It’s been an eventful week.  I should have guessed that by how it started when I got locked out of the house on Monday.

So to recap at week’s end, I ended up in the A&E.  Nothing life threatening just a matter of trying to navigate the health care in another country.

I had been feeling sick for a couple of days and with the weekend approaching didn’t want to be caught out in a bad way.  So I went to the local physicians group not far from the house, walked in and asked for an appointment.  The receptionist said, “Are you registered with us?”  Ah no!  Didn’t know I had to be.  Apparently there are streams of paperwork and approvals and all sorts over here.  I let her know how sick I was and that though I wasn’t registered, since I had just moved here, could I still get an appointment today.  Negative!  I had to fill out the paperwork, then once that was processed they would call me to set up a time to see a nurse.  The soonest that would happen was the end of next week.  Then the nurse would be the one to book the doctor for sometime thereafter, likely a couple more weeks.  Dear God!  It made me miss the great medical coverage and care I had in the U.S. through my union Screen Actors Guild.  However, I have been living away now for seven years and have heard personal stories that it’s not all that it was cracked up to be.  But we won’t go into that!

Anyway, our ‘friendly’ receptionist suggested I go to the urgent care or an A&E.  Since I would be driving (which is a rarity over here with all the public transport) I opted for the easiest to get to, which was Queen’s Hospital in Greenwich.  When I walked in I realized why A&E is not a good place to hang out.  But I eventually got seen by a no nonsense African doctor and was prescribed antibiotics, so thankfully I will be on the mend in no time!

No matter how sick I get, from a mini sniffle to the ‘run over by a bus’ variety, two things happen.  One it makes me miss my family back home in America.  Two, it also gives me a greater appreciation for those soldiers in the medical profession taking care of others who are at their worst!  Such a calling right?  But no time EVER were these two things more apparent than when I got really sick back in the autumn of 2011.

I spent 2 ½ weeks in a hospital in Dublin and it wasn’t pretty!  I was desperate for my family but it wasn’t possible for any of them to come.  Side note.. I find it awfully unfair that some people online and in social media gloss over the messy parts of life (leaving their viewers to pine away for a virtual reality that isn’t obtainable).  This, as you have already guessed, isn’t that kind of blog! On Yankee Doodle Paddy we’re keepin’ it real!

Only for the love and support of my hubby who visited everyday, the kindness and care of the hospital staff, and the many prayers, cards and visits from my adopted Irish family I wouldn’t have made it.

During our recent move and the packing and unpacking of our things, I did some of what I call “time travel” thinking back on that period of my life.  While I revisited the beautiful cards from some of my cookery students, my co-workers and the lovely ladies from the American Women’s Club it made me feel very grateful.  So you see, “hoarding” these keepsakes allows me to relive a moment that, at the time was a challenge, but in hindsight was made precious through all the love I received.

My famous chicken soup is a miracle “heal all” for the soul and when anyone is sick I like to whip up a batch for liquid comfort!  But what about when I’m sick?  Well, I have a quick version that I will share with you, so that even if you are by yourself, feeling poorly (as the Irish say) you can easily make a batch to satisfy your own soul!

Repurposing is the key to this gem. It is quicker the more bits and pieces you have on hand in the fridge. If you still have some of the milk roasted chicken you made from yesterday’s post then you are luckier still. Have any left over cooked veg?  What about some steamed rice from last night’s take away?  Super!  The more you have, the more you can repurpose.  No waste!  And you can tweak it to your liking…allergic to garlic, no bother just leave it out.  Not a fan of peas?  Then substitute corn..etc etc.. I’ll post the longer version of my chicken soup another day, but here is the one for not only quick cooking but also for a speedy recovery.

Ingredients:

You need a couple of cups of Chicken stock/broth (this can cause confusion in this part of the world as some think it is a creamy version which it is not. It is the clear one). You can use a stock cube if you don’t happen to have any homemade chicken stock frozen. The cubes usually make 500ml which is grand

Some chopped onion (about a ¼ to half an onion depending on the size)

1 clove of garlic minced

A carrot, peeled and sliced

A stalk of celery sliced

A handful of frozen peas

1 handful of shredded cooked chicken

A handful of cooked rice (follow your package instructions) or you can use some cooked noodles.

