Irish-Inspired Herb Roasted Pork Loin

I love it when I get on my Irish cooking kicks. It's really starting to become like comfort food to me.

Lately, I'm trying to make Irish food more often; the attempt to hone some Irish fare skills thru the rest of the year, beyond St. Patrick's Day, is on! Not only is it fun trying out these different things, St. Patrick's Day feasts won't be such a stress. I will KNOW what I'm doing by the time it gets here.

Hey! That's my story & I'm sticking to it!

We have had a very busy week. And we really weren't sure how this next week would look. When we went to the store, we planned on getting entrees that could be fixed easily on the grill or in the oven. If my hubby's schedule allowed, he'd fix [insert whichever type of meaty product here] (keep it clean, people) on the grill. If not, I would find a way to fix [insert whichever type of meaty product here] (keep it clean, people) in the oven.

This past St. Patrick's Day, our non-pork eater wasn't going to be with us, so I figured fixing something Irish with pork would be perfect! Had the right idea for fixing the pork, but I didn't plan out the entire meal as well, so the pork didn't come out as well as hoped.

As I looked on good ol' Pinterest, I was trying to find some pork loin recipes that might work well with an Irish spin on it. Eventually, I found this recipe HERE, and tweaked it.

Tonight was a night when my hubby, last minute, wasn't going to be home to fix anything on the grill. We didn't thaw any of our chicken. That left the pork. Guess he couldn't grill/smoke it, so that meant I needed to get it in the oven somehow...

Then I remembered the recipe I wanted to Irish up a bit. I pulled up the recipe, fixed it more along the lines the recipe called for, but with my Irish-ish herbs.

Here's what I did:

**********

IRISH-INSPIRED HERB ROASTED PORK LOIN

Ingredients:

~ 2 1.5(ish) lb. pork loin
~ 3 T extra virgin olive oil
~ 6-8 T unsalted butter (I use Kerrygold Irish Butter)
~ 1 T garlic powder
~ 3+ T Worcestershire sauce
~ 1 T grainy mustard (I used French's honey dijon mustard)
~ 3 T+ apple cider vinegar
~ 2 T dried thyme leave
~ 2 T dried majoram
~ salt & pepper to taste (I used sea salt & white pepper)


Directions:

* Preheat oven to 350 degrees F

* Take a large skillet & begin to heat it  at medium high on the stove

* Remove pork loin from package, rinse well & set aside

* Season all sides of the pork loins with salt & pepper

* Add olive oil to the hot skillet & swirl a bit to cover the bottom

* Place the seasoned loins into the hot, oiled skillet & begin to sear - about one minute per side ( I did it twice)

* Once seared, remove from skillet & set aside; make sure to pat dry

* In the same hot skillet, add the butter, Worcestershire, vinegar & garlic powder and begin to heat thru, breaking up & scraping up the brown pieces from the bottom; add a splash more of Worcestershire &/or vinegar to deglaze the pan (you can also use a bit of beer to do the same, if desired....it is Irish-inspired)

* While waiting for the sauce to cook thru & thicken, take a moment to rub the thyme & marjoram on all sides of the pork loins & add back to the skillet with the sauce

* After about 2 minutes, flip the pork loins to the other side in the skillet for about 2 more minutes

* If you are using a skillet that is oven safe, you can leave the pork in the skillet OR if you do NOT have an oven-safe skillet (or just don't want your skillet in the oven), then transfer the pork loins to a baking dish & pour sauce over the pork loin

* Whether you have your pork in a baking dish or left in the skillet - cover the pork with foil & place in the oven for about 30 minutes

* After the 30 minutes, check the temp of the pork loin - if the pork is at 160 degrees F, internally, then you can pull it out; if it is not yet or just barely at the 160 degrees internal temp, cover with the foil & place back in the oven for about 5-10 more minutes (you may flip the pork loins at this point, if desired)

* If you needed to place the pork back in the oven for 5-10 minutes, remove from the oven at this time & allow to set for about 5-10 minutes

* Carefull empty the cause from the pan into a separate bowl or dish & set aside

* Flip the pork loins again & begin to slice, carefully, into pieces about 1" thick

* When serving, use the sauce as a gravy to drizzle on the pork loin pieces


Yield: About 6-8

**********

This pork ended up so tender & flavorful. My hubby was really impressed with it! YAY! And this is how I wanted it to turn out on St. Paddy's Day.

