Woman Crush Wednesday Special Edition

November 18, 2015November 18, 2016 ~ Harper220

Woman Crush Wednesday! Yipee! And yes if you couldn’t tell today is and forever shall be my favorite day of the week. It’s because of the famous foodie infatuation that happens when we honor our favorite women chefs. However since I am on my way to see my favorite peeps (aka family) than I guess we shall forgo the usual craic in the kitchen accompanied by bad singing and bad dancing (but always good recipes) if that is okay… just this once.

I thought it might be a good idea to take a little walk back in time over these last two months and see just how much love we have been throwing around the kitchen. We have met seven beautiful and talented chefs, whom we have learned about and have learned from, on this journey. Just to make it a bit easier (as I know my blog has yet to flesh itself out organizationally speaking) I will include links to all my previous posts in the recap of each of the recipients.

Our first three women hailed from my soul home the Emerald Isle! We started off with the super sweet (minus the refined sugar) Susan Jane White. And what an inaugural #WCW! We sure had fun making her delicious and nutritious treats. Here is the link if you want to take a gander at the gorgeousness (hers and the megawatt breakfast bars)! Just be forewarned, you WILL fall in love with her dimples! And you wouldn’t meet a nicer person! She’s a keeper! So is her latest book The Virtuous Tart which is on the short list at this year’s Irish Book Awards.

Next we stepped into the shoes of Rachel Allen, one of my beloved former Ballymaloe Cookery School teachers. She elegantly guided us through the most stunning Broccoli Soup, and one look at her flawless face and you too will be stunned! Wowza! Here is the link and I guarantee you, besides drooling over her photos, you will want to give the soup a go! Especially with all these cold storms blowing in these days! Yet she braved stormy seas for her new book, Coast, also recently announced as a nominee at the Irish Book Awards.

Our third honoree was none other than the lovely Trish Deseine. A legend in the culinary world, Trish’s return to her homeland after many years living in Paris has come with more than open arms. The good news she was back on Irish soil was fortified by the “Land of a Thousand Welcomes” with a nomination for her book Home. Here is the link to our epistle on her ethereal self, which also includes her most amazing apple cake recipe that we made on the day.

YDP flew over the Irish Sea to the UK for the next #WCW star. Or shall I say, stars! Yes we honored the Hemsley Sisters and discovered the secret to their smarts, stamina and striking looks! They do indulge in great food, but with a conscience. So we followed their lead and made some of their nom nom Black Bean Brownies! Check out this link if you want to be amazed at their ascent into the posh pages of Brit magazines and give their recipe a whirl. You won’t regret it! One thing I will never regret is meeting the sisters at the Feastival this past summer. Doubly delicious!

The next Brit who got some lovin’ was the most adorable and approachable Sabrina Ghayour. Quite honestly I can’t say enough good things about her as she continually bowls me over with her kindness…and her kick-A food! This girl can cook! I was lucky enough to attend one of her cooking demonstrations. Trust me all her recipes are da bomb! Open her book Persiana with your eyes closed and choose anything. You will love it. But I like to think just cuz it’s cold outside doesn’t mean we can’t have a salad! So for our lovefest with Sabrina we made a sexy fig and green bean number that would knock your winter wooly socks off! Here is the link if you are in the mood.

Our last English Rose was the positively upbeat powerhouse that is Lorraine Pascale. Her series of books, all with “made easy” in the title, is quite a feat. Especially since life hasn’t been easy for her. But you would never know it. Her smile would light the world if ever there were a global power outage. And her food is freaking fantastic. We crushed all over her delectable banana and rum loaf. Here is the link because you will want to make this and get to know her as well! Get ready for some great inspo!

Finally we headed stateside for our first American chef. But here is the twist, Laura Vitale was actually born in Italy and moved to the U.S. at twelve years of age. So she is a dual citizen like I am! It is great to get to know someone else who is extremely patriotic about both halves. She is a real go-getter and racks up recipes like nobody’s business! We made her cauliflower cheese gratin, which is a real winner just like she is. Check out the link for yourself and enjoy this comfort food recipe in the comfort of your own home.

While I’ve had the pleasure of meeting in person three of our honorees (which actually is four because of the Hemsley’s) I want to introduce you to someone who deserves a #WCW honor all to herself. I briefly mentioned something about her in the #WCW post featuring Lorraine Pascale. Dr. Stacy Smith, a most incredible human being and dear friend of mine, is making her own mark in the world. However, not in the culinary sphere but in communication. She is the foremost authority on media analysis studies. She began her career doing groundbreaking work on violence on television and its affects on children. Next she focused her research on over sexualization in children’s programing (yeah, Disney, you had your day under Stacy’s microscope). The last several years have seen the most eye opening data coming out of Dr. Smith’s Media, Diversity, & Social Change Initiative at the University of Southern California. And the most specific area she is working on at the moment has to do with gender equality in Hollywood. She and her team painstakingly comb through the top 100 films each year and track the number of roles for women. Not only the roles we see on screen but also the writers, directors and other “below the line” folks on the credits. Her reports are quoted by any number of news outlets everyday. When she speaks, the world takes notice! By brining to light the struggles of women trying to climb the ladder of success in Hollywood (and let’s face it who doesn’t like a bit of news from tinsel town) this call to action could help bridge the gender employment and compensation disparity.

I pointed out to her that it isn’t just the film industry that deals with this issue. The culinary world has been dominated by men for as long as anyone can remember. Which is ironic considering that cooking in the home was traditionally the woman’s domain. The women who have climbed up the soup ladles (my term for the proverbial ladder in a professional kitchen) know all too well the challenges. However, in this fab article by L.A. chef Suzanne Goin, sometimes you gotta just get stuck in and deal with it! Have a read here for yourself.

