Top 'O the Mornin!!

Top 'o the morning to ye all!! And Happy St. Patrick's Day! Now, I will reveal upfront that unfortunately, I have absolutely not one ounce of Irish in my blood. Luckily, the Irish pumps strongly in me soul. That's right, this orange lass is most definitely an orange and not a green, except on this loveliest of days. This lady is all English and Dutch with a hint of German. Dang. But, I do have a little sparkle of green in my big brown eyes, so I've got that going for me, which is nice.


As my family and friends can attest to, I have always been a little Irish-obsessed. I admit it, I even hunted for leprechauns when I was but a wee one. I never found me one, but then again, I also never found a unicorn so maybe the leprechauns never made it on the boat with Noah either. I may or may not have planned an Irish wedding (to whom? you may question. Eh, don't ask me I haven't met him yet) that includes a step-dancing flower girl and a wedding couple dance where I rip off the bottom half of my dress and do a jig. Too much? Not for this girl. I lovemesomeIrishmen. And....my opportunity may finally be upon me this June when I venture off to Sweden to visit our dear friend David. He asked me recently what I would like to do while on my vaca, afterall, it is my first time going over there. I do have a lot of things I want to see in Sweden including, but not limited to: the countryside, lakes, maybe some castles, a may pole, soccer players. But, one other thing I threw on the list...a 2 day trip over to Ireland!! This is pretty feasible since travel in European countries is common and relatively low cost. Oh, how I long to see the lush green links, some blarney stones and a fine Irish pub filled with whiskey to the brim! Wish me luck in my qwest for I'm sure it will be difficult to return to the rolling prairies of Nebraska after seeing the stunning green hillsides of  The Land.And who knows, maybe I'll finally find me a leprechaun!!

Although I am simply a follower of the hearty holiday, one of my colleagues is a true Irishman and in such accustomed fashion, he brought homemade Irish Soda Bread to work today!! I love Irish Soda Bread not only because it is unlike most breads you are used to but because it is so pretty. Bread, pretty? Yes, it is. It has a crackly, floury golden crust that entices your taste buds and sends this "eat me, I'm yummy" message to your stomach which is usually covered in green on this most auspicious of days and automatically you think, "I want to eat that bread." So cut yourself a slice, top it with some sweet cream butter and maybe a little honey and enjoy.

I am planning on making some bread tonight once I finish celebrating my "Happy Hair Cut Day" with my favorite stylist. I am going to use this recipe from Simply Recipes and am excited to use my cast iron skillet. Wish me luck as I attempt my first go 'round at this traditional dish!