Procedure:

Literally,  you just pop the stock in the saucepan/pot on the stove top (the hob) and put in the chopped up veg (except the peas) and bring to the boil. At this juncture if you are so inclined you can put in a small amount of freshly grated ginger (loaded with great healing properties). Cook until the veg is tender, about 10 mins. Then add the chicken, rice and peas. Cook for another couple of minutes until the chicken and rice are heated through and the peas are cooked. Season with freshly ground pepper and salt if desired. If you have any on hand, you can sprinkle some chopped parsley on top like I did.  It is practically like a stew as opposed to a soup. Totally nourishing!

After you’ve enjoyed your delicious self soothing soup, get back into bed under the duvet! That’s what I’m gonna do!

Here’s to good health,

YDP

Good news… since I shared the story of rainbows on here the other day, I saw my first London rainbow practically outside our door!

“You’re mom goes to college.” One of the most classic movie lines EVER! Along with the other famous line from the movie Napolean Dynamite  “Vote for Pedro”, the t-shirt industry got a big boost with folks rocking these #trending phrases.  The only bad thing was the movie came out the summer before my son and I were about to attend the same university together! Timing is everything!

As you have surmised by now, I have my own timing in life and do things a bit differently than most. Because I had my children when I was so young I never attended college at the standard age. I waited until the kids were grown, but when I did go I was gung ho. I was accepted to the top two universities in Los Angeles but chose the one across town from home because they offered me more in scholarship money. For my Irish and UK friends, heads up, college in America is EXPENSIVE! So when schools offer to cover your costs, you kinda have to go with that! Besides that, the university  I chose, USC, has one of the best Communications schools in the country.

What I didn’t expect to happen however, is that my son would end up at the same school. He had been going to high school at a boarding school on the east coast and had no intention of returning to Southern California for uni. But with his last minute change of heart, I offered to back out of USC and attend UCLA (the one closer to home). I told him I didn’t want to cramp his style. He said “No mom, don’t change, it will be cool.” I was delighted! He and I share many things in common besides our love of food and cooking. And to be sharing an alma mater, wow. But as I said in here before, hubby’s words were about to come back to haunt me….just because I have something in my head doesn’t mean the other person does as well. Let’s just say that much to my chagrin, my son and I weren’t meeting up for lunch at the commissary on a regular basis! But he did ask me to lend a hand with his ROTC events and also lead a parents’ club for his fraternity. So mom was a happy clam!

One of the first things I learned in my new classes was about social media. This wasn’t on a professor’s syllabus but I learned it from my cohorts. FACEBOOK was all the rage and all the students were on it. I had never heard of it but when I was told that it would help to coordinate study groups I was all in! One thing about attending college later in life is that you don’t play! I was a dead serious, front row kind of student, much to the annoyance of the other students since I usually messed up the classes that were graded on the curve! So here’s me trying to get up a Facebook profile when I barely knew how to do an email with an attachment. I’m not a “technophobe” but a “technoflub” since I was still using what my kids referred to as a “crank up” computer. Boy things have sure evolved since then! Remember, this was in 2004 when Facebook was only for universities and hadn’t gone mainstream.

I got my page up and running and before long, I was getting “friend” requests from all sorts of people I didn’t recall being in my class. But I accepted hoping it would lead to another study group. Then I noticed that all these other people had a “board/wall” thingy where people could post notes and comments. So one day I asked my son about it and he admitted that he knew all these people who were “friending” me and that there was no way he was letting me have a wall on my profile. He had to draw a line! I guess people might have considered putting things up on it that he wasn’t okay with. He then shared that his buddies and fraternity friends were constantly saying (in a Kip voice) “Your mom goes to college” and it was getting annoying.

