Top of the morning to you! Tomorrow is St. Patrick’s Day and time to make a special meal. Typically, corned beef and cabbage is served on St. Patrick’s Day, but a few years ago I discovered two recipes that are winners. Thanks for joining me today to get some St. Patrick’s Day dinner ideas.

Guinness Pie

If you love pot pies, you will definitely find this recipe from the New York Times exceptional. Beef with tender vegetables is cooked and reduced in stout beer for hours. Then it is laden into a flaky crust and baked. It is truly incredibly delicious.

This year I am making 3 pies~one for my daughter in college, one for my neighbor who is having hip surgery and one for us. Using a cookie cutter, I will add decorative pastry shamrocks to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day.

Last year, I did use green food coloring on the pastry dough. Surprisingly, it worked out well ! May branch out and do a pot of gold design this year!

Every year I make this recipe, I ask myself, “Why am I not making this all the time?” So good and hearty especially on a cold night or rainy afternoon.

For the complete tutorial and recipe, click here to see last year’s post.

Bailey’s Irish Cream Cheesecake

Boozy, sinful and decadent, this Bailey’s Irish cream Cheesecake is topped with a thick layer of chocolate ganache. This is a great St. Patrick’s Day dessert and your friends and family will love it! Recipe from Oh My Goodness Chocolate Desserts.

Most of the ingredients I have on hand, with the exception of the Oreo cookies. Since I am also making 3 cheesecakes, I did need to buy more Bailey’s and cream cheese.

Crumb the Oreos and mix with melted butter. Push this mixture into a 9″ springform pan, partially up the sides. Bake for 8-10 minutes.

Perhaps the most challenging part of this recipe is wrapping the pan with two layers of aluminum foil. Make sure the foil is tight and secure so no water gets in during the baking process.

Pour in the cheesecake mixture into the prepared pan. Bake, rotating once halfway through.

You will need to refrigerate the cheesecake at least 5 hours or overnight, before adding the ganache.

Look how beautiful this cheesecake is!

I suppose a good glass of red wine or an Irish stout will be perfect with the main course. And you won’t need a drink during dessert because there is plenty already in the cheesecake.

Hope you have a fun and festive St. Patrick’s Day. If you did not see my St. Patrick’s Day table, click here.

Today, I am happy to share Easter tablescape ideas with many talented friends. Welcome to the Easter Table blog hop. At the bottom of my post you will find links to other holiday table ideas.

Since Easter is early this year, we will more than likely have our Easter dinner inside at the smaller round table located in our family room . We have always celebrated with family only and unfortunately not all our children are in town and can participate.

The Centerpiece

The set of tulipieres I purchased from The Enchanted Home a few years ago, is the star of the show. To see more about these tulipieres and how to fill them, click here. Since daffodils are now available and affordable vs. tulips, I find this to be the most attractive and economical solution.

The Tablecloth and Dishes

With a neutral damask white tablecloth, this year I am experimenting with blue and white with the yellow daffodils. These blue and white dishes I have never used. This set remains out in our pool house for guests.

Each blue and white plate is a different pattern but in the same tones. I believe I may have purchased them from Horchow years ago. However, Amazon surprisingly has a great selection of new and vintage blue and white dishes. See here.

Stacked on top of a white beaded stoneware plate from Pottery Barn, provides a nice contrast to the gold charger.

I really struggle choosing the charger. The brushed gold ones did win in the end over the wooden scallop and silver ones. It’s time I invest in something neutral like white or wicker, which would look even better. To find super affordable brushed gold chargers, click here.

The Glassware

A simple Lenox water and wine glass with a gold rim complements the setting. Hard to believe these glasses are over 44 years old!

Pots de creme with a gold handle by JSC are small vessels for more fresh daffodils. I collect pots de creme and use them for many purposes.

Easter Touches

The clay bunnies are a whimsical addition to remind everyone of the spring and Easter theme. Homemade nests from shredded paper and glue (see post here), hold a real egg shell painted with the guest’s initial~as a place card.

My favorite Wallace go-to flatware with a bee motif works well with this blue/white/yellow theme. Blue embroidered napkins are an antique store find.

Here are some fun overhead shots of the table.

I am so happy to share my Easter table theme and now onto the others!

