Shades of Green

Just a little peek at the first few shades of green this spring.

Starting Spring GMO Free

This week I watched a documentary called The Future of Food.

This movie really made me look differently at many of the foods Blue and I were eating. Before watching this movie I had a slight idea what GMOs (Genetically Modified Organisms) were... But, I will be honest and admit that I really had no clue how they factored into my everyday life and the impact they had on my diet...

In a nutshell, Genetically Modified Foods are foods that come from crops that were planted with seeds that have been biologically altered in a lab.

Not knowing much about GMOs I thought of them like I did those test market Olestra Potato Chips, a few years back. I thought if I saw GMO foods in the market, I would just avoid them.

For the most part, I shop the perimeter of the grocery store, cook from scratch, and eat a ton of fresh produce and whole grains. So, I thought we were doing well and eating healthy...

But after watching The Future of Food and doing a bit more research I came to the conclusion that I was very naive about the food I ate and served Blue.
Now, I am not one to just watch something and freak out with out thoroughly researching it first... and I am not going to go as far as saying that Genetically Engineered Food is really bad for you. But I will admit I am disturbed by the fact that they are not labeled and that I had no idea how much of them we are eating... or how much of them the US is producing even though they have been banned in many other countries...

For me, it wasn't just the movie... mainly it was my research... and not research from flakey websites, but from well documented sources.

Blue and I have since decided that we were going to clean out our pantry and our fridge. I feel very strongly about wasting food, but we both feel very strongly about this... From this point on, no more products containing GMOs are coming into our home with out our knowledge. Except for maybe a rare occasional Ignorance is Bliss Treat... But, even that will not not quite seem the same anymore...

Not only that, but I am no longer going to share recipes that require Genetically Engineered Ingredients... What is in my blog right now will stay..., but no more after that. This was a really big decision for us and I wanted to share it with you all.

As I consider this and look in my own pantry today to see just how many of these "Hidden Ingredients" are in there... I thought I would bring the topic up in here and ask if everyone knew how many of them were in their own home? Do you know much about them and do you feel safe feeding them to your family?

If you are not sure... Then here are a few really good resources, especially the first one.

http://www.greenpeace.org/usa/news/...d-shopping-list

http://www.centerforfoodsafety.org/geneticall7.cfm

http://www.ucsusa.org/food_and_envi...ic_engineering/

http://www.seedquest.com/News/relea...nuary/18145.htm

Roasted Bell Pepper, Feta, Chive, and Lemon Bulgar Salad

One day recently when the weather was bitter cold, and the snow flakes were falling I got the biggest craving for Roasted Red Bell Peppers and a little taste of summer. I was thrilled when I found a bag of them in the freezer section of Trader Joe's. I of course could not resist, so I brought them home and used them to create this light and healthy salad. After one bite, I was so glad that I did!

Roasted Bell Pepper, Feta, Chive, and Lemon Bulgar Salad
Serves 4

1 Cup of Bulgar Wheat
1 1/2 Cups of Boiling Water

1 1/2 Tsp. Sea Salt
1-2 Lemons
1/4 Cup Olive Oil

1 Bag of Trader Joe's Frozen Red and Yellow Bell Peppers, thawed in the refrigerator over night
4-5 Fresh Whole Roasted Red and/or Yellow Bell Peppers, seeded and core removed
2 Tbs. Fresh Chives, minced
1/4 of a red onion, diced
4 oz. Feta Cheese Crumbled

Combine the bulgar wheat and the boiling water in a mixing bowl and allow to rest on the counter top for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, juice the lemons and combine 1/4 a cup of lemon juice with the olive oil and the salt. Add this mixture to the bulgar wheat after it has rested. Mix well and let stand for another 15 minutes.

Chop up the bell peppers, and combine with the chives, red onion and Feta. Toss gently into the bulgar salad mixture and serve.

Vanilla Souffle

Vanilla Souffle

1/3 Cup plus 3 TBS Sugar
1/4 Cup Flour
1 Cup of Milk
4 Egg yolks at room-temperature
1 Tbs. Vanilla Extract
5 Egg Whites at room temperature
Pinch of Salt
1/8 Tsp. Cream of Tartar
2 Tbs. Un-salted Butter

Sifted Confectioner's Sugar for dusting

Make a souffle collar by cutting a long sheet of parchment paper; long enough to wrap around the outside circumference of the souffle dish. Neatly fold this sheet in half lengthwise, so you will have a double think, semi-long, six inch wide strip of parchment. Fit the outside of the dish with the collar and secure with a piece of cooking string. Use a piece of tape to secure the top. Ultimately the collar should extend 2 inches above the rim of the souffle dish.