So I decided I would give up my Facebook account and I have never gone back. No one can believe that in this day and age I wouldn’t want a Facebook account. But blame it on Napolean Dynamite!   Had it been another year, maybe it wouldn’t have been an issue. But timing is everything! No hard feelings towards the movie, in fact it is still one of my all time favorites. And to show you how much I love it I have a recipe for you that combines some of the elements from the movie.. MILK and CHICKEN! I know, strange combo right? But that is kinda what the movie is about…its different, like me!  By the way, if you haven’t seen it, just the opening credits alone with have you laughing! And if you are like our family, you’ll still be spouting off the quotes every now and again…

This recipe for Milk Roasted Chicken is from my man Jamie Oliver and is super easy, it just takes a bit of time. You will likely have left overs which are great to have on hand for a sambo or salad the next day.

Ingredients

1.5 kg whole free range organic chicken (without large talons…that’s a line from the movie)
sea salt
freshly ground black pepper
olive oil
½ stick cinnamon
1 good handful fresh sage , leaves picked
2 lemons , zest of
10 cloves garlic , skin left on
565 ml milk (Napolean Dynamite would recommend using whole milk)

Procedure

Preheat the oven to 190°C/375°F/gas 5, and find a snug-fitting pot for the chicken. Season it generously all over, and fry it in a little olive oil, turning the chicken to get an even colour all over, until golden. It is a bit awkward to brown a whole chicken like this, but its helpful if you use tongs to turn it. Remove from the heat, put the chicken on a plate, and throw away the oil left in the pot. This will leave you with tasty sticky goodness at the bottom of the pan which will give you a lovely caramel flavour later on.

Put your chicken back in the pot with the rest of the ingredients, and cook in the preheated oven for 1½ hours. Baste with the cooking juice from time to time.  The lemon zest will sort of split the milk, making a sauce which is absolutely fantastic.

To serve, pull the meat off the bones and divide it onto your plates. Spoon over plenty of juice and the little curds. And as you can see below I put some of the whole garlic on top which is so yummy and healthy!

Accompanied with wilted spinach or greens (I served it with sautéed kale topped with streaky bacon) and some mashed or steamed baby potatoes it makes a most satisfying meal!

 If I was on Facebook I’d accept your friend request even if I don’t do study groups anymore! But since I’m not, you can just leave a comment and I promise to write you back,

I say love.. it is a flower,

YDP

I love rainbows!!!! I mean who wouldn’t? A true natural wonder! And it’s one of the things I miss about Ireland. I never tire of seeing rainbows. I’m like a little kid on Christmas morning and I get so excited I feel like I could bust out of my skin! When I was at the Ballymaloe Cookery School in County Cork if I saw a rainbow outside I would run for my camera and snap away, as I did here.

But growing up I was exposed to a different sort of rainbow. I mentioned here before that my mother was a drug dealer. I know it sounds strange to say it in such a matter of fact way, but it was indeed fact. Day in and day out I saw these nefarious characters come and go through the house taking baggies of different drugs and leaving behind a wad of cash (or if my mom was feeling generous it would go on their account to be paid another day). It only occurred to me a few years ago that all of these customers of hers had names with colors in it. Steve Green, Cheryl Black, Mike White, Dave Brown and so on and so on. And looking at their drugs of choice from this vantage point, it makes sense. Steve Green bought marijuana, which is green.  Cheryl Black bought barbiturates, or downers (also called, what else, Black Beauties). Mike White bought speed, uppers (they were white looking pills). Dave Brown bought a brown sticky kind of paste thing called Hash.

Of course no kid should have to know these things and maybe it was better I only had this epiphany later in life. But the good news is, I don’t even have to change their names  to protect the (not so) innocent. These were their code names, or shall was say customer account user names!

Because we were so poor (my mom used any and all profits to support her own drug habit) we never had an afternoon snack when we returned home from school. But raising my own kids and being the foodie that I am I made sure that each day after school we had special time to sit, chat and eat. My daughter and son shared the goings on of their day before they “hit the books” of homework. So I tried to make sure what they were eating was somewhat healthy.