If you enjoy this post, please share on Pinterest.

My sweet friend, Chloe from Celebrate and Decorate is hosting this Easter Tablescape Blog Hop. All you need to do is click on the names below and you will (hopefully) be taken to their website to see what they have in store for Easter. You will be able to open a new tab with each so you can return back to this page and just keep going. A fun way to see LOTS of other bloggers without having to search. Enjoy!

Celebrate and Decorate

Design Morsels

Home is Where the Boat Is

Living with Thanksgiving

Panoply

The Little Yellow Corner Store

My Hubbard Home

Everyday Living

Corner of Plaid and Paisley

The Sweet Sensations

Belle Blue Interiors

Red Cottage Chronicles

Zucchini Sisters

Life and Linda

Mantel and Table

Calypso in the Country

The Painted Apron

Blue Sky at Home

Me and My Captain

My Thrift Store Addiction

This post shared with Between Naps on the Porch Tablescape Thursday #652

I have missed writing to you these last few weeks. Technological problems are fixed on my website so we are back in business. Happy Saturday and thank you for joining me for Saturday Meanderings~where we discuss all good and exciting things!

Fun New Finds

Eufy Plug-In Lights

Our home is a two story house, with all the bedrooms on the second level. Navigating downstairs in the middle of the night feels treacherous to me. By the time I find the light switch in the hall, I am precariously close to the top step of the staircase.

Recommended by Annie from Most Lovely Things, these little lights can plug in anywhere. They are bright enough to light a path for you. There are four in an order. Illumination occurs when there isn’t enough ambient light. Their small size doesn’t obstruct the second outlet.

With one placed at the top of the stairs and one in the front hall, they provide the perfect amount of glare free light. It feels so much safer now without being too bright. You can find them on Amazon here.

Orchid Pot

I am always in search of items that are pink toned to go in the dining room. You can find blue and white just about anywhere, but it is so much harder to find pottery with these softer colors.

This coral orchid pot from Dear Keaton is just so pretty. Even though I am beyond the stage of adding more things to my home, this purchase did not disappoint. It is the perfect size for my dining room mantel and the orchid fits into it very nicely. BTW, it is a faux orchid!

I don’t recall who turned me onto Dear Keaton. Their style is a bit more contemporary than mine, but they do have some unique pieces. Check them out here.

Updates!

Pizza from Italy

We are experimenting with the Talia de Napoli pizzas from Italy (see blog post here). Now I did master the cook time (10 minutes in our convection oven). By adding some additional tomato sauce (I prefer my homemade one), freshly grated mozzarella, Parmesan cheese, and a few slices of pepperoni, this is now our favorite pizza. My husband likes sausage on his (not mine). Here is the link to Talia de Napoli. Nothing like a pizza made in Naples, Italy to have on hand in your freezer.

Foster Dog Update

A few weeks ago our daughter had a foster dog, Peaches. Peaches, now Freckles, is living with our wonderful neighbors, David and Nancy. She is literally right next door. Freckles hit the jackpot as she is loving her new home and her sister, Luna. Don’t you love a happy ending?

Gardening

I have a dilemma. For quite some time now, I am battling worms in my geraniums. They bore holes into the young blossoms, destroying their ability to bloom. Literally, I hand pick these creepy worms off the flowers. Some plants are worse than others.

We have several huge pots of geraniums located on the front porch. It is so time consuming to search all blossoms and squish the predators. Does anyone know how to get rid of these pests? We have tried sprays to no avail. Help, please!

The tulips are just now blooming in the bulb garden. This bright, cheerful red flower, coupled with the purple hyacinths, is a joy to behold. To see the entire bulb garden in bloom last year, click here.

Right now I am harvesting all the greens in the garden. The minute the temperature goes up, the lettuces bolt and become bitter. Last week our temperatures were in the 80s and this week it is chilly and in the 50s. Typical strange spring weather.

Just want to share with you a view of my garden from a different perspective. The flower garden in the foreground is abundant with petunias and nasturtiums. Hollyhocks are wildly growing everywhere. Inside the picket fence is my vegetable garden and the sweet building beyond is the hen house.

