3/18/17

Gathering Graces 3/17/2017

*The day started off by going down to The Bean Coffee Shop here in Kellogg and visiting with one of my cherished friends Stephanie Bauman Broaddus.  Her and her family used to live here in Kellogg until they relocated to the state of Oklahoma a few years ago.  But she continues to return to visit every so often, so we get to get together every few months or so, which is such a delight. 
*After getting coffee, I needed to go pick up a prescription from Kohal Pharmacy here in Kellogg, and had the most wonderful exchange with Yanhua Beier about her son Wolfgang who is in the Gear Up program, as well as National Honor Society.  I shared with her how much I enjoy her son, and we talked about his future plans, and about helping and encouraging him as he moves forward.  I love having talks like that with the parents of the students I works with, because each and every one of the students I works with has something unique about them, and has potential to do great things!!
*When I got home, it was very nice outside so I walked around the yard and took photos of what flowers were coming up, what bushes had buds, and the leftover signs of Georgia the Moose.  (I also researched a bit about moose droppings, and found out we can put them in the compost bin to use in the garden!!) It was around 50 degrees, which seemed really warm after the type of weather we have been having.  The snow is melting away, and it is starting to feel like spring is coming.  On Monday, March 20th, spring is officially here!!
*My afternoon was spent grocery shopping and preparing our St. Patrick’s Day Family Dinner.  I had purchased a package of Corned Beef a few weeks ago when I had gone to Costco, so I just needed to get some potatoes, carrots onions and cabbage.  I put these vegetables (except the cabbage) in the crockpot, put the meat on top, and rubbed the seasoning into the beef.  Then I poured a bottle of Irish Death dark, smooth ale over the meat and vegetables, and added a little thyme onto the top, and let it cook away.  About an hour before dinner was to be served, I added the cabbage to the crockpot. You can find the recipe here.  I also made Irish Soda Bread, which required basting the outside every 15 minutes while it was baking with a combination of melted butter and buttermilk.  It was delicious. The bread recipe is here.  I have been watching the cooking show Chopped, and one of the go to desserts many contestants make is bread pudding, and every time they make I think to myself that I should make bread pudding more often.  So I found a wonder recipe (which is here) for Irish Bread Pudding with Irish Whiskey Caramel Sauce.  It was yummy, yummy, yummy!!!  A perfect ending to our St. Patrick’s Day feast!!
*Dinner was a little later than usual because Christy worked at the library and Paul taught Driver’s Ed until about 7.  So before dinner Christy made some Irish-themed green cocktails and I had purchased some Kerrygold Dubliner and Kerrygold Skellig cheese and crackers to munch on while we waited for dinner to be ready.  The cocktail was delicious, and the cheeses where slightly sweet.  I love when our local Yoke’s grocery store has some special treats like this cheese that we can easily purchase.

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