Their favorite treat was a big platter of colorful veggies with my famous spinach dip. This was great since many kids their age had an aversion to vegetables. They also loved a big platter of freshly cut fruit with a (kinda naughty) marshmallow dip. It is amazing how beautiful and vibrant fruits and veggies are. Since we eat not only with our mouths but also our eyes, it is great to have something that is so good for us but also looks gorg too! And placing these dips into a hallowed out cabbage (for the spinach dip) and a hallowed out half of a pineapple (for the fruit dip) is a a real WOW presentation!

Spinach Dip ingredients

1 10 oz box of frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained (it is important that you squeeze the spinach to get as much of the liquid out as possible) or you can use fresh spinach, steamed and squeezed of liquid.
2 1/2 tablespoons of Knorr Leek Recipe Mix (about 3/4 of the package)
2 cups sour cream
1 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup sliced green onion
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 tsp dried dill
1 tsp Good Seasons Italian Dressing Mix (don’t actually make the dressing just use the dried ingredients from the package)
Preparation
Pour all ingredients into a blender or food processor and pulse until smooth. Put into a hollowed out cabbage or other veg (such as a pepper) and serve with your favorite cut up veggies. This can also be used as a dip with pita crackers etc. Great for entertaining a crowd! It lasts in the fridge for several days.

Marshmallow Dip Ingredients:

1 pkg Cream Cheese (let soften at room temp)

1 jar “Fluff” Marshmallow

Preparation

Place into a food processor or use a mixer to blend them together. Put into a bowl or into a hollowed out pineapple half. Serve with freshly cut fruit.

 

I hope you enjoy these healthy treats and they take you somewhere over the rainbow, way up high!!! And I’m not talking about “that” kind of high! But a natural healthy one!

With colorful love,

YDP

No, the title of this post isn’t indicative of the weather report for London guys, but likely it is for Los Angeles….it’s always hot and sunny in L.A.!

Last night with hubby away, my pretty Pit Stella and I went over to our local for some gastro pub grub for dinner (I love that dogs are allowed in pubs over here).

We sat with a lovely couple. The guy was English and the girl was Brazilian. We were commiserating about the high cost of housing over here in London and then of course got onto the subject of the weather! Aw it made me feel like I was back home in Ireland. That is defo the number one topic of convo isn’t it? But honestly, it is a great leveler. No matter your age, ethnicity or bank account the weather makes us even!

So when I got talking about how the weather in Los Angeles is literally the same 24/7…365… hot and sunny…blah blah.. the guy puts his hands over the girl’s ears. Like EAR MUFFS! Movie reference here…“Old School” and you can youtube it yourself at your own risk it if you need to see what I am talking about. But he did that because she, being from Brazil, misses the sunny weather.

What I then endeavored to do was explain the myriad of reasons why constant good weather is actually not a good thing. No, I’m not nuts. Just hear me out. First of all, when you have no seasons but the same weather over and over, day after day, you lose track of time. Literally, an entire decade can pass and you’re like, “What the..?” Where as living in a place with seasons to punctuate your memory is much more vivid. Trust me, everyone who lived through the winter of 2010/2011 in Ireland remembers exactly where they were. I myself had to walk to and from work through the snow. Luckily for me I had no incidences, which is strange considering how clumsy I am. I still feel sorry for the one guy who slipped on the icy footpath here.  I wonder where he is today? Things that make you go hmmm…

Back to the story, another reason why constant good weather isn’t a good thing is no one wants to watch the weather report. Over here, people do pay attention to the weather report, on tele, on the radio and even now on their smart phones. This is because it is so changeable. But the news stations in L.A. got smart. They hired former Playboy Playmate Bunnies to give the weather report. Then people (uh mostly guys) would indeed tune in. Maybe not to see how their wardrobe choices for the following day would be affected. But to see how “Suzy Storm” or “Haily Hurricane” looked. Oh yea they actually changed their names to give them a hint of an expert meteorologist sound. P.S. I couldn’t give the actual names of these people without clearance, but these aren’t far off!

