Recipe: Woman Crush Wednesday

June 29, 2016November 18, 2016 ~ Harper220

Though this is my fav day of the week because it is Woman Crush Wednesday, today is a tough one for me. I just heard the news of the tragedy in Istanbul. I could do what most foodie/beauty/fitness/lifestyle bloggers are doing on social media. Ignore it. Which makes me wonder… why do other places where hate plays its ugly hand get more attention (such as Orlando) and not Istanbul? It is beyond me. But since Hubby and I were literally just there nearly a week ago, it really hit home.

I don’t even watch the news, but received some messages from Snappers who had seen my snap stories from Turkey. So they commented that I was so lucky to have gotten out before this happened. Why was I lucky? To then remain silent? No! I posted a few snaps last night sharing my feelings about it. And I decided I am not going to ignore it on here either. I am praying for Istanbul and all the victims of hate in this world. Today I am going to focus on an amazing female chef who just so happens to be half Turkish. She grew up eating foods with flavors of the Ottoman Empire and it is reflected in the recipes of her books and menus of her restaurants. So I am celebrating, honoring and loving all things Turkish today!

Today’s incredible gorgeous gourmet gal is Silvena Rowe. Though she was born in Bulgaria, her Turkish father instilled in her a passion for the great foods of the country that is half in Europe and half in Asia. There is an ill conceived notion that all Turkish food is simply kebabs. Nothing could be further from the truth. Yes there are kebabs, but it is the delicious and stunning ingredients that make up the palette of this fresh, flavorful and diverse Mediterranean cuisine.

Silvena Rowe moved to London at the age of 19 and shared her talents as a private chef to celebrities and royalty before opening her own restaurant. Now she is in Dubai and with her numerous award winning cookery books and television appearances, this chef is making her ancestral homeland proud! Many of her recipes she directly credits to her family, such as her beloved father. Today, I’ll be doing a cooking tutorial live on Snapchat (username: blissbakery) and sharing the pics on here. I hope I do her and her family proud, and show the hate mongers that LOVE can and will still go on!

I normally only do one recipe, but I am making an exception today. I am preparing three very simple dishes. A main chicken dish with a side of rice pilaf and salad. Pretty much my favorite meal combo. So let’s get to it!

Honey and Coriander Glazed Chicken

Ingredients:

80ml (3fl oz) clear honey

4 tsp coriander seeds, coarsely ground

4 tsp fennel seeds

2 tbsp grated fresh root ginger

4 chicken thighs

4 chicken legs

salt and pepper

Instructions:

Pre-heat the oven to 200C/390F/Gas Mark 6.

First make the glaze by combining the honey, coriander, fennel and ginger.

Season the chicken with salt and pepper and place skin down in a very hot sauté pan to brown for about 2-3 minutes. Turn over and brush with the glaze.
Transfer to the oven and cook for a further 20 to 30 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through.

Serve with rice pilaf and salad (recipes below)
Pilaf Rice with Vermicelli, Chickpeas and Pistachios

Ingredients:

2 shallots, sliced
olive oil, for frying
80 g (2.8 oz)vermicelli
3 tbsp dried berries, such as blueberries and/or cranberries
100 g (3.5 oz) cooked or tinned chickpeas
80 g (2.8 oz) dried apricots, chopped
300 g (10.5 oz) baldo or basmati rice
400 ml vegetable or chicken stock
80 g (2.8 oz) shelled pistachio nuts, roughly chopped
½ bunch mint, chopped
½ bunch coriander, chopped
½ bunch flat-leaf parsley, chopped

Instructions:

1. In a medium saucepan, sauté the shallots in olive oil for 2 minutes over a moderate heat. Add the vermicelli and, stirring continuously, cook until golden, keeping a sharp eye on it because the colour changes quickly.

2. Add the dried berries, then the chickpeas, apricots and rice. Stir well to ensure the rice is coated with the oil.

3. Pour in the stock, bring to the boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer and add some salt and pepper. Cover and cook over a low heat for 10-15 minutes, without stirring.

4. Remove the pan from the heat. Lay a cloth between the lid and pan so that the pan is tightly covered and leave the pilaf to steam for 15 minutes off the heat.

