What's NOT Cookin' Wednesday!

On somewhat of a blogging hiatus for the last few days. My friend Megan has arrived from the states and we left Cork right away for two days of sightseeing in Dublin. Needless to say I have not done any cooking, and therefore have nothing to show for "What's Cookin' Wednesday"! However, as much as I love working away in the kitchen it is sometimes nice to just sit back, relax, and drink a pint...or three!

So that is exactly what we've been up to, and we have made a few new friends along the way! My favorite new drinking buddy is an Irish lass named Bella, at only 11 weeks old I'd say she's off to a good start! Did I mention Bella has floppy ears and a tail?! Here is a picture of us sharing a pint of Guinness the other night!

So, if you feel you need a kitchen break, or it is just too hot to even think about turning on that stove, pour yourself a cold one and take the night off. The husbands and kids won't starve I promise! Then join me and my new Irish drinking pal, raise your glass and say "Sláinte" (cheers in Irish)!

White to Bright, and Rainbow Inspiration Without the Rain!

Sadly my apartment designing is dwindling. As usual funds are short and so is our time here, so there does not seem to be  much point to fixing up the place. However, as I come across inexpensive finds and inspirational art I do my best to put it to use.  I found a white mirror not too long ago at TK Maxx for about 24 euro. I had been keeping my eye out for just such a mirror; round, slightly ornate, inexpensive and best of all light weight! 

Only problem was the color, or lack of it.  Nothing wrong with a white mirror, or even white on white (walls) but I was after more contrast. Had painting the walls been an option I may have chosen to leave the mirror white and go dark on the walls.  Something more like this:

or this 

or this

As a renter, with 15 foot ceilings no less, painting the walls was not an option. So as you may have guessed I prepped the mirror for painting instead. This is the only picture I snapped of it before taking it from white to bright!

A light sanding and two coats of a deep peacock-y turquoise and it was ready for hanging above the somewhat useless shelf that was already in place when we moved in.  I say useless because it's only about 6 inches wide.  Just perfect to collect junk mail, loose change and keys, or this beauty that was here when we moved in 

We quickly hid it away along with several other odds and ends we were not so keen on.  You can read more on stashing the "trash" in this post.

Happy with the mirror, but still put off by the somewhat empty shelf and the desire to keep it free of junk I picked up a small rectangular canvas and a lot of inspiration from one of my favorite blogs http://madebygirl.blogspot.com/.  I am slightly ashamed to admit I imitated her style, but imitation is the most sincere form of flattery, right?!

Jen Ramos of Made By Girl runs a shop called Coco and Hearts where she sells her original artwork.  Recently she's been selling out of these 8x10 inch paintings.  

Hooray for her!  But at $95 a pop it makes me crazy that I didn't think of it.  Hopefully she never reads this, but if she did, she might just agree that almost anyone could do what she does. Not to say that she is not a talented artist, but she happens to have an amazing blog following and a knack for marketing herself; which is something I need to work on when it comes to my own art, but that's a post for another day!

At any rate, I used her fun bright paintings as inspiration for one of my own just perfect for my little entry way shelf!  I think it turned out cute. A little bright, but that's OK.  It makes up for the seemingly constant grey Irish weather outside my window.  

A happy rainbow without the rain!

Monday Meal, Sorted

Usually I have my weekly menus all planed and ready to go by Sunday evening.  But Monday around noon I realized after a weekend of munching on leftovers, hummus, pita chips, and pizza, we were left with nothing in the fridge and no plan of attack for the night, let alone the rest of the week! Taking quick stock of the few odds and ends between the fridge, freezer and pantry I tried to make sense of what my meal options were. 

Then I remembered a recipe I had recently pinned to my "Dish Delish" Pinboard on Pinterest.  A pasta dish with a creamy sauce made from mascarpone.  Mascarpone is a mild Italian triple cream cheese which can be used in both sweet and savory dishes.  

On hand I had:

Chicken Breast and Bacon

(I always keep chicken and bacon in the freezer!)