And finally, nice weather is great when you are on your hols (that’s short for holidays my American friends). Perfect for laying on the beach and drinking your Margarita with the cute little umbrella in it (thinking about your pals back at home laughing knowing they’re using real umbrellas in the rainy Irish weather). But day in and day out running errands, walking the dog, etc, etc, you are in a constant state of hot and sweaty! You get sunburned simply from going from your car inside to the grocery store! Plus it is harder to get energized for work when all you want to do is jump into a swimming pool!

But one good thing (and sure, I may be giving out, but there are some good things) about the nice weather in L.A. is that you can eat much healthier. Since you are in shorts 365 you do want to feel good, and with smoothies and salads readily available anywhere you do slip into that mode without effort. However, in this part of the world you’re not thinking about a lovely salad when you are cold and damp come January. All you want is a Shepherd’s Pie and an Apple Crumble!

So before we get to that juncture, let’s enjoy this healthy recipe for Turkey Lettuce Cups. And if you are in L.A., well you can have this all year long! It is lovely for lunch, or a mild evening dinner. And served with a quick and light version of fried rice on the side you’re good to go! It’s also great for those of us that might have limited cooking utilities. For instance, one of my former cookery students just emailed to say they have no oven in their new university accommodations. There’s only a hob (stove top) to cook with and because of a food intolerance needs recipes asap that aren’t simply boiled pasta!

Dude, this can like totally be made gluten free and it’s so awesome, dairy free and paleo…OMG,  I sound like I’m back in L.A. right now. Minus the hot and sunny weather!

Ingredients:

1 lb (453 g) lean ground (called ‘minced’ over here) turkey or chicken
3 carrots (peeled and grated/shredded)
1 bunch green onions (diced)
20-30 fresh basil leaves (chopped)
1/4 c. (59 ml) soy sauce (can substitute with a Tamari gluten free sauce)
2 tablespoons brown sugar
4 tablespoons minced garlic
1/3 c. (78 ml)  olive oil
*1 tsp freshly grated ginger

Choice of lettuce for the cups:  iceberg, romaine, little gems or butter lettuce

1.Heat olive oil in skillet on medium heat and add garlic, cooking for a couple of minutes  but careful not to burn.

.2. Add meat to pan with the ginger,  half of the soy sauce and half of the brown sugar and cook for about 10 minutes until the meat is totally cooked through.

3. Once the meat is cooked and browned, add remaining brown sugar and soy sauce, chopped basil, shredded carrots, and diced green onions. Stir quickly for one minute and remove from heat (vegetables should still be a bit crunchy) and cover with a lid.

Serve by putting the cooked meat in the lettuce cups. You can jazz it up by sprinkling some crushed up peanuts or almonds. Also you can drizzle with sriracha if you want it spicy or my fav is a drizzle of pomegranate molasses for a tangy sweetness!

*Note: For those of you who are not a fan of ginger, and you know who you are, you can omit this from the recipe with no problemo.

Keep Coolio!

YDP

 

 

Sorry no recipe today folks, but if I really wanted to get a million viewers I should have started a gossip blog not a food blog. Seriously though we humans love us some goss!

But in lieu of a tasty treat I have something else to whet your appetite, and it is indeed a peek into my previous life in Hollywood. Tomorrow I’ll be back in the kitchen I promise!

When people find out about my prior life in entertainment they love to know who I met, worked with, socialized with etc and any and all of the most intimate details of said celeb. The one I get asked about most is Michael Jackson. Here is where I draw the line. Unlike some that have literally resurrected their dying careers by his death simply by having had some contact with him, well I won’t go there. The kicker is some of these people used to lambast him while he was alive, and now they talk about MJ like he was some sort of saint. I get the Irish way of not speaking ill of the dead, but at the same time, being two faced to get two bucks is just not right.