By the way, for the record, though I am feminine, I am not a feminist. I am a humanist (if that is what you call it). I believe in equality not just for gender, but for race and religion too. However, because at present it isn’t so, some people are doing their part to bring attention to the situation. Stacy is not out walking a picket line. But she is in the lab objectively analyzing the facts, about which no one can argue. Likewise, I am not out on a picket line. But I try to bring a little sparkle to our special gourmet girls. Nothing against the men in the foodie world. They are ‘totes amazo’ and they do get loads of attention from all over the place. And I love them too. But the only man you will see me crush on is my hubby! And because he crushes on me too, he asked if I would share something with you.

I wasn’t sure I would actually post a proper link to these videos even though I might have causally mentioned it. Hubby rarely asks for anything, and he specifically asked me to do this. Not just because he filmed and edited them did he want me to share them, but because he is my #1 fan! Even though he spends hours upon hours (in his spare time) filming and editing these, he still laughs at my quirky bits. I guess it is a good sign when your Hubby still likes your dorky dance moves. So without further ado, below are the direct links to two cooking demos from yours truly, Yankee Doodle Paddy. But I’m giving you fair warning…be prepared for bad singing, bad dancing, but some darn good recipes! For those of you who follow me on snapchat (username: blissbakery) this is nothing new. You have to deal with these wacky food installments on a regular basis! Especially on Woman Crush Wednesday. Too bad the snapchat video stories disappear within 24 hours. It’s a total “Love-apolooza”! LOL! And with a few more demos in the can (aka already filmed ready to be edited) you will be seeing more very soon! Enjoy!

Posh Nosh: Bacon Wrapped Dates

Weekend Wonder: Pumpkin Pancakes

Crushed up love,

YDP

P.S. By the way, since three of our amazing ladies are up for awards for their books, here is a link if you would be so kind as to place a vote. The deadline is this Friday the 20th of November. The awards will be announced at a gala event on the 25th. Thanks in advance for your support of the Irish contingent of our Woman Crush Wednesday recipients. Best of luck to them too!

Recipe: Purple People Eaters

November 17, 2015November 18, 2016 ~ Harper220

What’s your favorite color? Mine is blue! I’m not sure why, I just like it. I enjoy the blue of the ocean and the sky. And it is the best color for me to wear as it matches my eyes. I have loads of it in my house and when my kids were young I even had a blue colored car. Sure I like most of the other colors in the spectrum. I’ve had my issues with yellow, but I’ve worked that out as you know from my mustard story on here. But there is a big problem I have yet to work out, and it is that I just don’t like purple. I may not know exactly why I love blue, but I defo know why I don’t like purple and it boils down to one reason… that reason stems back to my childhood. “There she goes again” I can hear you say! But you would feel the same way about purple if you had to deal with this one.

So I told you already on here about our family car the ice cream truck. Well after that fun lovin vehicle we had a purple Pontiac. They didn’t normally come in purple as a purchase option, and I don’t think they do these days either. But my mom had this great idea to take our Pontiac Le Mans, which was gold with a black hard top, into a place called Earl Schieb’s. Earl could do you up a paint job on your car real nice, and for only $19.95! Well that is what the television advertisements said anyway. My mom had this paint swatch (like the kind you get at the hardware store) with different shades of purple. She carried it with her everywhere. She wanted to make sure she picked the right color and was very excited about getting a new coat of paint on her car. Well, I didn’t think it was all that great, but no one asked me.

But one day she came to pick me up from school in that car. She was rolling down the street with the music blasting. As if the color of the car itself wouldn’t make people turn their heads?! Remember this was in the era of the wood paneled station wagon (think of the show Brady Bunch). Our family just looked like the psychedelic bunch! I was used to that moniker, but on this day I happened to be walking with a boy whom I liked. We weren’t officially going steady, but it was a crush. His name was Pat (short for Patrick, haha me and my Irishness). Anyway, I pretended not to notice her. So she made an illegal u-turn and came back around on the side we were walking on and revved the engine. Since it was an old car, it kind of went “vroom vroom, splat, splat, splunk!” As it died right there in the road she screamed out the window, “Hey Karen come on we have to go to the laundromat”. Like I didn’t know that by looking in the car which was filled to the brim with dirty clothes. I was so embarrassed at that juncture. I barely looked at Pat when I slinked into the Purple People Eater!

These days being the foodie that I am, I’ve noticed chefs getting all excited about purple food. Everyday its all about purple sprouting broccoli, purple potatoes, purple eggplant/aubergines in every recipe I see. I haven’t jumped on the bandwagon yet. In fact I am so anti purple that I only buy green grapes! Until today! I went out and got some purple grapes and decided to make my own Purple People Eaters! I want to lick this dislike of mine for purple. I mean its not purple’s fault! With these two super easy recipes, if you have a dislike, or even a mild mediocre opinion of the color, you will become a purple promoter! One recipe is savory and one is sweet. You can even eat them all in one meal as I did, my lunch then my dessert after!

