Soda Bread Muffins with Jumbo Raisins

We got a bunk bed. Woo hoo! In preparation for a visit from our relatives from Ireland we went ahead and bought a bunk bed. The plan is to let our cousin's kids use it while they are here and then eventually move it upstairs for Emmett and Isla.  At least that was the plan, until I decided that I am never going to take it apart and put it back together again because the entire thing needs to be assembled with one of those little allen wrenches (I tried to use a power drill with a head that seemed to fit the slot on the screws, but none of them budged).  While assembly was straightforward enough, I NEVER want to see an allen wrench again. Oh well, at least we have a bunk bed downstairs, just in case. Isla loves climbing up there but doesn’t understand how to get down quite yet. Her method is to catapult herself off the top bunk face forward and hope she doesn’t hit the ground too hard. It’s a short distance down so this isn’t the worst thing. It’s actually pretty funny.

This last week everything was a little off kilter with me being sick and then Eve and all of us with our plans, plan, plans. I don’t even want to imagine what your calendar looks like when your kids are older than my little tots. Don’t tell me. It makes my head spin. Still, we ran out of muffins, and I was craving soda bread because St. Patrick’s Day came and went and I never had a slice. This state of events, led to google, which led to soda bread muffins. Which totally hit the spot, and, embarrassingly, were the only form of sustenance on which I single-handedly completed the assembly of the above-referenced never-to-be-disassembled-bunk-bed. Yep. These are powerful little nuggets of soda bread deliciousness.

The funny thing is, and if you’ve got kids you can probably totally relate, I bought these gorgeous multi-colored jumbo raisins at Trader Joe’s because my kids are crazy for raisins.  I put a whole bunch of them in the muffins and wouldn’t you know it, they HATE that there are raisins in the muffins. I’m obviously an idiot for thinking that a kid who gobbles raisins by the handful from a bag or little cardboard box would like them cooked, in muffins. What was I thinking?

Then again, maybe it was genius, maybe I want these muffins all for myself. Mwahahaha (evil laughter).

Soda Bread Muffins with Jumbo Raisins

Adapted from a recipe by King Arthur Flour

1 ½  cups Unbleached All-Purpose Flour

¾ cup White Whole Wheat Flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

¼  teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon salt

⅓ cup granulated sugar

1 ½   cups jumbo raisins

1 large egg

1 cup full fat greek yogurt

⅛ cup water

7 tablespoons butter, melted;

sparkling white sugar, for topping

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Lightly grease a standard muffin tin.

2. In a small bowl, whisk together the egg, yogurt and water.

3. In a larger mixing bowl, whisk together the flours, baking powder, baking soda, salt, sugar and raisins.

4. Add the wet ingredients to the dry, stirring with a large spoon. Don’t overmix. It’s ok if the  batter is a little bit crumbly.

5. Spoon the batter into the muffin tin and top with sparkling white sugar, if desired.

6. Bake the muffins for about 20 minutes, until a cake tester inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean. Remove them from the oven. To prevent the muffins from getting soggy bottoms remove them from the pan and allow them to cool on a wire rack.

A Cup of Tea

Grandpa and (baby) Isla

Just the other day we were at my father-in-law, Paddy’s house, he was making dinner for us as he always does (we are very well-fed at grandpa’s) when Emmett ran into the kitchen and told him “YOU are the Mammy of this house!” I was in the other room when Emmett said this but my father-in-law proudly relayed it to me and I couldn’t help but feel such a pang of love and happiness as well as a kind of awe at how this man has tirelessly supported, guarded, guided and set the BEST example for his children and grandchildren.

I know his late-wife, Linda, looks down on him with such pride at how he honors her memory and the family that they built together. I feel confident that Paul would do the same if he had to. I know it isn’t easy, no matter how readily one can be lulled into believing it might be - because of the grace and humility with which my father-in-law accomplishes it all.  I can’t imagine how difficult it must have been to turn into a single parent when your children are any age, much less young adults who in their way, need you more than ever. Fortunately for Paddy, Linda has always remained a grounding presence in the lives of all of her loved ones and a great motivator even, perhaps especially, now.  I wish I had known her and find myself wondering what she would do in so many situations.

I would be lying if I didn’t admit that when Emmett made that comment I wondered if he thought that moms did all of the cooking. But only for a second.  I think he meant that moms take care of everybody.  Make sure they’re all ok. With tea and kindness.  Like Paddy does. I'm so grateful that he has his Grandpa to show him what that looks like and to prove that men do it too. 