But I will share a story about another superstar, Tom Cruise. Whatever anyone says about him in the media, he is a lovely and kind person. I first met him when we were flying on a Columbia Pictures private lear jet together and he was sitting right next to me. His hair was long at that time (he had just finished working on a film called “Legend”). He was reading the script of his next film, which was “Top Gun”. We were on our way to attend the premiere of his then girlfriend Rebecca DeMornay’s movie “Slugger’s Wife”.

He wasn’t yet the big super star that we have come to know over the years. And I’m not even sure he was into his controversial Scientology mode. At least he never let on to me. But between our served airplane meal (which I have to say is pretty nice on a chartered jet) and our reading (I was devouring a book called “Your Child’s Self Esteem” and was 6 months pregnant with my second baby) we chatted about life. He was so open, friendly, and humble.

Not long after that back in LA he and Rebecca came for dinner. By then the film that brought them together, “Risky Business”, was a massive hit and catapulted them to stardom. I had seen the film as well and loved it. It had a very haunting tone to it and I have to say the characters they played were very believable. So believable in fact that I actually mistook Rebecca the person for her character Lana. If you haven’t seen the movie, you should. If you have seen it, see it again. A blast from the past! Besides showcasing the beautiful backdrop of my hometown of Chicago, Tom Cruise does his infamous underpants dance to “Old Time Rock n Roll” that is a must see!

Back to Rebecca and the dinner at my house…anyway, just after we finished eating dinner she excused herself to use the toilet. Since I had given them a tour of the house when they arrived she knew where the downstairs bathroom was but instead went upstairs to the master bathroom. Okay that in itself was strange, but then she was gone a long time! When I say long, I mean long! While she was gone I kept thinking of her character in the movie. Without giving too much of the movie plot away, she played a “hooker with a heart” but she had no problem helping herself to a thing or two that didn’t belong to her.

So while I chatted with Tom and poured his coffee maintaing the hostess with the mostess mode, I couldn’t help my silent anxiety and kept checking my watch (this was back in the day before my phone was my time keeper). Finally to my relief she came downstairs and slipped back into the dining chair with this lovely smile that had a hint of secret on the side.

Two seconds later I excused myself and ran upstairs. I literally rifled through my jewelry box, closet, medicine cabinet everywhere I could think of looking to see if any thing was missing. I actually thought she might have taken something.

It is quite embarrassing now to admit this. As a former actress myself I realize that we are paid to do a job. We create characters and then the audience suspends disbelief by accepting these people as indeed the characters. But when the screen goes black our imagination should go to sleep as well and accept that these people are playing a part. But I, hand to heart ,thought maybe she was playing so close to type that she might have stolen something.

I haven’t seen Rebecca over the years. And she has no knowledge of my concern over my belongings on that night. She might actually be amused rather than offended knowing she clearly did a great job!

I used to run into Tom from time to time when I lived in LA (its just that easy, trust me) and no joke he would give me a big hug and was as sweet and humble as the first time I met him. Ironically, though I never personally worked with him, several actresses that I knew and worked with did do films with him. Meg Ryan, Lea Thompson, and Elisabeth Shue might have an IMDB link with Tom, but he and I share a different kind of IMDB. ‘Cuz  I Made Dinner Before for him!

Oh, and just to say, nothing was missing from the house that night, except my common sense! But I never let on, because when I went back downstairs and slipped into my Susie Homemaker role I too had a lovely smile with a hint of a secret on the side!

Can you keep the secret?

YDP

P. S. In lieu of a recipe here are a couple of great restaurants to visit if you are ever in Chi town, just try not to dance around in your underpants for gosh sakes!

1. Alinea: Break the bank and book ahead for this gastronomic experience! The chef Grant Achatz’s 3 Star Michelin restaurant is dear to my heart because this man over came cancer of the tongue (can you imagine a chef not having his sense of taste) to continue his awe inspiring creations.
2. Frontera Grill: If you know me, you know my obsession with Mexican food. Rick Bayless is an institution in the culinary world and this place is Mecca for south of the border flavors.
3. Last but not least Deep Dish Pizza is a must if you are in Chicago, just take your pick! As they say, when in Rome….you gotta have some! And there are plenty of places to choose from, but the place credited with inventing it is Pizzeria Uno.