Sundried Tomatoes

Spinach

a Lemon

& Pasta

So off to the store I went to grab a tub of mascarpone and I decided button mushrooms would be a good addition as well. Oh, and I added bacon too; no surprise there right?!  I love taking a recipe like this and adding my own twist. This dish was so easy and came together in a snap!  The mascarpone melted into a creamy sauce and I added a generous portion of fresh grated parmigiana as well. There is always room for more cheese! Monday night dinner sorted.

Below is the recipe I borrowed from www.italianfoodforever.com to create my own quick Monday pasta dish.  I've indicated my additions and changes in orange. 

1 Cup Mascarpone Cheese At Room Temperature

Zest & Juice of 1 Lemon

1 Teaspoon Cracked Black Pepper

3 Boneless, Skinless Chicken Thighs, Cleaned Of Fat And Cut Into 1 Inch Dice

4-5 pieces of bacon cooked and crumbled

1 1/2 Tablespoons Olive Oil (I omitted the olive oil and cooked my chicken and garlic in left over bacon grease)

2 Cloves Garlic, Peeled & Minced

1 box of button mushrooms sliced or quartered (your choice!)

Salt & Pepper

1/3 Cup Chopped Sun-Dried Tomatoes

1 (9 Ounce) Bag Baby Spinach 

1 (500 Gram) Package Pasta

1/3 cup of grated parmigiana 

Combine the zest, lemon juice, mascarpone, parmigiana, and pepper in a bowl, and whisk to combine, set aside.

Fry bacon in pan till crisp, drain on paper towels and crumble when cool.

Bring a pasta pot of salted water to boil. While waiting on the water, in same pan as used to cook bacon saute the chicken in remaining grease until it is cooked through and just beginning to brown. Remove chicken piece and set aside. Add mushrooms to pan saute until soft an most of the liquid has cooked off. Add the garlic and cook another minute or two. Season with salt and pepper. Cook the pasta until al dente, taking it off the heat about 1 to 2 minutes before you would normally remove it. Drain, reserving about 1/2 cup of the pasta water. Return the pasta to the pot, and set over medium heat. Stir in the mascarpone and lemon mixture, the chicken, sun-dried tomatoes, and spinach. Loosen the sauce with about 1/4 cup of the pasta water and toss all over the ingredients together until the spinach has wilted and everything is piping hot, adding a little additional pasta water if needed. Serve immediately, topped with grated cheese or sauteed breadcrumbs.

Croissant Craic Travel Tip - #2 Don't be a Burn Out.

No, this Croissant Craic travel tip is not about smoking pot as the title might suggest.  Sorry to disappoint, but this is Ireland, not Amsterdam. Rather travel tip #2 is about
Electricity!



If you arrive in Ireland from the US and try to plug in your hairdryer, laptop, mobile phone, etc. you will no doubt encounter this:

You will quickly realise (realize, get used to it that's how they spell it here) that a standard US plug isn't going to fit into that socket. So what are you supposed to do? 

I'm not going to pretend to understand all the ins and outs of electrical current.  The long and short of it is the voltage and frequency here in Ireland and the UK is much higher than in the states.  What does that mean you ask? If you connect things to a socket with a different power supply you may just cause your equipment to burn out. Assuming you don't want to destroy your electronics, you will be needing either an adaptor or a converter.  I always thought they were one in the same, but as it turns out that is not the case.


Some electronics, most laptops and battery chargers for example, support dual voltage and dual frequency.  They should be marked with something like "120/240, 50/60Hz, or 120-240V".  This means all you need is a plug adaptor to allow you to plug into an Irish socket. This will not change the electricity supplied to the appliance, only allows it to be plugged into the different type of wall socket.  

However, not all electronics support dual voltage and in that case you will need a power converter which helps to step down the voltage and frequency. Typically used for hairdryers, irons, etc. It is important to note that converters are not designed for continuous use, 1-2 hours at a time is typically the maximum, any longer and you may risk a burnout.  