In the Kitchen

We are still plowing through all our citrus and will need to glean our trees very soon. The new blossoms are filling the air with the most heavenly scent. In the meantime, I made another Candied Orange Olive Oil Cake with Cornmeal and Rum. This cake is divine. There is something about the dense texture that reminds me of a peasant type cake.

You may recall I did make this for the first time in 2018 for a luncheon with friends. See that post here. This recipe is a good use of our oranges and kumquats and I do want to make it again before the season is over. Recipe is from The Kitchen McCabe and can be found here.

Fortunately, my friend, Donna gave me a bag of Meyer Lemons so another batch of marmalade is complete. Fresh bread with marmalade~it doesn’t get much better than that! To see the recipe, click here. I cannot rave enough about this marmalade.

At the top of the post is a picture of my homemade crackers/flatbread. Here is another recipe I just love and use often. Rolling fresh edible flowers in the dough makes them extra special. For the recipe and tutorial, see the post here.

Well, that wraps it up for another Saturday. I hope everyone is happy and healthy as it appears the world is slowly opening up again. Hope you have a relaxing weekend!

If you enjoy this post, please share on Pinterest.

Who doesn’t love roses? Personally, I envy those who are knowledgeable about growing roses, and extra envious of those who know the names of all the different roses Growing roses in Phoenix? Even in our withering heat, many varieties thrive, often in neglected conditions or without tender care.

Know your Planting Zone

There are multiple rose locations on our property. On the south side of our home, a rose garden is planted, with approximately 20 rose bushes. Quite honestly, I do not know the varieties of my roses, as these were initially selected by our landscape architect long ago. But now that I have the time, I am excited to be involved with all aspects of our roses.

Learn to Prune

Here is the last bouquet I cut before a hard pruning in January. This pruning is done for shape and to foster vigorous spring growth. Care of roses can be as complicated or straightforward as you care to make it, depending on the varieties you are growing and the zone in which it is grown. Remember to always select roses that are well suited to your area.

Rich Soil, Fertilizer, Water

Roses grow best in rich, fertile soil that is kept evenly watered throughout the year. In March, I add new compost soil around the beds of the roses, removing weeds and turning up the dirt. In addition, I check the watering system and add a rose fertilizer. This rose food can be found at Whitfill Nursery. The dogs LOVE it so you need to be extra careful that they do not ingest it.

Creating small berms around each plant helps with water retention.

Heirloom Roses

Next I move onto the heirloom roses that are on the periphery of the orchard. These 10 bushes are the original roses that we were able to save through the restoration. To read more about our house restoration, click here.

I believe these are Quatre Saisons (known as “Rose of the Four Season). This rather gawky, prickly rose produces the most fragrant blossoms. To read another story about these heirloom roses, click here.

Ramblers

In the front of our home, we have an additional 8 rose plants in front of the large Lady Banks’ roses. This old rambler, introduced in 1807, is very tolerant of the hot and dry conditions. Since we are growing it up the existing fence, Lady Banks’ provides a thick privacy hedge to the busy road. It is just now beginning to bloom with its small, yellow flowers. Soon this hedge will be one solid row of yellow.

Rose Hedge

The last of our roses is an enormous shrub rose. I do nothing to this because it is so huge. To give you an idea of its size, the wall behind it is 6 feet tall. It is approximately 12 feet x 10 feet by 12 feet tall. The bush is so thick with cane too and is the perfect habitat for birds.

Just starting to bloom, this shrub produces these delicate pink blossoms with a faint fragrance. If anyone knows anything about this rose shrub, please let me know. I imagine it has been here a very long time.

So all in all, we have 40 rose bushes, several Lady Banks’ bushes in both white and yellow, and this mysterious hedge above.

As I mentioned earlier, my goal is to tend to them this year and learn as much as I can about their origins, official names and classification. With most things in life, there are lessons to be learned, like wearing a long sleeve shirt while doing rose work.

“Death offers you thorns, eternity offers you roses, and life offers you both.”― Matshona Dhliwayo

Happy Wednesday to you! If you grow roses, please share. If not, I hope this post inspires you to do so. Roses are tougher than they look.

This post shared with Between Naps on the Porch Metamorphosis Monday #634

Even though we are not of Irish decent, we celebrate St. Patrick’s Day, March 17th, because it is the birthday of my daughter, Julianna and my mother, Julia. That, in itself, is a good reason to set a St. Patrick’s Day Table. However, who is St. Patrick and why is this holiday celebrated around the world?