 

 

 

 

Have you ever heard that song by the Carpenters called “Rainy Days and Mondays“? Well today was both of those days in one! I had every intention of getting a multitude of things accomplished and life had other plans, which included some limes. But I was bound and determined not, as the song suggests, to let it get me down!

The story goes that I took our dog Stella out for a short walk to do her biz, and since one of the things I had planned to do was go to the gym, I was dressed accordingly. I didn’t bring my phone or purse,  just my keys and away we went. We got back home and when I put the key in the door it neither opened the door nor came out of the lock. It was literally frozen! I worked away at it for quite some time before I realized I was up a paddle without a creek!

Lucky for me I tend to think solution rather than problem. And also lucky for me that the property management office is nearby. So I went over to get some help. Their handyman couldn’t budge the key either! Next step, locksmith! But on a Monday morning the wait was a bit long (it took nearly 3 hours for your man to arrive). Because it was raining at this juncture Stella and I  couldn’t go for a long walk (in lieu of a workout), so we had to just hang out. No reading material, nothing to do but chill out sitting by the front door. Not a bother, ‘cuz I never ever get bored. I’m not joking, I can entertain myself for hours. For instance, I love to do some “mental time travel” thinking about the future, or reminiscing about the past. I also play word games where I take a word and think of all the other words you can make out of it. Last but not least there is always the old stand by, people watching…its amazing, but I think when you grow up poor you’re forced to be creative with next to nothing!

I wasn’t fussed or stressed but the fella at the property management was so worried about us. He never let his emotions show but I could tell by his behavior. For example, he gave me a tenner to get some brekkie (Stella had eaten before our walk but I hadn’t)  at the local cafe. Then he kept coming back over to the house to check on us and offer some sort of comfort (the use of his phone etc). I realized that there was nothing that my stressing out would accomplish so I accepted things. And I knew the day wasn’t going to be like I had planned. But oh well!

The good news is, I’m back inside and back in action at the computer typing away. The locksmith earned his pay doing some major surgery on the door. He had to cut the key and and dissect the whole lock. The culprit was a very tiny magnet that goodness knows how but lodged itself in the lock.  How long had it been in there he couldn’t say,  but today, on a rainy Monday, it decided to keep us locked out!

 

While I was waiting, I thought about a billboard I had seen in Dublin not long ago. Not only did it make me SMILE, but I played my word game and noticed that if you move the letters around a bit you get another word all together, LIMES. 

Now I’m about to offer up some total stereotypes, but just go with me here… in tough times the English are known to cope with a “stiff upper lip”, American’s tend to let the emotions flow, but I love the Irish mentality….when faced with struggles, they tend to smile and say “Sure it’ll be GRAND!”

So today, I am taking the LIMES life gave me and re-arranging them into a SMILE! And as a thank you to the fella at the property management office, I am baking some Lime Squares! I’m not kidding you, along with a good cuppa these indeed taste grand!

 

Ingredients

For The Crust:

4 tablespoons (46 g)  unsalted butter, melted and cooled, plus more for pan

2/3 cup (about 80 g) shelled pistachios

1 cup (4 ounces/118 g) graham-cracker crumbs, or you can use digestive biscuits (these can also be made with gluten free biscuit crumbs)

1/4 cup (54 g) sugar  (I use caster sugar, but granulated is fine too)

1 tablespoon grated lime zest (about 3 limes)

For The Filling:

2 large egg yolks

1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk

1/2 cup (4 oz) fresh lime juice (about 3 limes)

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 350 F/180 C degrees. Brush an 8-inch square baking dish with melted butter. Line bottom with parchment paper, leaving a 2-inch overhang on two sides.

2. In a food processor, finely grind pistachips with graham-cracker crumbs, sugar, and zest. Blend in butter. Press mixture into bottom and 1 inch up sides of prepared pan. Bake until lightly browned, 8 to 12 minutes. Cool crust, 30 minutes.

