinness.

4. Mix together until all flour is incorporated: the consistency will be sloppy without being too wet.

5. Bake for 45 minutes or until done. Remove from bread pan, tap the bottom to check for doneness. If it sounds hollow, the bread is fully cooked. If not, place back in the oven and bake for another 10 minutes or so.

Related Articles:

Irish Beer Guide at http://www.today.com/id/23612523/ns/today-food/t/stout-ale-or-porter-essential-irish-beer-guide/

Guinness Cocktails at: http://blogs.browardpalmbeach.com/cleanplatecharlie/2013/03/guinness_cocktails_beginners_guide.php

Grilled Ham & Cheese Sandwich at http://www.theblackpeppercorn.com/2012/04/grilled-ham-and-cheese-on-guinness-bread/

Frequently Asked Guinness Questions at: http://www.guinness.com/en-row/faqs.html

Frothy Facts About Guinness at: http://www.curiousread.com/2010/03/10-frothy-facts-about-guinness-st.html

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Rhubarb Margaritas…Happy Cinco de Mayo

06/05/2013 by Kim McGuire

Rhubarb Margaritas (17)Today’s post is a collision of two good things: Cinco de Mayo and the plethora of rhubarb growing in our garden. Yep, that’s right, in this Irish home we made Rhubarb Margaritas tonight and they were amazing. Forget that rhubarb is choc full of Vitamin C, high in fibre, and a good source of calcium…forget it altogether. The only thing you need to know about Rhubarb Margaritas is they are soooo good.

If you are of legal drinking age and you like margaritas…this recipe is one you need to try. I’d even go so far as to say that even if you don’t like rhubarb, you should try this.

The internet has oodles of strawberry rhubarb margarita recipes but truly I’d keep it simple and give the strawberries a miss. We’ll find another use for them.

So, that’s it Dear Readers. Today’s post is short and sweet. ¡Olé!

Rhubarb Margaritas

Makes 4 Drinks

Ingredients

1 cup Rhubarb simple syrup

1/2 cup fresh lime juice (about 8 limes)

1/2 cup tequila

1/2 cup Grand Marnier

Ice, crushed or whole

Directions

1. In a pitcher mix the first four ingredients and stir well.

2. Run one of the squeezed limes around the rim of four glasses. Dip each rim in sugar.

3. Fill glasses with ice and the rhubarb mix. If you decide to make frozen rhubarb margaritas, blend one to two cups of ice with the rhubarb mix.

4. Garnish with a slice of lime.

Rhubarb Margaritas (8)Rhubarb Simple Syrup

Makes About 3 Cups/24oz

Ingredients

1 lb rhubarb, chopped in small pieces

2 cups/16oz sugar

2 cups/1 pint water

Directions

1. Add rhubarb, sugar and water in a non-reactive pan.

2. Heat on medium heat and simmer until rhubarb is soft.

3. Place sterilised cheesecloth over a strainer, propped over a bowl. Pour rhubarb into cheesecloth and let drip through for about an hour. Let cool and keep in the fridge until ready to use.

Related articles

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Are we dressing appropriately for an epidemic?

01/05/2013 by Kim McGuire

As the mother of two daughters, this topic is close to my heart. I regularly give my girls the “parental once over” to be sure they don’t head out the door looking like “hoochie coochie” girls. Sometimes my emphatic “upstairs…change!” is met with an “ahh, mom, but this is what all the girls are wearing!” but I pay that no mind.

In Ireland, however, it’s not so much what girls wear to school that is the problem: most students have to wear long skirts. The greater concern comes with what they wear to the local discos (dances) and in Dublin that means The Old Wesley Disco (Wezz). High heels, short-shorts or mini-skirts are de rigueur and what kids get up to makes the girl in the super market look positively tame.

In part, the problem is role models. Why are we letting the likes of Rhianna and the Kardashians show our daughters how to behave or rather mis-behave? And, since I’m on a roll, when was the last time we looked at our own behaviour? I can’t tell you how many times I see a “yummy mummy” flashing her thong when she bends over to pick something up.

I agree with Stephany (who commented on this post) that the ultimate goal is to raise daughters who feel empowered by their ability to be smart, funny, kind. Turning heads by baring it all cheapens not only the girls we love but girls and women the world over. I really like this blog post because it gets us talking and thinking about our daughters…and our sons…no matter where they are living.

Thanks for writing Campari and Sofa!

Related Articles:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/09/27/rihanna-goes-topless-shocks-farmer_n_982766.html

http://www.irishtimes.com/life-and-style/family/ask-the-expert-have-you-a-query-is-my-daughter-too-young-for-teenage-kicks-1.961447

http://www.thejournal.ie/readme/teen-disco-advice-769819-Apr2013/

sofagirl's avatarCampari and Sofa

vagendaskirtI was standing in line at my local supermarket the other day when the man behind me gasped. I looked up from the mag I was browsing, to see what had got his goat.

At the check-out till ahead of us was a young girl – bending over her groceries. Her dress had hoiked up so far, we could see where her sun doth shine.

I just shook my head – thinking, “Seriously girlfriend – at the supermarket” but then I realised she was her school uniform – and she was definitely not wearing regulation panties.

The girl was gorgeous in a Jerry Hall kind of way. Long, lean legs, tousled blonde mane, heavily mascara’d eyes. She would have looked fantastic in a flour sack. Yet here she was a sliver of a school dress. Buying chips and dip and coca cola. And flashing the shoppers.

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