5. Once the rice is fully cooked, add the pistachios and chopped herbs. Taste and adjust the seasoning as necessary.

Shoksa Salad

Ingredients:

3 large tomatoes, cut into cubes

1 cucumber, cut into cubes

1 green pepper, cut into cubes

6 spring onions, roughly chopped

3 tbsp olive oil

3 tbsp white wine vinegar

150g (5oz) Feta cheese

10 olives

Small bunch parsley, finely chopped

Instructions:

Mix together the cucumber, spring onion, pepper and tomato in a large bowl.
Pile up the mixture in a salad dish.
Drizzle with the olive oil and vinegar.
Grate over the feta cheese to form of a “snow cap”.
Garnish with the olives and the parsley.

Even though there were three dishes, they can be easily coordinated to finish at about the same time. If I can do it while snapping, then anyone can do it. A simple supper to make for family or friends this summer. And it is really a menu indicative of the Turkish mentality, let the spices do the talking! Bursts of distinct flavor that work in harmony creating a peaceful summit on your palate!

Thanks Silvena! You are not only beautiful and talented, you know how to marry food with LOVE!

Love with all my heart and soul,

YDP

P.S. Props to Jamie Oliver, who funny enough I was slagging only a few days ago. He posted the gorge flower (first pic at the top of this post) in memory of the victims of the Istanbul tragedy.

Recipe: Pumped Up Pumpkin Cupcakes

June 28, 2016November 18, 2016 ~ Harper220

It is no secret that I love pumpkin. I have shouted it from the rooftops on here. I’ve posted six, count them six different recipes on here with pumpkin as the star ingredient. You can enjoy looking (and maybe even making) them for yourself here, here, here, here, here, here. But that was back in the autumn. And though we are in the midst of summer, I thought I’d pump up my pumpkin game. Not only am I sharing my fav pumpkin cupcake recipe, but I’ve given it some umph! I’ve pimped it out with some filling and some sugar and spice bling!

PUMPKIN CUPCAKES with CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

Ingredients:

2 cups (285 g) all purpose flour, sifted

2 tsp. baking powder

¼ tsp. baking soda

½ tsp. salt

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

½ tsp ground nutmeg

1 tsp. ground ginger

1/8 tsp ground cloves

1 cup (221 g) firmly packed dark brown sugar

1/3 cup (72 g) granulated sugar

¼ pound/4 oz/ 114 g (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature

2 large eggs, room temperature

½ cup milk

1 ¼ cups (300 g) pumpkin puree, canned or fresh

1 tsp. vanilla extract

optional: Trader Joe’s Pumpkin Pie Cookie Butter (to pipe inside of cupcake)

optional: 2 Tbps Brown Demerara Sugar or Raw Sugar mixed with 1 tsp Pumpkin Pie Spice to decorate the cupcakes

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350 F degrees. Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves in a medium bowl. Once blended set aside.
In a large mixing bowl (you can use a stand mixer or a hand mixer) cream butter and sugars until well blended and fluffy (3-5 mins). Add eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Add in the flour mixture in stages, alternating with the milk. Stop mixer from time to time to scrap down the sides of bowl. Then fold in the pumpkin and vanilla.
Divide batter among cupcake pans that have been lined with paper liners. Fill about ¾ full. If you have an ice cream scooper it works well to scoop the batter in the baking tins.
Bake about 15-20 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center of cupcake comes out clean. Do not over bake or cupcakes will be too dry. Let cool in pans then transfer to a cooling rack. Cool completely before icing them.

For the Cream Cheese Frosting:

Ingredients:

250 gms of cream cheese

100 gms unsalted butter, room temp

600 gms icing sugar sifted

pinch of salt to taste

drop of vanilla extract to taste

In a stand mixer beat butter and sugar until it comes together and is incorporated. Add the cream cheese and continue beating for up to 5 mins until it is light and fluffy. Add salt and vanilla to taste.

To pump up your pumpkin cupcakes, poke a hole in the center of a cooled cupcake. Fill a piping bag with some of the Trader Joe’s Pumpkin Butter (if you don’t have it then pipe in some of the frosting). Pipe in a small amount into the center of the cupcake. Then continue to frost the rest of the cupcake. Once finished roll the edges of the cupcakes in the sugar and spice mix. Complete process with all the cupcakes.