3. To make the filling: In a large bowl, whisk together egg yolks and condensed milk. Add lime juice; whisk until smooth. Pour filling into cooled crust; carefully spread to edges.

4. Bake until set, about 15 minutes. Cool in pan on rack; then chill at least 1 hour before serving. Using parchment paper overhang, lift out of pan, and transfer to cutting board. With a serrated knife, cut into 16 squares, wiping knife with a damp kitchen towel between each cut. (Recipe adapted from Martha Stewart)

 

You’ve got the key to my heart,

YDP

My husband always tells me that just because I have an idea in MY head doesn’t mean that anyone else has that belief. Okay, fair enough. But when I recently asked my 4 year old granddaughter if she has a special place she puts all the letters and cards I send her she said, “No I have to throw them away because mommy told me that it would be hoarding if we kept them.”

After I wiped a tear or two I thought about what hubby told me and did a bit of self analysis. You see I save every card and letter I ever receive. They are special mementos that I cherish. The reason being that I have literally nothing from my childhood. I wish I had a card or letter from my grandparents. But we had a fire just after just moving to a new house in Costa Mesa (or how some people refer to it as Costa Misery) and it all went up in flames. Apparently someone threw a party in our garage with cocktails (aka  Molotov Cocktails) and the rest was history.

I’m not a collector of shoes, clothes, beanie babies or any number of items people (including those close to me) like to hoard. My hoards of choice are greeting cards and letters I receive from loved ones. Thankfully I just read a great article by a writer for the New York Times who encourages others to celebrate their clutter and things. She says it is what makes us unique! Just as my eyes are blue and my skin is pale, my keepsakes too make me who I am!

Because I don’t have the luxury of treasuring a trunk of letters passed down to me from my grandma I suppose I assumed my granddaughter would be saving all the letters and cards I send her. Which is actually quite a lot ! I’m old school that way as I send a postcard from everyplace I travel. As well because I live half a world away from my family I am grandparenting in the modern age. So in between our visits I keep in touch via Skype, FaceTime, email and massive amounts of letters, cards and packages of goodies.

What keeps me buoyed, however, is my belief that we can keep precious moments alive in our memory by recalling them from time to time. I happened to be blessed with a near photogenic memory. Then again, some people think it is a curse as they can’t get too much bull past me! So I hope that my granddaughter can savor the sentiment behind all my cards and letters even if she can’t keep the real McCoy. She will always know how much I love her, think of her and try to make her life a bit more magical with her “Amma” in it.

Getting back to my memory of that blazey day, well it is far from hazy. I can recall every horrific moment. But what stands out most for me is the taste of my first tuna melt sandwich. You see in the chaos of it all an elderly woman, who was a neighbor that I had never met before (as we had just moved in) took me to her home for lunch. I was transported into a cocoon of kindness as she served me this delicious food and kept me calm chatting away while the muffled sounds of the sirens blared outside.

It wasn’t long before the police were knocking outside her door. After the blaze was put out there was panic as to where I might be. And when the officers took me back home I never saw this woman again. But I haven’t forgotten her and each time I make my tuna melt, which is often, I think about my angel unaware.

Ingredients:

1 can of “line caught” tuna fish

2 tbps mayonaisse

1 stalk of celery diced

1 carrot, peeled and grated

1 spring onion sliced

A handful of grated cheese of choice (Cheddar is most popular, but I use a hard Gouda goat cheese)

Sliced whole wheat bread

A bit of butter

Salt and pepper

Makes approx. 2 tuna melt sambos

1. Mix together the tuna, mayo, celery, carrots and spring onion until combined. Add salt and pepper to taste
2. Spread butter on the outsides of two slices of bread
3. Place one slice of bread (butter side down) into a frying pan over medium heat. Add a scoop of tuna mix and sprinkle with the grated cheese. Place the other slice of bread on top,  with the butter side up.
4. After a couple minutes when it starts to get golden brown, turn the sandwich using a spatula. Put a cover on top of the frying pan and cook another few minutes.
5. Serve and savor some great memories from your past!

Keep the memories alive,

YDP