Personally, I think it is kind silly to bring a hairdryer over in your luggage. Save that space to pack  an umbrella or extra sweater, you're gonna need it! Or use that space to bring back a bottle of Irish whiskey! Most hotels provide an iron and a hairdryer. In smaller B&B's if there is not one in the room they typically have one available at the front desk. 


Another thing to note is that there is very rarely an outlet inside the bathroom. You may however find a place to plug in an electric shaver which will accept an American plug, but it is not suggested to utilize this outlet for anything other than a shaver.
  

Finally, it is also worth noting that the light switch for the restroom toilet or water closet, is on the outside. When we first arrived here I kept walking into the toilet and feeling around on the inside wall for the switch with no luck. It is just one of those weird quirks you have to retrain your brain to know!

Here are a couple plug adaptor options with pros and cons:

UK, Ireland, Hong Kong, Singapore specific dual plug

Specific country plugs - these tend to be higher quality plugs. For instance, this plug is all metal construction whereas multi-country plugs use plastic for the 3rd prong (the ground). Obviously, they only work in one region but are fairly inexpensive.

Multi-country push adapter  

The push out pin adaptors are more compact but can sometimes be a pain to push into the socket as the pin lock can wear out. However, this type is more compact and can fit into the sockets better. Remember, much of Europe was retrofitted with electricity so the sockets aren't always in the most convenient places like new American construction.

All-in-one flip adapter

The flip adaptors usually connect better; you don't have to worry as much about the plug slipping and not connecting as well. They can run a bit heavier and more bulky but only a difference of a couple ounces (grams for the metric folks).

Individual adapter sets

These are a bit lesser quality compared to the country specific plug above but still work well. Problem is they are small and you have to keep track of them. They are also US specific. If you only travel from the US then it shouldn't be an issue. If you are moving abroad you are better off buying an adapter that will transfer back to the states with you when your ex-pat time is up so you can use the electronics you bought overseas.

What Are You Gawking At?

Quick Friday post here!  Yesterday I shared with you one of my favorite new websites http://pinterest.com/ in this post. It got me thinking about another internet time sucker I feel is totally worth sharing. For those of you still stuck at a desk unable to surf the web, take heart, the weekend is only a few hours away and then you will be able to explore the wonders of the universe  Gawkerverse!


Gawker-What?!  Gawkerverse, a network of inspirational, user-submitted photo gallery sites which includes: 


http://foodgawker.com/
http://weddinggawker.com/
http://dwellinggawker.com/
http://craftgawker.com/

My personal favorite is foodgawker.  I love scrolling through the endless pages of mouthwatering photos.  Sunday nights in my house you will typically find me curled up on the couch trying not to drool on my Ipad while seraching the gawkerverse for inspiration for my weekly menus. Like Pinterest if something looks drool worthy a simple click of the photo links you to the original site which typically has the recipe! 


So, happy Friday to everyone!  I am all for you getting out, enjoying the weather, and drinking a beer this weekend, but if you find some downtime or need an escape from the world around you, don't forget you can always go to the gawkerverse!

Pinterested?

I can't remember the context of our conversation but my husband recently informed me there are no original ideas.  I am not sure if I fully believe that, but what I do believe is that most ideas stem from inspiration, and that inspiration typically comes from somewhere else or someone else. There is absolutely nothing wrong with that. Gleaning inspiration from what is around us is so important, looking outside of ourselves helps us flourish, and now a days with the internet, inspiration is only a click away!

So in the spirit of inspiration I am taking a cue from fellow bloggers by writing my own post about the latest internet sensation, and my favorite new pass time  time sucker, Pinterest. Pinterest is a virtual pin board where you can organize all of your ideas and inspirations such as: home decor, DIY projects, fashion ideas, favorite recipes, and more! Best of all you can browse the pin boards of others.  It's like picking a thousand different creative brains! Find something you want to know more about and there is usually a link to the original source of the pin.

