Good Morning and happy Monday! Another weekend gone way too fast. I can hardly believe it's March already.
I had a very restful weekend and am happily feeling much better. Whew! It's a good thing because I am so over being sick! I still have a slight sniffle and I will probably be coughing until June, but overall I am on the mend.
I am so grateful for my parents who took John overnight on Friday so I could go to bed early and get as much sleep as possible. I came home from work, took some cold medicine, and Rob served me big bowl of pasta (feed a cold? for me yes! : ) which I ate on the couch with my feet up. It was the best I felt all week. And then, glorious sleeeeep ♥
By the time Sunday rolled around I was starting to feel (and sound) like myself again. The real problem here is that somehow within the last few days the temperature outside has dropped to what feels like FREEZING! Wasn't I just sitting out on my deck on a 65 degree day? Yes I was. Well today we are in the twenties! What? It feels like January out there. That little burst of Spring temperatures last week was a teaser because for mass yesterday morning out came the winter coats and scarfs. The wind was pretty fierce too. This is not helping anyone. I'm hoping it won't last. They say March comes in like a lion and out like a lamb. I'm crossing my fingers for the lamb part.
Well, life goes on and since it is March and since I am a creature habit - it's time to make Irish Bread!
I make this bread every March for St. Patrick's day. I got the recipe from my friend and coworker, Eileen (who got it from her Irish mother in law). It's the best Irish soda bread I've ever had. It has sour cream in it which makes it very moist. It's delicious. My Dad loves this bread. I'm going to bring him some today ♥
Here's how to make it:
1 cup raisins
3 cups flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 tablespoons caraway seeds
1 1/2 sticks butter, melted
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup sour cream
2 eggs
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Grease a 10 inch round baking pan.
Soak raisins in a small bowl of boiled water and put aside for about 5 minutes. Mix flour, baking powder, and salt together. Mix in the caraway seeds. Drain raisins and add to the flour mixture.
In a separate bowl mix the melted butter, sugar, sour cream, and eggs. Blend alternately with flour mixture until everything is combined into a smooth, creamy batter.
Pour batter into pan and sprinkle the top generously with sugar.
Bake for one hour. Cool in pan for 10 minutes then turn onto rack to cool.
Irish bread can sometimes have a bad reputation for being dry, but not this one! You can put butter or cream cheese on it, but it's also fine just as is. It's perfect to go with your morning coffee or afternoon tea ♥
John likes to slather his with cream cheese!
My taste tester....He gave it a thumbs up! Yay!
The appearance of Irish bread in the kitchen is always our first sign that Spring is on it's way. Little by little I'll be bringing out my Spring and Easter decorations. I wanted so badly to set up my bunny village this weekend but I just didn't feel up to it. It's at the top of my list for next weekend. When reaching in the bottom cabinet of my hutch to get a candle I did spy this little guy who I couldn't resist taking out and putting on the counter....
Is he not the cutest? I got him last Easter with a mini rose plant in it. After the plant died I used him as a votive candle holder. He still had a lilac scented candle in him from last Spring.
Which I immediately lit.
Just the smell of that lilac made my heart sing! Sweet, sweet Spring in the air.
Also the fact that I could actually smell it was also nice. I can breathe again.
Yup, definitely getting better!~
Happy new week to all my friends!
Thank you for kind words last week when I was feeling under the weather. I wish I could share this bread with all of you! ♥
xoxo
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