Ingredients for Savory:

500 g (or a little over 1 lb) of Purple Grapes (or reddish if they don’t have purple) make sure they are seedless and rinse them before using

2 shallots, peeled and cut lengthwise into quarters

Fresh sprigs of thyme (or another herb such as rosemary)

Olive oil (just a couple tablespoons at the most)

Salt and Pepper (to taste)

Instructions:

Heat the oven to 200 C/400F. In a large baking tray put in the grapes (with the branches/stems still attached but in smallish bunches), the shallots, and the fresh thyme (put some sprigs and also a teaspoon of the chopped leaves), drizzle all of this with a bit of olive oil and sprinkle with the salt and pepper. Delicately mix them all up buy shaking the tray back and forth. Then roast for 45 minutes to 1 hour depending on the size of the grapes. You want them to be a bit reduced and shriveled but still holding a bit of their shape. Also the shallots should be a bit caramelized. Remove from the oven and serve alongside a lovely pan seared steak. Or as I did, in a salad with some dressed mixed leaves, toasted pine nuts, goat’s cheese and cooked shredded chicken for the best lunch ever!

Ingredients for Sweet:

500 g (or a little over 1 lb) of Purple Grapes (or reddish if they don’t have purple) make sure they are seedless and rinse before using.

1 box of jello gelatin any flavor you like (I used lemon), which is 3 oz (85 g)

Instructions:

Remove the grapes from the branches/stems and rinse very well and drain. Place the contents of the jello pack on a plate or a bowl. While the grapes are still wet roll them in the dry jello crumbs until the grapes are fully coated. Then place on a parchment lined tray and put in the refrigerator for at least an hour until they firm a bit. Eat as a snack while watching tele (they taste like a healthy version of Sour Patch Kids) or use as your dessert instead of a calorific cupcake like I did!

It is a funny thing how kids get embarrassed by their parents. Do you think parents are ever embarrassed by their kids? I remember one time my son and I were home alone and me being me (which if you know me is pretty wacky) I was doing something he obviously didn’t like. He said, “Oh my God Mom you are embarrassing me!” in that teenage sort of tone. I responded with, “I think that it might be necessary for a third person to be present in order for you to feel embarrassed, no?” He just shook his head and said the classic line, “Whatever!” I could have used the old standby that most parents say, about walking barefoot ten miles in the snow to get to school. However, my story would have been about walking with a boy I fancied and having my mom cruise up in the purple people eater. But I just bit my lip hence you got the ear full, but you also got a couple of recipes to boot! Enjoy!

Purple Rain of Love,

YDP

Recipe: Love Wins!

November 16, 2015November 18, 2016 ~ Harper220

“Love is the force that transforms and improves the face of the world.”

-Paulo Cohelo

Last night was the culmination of a weeklong competition I was hosting on social media called #LOVEfest. I wrote about it already on here last week, but wanted to just share a few thoughts about it. A sort of debriefing or re-entry after one of the most amazing experiences I have ever had. In fact, last night after my final snap on snapchat when I announced the winners, I broke down in tears.

Don’t fret, they were tears of joy actually. And playing some of Elton John’s “Can You Feel the Love Tonight” as my background music probably helped the tears flow like the rain in Simba’s pride’s final battle in the The Lion King. It is just that in light of what has happened in the world the last few days since I wrote my original post about the lovefest, now more than ever I suppose people are re-evalutating things in the world. And certainly when looking at the quote at the very top, what is the face of the world today?

With hundreds of entries in this competition it was easy to pick out who would win two of the three prizes. With a prize going to the first entry I received, that was simple enough. The hard part was not letting on who it was! Even the prize for most entries by one person was straight forward, it was just down to counting. However there were a few people who were literally on fire sending me multiple images every day of the competition. So it was close! I was delighted as it made me see how excited people were at finding love and hearts in their world. Even in the most unsuspecting of places. However it was the prize for best image that had me in a conundrum. How could I choose? Like a parent deciding which child they loved best? So I had an epiphany that I should put all the names in a hat and draw one out during my live snapchat announcement.

Of course we had to have a last minute “pump up pep talk” with the help of my pretty pit Stella

As 9pm on 15/11/15 was drawing near, the images were flying in fast and furious. And beautiful heartfelt notes along with them saying that, especially since the Paris terrorist attacks, this was indeed something to help them take their pain and put it into a positive. The irony is that I never actually stated what the winning prizes were going to be. I have hosted several competitions before, and my Hubby thinks that my followers knew they would get a good prize so they didn’t worry. But it was almost as if the prize was irrelevant. In fact on my birthday this past Friday I received from all of them so many good wishes, birthday cards and in fact even gifts from my followers. My heart was so full it was about to burst. And along with all those participating in the competition, we agreed, that though we can’t change the whole world, by planting seeds of love where we stand maybe love will grow beyond our immediate environment.

I announced the winner for first snap to NIAMH. Her entry, which she literally sent to me on snapchat within moments after I posted the competition, was of a head of broccoli. Ooh I personally love me some broccoli! And though it did have a heart shape, she emphasized it even more by adding some snapchat animation to it with a LOVEly red heart!

Then I announced the winner for most snaps to Jan. She had sent me in a week’s time seventy five images of hearts and LOVE in her world. This was astonishing considering the fact that for some of it she was traveling and didn’t have wifi access. She had so many amazing snaps but one stood out in particular. It was quite funny because of it’s unlikely location and also that she hadn’t noticed it before. A heart at the bottom of the fire blanket box in her apartment building.

Finally I drew a name, not from a hat, but from a heart box of mine that has been with me for quite some time. I put all the names on paper, folded them up and gave the heart a shake. Which is what literally happened to me this week. My heart was shaken to its core with all the LOVE that flowed in from Ireland, America and the U.K. The name I pulled out was Sheeners15! I remembered one of her many entries because I don’t think I ever noticed the heart on the Pink Lady Apple sticker before, and I eat them all the time. So you see how much the participants were opening my eyes as well?