Butter the souffle dish with 1 Tbs of the butter, sprinkle it with sugar, (coating all of the butter evenly) and knock out any of the excess .

In a bowl, combine the 1/3 cup of sugar, flour, and 1/4 a cup of the milk. Whisk until smooth.

In a heavy saucepan, bring the remaining 3/4 Cup milk to a simmer;stirring constantly.

Slowly pour the steaming milk into the flour mixture, whisking it in as you do so.

Return this mixture back into the saucepan and whisk constantly as you bring it back up to a gently simmer. As soon as it begins to bubble, lower the heat to low and whisk constantly for 2 minutes.

Temper the egg yolks, by spooning a little bit of the simmered mixture in to the eggs, whisking no more then a spoonful at a time. (Rushing this step along will cause the eggs to scramble.)
Using a scraper, tranfer this mixture to a bowl, whisk in the vanilla, and dot the top with the remaining 1 TBS of butter.

This recipe may be partially made ahead up till this point. Cover the bowl tightly and refrigerate for up to 3 hours.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Adjust oven racks so that the souffe can be set on the lower middle rack with no racks above it to interfere with the way it will rise.

Using the whisk attachment and a mixer, beat the egg whites with the salt until frothy.
Add the cream of tartar and beat until the whites hold fairly stiff peaks.
1 Tbs at a time, add the sugar to the egg whites until they hold perfect stiff peaks. (Be very careful at this point you do not want to tap or knock the bowl and burst any of the bubble that were formed while whipping the egg whites. These bubbles are what will help the souffle rise.)


Gently stir 1/4 of the egg whites into the yolk mixture, blending well.

Very carefully fold the the remaining egg whites into the mixture and spoon into the prepared souffle dish.

Very carefully, place souffle on the lower middle rack of the oven, carefully close oven door, and lower the oven temperature to 375 degrees.

Souffle will need to bake for 30-35 with no major vibrations anywhere near the oven or it may fall prematurely.

The souffle is done when the top is puffed and golden.

Remove the collar carefully, dust the top of the souffle with confectioners sugar and serve IMMEDIATELY! You can eagerly wait for a souffle all day long, but it can never wait for you!


Variations:

Grand Marnier Souffle
Reduce the amount of vanilla to 1 1/2 Tsp. and add 1 1/2 TBS of grated orange zest and add 3-4 TBS of Grand Marnier to the base.

Chocolate Souffle
Add 1/2 Cup Cocoa Powder to finished . Be sure to still use the vanilla.

*If you still have questions concerning making a souffle collar, here is a link on Food Network's site that may help.
http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/ck_dm_baking/article/0,1904,FOOD_18996_1740136,00.html

Linda Lou's Snickerdoodles

Today was a gloomy grey cloud kind of Friday. As I watched the raindrops fall from the sky this afternoon, I had the urge to go downstairs to the kitchen and make something that would be warm, comforting, and downright filled with sunny memories. Searching through recipes, I decided on one for Snickerdoodles, one of my favorite cookies as a child.

As I got out the ingredients, I reminisced about Elementary School and the role these cookies played in my day in and day out, everyday little girl kind of life...

It was the early 80's and I can remember running home from the school bus as fast as my little legs would carry me, just so I could eat warm cookies right out of the oven and watch General Hospital on TV with my mom. Cuddled up next to her on the white velvet couch with the swanky gold pillows, I would admire how beautiful Laura was and I would dream of marrying Rick Springfield as soon as I was grown up and in 1 st grade. When mom was out of listening range, I would vow to my Barbie dolls that I was going to make Rick Springfield babies and cookies every day. He in return would sing songs about both of them on TV and of course like all stories you read in Kindergarten, we would then live happily ever after... Makes me smile now to think that like believing in the Easter Bunny or the Tooth Fairy, that I never doubted for one minute, that my big dreams would really come true...

Of course, they never did... I instead married a much sexier guy, there were no babies, but I do make him cookies from time to time. Blue doesn't sing songs about them and he doesn't even blog about them online. But, I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that he loves me, loves my cookies, and especially loves the little things I do to make even the grey days sunny. Because after all, it is all the little things that make a "Happily Ever After" come true.

