Bit O Irish

I have been told that I am a quarter Irish which if true would make my daughter an eighth Irish I think. Like me she most definitely has the fair skin that would be right at home in Donegal or Wicklow or dancing in the heath and boglands. We didnt do a whole lot around here for Saint Patty's day, another odd holiday that I need to get some traditions for. Perhaps Daniel and I could run the Shamrock Marathon that they hold in Virginia Beach every year, I have always wanted to say that I ran a marathon, despite the fact that the last time I ran a mile was probably in sixth grade. I dont know, it would be quite an accomplishment but I think whipping up a shephard's pie and washing it down with a pint of Guinness and an Iris coffee to finish sounds more my speed and would do the holiday more justice. For the rest of the year I will have to keep my eye out for a great recipe for Shephards pie, or perhaps a nice black pudding. This year though we just whipped up some green confectioneries and shouted Happy Saint Patty's Day to everyone we encountered. Or as Madeline called it, Happy Saint Maddy's Day!

The recipe I used for vanilla cupcakes called for room temperature eggs. I never realized how long it would take to bring eggs out of the fridge to room temp. I got quite impatient and tried to get creative. One way was to put them in the muffin papers and put them on top of the coffee maker that was brewing, it worked pretty well.

Maddie super excited to be my kitchen helper. She couldnt decide which holiday we were celebrating.

The time honored tradition of licking the beaters.

The moss in our backyard which I wish would grow more, one can never have too much moss. I swear a leprechaun would be right at home there.

Our green cupcakes! We made three different shades of green icing but they didnt turn out as green as I wanted. Thats ok, they were pretty darn tasty.