Today I’m making the most basic of all basics. A simple cup of tea. I don’t exactly know where I picked up this technique, I’m guessing it was from Paddy as I don’t think it’s something I would have ever stumbled upon myself.

Special equipment:

1 ½ quart saucepan

Ingredients:

3 bags of Barry’s tea

½ cup cold water

1 liter boiling water

Place the tea bags and ½ cup cold water in the bottom of a 1 ½ quart saucepan set over medium-high heat.

Bring to a boil and turn the heat off.

Add about 1 liter boiling water (I use an electric kettle for this) to saucepan and cover with lid for 3 minutes.

Remove teabags, pour and serve. Yes, I pour straight from the pan.  If you want to use a teapot you can boil the 1/2 cup of water with the teabags (step one) in the microwave.

5 Things About Saint Patrick’s Day

So as it turns out, there are a lot of things that I didn’t know about St. Patrick’s day.  Here are five facts about the Holiday that you might not know. 

#1 St. Paddy’s v.s. St. Patty’s

In Ireland, Patty is short for Patricia and Paddy is short for Patrick, technically short for Pádraig, a variant of Patrick.  I did know that Paddy is short for Patrick as this is my father-in-law’s name, but I didn’t think about it in relation to St. Patrick’s Day - which I’m sure I have referred to as St. Patty’s a millions times - probably right here on this site. Apparently, a few years back,  the Dublin Airport even issued a statement regarding this in an attempt to banish the term St. Patty’s as a reference to March 17th festivities.  I will try to remember this one and call it St. Paddy’s Day from here on out.

Clapping to the rhythm during an Irish dance performance. 

#2 St. Patrick

Do we even know what we are celebrating on St. Patrick’s Day? Green beer? I learned a little bit about St. Patrick just the other day from a friend.  St. Patrick’s Day is cultural and religious holiday that takes place on the traditional death date of St. Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland. St. Patrick was thought to have used the three-leaf clover to explain the Holy Trinity to Irish pagans. St Patrick's Day parades began in North America in the 18th century and did not spread to Ireland until the 20th century.   St. Patrick’s Day has been recognized as a national holiday in Ireland since 1903.  Today, St. Patrick’s Day parades are held across the world. Paul and I even went to one in Japan when were were there in 2012.

#3 Leprechauns

So far as I can tell, these little fairies, who, as a part of Irish folklore, are usually found mending shoes and searching for the pot of gold at the end of a rainbow, have nothing to do with St. Patrick’s Day, except of course that they are Irish.

#4 Corned Beef

So this one I knew. Corned beef is an Irish-American thing. Corned beef and cabbage is the Irish-American variant of the original Irish dish of bacon and cabbage. Some say that, in America, Irish immigrants weren’t able to obtain the cut of bacon used for boiling bacon which led to using cured brisket as a stand in. In New England, the proximity of Irish and Jewish communities may have led Irish immigrants to start using brisket, introduced to them by their Jewish neighbors, for this dish as it most closely approximated the taste and texture of Irish bacon.

#5 What do you do when March 17th falls on a Friday?

According to the archdiocese of Chicago, Chicago’s Irish-Catholics MAY eat corned beef today, as long as you substitute another form of penance. Whew. Just kidding. I made this corned beef on Wednesday so we could eat it before St. Patrick’s Day and again after since it’s even better a day or two later. It was my first time EVER making corned beef. And well, I didn’t really make it. I was planning on getting all of the ingredients to cure my own a couple of weeks ago but when I ran into our local market for a gallon of milk, the pre-cured ones were right there in front of me and I couldn’t help myself. Maybe next year I will cure my own, but this first time all I did was buy it, rinse it off and throw it in the slow cooker.  It was GREAT.

Here’s how I made it.

Open the package of corned beef.

Rinse off the meat under cold running water. 

Throw it in the slow cooker with enough water to go ½ to ⅔ the way up the sides of the meat.

Turn slow cooker on low for 7 hours.

At the 5 hour mark, turn the meat over and throw some cabbage, carrots and potatoes in with the brisket.

Once the timer goes off, remove and slice your corned beef.

Remove the vegetables from the pot leaving the cooking liquid.

Place your vegetables on a large serving platter and lay slices of corned beef on top.

Add 1 tablespoon of dijon mustard to the cooking liquid and boil the liquid for about 10 minutes until it is reduced slightly - tasting to make sure it’s not reducing too much (i.e. getting too salty).

Pour the cooking liquid over your meat and vegetables and serve.

Happy St. PADDY’s Day!!!