*This recipe for Snickerdoodles comes from a very sweet friend of mine by the name of Linda Lou. She has such an amazing upbeat and empowering spirit that is very contagious. After she mentioned her beloved cookie recipe, I have just been dying to try it. According to Linda Lou, her recipe has a slight variation in the fact that it calls for brown sugar as well as white sugar in the recipe. The result is a very rich and decadent Snickerdoodle cookie that has a bit more of a buttery color then most of the recipes I have tried. The results were wonderful and and as I took a bite into the slightly crunchy cinnamon crust of the cookie into the chewy vanilla almond center, my afternoon did feel much sunnier!

Thank you Linda Lou for sharing such a terrific recipe and for reminding me to make every day a little special just by your example and the way you live your life!

High-Maintenance

In and out of here quickly today! Yesterday I shopped all day long for some new clothes especially a couple of trendy things... It was so much fun, but so many "girly" shops had these vintage housewife looking clothes. Much of it was cute, but on me it looked loose, baggy, and frumpy. The whole style made me look like a vintage housewife that had been scrubbing clothes in the yard with a washboard for days...

Considering the fact that Blue probably gets to see me in "housewives" clothes more then enough and that I did not loose all this weight to wear things my grandmother would call potato sacks...

I bought the things that looked a bit more like something vintage pin up girl might wear. The only thing is, I don't have a "pin up" body, so they look like "good girl" clothes on me. To be completely honest, the clothes really look more like some of the things I have seen pictures of my Great Aunts wearing when they were living and working in NYC during World War II. But, I am going to sell them to Blue as "Pin up" and make him think he just spent our money on something exotic.

I also saw a quote on a package of napkins in Z Gallerie. It said, "The term high-maintenance doesn't even begin to cover it." I think that pretty much sums up Blue's impression of my day! LOL!

Thought for the day... Happy Easter to me!

5 Magic Coffee Beans

It is a gorgeous day here, my windows are open, the sun is shining, and there is not a cloud in the bright blue sky. I am eagerly awaiting the first day of spring and feeling a bit on the wild side, so I decided to eat 5 of Blue's Magic Chocolate Covered Espresso Coffee Beans...

Well that was 2 hours ago... I have since cleaned the whole house, put away all the laundry, packed up the St Patrick's Decorations, taken out the Easter ones, sorted through many of my stacks, hand copied a couple of recipes, and wrote my local congressman about all that I thought needed to be changed in this world. Well, I did everything on that list except for the part of writing the congressman. Chances are, if he knew, he would be glad that I hadn't.

But, here I am literally sitting on the edge on my seat, almost ready to jump out of my skin, and I am pondering Spring, thinking that taking a moment to write about it will help me slow down and take a deep breath before I attempt to solve World Peace. Yes, I really do feel like I have that much vim and vigor at the moment...

Slooooowing down now... and taking that deep breath before my thoughts begin to rush out of me like an April rain swollen river on a back country road, I am thinking about how beautiful the day is, how the sun feel as it shines through the window and onto my face, and how I just can not wait to get out in my garden and start removing some more of the organic mulch that has been blanketing my herbs all winter. Out side my front door are some daffodils and tulips, I did not know existed, slowly pushing their way through the freshly thawed black soil, their green so beautiful I am convinced that surely it must be "The New Black."

The air is charged, my step is lighter and my life is revealed to me in a prism of colors that I did not know existed at this time last year. Funny thing about that gloomy tunnel is that when you are finally out of it, you appreciate life so much more. Life practically jumps up right out from under your fingertips, and all that they touch blossoms right before your eyes. Spring is yet a day away, yet in my heart of hearts I have to admit that I feel like I have been existing in the start of it for some time now. Slowly I have been changing little things in my life, taking away those that make me sad or drag me down and I am blissfully replacing them with those that make me feel happy and fulfilled.

So, just a little while ago while staring into the abyss I call my closet, I looked at it with a fresh perspective and knew this was going to be the next major thing to change. I am ready for a new look, some new colors, fabrics, accessories, and shoes... brand new visual and textural reminders of all that that my life has become and will be. For the first time ever, I am considering buying a few things that I can grow into as I grab this new season and my new life by the horns and ride it for all it is worth. Yes, I might even splurge on a couple of things that will only be in style for 8 seconds... Hedonistic I know, but small sacrifice considering many of the other things I am doing to reduce my carbon footprints on this Earth. If it is any consultation I promise that maybe I will one day consider cutting them up for the rag bag, indulging in the memories they bring each time I clean up a spill on the kitchen counter. Because of course, I would never want to be too wasteful...

