Grandma's Irish Soda Bread

Grandma wasn't kidding when she said she believed we had a wee bit of Irish in us. Turned out, my DNA evaluation showed proof of the family tale. Gram with her gift of storytelling and cooking drew family members together. Nothing was better than Gram's bread. The smell of warm bread embodies LOVE.

Gram had a sweet tooth and loved breads. She would often toss a few raisins into her Irish Soda Bread, shhhh.... don't tell anyone. We all love Gram's breads and she would serve Irish Soda Bread with "Boiled Dinner". Corned beef (or ham, depending on the guests) with potatoes, carrots, parsnips, onion and cabbage. The bread would be used to sop up the delicious, savory broth. I preferred my slice of warm bread with  butter.

Any leftover Irish Soda Bread was turned into French toast the next morning.

TRADITIONAL IRISH SODA BREAD

INGREDIENTS

• 4 cups flour
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 3/4 cups buttermilk

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Grease and flour a 9-inch round cake pan.
2. In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking soda and salt. Gradually stir in the buttermilk until the dough comes together in a slightly sticky ball.
3. Turn dough onto a floured surface and knead gently a few times. Form the dough into a ball and then press into the prepared pan so that the dough resembles a large disk. The dough should reach the edges of the pan, but may spring back slightly.
4. Cut an X into the dough with a sharp knife, about 1/4 of an inch deep. Cover the pan of dough with another round cake pan turned upside down.
5. Bake for 25-30 minutes, covered, then remove the top pan and bake uncovered for about 10 minutes more or until the crust is dark golden brown.

A little Irish Soda Bread history:

I want to give you just a few interesting facts about Irish Soda Bread.  Don’t worry I won’t bore you it’s only a few!

• The cross that is slashed into the dough before baking was made to ward off devils and protect the house.  It also helps the center of the bread bake all the way through, so it’s very important not to skip that step!
• During the mid 1800s the Irish were making so much soda bread that baking soda almost doubled in price!
• Soda bread was served as an inexpensive way to put bread on the table.
• Real soda bread should only contain 4 ingredients: flour, buttermilk, salt, and of course baking soda.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Happy St. Patty's!

 I did an Ancestory.com DNA thing and participate in a DNA research project funded by the Smithsonian. During the research, I found out I have a wee bit of Irish in my blood. This is my first St. Patty's Day with that info. Yay! Kiss me, I'm Irish!

Have a wonderful day, friends and be sure to find a little romance.

Maple Syrup for Your Honey

It's almost Maple Syrup Season! Nothing beats a romantic morning with your honey than pure maple syrup over a batch of hot French toast or pancakes.

According to Michigan Farmers' Market Association, there are different grades of Michigan farmers market fresh maple syrup. While they are all delicious, different grades are best for different purposes. 

Grade A maple syrup is lighter and more delicately flavored, making it perfect for topping your pancakes or other treats. 

Grade B Michigan Maple Syrup 

Grade B maple syrup is stronger in caramel flavor and great for baking. This is a darker syrup with a more robust flavor and scent. 

Visit the the Made In Michigan Store for products

Follow these food safety tips to enjoy your farmers market fresh maple syrup:

• Store pure maple syrup in the refrigerator – even if the bottle has not been opened.
• Pure maple syrup in glass or tin containers may be stored in the refrigerator for up to one year.

Use syrup stored in plastic containers within three to six months.

Monday Mojo - Dry Skin? Try this!

Winter leads to suffering dry skin. Here is an interesting "treatment" I found.

  Sperm is good for the skin

The proteins in sperm have a tightening effect on the skin. When sperm is left to dry, the evaporation of the water in it leaves behind protein which can help to reduce wrinkles. While this may be an excellent anti-aging treatment, the obvious downside is that you have to walk around with sperm on your face.

I think I'll continue using Olay.

Love Knot is FREE for Read an Ebook Week

I'm participating in READ AN EBOOK WEEK to promote more reading! Whether it be holding a printed book or a kindle, it counts as reading. The first week of March has been set aside for publishers and authors to promote the advantages of reading digitally and encourage readers to give it a try.