In fact just the other day a friend of mine sent me a link to one of her Pinterest boards dedicated solely to painted dressers. She is trying to get inspiration for an upcoming furniture painting endeavor of her own. With just a few clicks of the mouse she had at minimum 30 different images of hand painted dressers sparkling with inspiration!

Another friend of mine is a fashion designer and has all kinds of pinboards that inspire her work, photo styling, studio space, and more. 

As for myself in addition to party plans, interior inspirations, and menu ideas, I keep a board where I pin only things with chevron stripes.  Silly I know, but I have an mild obsession with all things chevron striped, and now I have somewhere to tuck all that chevron love away!  

It's like a giant file folder full of dreams, and who wouldn't want that?! If you have any interest in following my Pinterest boards or starting a board of your own, you can click on the new follow me on Pinterest button I just added to the left. I am however warning you in advance, it can be a bit addictive, so proceed with caution, and HAPPY PINNING!

Not Just Talkin' About Lettuce & Tomatoes

If you have been following my What's Cookin' Wednesday post you might think I'm suffering from Multiple Personality Disorder, a disorder characterized by two or more distinct identities or personality states.  One week I seem to be channeling Paula Deen and can not seem to get enough butter and fried goodness in my diet, and the next it is as if Ellie Krieger has taken over my body putting her healthy low-fat cooking to work in my kitchen. Fortunately, there is room on The Food Network, and in my kitchen for both.  So bear with me as I bounce around and try out my multiple kitchen personalities.  

After last week's yummy but not exactly healthy corndog lovin' post I decided this week that healthy was the way to go. I recently came across an amazing blog called Salad Pride where a new salad is posted everyday. 

I am not just talking about lettuce and tomatoes here.  These are beautiful, hearty, healthy, inspirational salads.  Never thought a salad could make your mouth water? Check out his blog and you may just feel differently.  What I really love is you can view the blog by ingredient. I happened to have a bag of these in my pantry.

Nope, not river rocks, although that is kind of what they look like in this picture. 

Give up?

Lentils!

What to do with them? Salad Pride to the rescue!  I searched lentils and found no less than 14 different recipes!  This recipe for Salmon, Lentils, and Rocket (arugula) caught my eye. Doing my best to work with what we already had on hand I had to change things up a bit. I happened to have some shrimp in my freezer, a bag of spinach, watercress, and arugula mix in the fridge, and of course the bag of dried lentils in the press (pantry/cabinet).  

This is how I ended up preparing the dish:  

First I sauted diced leeks, shallots and a bit of  minced garlic in a pot with a small amount of olive oil. I added in salt, pepper, and a little bit of dried thyme. 

(no exact amount, sorry! I tend to eyeball things like spices!)

Then added one cup of dried green lentils and a cup and a half of chicken stock to the pot.  Simmered until soft about 20 minuets.  Near the end I stirred in about 2 tablespoons of tomato paste and a little bit of red wine vinegar to taste.  

In a separate pan I sauted shrimp in a tiny bit of olive oil and minced garlic until pink and curled up.  A dash of salt and pepper and a squeeze of lemon as well!

Then onto a plate full of greens I placed a healthy scoop of the warm lentils, topped off with the shrimp.  The heat sort of wilted the greens a little which in my opinion was perfection, but all ingredients could certainly be served cold.  I also drizzled a little extra olive oil and a squeeze of lemon over the top of everything. I would suggest you finish off this dish with a crusty piece of bread and a glass of vino if you've got it!

Sláinte! (cheers, to health in Gaelic)

Missing my Stuff!

I had a strange experience this past weekend.  I woke up on Saturday morning and did not know where I was.  No I did not go out drinking all Friday night.  In fact I went to bed quite sober.  It is just that when I woke up in that weird hazy fog, you know the one where you are not completely awake yet, I just could not figure out why I was not in my own bedroom.  Adam was right there next to me, so it must have been my bed and my bedroom, right?  One second later it dawned on me... I was in my own bed in my own bedroom. In those few seconds of fog, before I had a chance to rub the crusties out of my eyes, (fell asleep in my contacts again!) the bedroom I was expecting to see was the one I left back in the states.