I’m so excited about this version of the Pumpkin Cupcakes. They turned out delicious. And guess what? I’ve only eaten two so far! You can come watch the gorgeousness on Snapchat if you’d like (my username is: blissbakery). If you do make these, please let me know so I can come help you eat them! I try to be helpful like that!

Sugar and spicy pumped up Pumpkin Love,

YDP

Recipe: Making a “Chuck It In Stew” With Inspo from Jamie Oliver and Alec Baldwin

June 27, 2016November 18, 2016 ~ Harper220

Jamie Oliver is one of my all time fav chefs. I love his recipes! I’ve even shared one on here before. They are tasty, clean and easy to follow. But more so I love his style and delivery in his cooking tutorials. I mean, who wouldn’t want to make a dish where all you have to do is “Chuck it in the pot” or “Bang it in the oven”? Just makes it sound like you are having a blast in the kitchen.

So with a sick Hubby I decided to make a stew for dinner tonight and use some healthy veg I had on hand and just chuck it in and see what happened. Well it was a rousing success and Hubby ate two bowls. Although he referred to it not as stew but as a warmed salad because there was so much green!

I’ll get to the recipe in a second, but I just wanted to share a quick little Hollywood story, as I know some of you like the bit of “goss” from my days working and living in La-La Land. During one of the U.S.A.’s political campaigns things were dicey and people got into their “camps” of “your team vs. my team” mentality. I am not a political person so I don’t even go there. I always vote, but my beliefs are private. But many, especially celebrities, use fame as a commodity. And try to “sway” their “followers” to their “camp”. Anyway, the actor Alec Baldwin said during one of these political seasons that if a certain person was elected president he would chuck it in and leave America full stop. Well, that certain person WAS elected and Alec was still a resident. I used to tease my Hubby that if I ever saw Mr. Baldwin in person I’d ask him about his moving plans.

How did I know that he was still a resident? Well we worked out at the same gym! One day I was on the treadmill and he came to work out, and as per usual there was a bit of hub bub about when he arrived. He got on the treadmill, NEXT to me, and I caught a glimpse of Hubby across the gym. He had a panicked look on his face. He knows that though I am a very kind person, I can also be feisty. So as Alec began to trot along on his treadmill, while reading the paper with his thick black rimmed glasses, I started thinking how I might broach the subject of his residency. When all of the sudden a giant THUD and crash happened. Alec had fallen off his treadmill. Everyone in the gym ran over and there were oooohs and aaaaahs. I stopped walking and started to feel guilty. OMG what if he was reading my mind and the thought of a confrontation gave him a heart attack?

In a matter of seconds it was determined he was fine, though very embarrassed. He said, “Geez guys I’m okay, just fell off the treadmill”. I was so stunned. It was one of those moments that was super funny, but strangely awkward so I didn’t dare laugh. But I also didn’t ask him why he hadn’t moved yet. I realized that it didn’t actually matter. He was hurt, well more his ego was hurt, and that we just needed to forget about it and get back on the treadmill of life.

So today, when I read Jamie Oliver’s Instagram post I was happy that he could be so free with his opinions. We are very lucky to live in an open society where we can voice our feelings. But when he said (paraphrased) that if a certain person was elected that he would “chuck it in” and leave the country, then I could only do one thing. Make a stew!

Ingredients:

1 Onion (chopped)

1 Leek (cut in half and sliced into half moons)

1 large or 2 medium carrots (peeled and cut into half moons)

8 slices of smoked Bacon Rashers (if making this vegetarian you can omit) cut into 1 cm wide strips

4 vine ripened tomatoes (cut into chunks)

175 g (6 oz) Green Beans (tip and ends snipped off) and cut into thirds

185 g (1 cup) red split lentils

1 Chicken Stock Pot (or vegetable if making vegetarian)

2 handfuls Cavolo Nero Kale (remove the tough stems first then roughly chop)

1/2 Lemon

1 Handful of Pine nuts

1 Handful of grated Gouda Goat’s cheese or grated Parmesan Cheese

Salt and Pepper to taste

1 Knob of Kerrygold Irish Butter (or 1 and 1/2 TBPS olive oil)

Optional:

2 cloves garlic, chopped

1 Tbps fresh basil leaves, chopped

Instructions:

Heat butter or olive oil in a large pot on medium low heat. Chuck in the onion, leek, carrot and 1/2 the cut up bacon strips. Sprinkle with a bit of salt and pepper. Cook for 10 minutes uncovered stirring from time to time so it doesn’t stick.