I was so happy with it. Even though we served it up with mac & cheese as a side, I would love to suggest colcannon to pair with it & enjoy with some Mustard Dill Vinegar Slaw (HERE). Keep the oven available for the pork by fixing some Irish Soda Bread in the lazy cooker (like I did HERE).

It's a great meal to have any time. So keep working on this, and use it again for St. Patrick's Day! It will be a cinch at that point! And a good authentic meal, too.

ENJOY!

Fake-Out Dole Whip

So, Disneyland just celebrated 60 wonderful years bringing joy as one of the happiest places on earth! That deserves a celebration!!

When I figured out it WAS Disneyland's 60th, and many seemed to be celebrating, I had to figure out what I was going to do. We had been out of town, didn't have much in the house to eat, so I had to do some quick thinking & planning on the fly.

I got some spaghetti & meatballs for dinner to cover Lady & the Tramp. Good call! But I've been seeing this thing of Dole Whips pop up on Pinterest now & then.

Since I haven't been to Disneyland since I was 4-years-old, I don't remember anything about Dole Whips, but it sounded delicious. And it seems to be some sort of rite-of-passage at Disney. So I thought I'd whip some up. (HA! See what I did there?)

(Check out how we celebrated on the fly HERE)

As I look at other copycat recipes, I did the best I could on the fly.

So...here's what I did:

**********

FAKE-OUT DOLE WHIPS

Ingredients:

~ 1 bags Dole frozen pineapple chunks, slightly thawed
~ 1 small can crushed pineapple
~ 12 oz pineapple juice
~ 1/2 T lemon juice
~ 1/2 T lime juice
~ 8 oz tub Cool Whip, (mostly) thawed (get an extra tub for topping later)
~ 1/2 qt vanilla ice cream, slightly softened




Directions:

* In a food processor, place the slightly thawed pineapple chunks into the insert & purée until broken down & creamy

* Add in the crushed pineapple & continue to break down in the food processor

* Pour in about half of the pineapple juice, the lemon juice, and the lime juice; continue to blend together

* Add in the Cool Whip & allow to blend in evenly

* Add in the vanilla ice cream & allow to blend in evenly

* Add in the last bit of pineapple juice & continue to blend fully

* When all is blended together & creamy, transfer into a bowl with a tight-fitting lid; place in the freezer for about 3 hours to allow to set up

* After set up time, remove from freezer & scoop into cups or glasses, top with additional whipped topping, and add a long spoon


Yield: about 4

**********

When I made this, I doubled this recipe (as looking at the above ingredient pic). So I had to make a couple of batches. And it was SO worth it! My hubby even asked for seconds!

We wanted to get a fresh pineapple to slice up & garnish with, but the store didn't have any when we went. I know we want to do that in the future, too!

Also, I thought it would be amazing to have a Captain Jack Sparrow Dole Whip by adding some rum to it. YUM! Sounds so good.

And, for any of the Run Disney fans out there, I thought about using frozen vanilla Greek yogurt instead of the ice cream AND adding a banana to it for after your run. You get to cool off, have a not-so-bad treat for your run, and get your protein for muscle rebuilding. BOOM!

What a wonderful way to finish off a Disney-inspired meal for Disneyland's birthday! Can't wait to do it again!

ENJOY!

**********

Update:  

There's been a DisneyBound challenge going thru the month of August. Today, Day 16, is dressing in an outfit that is inspired by a Disney snack. So, I chose to dress as the Dole Whip (Float).

I did a cosTUTUme in the morning, since I'm promoting the DE-FEET HUNGER RUN/WALK 5K race at church, so I did a tutu-style racing outfit. I wanted to run that morning, but was having trouble just getting around. Ugh. But I still imagined having a Dole Whip after my run. You know...the protein one I had imagined.

Well, after I got home, I changed into a regular outfit (still Dole Whip inspired) & decided to make the protein Dole Whip anyway. I had most of the stuff on hand, so here's what I did:

PROTEIN DOLE WHIP FLOAT

Ingredients:

~ 1 bag Dole frozen pineapple chunks

~ 1 small can crushed pineapple (optional)

~ 6 oz pineapple juice

~ 1/2 T lemon juice

~ 1/2 T lime juice

~ 8 oz tub Sugar Free Cool Whip, still frozen; divided

~ approx 2 C vanilla Greek yogurt

~ 2 T honey

~ 1 ripe banana, peeled

Directions:

* In a food processor, place the frozen pineapple chunks into the insert & purée until broken down & creamy