Weird huh?  Or maybe not, I spent almost seven years waking up in the same room so it stands to reason that something like that could happen.  Problem is it made me just a tiny bit homesick.  Not homesick for friends or family, or even American food; of course I miss all those things dearly, but what I was really homesick for was my stuff!

I am not ashamed to admit it,  I like things, and material things do matter to me.  Sure I could live with less, we all could, but I don't want to.  I want my wedding china, my wine glasses, my Restoration Hardware giant leather ottoman, my 3 different duvet covers (it's nice to have choices), my comfortable sectional sofa, my ridiculous stash of cocktail napkins and party supplies, my giant fridge, all of my kitchen supplies, my garbage disposal, my gas grill, my car, the other half of my closet, and my collection of design magazines.  There are other things, but those are the first few that come to mind.

I am also struggling with the desire to buy things here.  I am constantly finding things that would look so great in our apartment, a new area rug, a cool lamp, a beautiful vase, etc.  Because we will only be abroad for two years I have to put that desire on hold, work with what our fully furnished apartment has to offer, and get over it.  It sucks. I am not trying to wish my time here away, but I guess I can take solace in the fact that someday I will be reunited with my things and it will be like Christmas morning!

Not a very exciting post I know.  Sometimes this blog feels like a diary, and like a diary I am using it as an outlet to vent my frustrations. Sorry.

Croissant Craic Travel Tips - #1

Exciting news!  Well, exciting for me anyway.  My parents have booked their flight to Ireland; and shortly after their visit my Aunt Jane and Uncle Jim are also planning on coming over!  None of them have ever been to Ireland before so the pressure is on to be an excellent hostess and tour guide. The hostess part I'm pretty sure I can handle, it's the tour guide part that scares me.  We have only been here for five months and have barely scratched the surface on all Ireland has to offer, so I'm not sure how well we will fare as guides. 

I have been assisting my parents with their travel arrangements and accommodations and it got me thinking about a few things they should know before they go! So I have been compiling a list specific to Ireland, but I would recommend researching these things before you take a trip just about anywhere outside of your own country. 


Rather than bore you with one long post of my top ten travel tips, I am going to bore share with you ten short post over the next few weeks! 

#1
The first tip is about exactly that, tipping!

Adam and I always find tipping customs to be different from place to place and if you are in a situation and not familiar with what is customary it can be awkward. We have totally been there before! When in doubt we revert back to American tipping standards, which we have learned are a little bit different than things here in Ireland. What we have learned about tipping here in Ireland is this: 

Chowing Down
Unlike in the US where waitstaff only make minimum wage, here they are paid a living wage and do not rely solely on tips to survive.  This is not to say that tips aren't appreciated.  In a full service restaurant leaving a 10% tip is fairly common assuming the service and quality of the food were good.  However, we've been in a few restaurants where the service was as the Irish say "shite" and did not feel badly about not leaving a tip behind.  In the states I don't think I could ever do that, even if the service was not stellar.  I've been a waitress before (not fun) and it's just hard not to leave at least a little something.  

Out at the Pub
It seemed so odd to me when I first heard this, but it is completely normal to not leave the bartender a tip. Tips are simply not expected. Ordering my first few pints I couldn't break the habit of leaving behind a euro for the bartender, but as we have adjusted to life here I'm finding it easier and easier not to. So, unless they tell a great joke or give you extra special service do not feel badly about not leaving a tip. Adam ninja edit-don't worry, you still pay that tip in the end with €4.60 pints (~6.75 USD) of 4.5% beer


Getting a Lift
Much like the bartender situation it struck me as odd that taxi drivers don't really expect a tip here.  You can typically just round up the fare. Of course if your driver was particularly helpful, engaging, and courteous a 5-10% tip would surely be appreciated. Interestingly it is not uncommon for the driver to actually round the fare down, something a US cabby would never do!