Chuck in the lentils, green beans, tomatoes, stock pot, a bit more salt and pepper, and 600 ml of boiling water. Stir well and when it all comes to a boil, reduce heat and cover. Simmer for 20 minutes. Make sure the veg stays covered with liquid. If it gets low add some more boiling water. Chuck in the Cavolo Nero for last 2 minutes of cooking time. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.

Before the stew is finished, cook the other 1/2 of the bacon in a pan. When it is done let it drain on a paper towel. When cooled crumble into pieces. Pour out most of the fat in the pan, leaving just a bit (if making vegetarian, just use olive oil). Fry off the garlic if using, and the pine nuts in the pan. Sprinkle with some salt. When the pine nuts are slightly browned, remove from the heat. Chuck back in the crumbled bacon and the chopped basil. On top of all of this squeeze with the 1/2 lemon and toss.

To serve, chuck stew into a bowl. Top with the bacon/pine nut/ garlic/basil mixture. Then sprinkle with the grated cheese. Enjoy on its own or with some crusty bread!

And be careful when you say you are going to “chuck it in” and leave the country for any reason. I just might be next to you on the treadmill at the gym…Just waiting to ask you why you are still here!

Lovin and Chuckin,

YDP

Recipe: Ireland I’m Missing You!

June 23, 2016November 18, 2016 ~ Harper220

Last night the “Luck of the Irish” was in full effect and it was celebration time for anyone with Irish connections. The Irish Soccer team beat Italy 1-0 in the Euro 16 Tournament to advance to the round of 16. Even people who never ever watch soccer were glued to the set. The pubs, clubs, houses, even the churches erupted in excitement when Robbie Brady scored a goal. Hilarious tweets started flying including my favs:

Even though Hubby and I have a television set, it isn’t connected. We just aren’t TV watchers to be honest, and rather than waste money we don’t have a Skybox. We watch DVDs or connect my laptop computer and watch Netflix. But how to watch the Irish game? With Hubby being under the weather, as I mentioned yesterday, we couldn’t go to our local pub (especially when we couldn’t even guarantee they’d have it broadcasted). But luckily Snapchat friends were kindly posting updates and fantastic revelry. I felt like I was there!

It is times like this that I really miss Ireland. I know our stay here in London is temporary and I am doing my best to soak up all I can of this great city. I get back to Ireland fairly often, still have the Irish plates on the car, and my Irish mobile phone is with me all the time. But my soul longs for a chance to sing “Come on you boys in green” at the top of my lungs with my fellow country men and women! So what is my way to deal? Get into the kitchen and get baking! Cooking is great therapy folks. I threw together a recipe ad hoc with what I had on hand in my pantry. But mainly I wanted to use my fav Irish Flahavan’s Porridge Oats and the best sweetener in the world, the Highbank Organic Orchard Syrup. I visited the Highbank Farm for a Foodie Fieldtrip not long ago and using their syrup brought back lovely memories of my time there. Here is the link if you’d like to relive the visit as well! I did a very quick tutorial today on Snapchat (my username is: blissbakery) if you’d like to watch me make this “home away from home” Irish treat.

Since Hubby isn’t the best about eating breakfast during the week I am always trying to make healthy treats he can take on the boat for his morning commute. So hopefully he will enjoy these Applejacks. That’s what I decided to call them. They are Flapjacks and there are three grated apples in them, so I am sticking with the name Applejacks. Of course, most Americans would think I was talking about THE Apple Jacks, the sugar laden breakfast cereal. But I’m here to say, there’s a new kid in town. He is vegan, gluten free and sugar free. And he goes by the name of Applejacks!