I made a brief (because I was weepy) congratulatory speech to the winners and all the participants and told them it had been an honor to host such a special contest. And of course I encouraged them to keep spreading the love. By creating and finding these heart and love images, they are reinforcing the fact that behind the visual reminders is what it is all about…..LOVE! Since it is love that features in my cooking (my secret ingredient) and indeed visually, as the letters in my home are visible to all when I do my snapchat cooking demos, I feel passionately about promoting my beloved purpose in life.

I received news back from the winners with their addresses so I could send off their winning care packages. They were over the moon! As well I received amazing notes from people who didn’t win but thanked me for doing it as they shared how much they loved the competition. People even sent snaps congratulating the other winners! Wow!

So you see, social media can be used in a positive way. I have met all these folks through snapchat, twitter and instagram and have witnessed firsthand the kindness of strangers. I have seen people competing in a fair and friendly way. I have seen those who may have “lost” but still praise the winners and share their gratefulness for simply being part of the game. And it makes me realize that we can make a positive difference in this world, because no matter how big or small, a positive will always outweigh a negative! Because LOVE wins!

Love & Hearts,

YDP

ps. I think it is ironic that the week I started this competition Twitter decided to change from using stars as a way to “favorite” a tweet to using hearts! Oh, it was controversial, but it was a LOVEable choice! Good one Twitter!

Here is just a small sampling of the #LOVEfest images sent to me this week…..

Several folks found LOVE in their cooking

Some found it in the clouds

Some found it in their coffee

And of course mommies found it in their kids

Even siblings found some LOVE

Loads found LOVE with their pets

And some found LOVE in nature

Some even found it on their clothes without previously noticing, including me and my scarf!

Lots of LOVE on toys

Some found it in their lunch

Some found it in their treats

And then we have the fabulous Cheerios Heart! Which even rivals the other cereal heart found here if you click on my twitter.

People were looking up high (as in a wall shelf) and looking down low (as on the ground)

And some used their LOVEfest snaps as a way to show solidarity

And like me, people used hearts and LOVE to be inspired everyday!

Two of my fav #LOVEfest images came from #bffs (best friends forever) as their separate snaps showed that like love it takes two, a give and receive, a reciprocal representation of love in action! Right, so I just did all that philosophical analysis over a heart shaped sambo they made! LOL! But when you’re on a LOVE roll you just do that sort of thing!

Oh wait, you’re thinking to yourself the title says “Recipe: Love Wins!” which means there should be a recipe, right? HELLOOOOO! The recipe is clear, concise and you can go forth in confidence. Spread love my friends! That’s it! Wherever, whenever and however! xoxo

Recipe: BBC Good Foodie Fieldrip Friday

November 14, 2015April 1, 2018 ~ Harper220

This week was a “specialdition” of Foodie Fieldtrip Friday. It was a Friday the 13th (which I think is lucky) and my birthday. Hubby gave me a ticket to the BBC Good Food Show at the Olympia here in London. I mean what do you give a girl who doesn’t have everything and doesn’t want everything? You give her what she is passionate about, and for me that is FOOD!

So I took the tube to “F cubed” (that’s FFF for Foodie Fieldtrip Friday) and was bowled over when I walked into the Olympia and saw the vast array of food stalls, restaurant kiosks and food theaters showcasing top chefs doing demonstrations. The “Super Theater” was set aside for the A list celebuchefs, and Hubby booked me in to see Mary Berry and Paul Hollywood demo together. Inside there were thousands of seats waiting for the eager fans to sit on the edge of every word the chefs uttered. They asked for two volunteers from the audience and while I didn’t get chosen, it was actually a good thing. I was capturing the whole experience for snapchat and don’t think I could have managed both things simultaneously!

The Great British Bake Off, one of the U.K’s top shows, just recently completed their sixth and most successful season. As hosts of the show, Mary and Paul are institutions in the culinary world with numerous top selling books between them. In the short time they were on stage, they each demonstrated one dish and doled out competing kitchen tips while they seamlessly sautéed and whipped away. Mary made a lovely Chicken, Shallot and Asparagus main course and Paul baked a gorgeous Chocolate and Cherry Roulade. They had the audience in stitches of laughter with their cute banter as they argued about how to separate eggs and whether the roulade should be rolled away or towards. They reminded me of an old married couple!

After the the superstar demo I couldn’t help myself and wandered up towards the stage. The MC for the event, Andy Friedlander, was still on stage and I introduced myself. He was so kind and took a photo with me. I look like a goof ball but I was so excited! He told me that he usually works in sporting events, but he is involved with the BBC Good Food Show every year. He did a great job as a mediator between Paul and Mary, savory and sweet. He kept everything tied up together nice and neat.

I spent the rest of the afternoon poking around and enjoying all the food tastings, entering give away competitions, and having lunch (the same food prepared in the demonstration). Mary’s chicken was incredible, so moist and subtly flavored. The shallots added a nice sweetness and there was a bit of tang with a touch of lemon and creme fraiche. And Paul’s roulade was the perfect little birthday treat as I adore chocolate and the cherries were a delicious addition.

I bought a few goodies while I was there, some gourmet popcorn, some artisan crisps and an amazing pack of flowering teas. Not only are they beautifully tasting but they look beautiful as well! I also received a big goodie bag, and I felt like it was my birthday party favor. I mean it really was a foodie freebie giveaway galore. I could have stayed all weekend and not seen it all. I never actually stopped by the booze booths. There were numerous Gin, Wine, Craft Beer and Whiskey displays, all on tasting. They even had a Cocktail Class where you could learn how to become a mixologist.

