Spring is Here: Breakfast on the Grill

Future Women's Irish National Team players

Isn’t it great when the good weather finally arrives? In Chicago we really have to wait for it, but we are so, so grateful when it comes. I hate that the kids are cooped up for so many months and that I feel like I’m on a never-ending hunt for indoor activities that do not involve technology. Our backyard is a postage stamp and in the five years we have lived in our house we have managed not to fix it up at all, despite our best intentions. Still, we’ve got a small garden, a sandbox and a soccer goal.  What more could you ask for? Awesome neighbors. Yep, we’ve got those too, so we’re good.

This weekend wasn’t super warm but it was sunny, and nice enough to be outside for most of the day.  Our Cousins returned home to Ireland on Saturday and we were sad to see them go. The morning after they left, immediately after Isla woke up she ran downstairs to find them.  She came back up in tears after realizing that they were really gone.

But, before they left we had a big Irish breakfast courtesy of my father-in-law and the Irish Boutique. Winston’s sausages, Irish bacon, white pudding, black pudding, eggs, beans, hash browns, and pancakes and strawberries.  Paul was inside making the pancakes and because it was nice out, I decided to do all of the meats and the eggs outside on the grill. Recently, we’ve been using our grill for more than just your typical burgers and sausages. Grilling whole chickens, a turkey breast and now, breakfast. I haven’t tried it yet but I want to make fried chicken on the grill too, since I refuse to deep fry anything in the house.

I love the days when we can eat dinner (or breakfast) outside and stay out until bedtime. I love not having to clean up the stovetop - because I’m I freak about making sure the stovetop is always clean (even though nothing else is). I also love how cooking outside gets the kids outside and gets us all talking and playing and moving more. It may be a little premature but I’m already thinking about ice cream weather and what flavors we should make this year.

She likes black pudding! 

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.