Ingredients:

3 Tbsp extra virgin coconut oil

2 Tbsp Nut butter of your choice (I used peanut butter)

3 Tbsp Highbank Organic Orchard syrup

1 Tbsp cinnamon

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 handfuls of regular pitted dates (85g)

1 ripe banana

3 apples (I used organic Gala apples)

Generous pinch of sea salt flakes

225g regular rolled oats (I used Flahavan’s Organic)

100g pecans, roughly broken

Handful of mixed seeds (I used a combo of chia, pumpkin, sunflower, flax, sesame)

Handful of dried currants

(1) Preheat oven to 170 Celsius / 325 Fahrenheit / 150 fan-assisted. Line an 8×12 baking tray with parchment paper

(2) Using a saucepan, gently melt the coconut oil with the Highbank Orchard Syrup for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and add the peanut butter, vanilla and cinnamon and stir until very creamy.

(3) Grate the apples. I did not peel them first, just washed them, cored them and put them through the food processor with the grating attachment blade. Remove the grated apples and place in a bowl.

(4) No need to wash the food processor, just make sure there are no grated apples left inside and then switch to the blade attachment. Blitz the dates followed closely with banana until you they are a chunky puree.

(5) Now in a large bowl combine the oats with the warmed coconut oil mixture, the grated apples and the date/banana mix and salt.. Fold in the pecans, seeds and currents.

(6) Mix well and pop into your pre-lined tin.Press down firmly with your fingers.

(7) Bake for 30 minutes until lightly golden, Remove the tray from the oven. Cool completely on a rack in the tin. Then remove from the tin, but further cool in the fridge before cutting into bars.

They turned out delicious if I do say so myself. And guess what? While the house was smelling amazing during the baking, a lovely package arrived in the post. A little pressie from IRELAND!!! OMG! Sharon Leavy of Behind Green Eyes blog (and one of my Sunday Spotlight Snap Sistas) sent me a care package. So generous, and it made me feel totally connected. Especially with her handpicked treasures like the “Luck of the Irish” leprechaun magnet (see pic on top of the page)! Sure I still miss our lovely home in Dublin, and our family and friends there, but with my Applejacks and my care package I’m feeling the Emerald Isle LOVE!

Go raibh maith agat agus grá agat,

YDP

Recipe: Woman Crush Wednesday

June 22, 2016November 18, 2016 ~ Harper220 ~ 1 Comment

Yipeeeee! #womancrushwednesday is back! After a two week break due to traveling, all is well in the world. At least in my world because today is my favorite day. It is my chance to share another female foodie with all of you. And I will recreate one of her recipes live on Snapchat (my username: blissbakery) and of course share the pics on here as well.

Today’s gorgeous gourmet gal is one of my special Snapchat friends. And though I was scheming to make her one of my Sunday Spotlight Snap Sistas, I only just discovered that she has a cookbook! Yes a beautiful critically acclaimed cookbook called Wholesome: Feed Your Family Well for Less. I am in awe, as she not only wrote it but also photographed it all on her own!

Caitriona Redmond is a well known Irish food blogger with an award winning site called Wholesome Ireland. She writes for numerous publications and has also been featured on television shows such as The Restaurant as a guest judge. I am actually embarrassed to say that I didn’t know she was a cookery book writer until now. Given the fact that she is so humble she probably wouldn’t have said it to me unless I sleuthed it out on my own. But that gives me that chance to make one of those fabuloso recipes of hers!

Caitriona is a wife and mom besides being a fantastic chef. And she is an expert at providing her family great food at affordable prices. In fact that is the premise of her blog. “Thrifty Tasty Bites” is the tag line, and let me tell you, the 300+ recipes reflect that motto! It is a family affair as Caitriona includes the gang in the planting and harvesting of their garden. They grow much of their own produce and even rear their own pork. She is one of the nicest people you’d ever meet (though we haven’t officially met in person yet, I hope to soon) and is extremely generous with her time and information. Today I wanted to try her delicious Thai Yellow Curry. However, if you watch the Snapchat tutorial (though it is only online for 24 hours) you will see I couldn’t find yellow curry paste in any store! So I had to improvise and use half green curry paste and half red curry paste.