* If using, add in the crushed pineapple & continue to break down in the food processor

* Pour in the pineapple juice, the lemon juice, and the lime juice; continue to blend together

* Add in the half of the Cool Whip & allow to blend in evenly

* Add in the Greek yogurt & allow to blend in evenly

* Add in the peeled, ripe banana & continue to blend fully

* Add in the honey & allow to blend all together

* When all is blended together & creamy, transfer into a bowl with a tight-fitting lid; place in the freezer for about 3 hours to allow to set up

* After set up time, remove from freezer & scoop into cups or glasses, top with additional whipped topping, and add a long spoon (add a maraschino cherry & a little paper umbrella, too - optional)

Yield: about 4

**********

My hubby & I tried it. It was pretty darn good! And you know what? It will be a welcome treat to cool down with after a run or workout. 

ENJOY!

(again)

Fake-Out Kraut

You have have that moment when you are closing in on dinnertime, then realize you forgot to go pick up that one thing the store was out of when you initially went? Ever had that moment when you're trying to compensate for it, or at least work on something comparable?

Yeah. That happened to me. Probably more often that it should happen, but this was one of those times...

We were planning on having bratwurst for dinner. One of the the things we fix up with with our brats is kraut. Most have sauerkraut, but we enjoy a nice sweet kraut. However, when we did our weekly run to the store, the store was out of our sweet kraut! The horror!! So I'd planned on heading back to the store to pick some up...but just never got back out. Oops!

As I began to prep for dinner & making sure we had everything, it hit me we had no kraut. D'oh!
What was one to do? My hubby seriously wants his kraut with his brats!

Well, it hit me: I had some ingredients I needed to use that could work for some kraut! YAY!

I didn't use very much of the coleslaw mix I had gotten for the IRISH BACON & BEANS STEW the other night, and wasn't sure what I was going to make with the rest of the slaw mix. Could I make coleslaw. Sure. Could I save it for more toppings of something like tacos? Of course. But they are so predictable. But I might have to go ahead & resort to it.

But...
Kraut is tangy, fermented cabbage! Shredded cabbage!! I have shredded cabbage right now!!!

I did some research to see if I could make some quick kraut without having to take weeks & months to ferment it. I did find a couple of recipes to help me out. Whew! And I just happen to have some of the extra ingredients, too! YAY!

So I faked some kraut for our brats.

Here's what I did:

**********

FAKE-OUT KRAUT

Ingredients:

* 4 C coleslaw mix
* 1/4 C water
* 1/2 C apple cider
* 2 T white wine vinegar
* 3 T balsamic vinegar
* 1 T white vinegar
* 1 T EVOO (extra virgin olive oil)
* 1 small sweet onion, diced OR 1/2 C dried minced onion
* 1 1/2 T brown sugar (if you want sweeter kraut)
* 1/2 T granulated sugar (if you want sweeter kraut)
* 1/2 T salt (kosher or sea - I used sea salt since it's my fave to use)
* 1 T caraway seed (optional)


Directions:

~ In a medium saucepan, add the oil & allow to heat on medium high heat for a moment, then add the onion

~ If using onion, allow to cook thru until beginning to be translucent; if using dried minced onion, allow cook for just a moment as it reconstitutes a bit

~ Add in the water, cider, vinegars, salt and sugars (if using); bring to a boil

~ Lower the heat on the burner, then add in the coleslaw mix, about a handful at a time, with the caraway seed (if using) & stir to coat the cabbage

~ Allow to simmer on the lowered heat for about 30-45 minutes, stirring occasionally & then flattening the mixture down, with the back of your cooking utensil, to be more compact to resemble the pressing down during actual fermentation

~ The size of the cabbage will reduce by half, and if it appears to be drying out, keep adding a little more moisture to it: water or cider & a dash of vinegar (of choice)

~ Once it's reduced by half & looking like kraut, remove from the heat & get ready to serve


Yield: approximately 2 Cups - servings depend on how you use it

**********

It wasn't too bad & worked in a major pinch! Plus, the carrot & mixed cabbage made it a beautiful topping.

Grilled bratwurst on whole wheat bun, topped with
sweet pickle relish, fake-out kraut, honey mustard & shredded cheese

You can also use apple cider vinegar, too. If you want a richer color of this kraut, or if it's the only thing you have on hand, red wine vinegar could work, too.

So if you are needing kraut, but don't have weeks to ferment your own & want to make some on your own to hurry things along, here you go!