My favorite area was a place for people to write down their kitchen tips and display them on a clothesline for all to read. It made me realize even more that food and cooking are communal. Even if we aren’t sharing our kitchens with others while we prepare our dinners each night, we can certainly share our helpful hints. And of course I had to share mine!

Though I had to dash out as I had my birthday dinner with Hubby, I got to peak at Sabrina Gayhour’s cooking demo on one of the various stages. She was making my all time fav nibble, her Lamb Lollipops. She was one of our Woman Crush Wednesday recipients and I was gutted I couldn’t stay for her entire presentation and say hello to her afterwards. But it made me realize that I wanted to share her recipe with you as it was one of the recipes I learned while taking her cooking class a couple of weeks ago. It is super easy, yet the flavors are very complex. And hands down, they are so darn good I am still dreaming about them!

Lamb Lollipops

Serves 4
3 heaped tsp cumin seeds
500g minced lamb
100g dried cranberries
2 large eggs
1 medium onion, minced in a food processor or very finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 heaped tsp ground turmeric
1 small (20g) packet of flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped – stalks and all
2 heaped tsp salt
A generous amount of black pepper
Vegetable oil for frying

For the yoghurt
250g thick Greek yoghurt
Finely grated zest of 2 unwaxed oranges
Juice of ½ an orange
2 heaped tsp ground coriander
2 tbsp olive oil
Generous seasoning of salt and pepper to taste
1 small packet (20g) of fresh mint, leaves picked and roughly chopped

To serve
Sumac
Tortilla wraps

1 In a preheated pan over a medium/high heat, dry-fry the cumin seeds to waken up/intensify their flavour; this will take a few minutes, but be careful not to burn the seeds– just toast them lightly.

2 Preheat a large frying pan over a medium heat (or high if using electric).

3 In a large mixing bowl, add together all the kofta ingredients along with the toasted cumin seeds, then really work the mixture thoroughly using your hands, pummelling and working the meat mixture through, making sure the ingredients are evenly combined.

4 Drizzle some oil into your frying pan – just enough to coat the base of the pan.

5 Make your koftas by taking a small amount of the mixed meat mixture – about the size of a ping-pong ball – and then roll each one into a ball. Then roll and flatten the ball in the palm of your hand into slightly elongated shapes and fry them for about 6-7 minutes on each side, until nicely browned and cooked through.

6 Mix the ingredients for the yoghurt together.

7 Season the koftas with sumac before serving in a wrap with the yoghurt drizzled over them.

It may be hard to believe, but even though I ate my way through the Olympia, I was still able to eat dinner. Sometimes you’ve gotta do what you gotta do. But all for a good cause! Seriously though, the dinner at the Portland restaurant was amazingly delish. We had a couple of little nibbles (pumpkin cakes they were called) and then went straight for our main courses. Hubby had venison with celeriac and I had cod with spring onions. We shared the most amazing side dish of broccoli that had been sautéed with almonds. I could have eaten that as a main dish it was that good! We were too full for dessert, but our server (a sweet lady from Ireland) brought out a little box with some tasty treats: Two lemon macrons and two pieces of brown butter cake.

While I feel like I am continuing to digest my fantabulous foodie fieldtrip from yesterday, I will no doubt still chew on some nuggets of wisdom from the day. Mary Berry was especially inspiring to see. Even at 80 years old she whizzes around the kitchen with vim, vigor and vitality. She loves what she does and it shows. You can tell she puts that love into her cooking. She is beautiful inside and out. And she isn’t afraid to speak her mind. I particularly loved when referring to her departed mom she said, “She went to heaven at 105” rather than saying she died, or passed away. I mean what a lovely way to remember her mom with such confidence and reverence, and also not worrying about offending anyone by using a Godly term!

I am looking forward to the next year of the BBC Good Food Show, but until then we will have quite a few more Foodie Fieldtrip Fridays, so thanks for coming along!

Filled to the Brim with Love,

YDP

P.S. Though the snapchat story (video I took on the day) has already expired, as they do within 24 hours, you are welcome to follow along anytime. My user name is blissbakery (all one word) and I do cooking tutorials and little visits around London. As well, my doggie Stella pops up here and there as well. The only thing is that the photographs from snapchat, which I often use on my blog posts, aren’t the best quality. So apologies in advance. But if you have read ABC of YDP you will already know that!

Triskaidekaphobia + 51 is the new 21!

November 13, 2015November 13, 2017 ~ Harper220 ~ 2 Comments

Triskaidekaphobia (or fear of the number 13) is an actual phobia. It is so legit in fact that some airplanes do not have a 13th row, hotels do not include a 13th floor, horse racing tracks don’t have a number 13 stall. etc, etc. In 2013, Ireland (a country known for being a bit superstitious) changed the vehicle registration plates to start with 131 or 132 instead of 13. There are theories as to when this all started, but it usually goes back to Biblical times and Judas, the betrayer, being the thirteenth person at the Last Supper.

To be even more specific, scientists have given a fear of Friday the 13th yet another distinction, paraskevidekatriaphobia! Some people stay in bed all day for safety because they believe the day to be bad luck. But since I was born on a Friday the 13th I like to believe it’s a day of good luck! Today I am celebrating my 51st birthday. That makes this the 8th time I have had my birthday fall on a Friday the 13th. Eight is another of my lucky numbers. I say that like I am some kind of gambino, which I am not. It is so funny how people get all worked up over a number or a day. It is only because we have a calendar that says it is so. But nevertheless, I love this day and I love my birthday.