400ml tin of coconut milk
3 teaspoons Thai yellow curry paste
2 small onions, diced
1 teaspoon of sugar (optional)
1 tablespoon of fish sauce (or 1/2 tsp salt if making the curry vegan)
3 medium carrots, peeled and sliced
5 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 medium turnip (swede), peeled and cubed
1 cup of frozen peas
1 red pepper, sliced
400ml of hot water/vegetable stock

**Chicken pieces or stewing beef if using

Method:

Pour the coconut milk into a large pot and slowly bring to a simmer, stirring often to make sure the milk doesn’t split. Once at simmering point (not boiling), stir in the curry paste. Allow to simmer for 2 minutes and add the diced onion, sugar and fish sauce (or salt if vegan). **If you would like to add meat to your curry, add slices of chicken breast or steak at this stage.
Leave the pot simmering for 5 minutes. Add the carrots, potato and turnip. Stir well to make sure they are coated in the sauce then turn down the heat and cover the pot, top up the sauce with the hot stock so that all the vegetables are covered. Leave the pot to slowly bubble away for 40 minutes. After which time, stir in the frozen peas and red pepper. Simmer for a final 4 minutes then serve.

How utterly amazing is this? It tastes so delicious! It is not only flavorful but the textures are very satisfying. I can hardly wait for Hubby to try it too. He’s been under the weather since our return from our travels, and a bit of curry is just what he needs to kick his immune system into gear. While Caitriona is an avid photographer (one look at her Instagram and you will see her dreamy pics) I am an iPhone girl. But with her recent blog post of how to up your food blogger game I hope you’ll see some improvement on here in the near future. I took copious notes!

Have a peek at Caitriona’s blog or other social media. She is an Irish treasure! You will defo enjoy and appreciate her wealth of knowledge. Whether you want to organize your food shopping, need tips on parenting, looking for DIY homemade cosmetics or reviews on books, she is the woman for you! And today, she is not only my woman, she is my #WCW, and a dream recipient so she is. She offers super tasty food recipes whether you have a tight budget or not! Thanks Caitriona for being a great Snap Sista! I know you are probably blushing right now, but let’s pretend it’s the glow from the Irish sun!

Big time love and respect,

YDP

Sunday Spotlight Snap Sista Recap

June 12, 2016December 26, 2016 ~ Harper220 ~ 2 Comments

Jambo! That is the greeting here in Africa where I am at the moment. What an amazing place and I am excited to share all about it in another post. However, not only is the wifi here spotty, but our schedule is so packed. Therefore I won’t be doing a Sunday Spotlight Snap Sista on Snapchat today. I’ve only missed one Sunday in the past 20 weeks and that was on Easter Sunday. I love doing them so I’m gonna miss it BUT I will back at it next week. However it is a great opportunity to recap the last ten weeks of fabulous recipients. I know some of you whom read this blog might not even have a Snapchat account, but after meeting these fab folks you might change your mind and sign up! I did a recap of the first nine honorees and you can read about them if you click here.

As I mentioned in that first #sundayspotlightsnapsista recap, when I do a spotlight, which takes about 3-5 minutes, it is my way of bragging about the recipient. I share all about what they do, their best qualities and why I like to follow their snaps. I show their Instagram, twitter, Facebook accounts and blogs if they have them. I also incorporate special songs (with some bad singing of course) and I present them with a gift that is foodie related, but suited to them and their interests. As well there is always a gift for us which is a quote inspired by the honoree. Below is the list of these amazing individuals as well as their Snapchat user name. I hope you sign on to their accounts and show them some LOVE!

Kim Dempo (@sosodempo) Kim’s gift was a makeup case with cupcake designs on it. Kim is a wife and mom to a fine young boy. She works in the public sector but she has a passion for fashion and beauty and has a fab blog. She is also everyone’s best friend on Snapchat. She hosts a “Saturday Night Creep” where she picks one lady that has gone all out on dressing up for the weekend. Then she posts the pic on her Facebook page. I was so excited to have met Kim at the IBA16 awards. She’s just as warm and friendly in person as in her snaps! And her latest endeavor is that she will be co-hosting a “Curvy Ladies Day Out” with another snapper named Sam King. Here is her quote:

Melanie Morris (@melanierjmorris) Melanie’s gift was a portable shopping bag that folds up and fits into a handbag. But what made it special is that it has a flamingo patterned design, her fav! Melanie is a social media queen having won awards for her popular Twitter account. She is mom to the cutest four legged fella named Flumpy. He’s my dog Stella’s secret crush! When Melanie isn’t traveling around the globe or attending fab events, she is the Editor in Chief of Image magazine, a leading Irish publication. But she also recently graduated with a degree in nutritional therapy. I’m wondering how she does it all and yet makes it look so easy! Her quote “She is clothed in strength and dignity” sums up one of the classiest and most generous beauties I have ever met!