Sleeping Over
If you are staying in a small or family run B&B, (and believe me there are a million of them here in Ireland!) tipping for food service or housekeeping is not expected. Unless of course you're staying at Chez Croissant, we gladly accept tips (in liquid form anyway. That means you can buy us a beer!)  In a larger hotel a small tip left for the maid is acceptable, but not required.


Hopefully that helps for those of you planing  a visit to the Emerald Isle. If it is somewhere else you are heading, consider researching their tipping customs ahead of time; it might just save you an awkward moment or two!

Time for Tea... or Coffee

In the US it seems there is a Starbucks on every corner, over 11,000 in fact!  Here in Ireland that number is just a little bit smaller.  OK, a LOT smaller.  25 to be exact, 21 of which are in Dublin or the outlying suburban areas, 2 in Kildare, and 1 in Cork. The 1 here in Cork happens to be in the airport so needless to say I'm not drinking my triple grande skim latte on a regular basis.  However, that doesn't mean I don't get my coffee fix.  I typically use my french press every morning to make my self a few cups, but every now and then I head into town for a cuppa.  Here are a few shots of my different lattes in Cork. 

Cafe Gusto along Lapps Quay

Cafe Gusto Washington St.

Costa Coffee

Another shot of pretty coffee's in Cafe Gusto!

Europe has such an amazing coffee and of course tea culture. Tea time (weather you are drinking tea or coffee) is a lovely experience involving cups and saucers, pretty designs on the top of your latte (pictured above), tea pots, and tiny spoons! People here don't stand in a queue just to grab their venti caramel mocha frappucchino with whip and sprinkles and run out the door.  I think most Europeans would be horrified that Americans even consider that coffee! 

Don't get me wrong, they certainly have to-go cups here, but they seem to enjoy sitting down and savoring the experience.  Adam says his office mates break twice a day for tea, which doesn't do him much good as he drinks neither tea or coffee. I just don't get that, my day is not complete with out that caffeine fix. oh well, his loss!


Did you know Ireland and the UK are tied for second place in highest tea consumption per capita, with Turkey taking the number one spot (Wikipedia factoid, believe it if you want to, sounds about right to me!) I noticed right away how tea seems to dominate coffee here upon my first stroll down the coffee and tea aisle at the store. 75% of the aisle is stocked with boxes of tea, the remaining 25% coffee.  In the states it seems to be exactly the opposite. 


And just across the aisle from tea and coffee the shelves are stocked with biscuits.  For those of you that read this post, you will know that biscuits here are not the fluffy buttermilk kind we know and love in the states.  Rather, biscuits here are cookies, and tea biscuits are unique unto themselves.  Sorry for more comparisons, but the closest thing I can liken a tea or digestive biscuit is a graham cracker...sort of. Bottom line, I LOVE them!

My Afternoon Treat!

So I have assimilated quickly to Irish tea drinking society. I still have coffee first thing in the AM, but around 3 or 4 PM it is time for tea, and of course a biscuit! I like the McVitie's Digestives with Dark Chocolate. As for the tea it's Barry's . People here are particular about their tea brands. Barry's tea is an Irish company which accounts for 40% of all tea sales in Ireland.

Tea Time at Cafe Croissant!

Every home in Ireland has an electric kettle it is practically a requirement. It boils water in under a minute!  

I was just chatting with an American friend and we were marveling at the fact that hardly anyone in the US has an electric kettle. We chalked it up to the fact that they simply don't drink as much tea there.  However, Adam just informed me that it is more likely because US power is 120V, whereas here it is 220V, so they just don't have enough juice to boil the water that fast. 


At any rate, having afternoon tea is such a lovely ritual, I simply cannot understand why Americans don't do it more often.  Give it a try next time you need a break from the stress of work, or the kids, or whatever your afternoon involves; and if you would like I will gladly send you some digestive biscuits!