A touch of Irish

March is a fun month one of my favorite meals is very popular on March 17. Coming from an Irish background; although I would really say the family is more of a Hinze 57 variety; we always had Corned Beef and cabbage on St. Patties Day. My parents would also go to the local pub and sip on green beer. A taste I never developed is drinking beer of any kind. But it is good in some of my recipes. Just saw some Alaska beers that I'm wanting to try in some brownies and cake recipes. Okay I almost got sidetracked with the beer! But stay tuned in a few days will be trying those out. Back to corned beef and cabbage - I cook mine on the stove top for a good 3 to 4 hours on simmer after its been brought it to a boil. I like my corned beef very tender. Usually sliced thin or pulled apart in chunks is how it gets served here. If you can not cut the corned beef with your fork don't serve it to me! During the last 1/2 hour of cooking the corned beef add russet potatoes cut in 4ths and chopped chunks of carrots and then at the last 5/10 minutes cabbage cut in wedges. You want the cabbage cooked but not mush...Cabbage cooks very quickly so watch it carefully when you add. A meal made for kings - well I think so! I also make up a small bowl of fresh horseradish and mayo for a side dipping sauce for the meat. Adds a slight punch to your taste buds. I also like just a shot of mustard on the side to dip a bit of corned beef into. But mainly its the veggies that I love digging into! Its the part of the meal I've waited 3 hours for the melting of the various flavors is wonderful. But I have mentioned before I not much on eating meats, just give me veggies! Cooked veggies such as the picture I took just before dinner makes me one happy Alaskan girl!

Making Marshmallows

I only recently learn how to make home made marshmallows. Now I can't get enough of making them! I love just stirring the sugar mixture on the shop, its relaxing. Then when it is ready pouring into a bowl to cool slightly and then using the electric mixer to beat into white yummy fluff. To me it is magical that each batch turns into a pan of fluffy marshmallows. I've been sending the test samples off to a special man in my life. My partners father. He lives in California, tells me he isn't a real judge of what is good or bad if cooked, but swears he loves these treats he is getting & they are the best he has ever had, then in the next breathe tells me he Has to excerise extra hard now to maintain his high school weight. LOL for a man who is 86 years old he is in excellent shape! He was the high school PE teacher and coach for several sports before he retired. He is slender and just as cute as he can be. I just tell him if he wants just toss the treats in the trash it won't hurt my feelings or share with all his buddies down at the YMCA swimming hole that he goes to 3 times a week. He has called a couple of times now when he runs out of fresh Marshmallows and makes up some funny excuse and then I know its time to make a new batch and mail them out. Friday I made a batch of Anise flavored marshies. The ones I test tasted where really good! Soooo I know Dad will love them. I'll be adding them to my shop tomorrow. Pop on over to my Etsy shop and place your order