I am actually quite like a little girl all excited and giggly around this day. My Hubby likes to tease me that I have a birthday week (or even a birthday month) with various plans leading up to and following the big day: Lunches, brunches, FaceTime sessions, cards to open etc. Since I never had actual birthday celebrations as a child, maybe I am making up for it. But I do enjoy it as it only comes once per year. And since I lost my parents at a young age, I realize now more than ever that every year is precious!

Some people like to go all out on certain birthdays, especially the 16th, 18th, 21st, 30th, 40th etc. Of those, I suppose there were two that were significant celebrations. I had a big party for my 21st (it was the first actual party I ever had in fact). Though on my 21st, which in America is a big deal as it is when you are able to legally drink alcohol, I didn’t even have a sip of booze. I had an infant, whom I was breastfeeding, and a toddler to look after as well. I didn’t really start drinking any alcohol until I was well into my 30s by the way!

Seapoint receipts Crown Feb 12 2015 and Implant Jan 30 — This was taken at my 21st birthday party. That is me without a drinky-poo or a perm!

My 50th year was like a “birthday tour” which I’ve savored for quite a while. My friends in Ireland went all out for me and I had many celebratory events that made me feel very special. Then my Hubby organized a trip for all my family to meet up in Austin, TX. He rented a house from Air b&b and we cooked together, hiked together, rode bikes together and went on the most awesome food tour together! It was all so special and I’ll never forget it!

The good news about turning 50 is that there are so many candles, it’s like natural lighting! And this cake made with love by a friend was incredible!

Since then, this past year I have experienced so many life changes and transitions. Most significant was moving away from Ireland, my soul home, to London. It has been quite the paradigm shift! But it really is a cool city and is growing on me more everyday! I’ve been back to America several times to visit with family. I have spent wonderful times with my daughter, son in law and granddaughter (we are besties as she calls us) in their new home in Washington State. I was able to witness the birth of my second granddaughter when I was with them all summer. It was so emotional and a true privilege to be a part of the miracle of life. While Hubby and I usually do loads of travel together, this year our move has been a journey of its own. But we did go to Czech Republic in June when he was on a jury of a film festival. As well, in August, we went to Monet’s Garden in Giverny, France (where the impetus to begin this blog was spurned within me). And there is one more trip we will be taking soon which I am excited to share with you.

Birthdays are a time to reflect on the past and also to look to the future. What does the time beyond my 51st birthday look like? Well I have some things up my sleeve, but no matter what we plan, we have to leave room for God to surprise us! And I also think that I am going to start a new campaign slogan, “51 is the new 21” haha! I don’t care one bit about “age-ism” and am happy to share with anyone my chronological achievement. I feel grateful to have gotten this far and am excited about what lies ahead. I don’t clamor for “yesteryears” or complain about the increase in creases on my face. I just say NO to BO (tox) and love the body I’m in (or meat suit as I call it). It is all an incredible blessing! And so I want to thank you for sharing it with me!

Love, always and forever,

YDP

P.S. I had to include this image above as it reminds me of the time someone close to me (who shall remain anonymous) asked me if their birthday (which is on the 6th of July) ever fell on a Friday the 13th. I’ll leave it at that!

Recipe: #LOVEfest

November 12, 2015November 18, 2016 ~ Harper220

I’ve had a fondness for LOVE & HEARTS for a very long time. I try to find images of them when I am out and about in the world. I have taken numerous photos of things with the letters L-O-V-E and heart shapes, even in the most random of places. A street sign or a maintenance vehicle are unlikely spots you think of when you think of love. Yet when I see them I get so excited . They are visual reminders!! And I love it even more when it is foodie related. An accidental heart shaped scone. Or even an ‘on purpose’ heart shaped fried egg for a ‘breakfast in bed treat’ for a loved one.

My LOVE & HEART affection has become contagious as my granddaughter now likes to get into the hunt and search. She has helped me find hearts in loads of things such as a rock which we discovered on a walk this summer. Nature is filled with an abundance of love if we just look for it! Hubby has gotten into it as well and made me heart shaped toast for my birthday last year.

When I started on my snapchat journey I kept with the tradition and would snap away at various things that had heart and love images. Or else I would draw hearts on the snaps before I sent them to my story. I love that aspect of snapchat! Though I am defo not an artist, you can choose a color and write words or draw anything on top of the pic you snap. My go to is always a HEART! Some of my followers said they found my snaps to be heartwarming and enjoyed them. So I decided to put together this competition so they too could join in the hunt and search. I’ve done some competitions before for my snapchat followers, but this one has been by far the most loving contest ever. It’s also longer. I wanted to give people more time to spread the love! It’s been going on this whole week and will culminate with the winner or winners being announced on Sunday 15/11/15 at 9 pm.

There are three prizes, one for the first image sent to me. The second prize is for the most images sent to me. The third is for the best image. The images must be of a heart, or the word LOVE, but could also be something that represents love (such as lovers holding hands or a baby and momma hugging) . It is amazing to see how much love people are finding in their worlds. And I believe this shift of focus, into something positive, lifts a person’s spirits! Sometimes people only see the ugly things out there, and let’s face it, they are out there. The contest started on Sunday evening, when people are usually grumpy about the weekend ending. But this has put a little spark in the week. For all of us involved. I’ve been sending out snaps reminding them of LOVEfest week and thanking them for all the images they’ve sent. I have noticed, people are very competitive and are totally taking this seriously!

