The Emerald Isle: Day 1

Yes, I am finally recapping our recent trip to Ireland/Northern Ireland!  Aren't you happy?  Here goes...

sunrise over the ocean

We landed in Dublin on Sunday, May 6th at 6:55am.  We had a nice, but fairly sleepless, flight over the pond and were excited to be on our way!  We changed clothes and exchanged some money at the airport, picked up our rental car, and proceeded to drive 45 minutes in the wrong direction!  Upon realizing our printed google maps directions were wrong, we stopped for a Dublin city map.  And then realized that Dublin is the most difficult city to drive around in; most street signs are either missing, in Gaelic, or on the side of a building that you just passed.  We had a very stressful hour or so of driving in circles where I recounted again that I did not have a good relationship with Dublin.  I spent a week feeling lost, lonely, scared, and confused there once and this was rapidly seeming similar.  We finally decided to park in a garage and immediately upon exiting I knew exactly where we were and we walked to our destination: Trinity College!

a building at Trinity

We quickly strolled through the grounds (I found the building I had stayed in, of course) and on to the library which hold the Book of Kells and the Long Room.  You aren't allowed to take photographs there, but we snuck some.  :)

the Long Room, Ryan's personal heaven

By this time, we were starved and took the recommendation of several friends to eat at The Queen of Tarts.  It was delightful, if you are ever in Dublin we recommend it as well!  We had a lovely brunch before heading north to Ballymoney, Northern Ireland for the night.

At this point, fatigue (and what we would later realize was Hand Foot & Mouth disease, thanks Liam) was setting in for Ryan, so I got to drive!  Let me just say that it was a trip!  We were in a manual car and I think the most difficult part was shifting with my left hand, and remembering what to do at the round a bouts!

we didn't die!

We arrived in Ballymoney in the mid-afternoon and checked into our lovely guesthouse, Country Garden House.  We could not have been more thrilled by the quaint cottage and lovely hosts.  They greeted us with tea and wanted to hear all about our lives.  We settled in and drove into Bushmills for an early dinner before going to bed at 7:00pm!

Gluten Free Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

Last summer I posted my tried and true whole wheat pumpkin chocolate chip muffin recipe.  These muffins are a staple in our house, they might even be more prevalent than milk and bread.  I make them as fast as we eat them, so yummy!

However, Ryan has been gluten free since May and I have had to adapt my recipe a bit to accommodate his dietary needs, and I can honestly say that they are better than ever!

Here's the updated recipe if you are gluten free, or just wanting to try something different:

In a large bowl, combine and mix well:
1 C. GF all-purpose flour*
1/3 C. almond meal*
1/3 C. ground flax seed*
3/4 C. sugar
1 TBS. pumpkin pie spice
1 tsp. baking soda
3/4 tsp. xanthan gum*
1/4 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1 C. semi-sweet chocolate chips (I prefer mini)

In a medium bowl, whisk together:
1 stick melted butter
1 C. canned pumpkin
2 eggs

Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and stir to combine (don't overmix!).  Divide into muffin tins and bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes.  Enjoy!

*I have had a lot of success with Bob's Red Mill products and use them for most of my specialty flours and ingredients.

Baby Bites

Edited to add:::  Ryan had to correct me here, I should have said WE'VE instead of I've!  Ryan stood at the stove and stirred multiple pots for me while I chopped and measured and pureed!  We had fun working together on this batch of food!  Also, the "mini minestrone" doesn't quite fill up the tray because  he decided to taste test a little bowl for himself!  :)

I've spent the afternoon making some delicious and nutritious food for my little bird and I thought I would share some photos!



The green mush on the left is "mini minestrone," it's puréed green beans, potato, carrot, celery, onion, orzo pasta, tomato paste, and chicken broth. On the right is puréed potato, carrot, and corn. Yum!



This is puréed pears, peaches, and blue berries.

My favorite cook book to use for making baby food is "Top 100 Baby Purees." Liam has loved everything I've made him so far and I really enjoy making it for him! Once it's all frozen, I pop it out of the ice cube trays and store in freezer bags. The food is always a fun color and I am a nerd and get excited seeing the cute little blocks of food when I open the freezer!


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easter yumminess.

today, i won't complain...
i'm going to post my easter dinner menu. we had a few friends over after church and had some yummy, and easy food. no pictures--i forgot, still drugged up.

homemade rolls (family recipe)
twice baked potatoes
arugula salad with oranges, feta, walnuts, and a marmalade dressing
stuffed pork tenderloin
chocolate caramel matzo
i love to cook and i refuse to let busyness and lack of time stand in my way. however, i would like to branch out more...to step out of my comfort zone.

things planned for the future:
challah bread
irish car bomb cupcakes
homemade gnocchi
anybody want to help?