(Grinning decadently and listening to Moby's song "Lift Me Up" The Mylo Mix from his CD, "GO ~ The Very Best of Moby).

Moby Lyrics
Lift Me Up

Blind talking (blind talking)
Take us so far (take us so far)
Broken down cars (broken down cars)
Like stronger old stars (like stronger old stars)

Blind talking (blind talking)
Served us so well (served us so well)
Traveled through hell (traveled trough hell)
We know how it felt (we know how it felt)

Lift me up, lift me up
Aiah Nouwamba
Lift me up, lift me up
Aiah Nouwamba

Blind talking (blind talking)
Making us cold (making us cold)
So strung out and cold (so strung out and cold)
Feeling so old (feeling so old)

Blind talking (blind talking)
Has ruined us now (has ruined us now)
You never know how (you never know how)
Sweeter then tough (sweeter then tough)

Lift me up, lift me up
Aiah Nouwamba
Lift me up, lift me up
Aiah Nouwamba
[4x]

Lift me up, lift me up
Ohla la la la
Lift me up, lift me up
Ohla la la la
[4x]

NYC March 18th Breakfast

It is March 18th, maybe you are slightly hung over from the Green Beer, Guinness, the parties, and parades. Not only that, but what do you do with all of that leftover Corned Beef and Cabbage Potato Bake. In our home we have adopted an Old World New York City Irish Tradition and serve the leftovers for breakfast.

This is my favorite way to enjoy those St. Patrick's Day leftovers and makes them almost better than the corned beef and cabbage the night before.
Enjoy!

March 18th Breakfast

Leftover Corned Beef
Leftover Cabbage and Potato Bake
2 tablespoons butter

Chop up the leftovers, everything including the corned beef, into tiny bite sized pieces.
Melt butter in a frying pan.
Fry the leftovers on medium, turning frequently, until just before things start to brown.
Serve next to a side of Scrambled eggs.

Irish Cream Bundt Cake

This recipe was inspired by one I found on recipezaar.com last year. I made it for St. Patrick's Day, but it was so incredible that I have made it a couple of times since. In this picture, I doubled the glaze, but in all honesty that decision was a bit over the top and the icing was just dripping off the cake and onto my counter top. I love icing... but even this was a bit too much. I also added a bit of green food coloring to the glaze right before drizzling it over the cake. Personally, I think the cake looks as if it has been slimed... but I am not going to share that thought with those I am serving it to... However, next time I make this I think I will color half of my glaze with the green food coloring and drizzle the white icing first, allow it to set, then carefully drizzle the green icing over the top and possibly omit the sprinkles.

No matter how you decide to present it, please know that this is the kind of cake that just calls to you at midnight when most of the house is asleep.


Enjoy!


Irish Cream Bundt Cake Recipe

1 cup chopped pecans
1 (18 1/2 ounce) package yellow cake mix
1 (3 1/2 ounce) package vanilla instant pudding mix
4 eggs
1/4 cup water
1/2 cup vegetable oil
3/4 cup irish cream
1 stick of butter
1/2 cup white sugar
1/4 cup irish cream (eyeball it)
Green Food Coloring and Green Sprinkles ~if Desired

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
2. Grease and flour a 10 inch Bundt pan.
3. Sprinkle chopped nuts evenly over botttom of pan.
4. In a large bowl, combine cake mix and pudding mix.
5. Mix in eggs, 1/4 cup water, 1/2 cup oil and 3/4 cup Irish cream liqueur.
6. Beat for 5 minutes at high speed.
7. Pour batter over nuts in pan.
8. Bake in the preheated oven for 60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean.
9. Cool for 10 minutes in the pan, then invert onto the serving dish.
10. While the cake is still hot, prick top of the cake with a straw ; (Preferably one of the large ones that come with the Slurpees from 7-Eleven) slowly pour 1/2 of the 1/4 Cup of Irish cream slowly down each hole. (Straw should be 1 1/2 to 2" deep.
11. Allow Cake to cool completely before making the Glaze.

To make the glaze:
In a saucepan, combine butter and 1/2 cup sugar.
Bring to a boil and continue boiling for 5 minutes, stirring constantly.
Remove from heat and stir in 1/8cup Irish cream and food coloring.
1. Spoon glaze over top and brush onto sides of cake.
2. Allow to absorb glaze repeat until all glaze is used up.
3. Coat the top of the cake with Green Sprinkles.