Of the several competitions I’ve done in the short time I’ve been on snapchat, this one has been the most fun for me. I am blown away by not only the amount of snaps I am getting, but by the creativity of the entires. It has been not only LOVEly but FabuLOVE! While I can’t show any of the entrants images until we have a winner on Sunday, I will share some of the pics I have taken along the way. As well I will share my red velvet cupcake recipe. Though I bake up this recipe pretty regularly, I always make it for Christmas and Valentine’s. But who says you need to wait until the holidays to share the love!?.

Red Velvet Cake

For the cake:

60 g unsalted butter, room temperature

150g caster sugar

1 egg room temperature

10 g cocoa powder

20 ml red food colouring

½ tsp vanilla extract

120 ml buttermilk

150 g plain flour, sifted

½ tsp baking soda

½ tsp salt

1 ½ tsp white wine vinegar

For the frosting:

300 g icing sugar

50 g unsalted butter, room temperature

125 g cream cheese

Preheat oven to 170 C/325F/Gas mark 3

In a large bowl of an electric mixer, beat butter and sugar until creamy and fluffy about 3-5 mins; add the egg slowly and beat until incorporated.

In a separate bowl mix together the cocoa powder, red food coloring and vanilla extract to make a thick, dark paste. Add to the butter/sugar/egg mixture and mix thoroughly until evenly combined (make sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula). Turn the mixer down and slowly pour in half the buttermilk. Beat until well mixed then add half the flour and mix until everything is well incorporated. Repeat this process until the buttermilk and flour have all been added. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and turn the mixer up and mix until it is smoother. Then turn mixer down and slowly add the salt, baking soda and the vinegar. Beat until well mixed.

Fill prepared baking tins and bake until done, when toothpick inserted in center comes out clean (15 – 20 mins for cupcakes). Put on a rack to cool in the tins.

To make the frosting, beat together the icing sugar and butter until it has come together and is well mixed. Turn down speed and add the cream cheese all in one go and beat until incorporated. Turn up speed and beat until light and fluffy, about 5 mins. Then spread on cakes and add heart decorations. This recipe makes 12 cupcakes. Double if you are making a layer cake.

In case you are wondering why I am so OTT with this LOVE business, it is quite simple. My purpose in life is to share love. My job may be in the food business, but I found I can spread love by adding it to my food (my special ingredient). I can share it with my family and friends through not only saying the words, but by showing them through my loving behavior. By being a support system, a listener, a cheerleader and a helper, they experience my love manifested. I even like to shower love on my snapchat friends (most of whom I have never met in person) or strangers, such as a grocery store clerk. Simply being kind, saying “Hello, how is your day going?” is a loving gesture. Or taking the time to watch my followers’ snaps and sending them an encouraging note. Love is a verb, which means, it is an action. So a card, call, text, hug, kind word, freshly baked treat, are all actions to reflect the feelings in the heart.

On a recent trip to Paris with Hubby I took this pic. It is on one of the famous bridges and has thousands of “love locks” on it!

All the so called “good things in life” can also be “too much of a good thing”. Too much good food and you get a sore tummy, too much good wine and you get a sore head, too much good dancing and you get sore feet. But LOVE is the one thing you can never get too much of, and why? Because your heart has the ability to stretch, allowing it to give more, and also to receive more. But it can get worn out if it is only going in one direction. Love needs to be two ways, reciprocal, for it to continue to flow properly. So if your love isn’t getting received in one place, that is okay. There are loads of other places just happily waiting to accept it. Trust me, I’ve experienced that scenario first hand!

A Valentine is a love note we give on the 14th of February. But our hearts still beat the other 364 days! So they are welcomed all through the year!

If you are reading this right now, stop, and take a moment to look in your world for visual images (reminders) of LOVE! It can be the letters L-O-V-E sewn on your throw pillow there on the sofa. Or maybe your reminder is that heart shaped stone you found on the beach when you were on your hols and you keep it by your bedside. Or if you are at your desk drinking out of your favorite mug, maybe there is a heart on the graphics that you might not have even noticed before now. Send me a comment on here and tell me about it. Why is it important to you and how do you see love in your world? If you are on Twitter you can tweet it to me (@yankeedoodlepad) or to my instagram (@yankeedoodlepaddy). You too can have a chance of winning one of three prizes for this contest. There might just be one person who wins all three (first, most and best). And there is a chance you’ll find that you’ve already won by playing in this competition. You’re prize is getting back in touch with your heart. It is the best navigational system in the world, which we are born fully equipped with folks! Did you ever wonder why that is? Because our GPS heart leads us to the one thing that makes us uniquely human, LOVE.

Me love you long time!

YDP

P.S. As I was writing this my daughter found this image and emailed it to me…see what I mean, it is beautifully and eternally infectious, this search for visual reminders! And this one is a good one! Thanks Heather! Love you! xo

Recipe: Woman Crush Wednesday

November 11, 2015November 18, 2016 ~ Harper220

Folks we are right in the middle of LOVEfest (a week long competition of finding hearts and love images all around us) shared on instagram and snapchat. So today’s choice for Woman Crush Wednesday couldn’t be any more perfect! The absolutely stunning Laura Vitale is all about the LOVE, which she shares through her recipes and her warm and inviting personal style. Originally from Italy (hello, that partly explains the Amore) she moved to America at the age of twelve. A self taught cook who worked in her father’s restaurant before starting her famous Youtube Channel, this woman can pretty much cook anything! And she does. Yet, you will also find recipes for simple things such as an egg salad sandwich. Why? Because she is so interactive with her followers that she encourages requests. And if some people want to know how to make the perfect egg sambo, then she will do a tutorial. She’s not a foodie snob. She loves all food! That fondness spills over onto her followers, whom she affectionately refers to as “my loves”. At this juncture, her “loves” amount to over 2 million on her youtube channel alone (count me one of them).