Sharon Leavy (@sharonleavy) Sharon’s gift was a set of three refrigerator magnets. But not just any magnets, these were picked just for her since she is the queen of the slow cooker. With three growing boys she gets plenty of use out of it and her snap followers love to get recipe updates from her. So the magnets were all slow cooker themed (for example one said “Crock Star” and another said “Slow and Steady). Sharon is very active on social media and has a massive following on her blog for makeup, books, DIY, family themed posts. She’s the sage of Snapchat and is endearing for just telling us like it is. This is the quote, which is was the gift for all us snappers, that was inspired by Sharon:

Katy Kay (@ktktoo) Katy’s gift was a bright yellow lunch bag with the “Little Miss Sunshine” logo on it. Perfect since Katy is everyone’s fav daily sunshine with her darling accent and beautiful essence! And Katy loves to photograph her own Little Miss Sunshine figure when she goes on her Geo-cache adventures. When she’s not traveling around finding treasures at various stores, she is an incredible makeup artist who recreates awesome looks for her Snapchat and instagram accounts. Including one in which she made herself into Anna from the movie Frozen. Hence the quote she inspired:

Rory Carrick (@eatdrinkrunfun) Rory’s gift was a set of biscuits from the famous Biscuiteers in London. I did a special trip there for Snapchat back in October if you want to click here to read more about them. But Rory is an avid runner, so his cookies were custom made with a runners theme just for him. But what Rory is most known for is his foodie knowledge. He has an amazing blog called “Eat, Drink, Run, Fun” and does restaurant reviews and travel posts. And he was on television as a judge on the show “The Restaurant”. Rory’s quote is outstanding: Running is the greatest metaphor for life, because you get out of it what you put into it. Though inspired by him because of his love of running, it is one that will resonate with many for its wisdom!

Ursula Walsh (@momfitnessdiary) Ursula’s gift was a cool metal thermos flask with MOM painted on it. Since she is at the gym or out walking with her two cute boys and little dog, this gift could come in handy for a hot or cold drink on the go! Ursula is a wonderful mom and working hard on her fitness and also nutrition. She snaps some amazing meals and is very interactive with her followers. And of course the characters she has created with the Snapchat filters are hilarious. Besides she has a beautiful Latin accent that would melt your heart! The quote inspired by her: Look in the mirror, that’s your competition!

Jennifer Byrne (@jenser01) Jen’s gift was a white baseball style cap with “I ‘heart’ protein” embroidered on it. Since Jen is an amateur body builder with her first competition this coming autumn, she’s eating a lot of protein these days! She’s also pumping iron everyday with her training. The “I” on the cap was actually a dumbbell free weight so it really suited Jen’s passion, and the “heart” was a red heart, which suits me as I am always going on about hearts and LOVE on here! Jen is a mom to two young lads and also works, besides having a fitness blog and other social media. She’s amazingly supportive of so many folks on Snapchat and encourages her followers daily with snaps of her inspo books. And we all have memorized her “get up, get active and get fit” mantra! She has been so wonderful to me and I’m very grateful! Here is the quote she inspired:

Sera McDaid (@seraemily) Sera’s gift was a bottle of bright pink nail polish called “Cupcake Queen” and some special cupcake decal stickers made specifically for decorating fingernails! Since Sera has a super popular beauty and fashion blog, I thought she might enjoy something fun from the famous Sephora in America. She is a wife and mommy to a wonderful boy Riley and also a talented writer. Sera has articles in various publications and her blog is pretty to look at and very informative. She’s one of the most supportive and encouraging snappers out there always sending lovely messages. I love Sera’s snaps, which are almost ethereal, and I always tell her she’s like an angel because she is so sweet, kind and gentle. Therefore this quote is angelic like her:

Nicola Carolan (@thenakedblondie) Nicola’s gift was a wooden spoon that was engraved with the words “Serving up Happiness” because that is what she does. Day after day this pint size pretty lady infuses her followers with joy and fun. She is a busy wife and mommy of the cutest lil man named Scott. She shares loads of foodie snaps and she is on her own weigh loss journey with Slimming World. Even when she doesn’t feel like exercising she hops on her stair stepper and takes Snapchat with her! Even with a large and loyal social media following she is still down to earth, fun and super supportive. She also hosts events called “Dream it Do it” with another blogger/snapper named Fiona Dillion. They want to encourage others to achieve their potential. The quote Nicola inspired “Whatever you decide to do, make sure it makes you happy” sums her up to a tee!

Conrad Jones (@conradjones13) Conrad’s gift was a cricket themed chocolate set. Since he is an avid cricket player I thought he might enjoy these tasty treats. In one of the first snaps I ever watched of Conrad’s he was showing his young son Cooper how to play the game. Aw so touching! Conrad is a very successful business man with a company that provides graphic design, advertising and marketing consulting. He is dad to 5 gorgeous kids! And of course his recent marriage to the beautiful Ellen Kavanagh was the talk of Ireland! His quote “The best portion of a good man’s life is his little, nameless, unremembered acts of kindness and love” is a perfect choice for our gift. As the man whom inspired it does many of these precious acts in an understated effortless way. We can learn a lot by taking this quote to heart and watching his snaps!

So there you have it, ten more amazing Snap Sistas to start following! And yes, two of them were men. But they can still be called Snap Sistas as it is an endearing term like a Pen Pal or Facebook Friend. We are just blessed to be part of a wonderful Snap Family! Looking forward to next Sunday for another edition of #sundayspotlightsnapsista (or SSSS for short). Until then Kwa Herini (goodbye) my dear Rafikis (friends)!

Nakupenda,

YDP

Two Become One

June 8, 2016November 18, 2016 ~ Harper220

FullSizeRender-33 — This little marble plaque has been with us since the beginning and has traveled from Santa Monica to Dublin and now London. It sums up our union!

While one of the happiest days of my life was our wedding, which was nine years ago today, it was only one day, a celebration.

A marriage is a commitment. The union of two become one, and please God that will be many, many days that will include celebrations. Some happy days yes, some not so much. But when you have your best friend and soul mate by your side, then you can weather all the storms.

I am so blessed to be married to my best friend and soul mate. It feels like it should be more than nine years as it seems like we were always made for each other. Like we have been married for eternity (I mean that in a good way LOL). We celebrate our anniversary in a different way this year. We are here in Kenya, Africa with our former parish St. Monica’s and the other pilgrims. We are happy to be reunited with our pastor who celebrated our marriage Monsignor Lloyd Torgerson.

And we are also able to be with Father Andrew Massawe, pastor of Holy Cross Parish in Dandora (St. Monica’s sister parish). Father Andrew was not only at our wedding but he also gave Hubby an anointing of the sick the night before his brain surgery operation. Just ten days after our wedding, Hubby had surgery to remove a tumor. Thanks be to God he recovered in record time and has been well every since. But we know how precious life is and are so very grateful!

We knew before the wedding about the surgery and it didn’t deter us from getting married at all. In fact, it spurred me on to finally stop giving Hubby the “stiff arm” as I have shared on here before. But this picture (below) from the wedding is one of my favorites as it sums up my emotion in one look. Into my soul mate’s eyes I looked and silently said, “I love you! It’s gonna be okay”. Indeed our faith got us through and our belief was rewarded with a miracle. They do happen my friends!

True Love,

YDP

P.S. You can be sure I will post a story on here about our African adventures. Until then I am documenting them on my Snapchat (username: blissbakery).

Yankee Doodle Paddy

America + Ireland = LOVE

Recipes

Recipe: Woman Crush Wednesday

Recipe: Pumped Up Pumpkin Cupcakes

Recipe: Making a “Chuck It In Stew” With Inspo from Jamie Oliver and Alec Baldwin

Recipe: Ireland I’m Missing You!

Recipe: Woman Crush Wednesday

Sunday Spotlight Snap Sista Recap

Two Become One