Oatmeal Irish Soda Bread

I just finished making Irish Soda Bread for the first time and I am absolutly tickled by the way my golden little loaf turned out. The loaf of bread is just gorgeous to look at, but one bite and you will know that you have just re-created a tiny slice of Irish Heaven. The addition of Steel Cut Oats really makes this recipe a treat for anyone looking for a higher fiber and more complex carbohydrate Irish Soda Bread.

The recipe comes from an internationally known chef by the name of Darina Allen. She runs the Ballymaloe Cooking School at Shanagarry, in County Cork, has published many celebrated cookbooks, recieving a nomination for best international cookbook from the James Beard Foundation in 2003 for her bestselling book called Irish Traditional Cooking published in l995, she was given the Langhe Ceretto prize in l996, and is well known as one of Ireland's most popular celebrity chefs.

OATMEAL SODABREAD

For this early soda bread the oatmeal was steeped in buttermilk overnight. It makes a light, pale bread with quite a different flavor also absolutely delicious. This recipe was given to me by Honor Moore from Dublin.

Yield: 6 Servings

• 2 1/2 cups Fine Stone Ground Oatmeal (or Steel Cut Oats like McCann's)
  
• 2 cups Buttermilk (3 cups if using Steel Cut Oats)
  
• 2 1/2 cups All Purpose Flour
• 1/2 teaspoon Salt
• 1 teaspoon Baking Soda

Method:

Combine the Oats and the buttermilk in a medium size bowl and allow to steep in the refrigerator overnight. Next day, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Mix the flour, salt and baking soda together, then stir into the oatmeal. If necessary add a little more milk, but don't make the dough too wet. Put into a large well greased round loaf pan (we use one which is 51/2 x 91/2 x 21/2 inches or on a greased sheet pan and bake in a 350 degree oven for 1 to 1 1/4 hours. The bread should sound and feel somewhat hollow when tapped.

* Please note that Fine stone ground oats or steel cut oats are completely different from regular oats. For my bread I happened to have Steel Cut Oats on hand and found that they were compatible with this recipe when I increased the amount of buttermilk, ultimately using almost 3 cups. You want the bread to be slightly sticky and easy to mold into a round bowl.

The Original recipe can be found here:
http://www.starchefs.com/chefs/DAllen/html/recipe_05.shtml

Still confused about the oats?
http://www.mccanns.ie/pages/products1.html
or
http://typo.coffeehaus.com/archives/OatsSteelCut.jpg

Cabbage and Potato Bake

~After the oven
~Before the oven


~This is perfect with Corned Beef and Cabbage on St. Patrick's Day!

Cabbage and Potato Bake
Recipe courtesy Emeril Lagasse, 2001

1 cabbage, about 2 to 2 1/2 pounds
2 large Idaho potatoes, about 2 1/2 pounds
12 ounces lean bacon, cut into 1/2-inch dice
2 cups yellow onions, peeled and sliced lengthwise
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 cups homemade chicken stock, or canned, low-sodium chicken broth

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Rinse the cabbage under cold running water and remove the tough outer leaves. Cut the cabbage into quarters and remove the hard core. Cut the cabbage quarters into halves and place, rounded side down, in a roasting pan.

Cut the potatoes in half crosswise and peel. Cut the peeled potato halves into quarters, and arrange in the roasting pan, alternating with the cabbage pieces.

Fry the bacon in a heavy medium skillet for 7 minutes. Add the sliced onions, salt, and black pepper to the pan and cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Evenly distribute the bacon mixture and pan drippings over the vegetables, then pour the chicken stock on top. Tightly cover the pan with aluminum foil and bake for 1 1/2 hours.

Remove the pan from the oven and allow to sit, covered, for 15 minutes before serving. Serve the vegetables with the bacon and broth spooned over them.

The original recipe may be found here:
http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,,FOOD_9936_14679,00.html?rsrc=search

Corned Beef and Cabbage in Guinness

This recipe and technique is amazing! ~Also consider rubbing the corned beef with Dijon mustard, honey, brown sugar, and horseradish before adding it to the pot.