Laura recently launched her long awaited and successful cookbook Laura In the Kitchen. Though I haven’t found it in a store here in the U.K. I plan to pick one up when I travel to the U.S. soon. I really have this burning desire to support her as she is a massive inspiration to me. Before mid August, I have to admit, I hadn’t ever heard of Laura Vitale. As you know if you’ve been following me, I am very late to the social media world. And working three jobs in the food business while living in Dublin the last seven years gave me little time to peruse anything foodie outside of my world. However, all that changed when I was flying back from the U.S. and picked up a copy of the August 10th issue of People Magazine. In it there was a photo of Laura and one of her recipes. Though I was in People Magazine once, I never had the honor of having one of my recipes in there. Wow! So awesome! I started to explore a bit about her as I finally had more time for those things since moving to London. I instantly felt a kinship with her in terms of how she used cooking to lift her spirits, how she shared a deep gratitude for her husband as I do mine, and her silly and quirky ways. Like, duh, I’m a total goof ball too! The Vitales even have a sense of humor in their themed Halloween costume choice (50 Shades of Grey). Okay, well Hubby and I haven’t done that yet!

I started to watch her Youtube channel and was amazed at the amount of content she has, over 1,000 videos! Those are just the cooking ones. She also has many on style (she is very girly girly and loves to dress up and wear makeup) and she and her hubby Joe have a vlog that gives viewers a glimpse into their personal world. My favorites are the ones where they are traveling to Italy to visit her family. I happen to love Italy, but also love them because it is very heartwarming to see her with her granny (Nonna) and all her relatives. Plus it’s always impressive to hear her speak Italian!

Laura Vitale has a purpose built kitchen in the basement of her home just for filming her cooking show. In fact, even with a recent move of house, they recreated the kitchen (which her viewers have become attached to) in their new home. This has allowed her to film at any time of day or night (with the help of proper lighting etc) without disrupting the rest of the house. The good news is that she never runs out of ideas for tasty treats! The Cooking Channel has also been featuring her in a show title, Simply Laura, so you can get your daily dose of LV!

When thinking about which recipe of hers to make it was a tough decision. However, with Thanksgiving coming up, I was liking the idea of making one of her side dishes. And also, one that could be used throughout the entire year, not just during the festive season. Her Cauliflower Gratin looked so good that I couldn’t resist. It is a very straight forward recipe as well, since I am doing a demo for my snapchat (username: blissbakery) it helps to have one that won’t take too long. As well, the ingredients are easy enough to find at any local grocery store. Living in Ireland for so long, I know how much they appreciate a warm comfort food recipe. Ireland has the best cheese too so they like to incorporate it into many dishes. This cheesy cauliflower is so moreish that it could be eaten as a main course for a meatless meal (just add a mixed leaf salad on the side). Or it can be served as a side dish along with a lovely roasted chicken that I already shared on here.

Serves 6 to 8

Prep time: 15 mins
Cook time: 30 mins

Ingredients:
For the sauce:
1/3 cup of Unsalted Butter (76 g)
1/3 cup of All Purpose Flour (51 g)
2-1/2 cups of Whole Milk (568 ml/1 pint)
1 Tbsp of Ground Mustard
Pinch of Nutmeg
Salt and Pepper, to taste
1/2 cup of Freshly Grated Parmiggiano (28 g)
2 Cup of Shredded Extra Sharp Cheddar (204 g)

Additional Ingredients:
1 Whole Head of Cauliflower, cut into florets
1/2 cup of Freshly Grated Parmiggiano
1 cup of Fresh Breadcrumbs (2 slices of bread blitzed into crumbs)
1 tsp of Dried Parsley
2 Tbsp of Unsalted Butter, melted

Process,

1) Preheat the oven to 400 F/200C degrees, grease a baking dish with some butter and set aside.

2) Fill a large pot with water, add a pinch of salt bring to a boil, add the cauliflower and cook for 5 minutes.

3) Meanwhile, make the sauce. In a large saucepan, add the butter, allow it to melt, whisk in the flour and allow it to cook for 30 seconds, add the milk and cook the sauce until the milk thickens, about 4 to 5 minutes, season with the dry mustard, nutmeg, shredded cheddar, parm, and salt and pepper and set aside.

4) Drain the cauliflower, place it back in the same pot, add in the sauce and stir it all together to coat, add the mixture in your prepared baking dish.

5) Sprinkle the remaining parm and cheddar evenly over the top of the cauliflower mixture, then quickly mix together the bread crumbs, dry parsley and butter and scatter that evenly over the top as well.

6) Bake in your preheated oven for about 20 minutes or until golden brown and crispy on top

For those of you who haven’t met Laura before, I am happy to make the introduction. For those of you who have been with her since the beginning, how fortuitous! Laura, you are a most worthy Woman Crush Wednesday! Our first three ladies were from Ireland (my soul home). Our last three were from here in the U.K. (my current home). Now that Yankee Doodle Paddy has skipped across the pond to choose the seventh #womancrushwednesday (the first one from America, my birth home), I hope that 7 is your lucky number! Because you have certainly hit the jackpot with this recipe! LOVE it and LOVE you! Keep up the amazing work you and Joe are doing!

Con Affetto,

YDP

Yankee Doodle Paddy

America + Ireland = LOVE

Author: Harper220