I started watching Survivor this week. Survivor 48. 48!!! That is CRAZY. I can’t believe I’ve watched 48 seasons of Survivor! I remember the episode in season 2 when I think her name was Kimmi, REFUSED to eat the chickens! Lol I was on a university trip to Daytona Beach/Orlando and everyone from our charter bus piled into 1 room and instead of going to Downtown Disney or a big Florida club… we all watched Survivor. I didn’t know any of the other travellers beside my Sis, her Besty (RIP) and my WpgBesty. But we ALL climbed into a small hotel room to watch. And she named the freaking chickens!!!!! LOL I haven’t missed a season or even an episode in all these years.
But everything feels wrong now. I feel anxious watching things that are so irrelevant. I feel dirty for watching an American channel and an American show. It’s weird. I’m not trying to, it just IS.
American Idol is on season 23!!! Another show I have watched since the very beginning. I am a TRUE reality TV fan. I love that it’s just ordinary people getting a chance to be the stars they always knew they could be! I love the competition. I love the drama. I love that it is unscripted and anything could happen. I watched Chicken Man in season 1 of Big Brother, Sue call Richard a snake in season 1 of Survivor and Kelly Clarkson belt out A Moment Like This when she won the first season of American Idol.
But I just can’t this year. Carrie Underwood chose to sing at the inauguration of the current president and now it is tainted for me. I wish it wasn’t so, but it just is.
I didn’t watch the Oscars this past weekend. It feels gross to watch the glitz and glamour of a big award show with a bunch of actors patting themselves on the back… while the world is in shambles.
I won’t be watching the Joint Address to Congress tonight when, I believe, the president of the United States will pull his country out of NATO. I just read a book about Germany in the time between 1929-1939 and it terrified me. Hitler broke the Treaty of Versailles in 1938 and invaded Austria. After how the American government treated President Zelensky in the Oval Office last week and how TODAY they have placed tariffs on their closet neighbours, Canada and Mexico… I’m not sure what the future holds but I resolve to support Canada in any and all ways that I can.
I am and will always be Team Canada. #ElbowsUp
You know, I love a theme! Lol there’s something about St. Patrick’s Day that I always found, magical. Over the years we have tried all different types of Irish cuisine to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day. When the Kids were little, we used to make classroom treats to give to all the kids and I miss that. So, I was inspired to share some fun Irish treats to help celebrate March 17.
This absolutely delicious Corned Beef Hash and Eggs was phenomenal. I was unsure about the corned beef aspect of this dish, lol but I just went up to my deli and asked for a cut of corned beef and it turned out, amazing! This would be great for breakfast, lunch or for dinner.
I made this Irish Tea Cake when my MMBesty came over for coffee the other day. It was light, subtle, and the perfect cake to go with tea or coffee. Super simple to make and a perfect accompaniment to your next coffee date.
The Kids love a good Shamrock Shake and this one was super yummy! No need to go to American owned McDonald’s lol just make this minty milkshake at home and get double the satisfaction!
Ninja and I made these Pistachio Martinis for our podcast the other day and we were pleasantly surprised by their delicious taste. If you are looking for a unique martini, this pretty cocktail will check all the boxes.
Yum! What do you get when you replace the milk with Irish cream in your French toast recipe? Irish Toast of course! I was a bit worried that this would be overpowering with Irish cream flavour, but it was very subtle. What an easy way to make your French toast truly special.
This month I read What the Wind Knows by Amy Harmon. This is a historical fiction that takes place in Ireland and I learned so much about the country, it’s history, and so much more. This is a beautiful love story set in the magical Irish countryside.
Ingredients
2 1/2 cups corned beef, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1 pound russet potatoes , cut into 1/4-inch dice
1/2 cup bell pepper, diced
3/4 cup onion, diced
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup green onions, thinly-sliced
1/4 cup parsley, chopped
1 teaspoon thyme, chopped
1/4 cup chicken stock
4-6 eggs
salt and pepper, to taste
Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Steam diced potatoes in a steamer basket, for 5-7 minutes, until potatoes are just tender. Set aside.
In a skillet, melt butter over medium-high heat. Add onion, bell pepper, and 1/2 teaspoon each salt and pepper. Sauté until vegetables are softened, about 5 minutes.
Stir in corned beef and cook until fat is released and corned beef is just starting to brown, about 3 minutes. Add potatoes and cook, occasionally (and gently) flipping the hash with a spatula, until potatoes are browned and corned beef is crisp in areas, about 6 minutes.