A Little History

St. Patrick’s Day is celebrated annually on March 17, the anniversary of his death in the fifth century. The Irish observe this day as a religious holiday and have so for over 1,000 years.

St. Patrick, who lived during the fifth century, is the patron saint of Ireland and its national apostle. Born in Roman Britain, he was kidnapped and brought to Ireland as a slave at the age of 16. He later escaped, but returned to Ireland and was credited with bringing Christianity to its people. 

Mixing Old and New

For this year’s St. Patrick’s Day table, I am using this fun piece of contemporary fabric from my friend, Anne. I couple it with my antique English china, Fondeville Ambassador Ware 6762. The rich shades of green, gold, pink, blue and yellow make these gold-rim plates one of my favorites.

To me, this is the essence of collected chic~mixing bold patterns with elegant tableware.

Stacking the antique china on the simple brushed gold chargers enhances the gold in the pattern. Adding the crackled gold rim clear salad plate from Leslie Roy does not diminish the platter floral design. Similar chargers can be found here. These chargers are so affordable and I use them frequently.

Of course, I love my Wallace silver/gold bee patterned flatware (see link here) which seems to go with just about any place setting I create.

Made in Waterford, Ireland, the Waterford crystal Marquis water goblets and Lismore wine glasses are in keeping with the Irish theme. Gold trim napkins softly fold and find a home inside the wine glass. See similar napkins here.

Making it Festive

With a fun and festive holiday like St. Patrick’s Day, it is easy for the table decor to become kitschy or juvenile. Trying to keep the table elegant, but fun, I add gold shamrocks to the tablecloth. Since I bought these several years ago, you could use gold coins instead.

Each place settings get a light up shamrock necklace for a little whimsy. See similar necklace here.

The Centerpiece

Brass candlesticks from West Elm brighten up the table. Set up in our family and surrounded by windows, the table changes color as the day progresses.

The centerpiece is a vintage Westmoreland oval footed milk glass bowl with hydrangeas, peonies and green glitter shamrocks. It is the perfect size for this round table.

Will you be celebrating St. Patrick’s Day? My daughter will be 24 years old and my mother, if alive, would be celebrating her 91st. Time marches on, doesn’t it?

Wishing you all a happy Tuesday. We are having unusually warm weather (in the high 80s), but the temperatures are to drop back down into the low 60s this week. My poor garden is so confused.

Just a reminder that any words that are italicized bring you to the source. If it is a product on Amazon, please note that I am an Amazon Affiliate. If you purchase something through my website, I receive a small (very small!) stipend, which doesn’t affect the price you pay at all. My goal is to make sourcing the items easy for you. Thank you for your continued support.

If you enjoy this post, please share on Pinterest.

This post shared with Between Naps on the Porch Tablescape Thursday #650

Currently, if you don’t make your own bread, you are probably thinking that making your own bread requires too much time and hard work. Not true! There are ways of making your own bread that suit every schedule and lifestyle.

During the pandemic and being sequestered at home, more people are learning about making bread. You can too.

No-Knead Version

It doesn’t get any easier than this. Revolutionized in 2008 by the book Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day (here), you can make artisan bread with minimal effort.

It is as simple as tossing flour, yeast, salt and water into a bowl. Mix to create a shaggy mess and leave alone for 12-16 hours. Form into a ball and bake. See my detailed blog on Making and Baking a Simple Bread post here.

With this toss it and leave it recipe, you can add other ingredients too if you’d like. Another book recommendation is from my friend, Rick. He loves the best-selling book, Flour Water Salt Yeast by Ken Forkish (link here).

Sourdough Starter

Using sourdough starter is how I make my bread. The process is much longer but I enjoy scheduling this into my week. The evening before I make the leaven (sourdough starter, flour and water) and let it sit overnight or at least 12 hours.

The next morning I create the dough, which consists of leaven, flour, water and salt. During the rise, I add other ingredients. The rising process begins and generally by late afternoon I am baking bread.

The ONLY recipe book I currently use is Tartine Bread by Chad Robertson (link here), mostly because I love the very detailed tutorial photos. I’m not confident enough yet to branch out to other styles of bread baking.