Corned Beef and Cabbage in Guinness Recipe

The Irish butcher at my market gave me a new (to me anyway) recipe for corned beef & cabbage; he told me to cook it in Guinness Draught. Since everyone raved about it, I thought I'd share the recipe he gave me.
by Dee514
6-8 servings

4 lbs flat cut corned beef briskets
1 (12 ounce) bottle Guinness stout, draught
1 medium yellow onion, peeled and cut into wedges
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 bay leaf
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8-1/4 teaspoon ground cloves (to taste)
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 head cabbage, cut into wedges,rinsed and drained
6 medium white potatoes, peeled and quartered
1-2 lb carrots, peeled and cut into 3-inch pieces

1. Rinse corned beef under cold water, and pat dry.
2. In a Dutch oven, or other large pot with a cover, brown corned beef well on all sides over high heat.
3. Pour Guinness over the meat, and add enough water to just cover the brisket.
4. Add the onion, garlic, bay leaf, cinnamon, cloves, allspice and pepper to the pot.
5. Bring pot to a boil and skim off any foam.
6. Reduce heat to a simmer. Cover pot and simmer for 3 hours.
7. Add carrots, then potatoes and then the cabbage wedges to the pot.
8. Cover pot, and continue cooking until meat and vegetables are tender (about 20-30 minutes).
9. Remove meat and vegetables to warm serving platter/dishes, leaving the cooking liquid/sauce in the pot.
10. Over high heat, bring the cooking liquid to a boil, and cook until the amount of liquid is reduced by half (about 10 minutes).
11. Slice the corned beef; serve with the vegetables and the sauce on the side.
12. Note: Corned beef should always be sliced across the grain.

Link to the original recipe may be found here:
http://www.recipezaar.com/86868

Buttermilk Shamrock Scones

~Slightly thinner scones sprinkled with Large Raw Sugar Crystals

~Thicker scones sprinkled with White Sugar

Tonight was just one of those nights that we were craving breakfast for dinner. I made a huge tray of these and served them with thick slab cut bacon and Irish Breakfast Tea.

Buttermilk Shamrock Scones

3 cups flour
1/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter
1 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup of Buttermilk, for brushing the tops of the scones
1/4 cup of Large Raw Sugar Crystals, to sprinkle on the scones


Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Combine the flour, sugar, salt, baking powder and baking soda in a large bowl. Add butter and mix with your fingertips to a coarse meal. Add buttermilk and mix just until combined.
Transfer dough to a floured board and divide into 2 parts. Roll each to 3/4 inch thick rounds. Cut each round with a shamrock shaped cookie cutter and place slightly separated on a greased baking sheet. Brush the tops with the buttermilk, and bake for 15 minutes, or until lightly browned. Serve warm, split in half with butter and marmalade if desired.

Yields 16 scones

*A really sweet friend suggested that I try sprinkling the scones with large raw sugar crystals instead of white sugar. While I was out shopping I picked some up and decided to try this recipe again. The first picture is the result of using the large raw sugar crystals and the effect of rolling the scone dough out just a little bit thinner. The scones did bake a little bit faster, but had much more color and were a much sharper shape.

St. Patrick's Day Cupcakes

I just found the sweetest idea on Martha Stewart's site for cupcakes.
Rather then icing the cupcakes with the typical green icing, she left the icing white and topped the cupcakes with a couple sprigs of clover. Very simple and basic, yet stunning.

I loved the idea, so I thought I would share the link.

http://www.marthastewart.com/page.j...at390&navLevel=

St. Patrick's Day Tree

I love the way my Valentine's Day tree looked and have been trying to think of a way to continue this idea and adapt it for St. Patrick's Day. Yesterday, I found some inspiration and I thought I would share.

I found some small wooden shamrocks in Hobby Lobby. They already had holes drilled through them, were strung with twine, and sold in sets of 3 for $1.47. I bought 4 packs, some green acrylic paint, tacky glue, green glitter, and gold DMC Floss.

The first thing I did was cut off the twine. I then painted the shamrocks green and allowed them to dry before painting the edges and the opposite side.

After they were completely dry, I brushed some tacky glue on one side and coated the shamrock with the green glitter. 15 minutes into drying you will want to clear the hole with a toothpick, so they can be strung later. Once the glitted has adhered to the shamrock, repeat this process with the edges and the opposite side. (Be sure to remember to keep those holes clear!)

Let sit for a few hours before stringing them on the gold thread.

The shamrocks are very glittery, were a quick easy project, and look very festive. They look awesome hanging on my left over Valentine's Day Tree Branch!