Stir in green onions, thyme, and parsley. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Drizzle chicken stock over the hash. Use a spoon to make 4-6 wells in the hash and crack one egg into each well. Bake until the whites are set and the yolks are still runny, about 8-14 minutes. OR if you like your eggs fried, make them separate like us! If you cook the egg separate, place the egg on top of the hash and sprinkle eggs with salt and cracked pepper.
Ingredients
½ cup butter, room temperature
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 ¾ cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup whole milk
1 tablespoon icing sugar, for dusting
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease a 9-inch round cake pan and set aside.
In a bowl, add butter and sugar. Using a stand mixer, beat until creamed and fluffy, about 1-2 minutes. Add eggs and vanilla and mix until creamy and smooth.
In a separate bowl, add flour, baking powder, and salt. Whisk to combine and remove clumps.
Add half of dry ingredients to butter mixture and gently mix until just incorporated. Add half of milk and gently mix to incorporate. Repeat once more to incorporate remaining dry ingredients and milk. Do not overmix.
Pour batter into prepared cake pan. Bake for about 26-32 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean.
Cool cake in pan on a wire cooling rack. Once cooled, turn out onto a serving plate and dust the top with confectioner's sugar just before serving.
Ingredients
2 cups vanilla ice cream
1 cup milk
1/4 teaspoon peppermint extract
2 drops green food colouring
Garnish: whipped cream, maraschino cherry
Directions
Place ice cream, milk, peppermint extract, and food colouring in a blender. Blend until smooth.
Pour milkshake into glasses. Top with whipped cream and a cherry.
Ingredients
2 oz vodka
1 oz amaretto
1 oz Irish cream
3/4 oz blue curacao
1.5 oz simple syrup
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 cup pistachios, crushed
Directions
In a cocktail shaker, combine the vodka, amaretto, vanilla, Irish cream, and blue curacao.
Fill the shaker with ice and shake vigorously for at least 25 seconds until well chilled.
Pour the simple syrup onto a plate. Dip the rim of your martini glass into the syrup, coating it evenly. Spread the crushed pistachios on a separate plate. Dip the syrup-coated rim into the pistachios, ensuring an even coating.
Strain the cocktail mixture from the shaker into the prepared martini glass.
Ingredients
8-12 slices French, or thick-cut white bread
2-3 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup Irish Cream liqueur
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
Garnish: butter, syrup, whipped cream
Directions
In a large skillet, melt butter over medium heat.
Whisk together eggs, Irish Cream, and vanilla.
Dip each side of your bread slices in the egg mixture and put them in the pan.
Cook each side until golden brown, about 2 minutes on each side. Add butter to the pan as needed for cooking. Plate and top with butter, syrup and whipped cream.
I have never read a book about Ireland and their war against Britain and later, the civil war so this book peaked my interest right away. I love how Anne describes her relationship with religion in the first few chapters, it’s very similar to my “religious buffet“ belief system. This is a book about Irish politics in the 1920’s, a story about family, but deep down it is a love story that spans the ages. What comes first, the chicken or the egg? Time travel always leaves me with this question and this book explores that exact thing. Magic, love and history all rolled in to one beautiful story.
Check out How Was Your Week, Honey? Episode #418 It’s All Ick. This week, we get together to discuss: power struggle, anxiety, buy Canadian, speaking up, bedroom cleaning, flying, subtitles, SOW, history repeating, and Severance.
Last week my Comfort Chicken post was featured on Crazy Little Lovebirds Link Party!
This week felt like the first week of spring! I worked, it rained, Ninja and SBean finished painting the bathroom and we celebrated Pink Shirt Day. I have been spending as much time as possible on the balcony, enjoying the sunshine and reading. Ninja took the Kids up the mountain to use SBean’s telescope and see seven planets align in the night sky! The Kids went to see Beetlejuice Jr, HBear worked and curled while her boyfriend was in Vancouver winning the Regional Robotics Competition! SBean surprised us this weekend and decided to bake some homemade cinnamon rolls and Oliver continues to live his best life!
2 thoughts on “St. Paddy’s Day Treats & Reality TV”
A nice round-up of recipes for the upcoming St. Paddy’s day. I am happy to feature your recipes at Love Your Creativity.
Thank you so much! See you next week at the Love Your Creativity link party!