I'm offering a sexy St. Patty's Day romance for FREE!

Mimi Cates is an artist who lives over the coffee shop she owns. Content with her life, she won't allow herself to become to close with her sexy, wanderlust neighbor, despite what her heart tells her.

Irishman, Robbie Mac Donnell never wanted to stay in one place very long. His job as a scientist allowed him to travel the world without ever making permanent ties to anyone. However, when he finds the perfect person and the perfect place to settle down, he's not sure if she'll believe him.

****

“Well... you're a sight for sore eyes!” Mimi grinned as the sight of her long-lost friend thrilled her senses.

Dressed in black jeans, black boots and black tank under a plaid shirt with hunky muscles peeking out; hot enough to make any woman with a pulse drool. His reddish blonde hair fashioned in the usual mess as if he just crawled out of bed. Dark brows arched over beautiful green eyes and those lips...so kissable.

Without saying a word, Robbie placed a box he carried as well as a highly polished apple onto the table and walked towards her. His hand slipped under her hair to cup the base of her head, while his other arm circled around her. When his lips came down on hers, Mimi had to grab onto him to keep from falling over in surprise.

Not a sweet kiss of friendship but an obvious promise of decadent pleasure. With a tilt of his head, Robbie took the kiss deeper. The scent of milled soap and masculinity made her heady. She could barely remember the last time he kissed her, not that she complained at the moment. Robbie slowly pulled away, tugging at her lip with his teeth as he did.

“Ah... welcome home?” She choked on the words.

AVAILABLE FREE!

SMASHWORDS

KOBO

BOOKTOPIA

May love and laughter light your days,
and warm your heart and home.
May good and faithful friends be yours,
wherever you may roam.

Thursday 13 - St. Patty's (non-diet) Treats

With St. Patrick's Day coming up and being on a diet I thought I'd list my favorite St. Patty treats that I will miss enjoying this year.

1.  Shamrock Cookies.

2. Chocolate-Irish Cream Cheesecake.   Get the recipe.

3. Irish Black Bun Shamrock Cookies.   Get the recipe. 

4. Irish Chocolate Ice Cream (You add a cup of Irish whiskey to chocolate ice cream.  Yeah, baby!)

5. Shamrock Milkshake Cupcakes.

6. Black & White Irish Cream Cupcakes.  Get the recipe. 

7. Chocolate Stout Shake.  (Chocolate stout beer + choc. fudge + vanilla bean ice cream + milk = YUMMY!)

8. Toffee-Coffee Brownies.  Get the recipe.

9.  St. Patty Cupcakes with green M&Ms

10. Dublin Eggnog.  (Eggnog + double-strength coffee + 6oz of Irish whiskey= wide awake fun)

11. Green beer.  I don't usually drink beer but thought I'd better put it on my list any ways.

12.  Rainbow Cupcakes. This recipe is so cool.  Check it out.

13. Toffee Shortbread.  Ah... buttery shortbread, a layer of toffee with chocolate topping.  Sigh.  A favorite sweet among families in Ireland.  Get the recipe. 

If you've been paying attention, you'll notice McDonald's shamrock shake is not on my list.  That's because I've already had two.  Oops.

Time to curl up with a hot St. Patrick's Day romance. 

I'm offering Love Knot FREE 

GET IT NOW

SMASHWORDS

KOBO

BOOKTOPIA

Mimi Cates is an artist who lives over the coffee shop she owns. Content with her life, she won't allow herself to become to close with her sexy, wanderlust neighbor, despite what her heart tells her.

Irishman, Robbie Mac Donnell never wanted to stay in one place very long. His job as a scientist allowed him to travel the world without ever making permanent ties to anyone. However, when he finds the perfect person and the perfect place to settle down, he's not sure if she'll believe him. 

*************************************

Check out more amazing Thursday 13 lists HERE