The benefits of sourdough bread far outweigh the work. I typically make Lemon, Rosemary and Gruyere or with a dried fruit (cherries, cranberries) and a nut (pistachio or walnuts). Plus I love one with black/green olives, lemon zest and walnuts! Sometimes I make one loaf and use the rest for fresh pizza dough.

Since we don’t eat a LOT of bread, the loaves get sliced and put into the freezer. Perfect for morning toast.

Sourdough bread is a great alternative to conventional bread. Its lower phytate levels make it more nutritious and easier to digest. Sourdough bread also seems less likely to spike your blood sugar levels, which makes it an option for those monitoring their blood sugar. As a result, I rarely use commercial yeast anymore.

For another post on Sourdough Starter Basics, click here.

Other Methods

Even though I do own a bread machine, it is collecting dust in my basement. I love personally interacting with the dough and watching it transform over time. However, I did use the bread machine when the children were younger as they loved coming home from school to the smells of freshly baked bread.

Apparently you can also make bread in your crock pot. Again, this is something I have never done. But if you try it please let me know. Here is a link to Kitchn’s recipe.

Mental Health Benefits of Baking Bread

According to the Huffington Post, in 2017, five people who were mental health residents at Bethlem Royal Hospital in London spent six two-hour sessions baking bread by hand and answered weekly questions about how they felt. They reported feeling happier, creative, and having a sense of achievement. They also revealed that baking bread made them feel more relaxed and less anxious, and that they had a sense of purpose.

I know when I feel out of sorts or stressed, I put on my apron and start baking or cooking. It truly is better than snapping at someone.

Tips for Successful

Since I have been making bread from scratch for a few years now, I have experienced both success and failure.

One loaf was rather flat after baking. I reviewed all my steps and knew I made it correctly. And then I looked at the bag of flour which was in the freezer. It was dated 2013! How gross is that, especially since it was 2019.

Make sure all ingredients are fresh

Make sure ALL your ingredients are fresh, especially if you are using either fresh or dried commercial yeast. Check the expiration date. Since yeast is a living organism, it loses its potency and ability to rise over time.

One way to find out if your yeast is stale is to sprinkle a small spoonful over very warm water (not boiling or hot), then sprinkle sugar over the yeast. Do not stir. Cover, and wait ten minutes for the yeast to rise and become frothy/bubbly over the water and sugar. If it does, the yeast is active.

Flour has a long shelf life but generally goes bad after 3–8 months. I always freeze my flour. Freezing flour doesn’t affect its qualities if you let it ‘come back to life’ before using. If you use cold flour to bake, your baked good won’t rise. They may also turn out heavy and rubbery.

Why Temperature is Important

Check the temperature of your water before you add it to the yeast. Too cold and the yeast will not activate. Too hot and you will kill the yeast.

Room temperature is equally important. Too cold and your dough will not rise. Double check your recipe for room temperature suggestions. During the winter our kitchen is always cool; but we have the opposite problem in the summer. Drafts and changes in temperature will affect your rise.

Salt and Yeast

After watching too many episodes of The Great British Bake Off, I noticed Paul Hollywood always recommends putting your salt on the opposite side of the bowl from the yeast. Salt can retard yeast growth.

Makes Great Gifts

My neighbor recently had a large flood in her home, resulting in significant damage. Feeling rather helpless, I baked a loaf of my sourdough bread. Coupled with a jar of homemade apricot marmalade, I dropped it off to share my sympathies for their crisis. What better gift than comfort food?

I love getting homemade gifts. Not only do you receive something lovely, but knowing someone spent the time, energy and effort to make it, is priceless.

It’s Never Too Late to Start

Last year I shared my sourdough starter with Ursula. Ursula is the same age as my sweet Elisabeth, and they attended grammar school together. From what I hear, Ursula is an avid bread baker. Such a wonderful lifelong skill. Just think about it: with four simple ingredients you can feed others. Amazing!

I hope this post is encouraging you at least try making bread at home. Here is why: it is satisfying and rewarding. In this crazy world where few things feel good right now, I feel pure joy when I pull a loaf out of the oven.

Please share any bread making experience you have! I would love to hear your stories.