“Hence I cannot be silent, and indeed I ought not to be, about the many blessings and the great grace the Lord has deigned to bestow on me.” ~Saint Patrick~
And oh, like St. Patrick’s quote above, “I’ve been surely blessed!”
Stepping away from de-cluttering for a moment, to celebrate the up and coming St. Patrick’s Day, I also take a moment to remember my grandmother, (my Dad’s mom, Flossie,) who was born in Canada to Irish Immigrants. They had left Ireland to find new opportunities for themselves and their children. The Kilfoyle family, raised 6 children in their new land and I’m here, their great granddaughter, a century later to remember them and my heritage.
I’m singing in the kitchen because David came home from his trip out of town late last night and one of the first things he did for me today was to repair my dryer. Yeah! I couldn’t be happier. Isn’t it funny how things you normally take for granted, all of a sudden become a big deal when you don’t have them any longer? I’ve missed my dryer AND my husband this week. (I am blessed~thank you~)
Hanging our laundry on our deck and on our standing drying rack all week, really took me back to a simpler time. A time when laundry was hard work. I certainly felt a connection to my great grandmother Kilfoyle, who with 6 children must have done her fair share of laundry.
So as I’m humming happily this afternoon, I’m gathering the ingredients for my version of Irish Stew, some Irish soda bread, and for “bessert,” (little Victoria’s term for a treat) I’m making apple sauce cake from an old recipe that I have. It compliments the meal nicely.
The day is blustery and the lake is filled with white caps. As the little ones play outside this afternoon, (it’s Spring Break) please join me in making a delicious Irish Stew.
Okay, let’s start chopping for that is the most consuming thing about making Irish Stew. Do you want a cup of tea? ….now I’m using beef and not a lot today as you know I’m on the road to being a vegetarian but also a minimalist, ha. The traditional Irish stew would use lamb and I understand from my daughter Alyssa, who is in the U.K. teaching, that there are sheep everywhere. For this Canadian, beef is more readily available and besides I just couldn’t eat lamb anyway. (no judgement for lamb eaters out there)
Hope’s Irish Stew
Ingredients
2 tbsp of olive oil
2 pounds of beef..(I used a sirloin cut…add more if you want it really meaty)
2 medium white onions
2 stalks of celery
4 large carrots, chop into round bites
1/2 of a large turnip chopped into bite size pieces
10 medium sized potatoes..chopped into nice chunks
2 cups of stewed tomatoes
4 ounces of tomato paste
1/2 cup flour
4 cups of beef broth
Salt and pepper
1 tbsp of worcestershire sauce (I use Lea and Perrins)
1 tbsp rosemary
2 bay leaves
2 cloves of garlic
fresh parsley for garnish…it’s just starting to grow in the garden now
Directions
1. Heat 1 tbsp of oil over medium heat in a large stockpot. Add beef chunks and cook until brown. Season with salt and pepper.
While the stew is cooking, you can make the Apple Sauce cake and the Irish Soda bread.
Start the Apple Sauce cake first, since it takes 45 minutes to 1 hour to cook and it needs to cool before icing. That is, if you choose to ice it, as it’s very moist and lovely plain.
Apple Sauce Cake
This recipe came from my Robin Hood flour (no sift) baking book that is falling apart since I use it all the time. It’s packed with great recipes. This recipe book was given to me by my mom…..thanks MOM!
Ingredients
1-1/4 cups all purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp allspice
1 cup chopped walnuts (can also use raisins which I would love but my kids would not enjoy as much as nuts…your choice…what does your family prefer?)
1/2 cup soft margarine…part butter
3/4 cup brown sugar…use 1 cup if making your own homemade applesauce
1 egg
1 cup applesauce (it takes about 3 medium apples to make 1 cup of applesauce)
Directions
1. Grease and flour an 8″ inch square pan
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F…or 325 if using a glass pan
3. Measure and stir thoroughly all dry ingredients. Add nuts or raisins
4. Cream shortening until fluffy. Add sugar gradually. Beating well after each addition. Add egg and beat well.
5. Add the dry ingredients alternatively with the applesauce until well combined.
6. Turn into prepared cake pan, spread evenly
7. Bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until the your toothpick comes clean. This can vary depending on the moisture in your applesauce. Cool really well and serve plain or with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, or whipping cream or you can ice it with a butter icing.
I iced the cake and replaced some of the milk and the vanilla extract with Baily’s Irish Cream liquor (we buy little bottles for just this occasion)…yummy and perfect for St. Paddy’s Day
While the cake is cooking, make the Irish Soda Bread.
Remembering the Kilfoyle’s, Irish Soda Bread
This bread goes really fast in my house as it’s has a lovely texture. Consider making two loaves.
Ingredients for one loaf
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tbsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 tbsp white sugar
4 tbsp unsalted cold butter
1-1/2 cups buttermilk….if you don’t have buttermilk, here’s how to make it at home
1 large egg
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Grease and flour an 81/2 round cake pan
2. In a large bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and sugar.
3. Cut the butter into the flour very gently until it resembles oatmeal
4. In a small bowl, gently beat the egg and then add the buttermilk, stir to combine thoroughly
5. Make a well in the centre of the flour mixture and then pour in the buttermilk-egg mixture. Combine the two mixtures, stirring very gently with a wooden spoon until it forms into dough. It will be wet and sticky.
6. Turn dough onto a well-floured surface and generously dust it with flour…you may want to have a cup of flour close by to dust your hands and slowly work it in to this dough. Very gently form the dough into a ball and then transfer it into the prepared cake pan.
7. Lightly press the dough so that it spreads to the edges of the pan. With a sharp knife, cut an “X” into the top of the dough.
Bake for 30 minutes.
8. Remove from the oven when the toothpick comes out clean
Enjoy warm with a bowl of Irish Stew
It’s DINNER!
Mad rush to the kitchen as everyone has worked up a great appetite today. Thanks for joining me this afternoon.
And here is what it looks when it’s all pulled together.
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| The photo is of my great grandparents, The Kilfoyle’s and their 6 children |
And it wouldn’t be a great Irish meal without a glass of ale…sorry no Guinness here but we do have a good glass of stout beer….
“Slainte Chugat!” which is cheers and good health wishes from my husband David to you. He really needs a good strong ale since he he has been working 12 hour days for a week now and yesterday he put in a whopping 17 hours as he worked all day and then drove home from up north, Just in time to fix our dryer, declutter his dresser and closet (that is what he was doing when I was cooking today) |and now when I’m writing my blog, he is putting the little people to bed. Do I love this man!
What are you going to do on St. Patrick’s Day! Wear green, (so you don’t get pinched) and maybe you will make a big pot of Irish Stew. Irish blessings and……
And before I close, I thought I would share a great you tube video I found of some very talented fiddlers. You know I have a soft spot for strings. My son Clark said he’s going to play some Irish fiddler tunes for me on St. Paddy’s day, but until then, I hope you enjoy this video. If you can’t click on the video below….click on this hyperlink. Traditional Irish Music, Lilla Akademien’s violin ensemble
Until we meet again, may you be well, happy and peaceful.
Blessings from Hope