It would sure give a different option for your next Oktoberfest, or anytime, really! Amm-i-rite?

ENJOY!

Irish Bacon & Bean Stew (with Barley & Beer)

I'm really on my Irish kick lately. It's not often I'm not around this time. Why? Not only because I have a lot of Irish in my blood, but it's because I continue to research & get inspired by Irish fare to make traditional dishes (as authentically as I can) or to create an Irish spin on a meal that could be served in the Emerald Isle.

Pardon me, another moment, while my Irish continues to show thru... (my list of Irish & Irish-like fare, HERE)

I was thinking about some Irish dishes, like Colcannon (find my recipe in this post HERE), but with a healthier spin (hope to have a recipe for that when I've tried it), and then I got thinking about the greens used in it, and what could be substituted.
That led me to thinking about the greens I use in my NEW YEAR'S HAM & BEANS (a twist my usual LAZY COOKER HAM & BEANS).
What if I did an Irish spin on ham & beans??

Something to think about is the fact that Irish bacon is actually more of a cured piece of ham, much like Canadian bacon. So a great substitute is cured pork belly. I also found that Navy Beans are pretty typical in that part of the world. I could totally do a ham & beans stew, lazy cooker Irish style!
(I'm also including a stove top "hot pot" style, too.)

Here's what I did:

**********

IRISH BACON & BEAN STEW

with Barley & Beer

Ingredients:

* 2-3 lb cured pork belly, trimmed or pork shoulder
* 1 lb bag dried navy beans
* 1-2 can(s) navy beans, drained & rinsed
* 1 lb potatoes, lightly scrubbed & diced
* 32 oz chicken stock/broth (you can use pork, beef or vegetable stock/broth, too)
* 1- 2 12 oz bottles/cans Irish stout/ale,can or bottle (I used a bottle of Boulevard Irish Ale)
* 1 C apple cider
* 1 C pearl barley
* 2 T honey (local or Irish honey - I used Irish honey with Jameson whiskey)
* 1 handful coleslaw mix (with carrots)
* 1 sweet onion, diced
* 2 C turnip greens or curly kale, shredded or torn into small pieces
* 1 medium to large parsnip, scrubbed & diced
* 2 medium to large carrots, scrubbed & diced
* 1/2 C brown sugar
* 2-4 bouillon cubes (I used chicken, but you can use beef or pork)
* 1 T liquid smoke (optional)
* seasonings: ground pepper, thyme, caraway seeds, marjoram, parsley, dried chives
* 2 bay leaves


Directions - Lazy Cooker:

~ Soak dry beans in beer & water (or all beer), about 1 inch over the beans, for about 8 hours in a tightly covered container; or soak overnight in water 1 inch above the beans in refrigerator in a container with a tight-fitting lid
     ** If using all beer from 2 containers of the beer, use the reserve of the 2nd container in the stew

~ Once beans are soaked, spray the insert of your lazy cooker with cooking spray

~ Drain & rinse the beans; sort thru them to make sure there are no pebbles; if you find any, discard the pebbles

~ Add the rinsed beans to the lazy cooker insert

~ Take your trimmed pork belly, then add to the lazy cooker (I had some leftover cedar plank smoked ham I augmented with the pork belly)

~ Add in the barley and all of the root vegetables

~ Add in all the seasonings, bouillon cubes, brown sugar, honey, and liquid smoke (if using)

~ Pour in all of the liquids over the beans, pork belly/ham, barley & veggies

~ Place the 2 bay leaves on top of the mixture

~ Close the lid of the lazy cooker

~ Depending on how long you have, either set the lazy cooker to low for 6-8 hours OR set on high for 4 hours

~ Open can(s) of navy beans; drain & rinse

~ After the first round of cooking times, open the lazy cooker lid, remove the bay leaves, add the rinsed canned navy beans, stir, breaking up the pork, then add the bay leaves back & cook on low for 4 more hours OR on high for 2 hours

~ In the last 45 minutes to 1 hour of cooking, open the lid of the lazy cooker, remove & discard the bay leaves, add in the leafy green pieces & coleslaw mix, stir, and close the lid until done

~ After the cooking is done, give one more great big stir & get ready to ladle into bowls

~ Garnish with a little bit o'parsley, and eat it up



Directions - Stovetop:

~ Soak dry beans in beer & water (or all beer), about 1 inch over the beans, for about 8 hours in a tightly covered container; or soak overnight in water 1 inch above the beans in refrigerator in a container with a tight-fitting lid
     ** If using all beer from 2 containers of the beer, use the reserve of the 2nd container in the stew

~ Once beans are soaked, spray the inside of a Dutch oven or heavy stock pot with cooking spray

~ Drain & rinse the beans; sort thru them to make sure there are no pebbles; if you find any, discard the pebbles

~ Add the rinsed beans to the Dutch oven or stock pot

~ Take your trimmed pork belly & add to the pot (I had some leftover cedar plank smoked ham I augmented with the pork belly)

~ Add in the diced onion

~ Add in the barley

~ Add in all the seasonings, brown sugar, honey, and liquid smoke (if using)

~ Pour in all of the liquids over the beans, pork belly/ham, barley, onions & seasonings

~ Turn up the heat on the burner, and bring the stew to a boil

~ Once boiling, turn down to low to begin simmering, and place the 2 bay leaves on top of the mixture

~ Put the lid of the pot (hopefully it has one) onto the pot to cook, at a simmer, for about 2 hours

~ After 1 hour of cooking, remove the bay leaves & set aside, then add in the potatoes, carrots, and parsnips; place the bay leaves back on top, and put the lid back onto the pot, slightly askew, and continue simmering for another hour

~ Open can(s) of navy beans; drain & rinse

~ In the last 30 minutes of cooking, open the lid, remove & discard the bay leaves, add in the canned beans, coleslaw mix and leafy green pieces, stir, and close the lid until done

~ After the cooking is done, give one more great big stir, making sure the pork is broken into pieces & get ready to ladle into bowls

~ Garnish with a little bit o'parsley, and eat it up

Tip: You can use hulled barley, just soak it overnight, like the dried beans, and add it in

Yield: approximately 8

**********

This is a dish that would work so well for St. Patrick's Day! So much more Irish in this inspired dish than Corned Beef & Cabbage could ever dream of being.
(I saw it put that Corned Beef & Cabbage is as Irish as spaghetti meatballs, and as American as apple pie. Stew on that. <<< Yep. I just said that.) And no worries about the stew being served to the kiddos. The alcohol of the beer gets cooked off in the process.

I usually serve up my ham & beans with cornbread (as it should be), but with this dish being Irish-inspired, I highly recommend a beautifully traditional and super simple Irish Soda Bread (which only has 4 ingredients), like my lazy cooker version, HERE.

OK...I cheated a little. That's shredded carrot in there. Just because I had it.
And I forgot the canned beans because I was distracted. Still really good!

This is a perfect dish for a cold night or for when you need to feed a slightly larger crowd. And a fabulous comfort food!

Sláinte! 
(That's an Irish toast to "Good Health"!)

ENJOY!

Irish Creme Tea Latte'

As I continue to research recipes & cultures, I'm always excited to find something new to try...even a tweak to something...and something quick, too.

Stay with me, if you will...

This one is much like the TINGLING LEPRECHAUN I just recently shared, but this time, it's tea. It's Irish-inspired! It's delicious! And it's a shortcut...like I do.


So I found a flavor combo that is perfect for St. Patrick's Day, or anytime, really. Like most of my afternoons, lately.

Here's what I did:

***********

IRISH CREME TEA LATTE'

Ingredients:

* 1 T honey (preferably local) or agave
* 1 t ground cardamom
* Irish Creme creamer (I used Bailey's, of course, but International Delight is good, too)
* Milk
* 1-4 Irish Breakfast tea bags, depending how strong you want the tea (I used Barry's brand)
* 1 t vanilla extract (optional)


Directions:

~ in a large mug, add in the honey, cardamom, and the vanilla (if using)

~ fill the mug about 1/4 of the way up with the Irish Creme creamer

~ fill the rest of the mug up with the milk, *maybe leaving about a half inch at the top

~ heat in the microwave for about 2 minutes on high

~ once the milk/cream drink is super hot, add in the tea bag(s) in to the milk to steep for about 3-5 minutes

~ when time is up, remove the tea bag(s), carefully squeeze the access liquid back into the drink, and discard the tea bag(s)

~ stir the tea really well

~ relax & sip the deliciousness


Yield: 1

**********

*Note: If you have a milk-frother, take a few seconds to use it in the latte'. Seriously. That's why I left a little room at the top of the mug. If you don't want or need to froth your latte', just fill the mug to the top with the milk.

After being frothed; a delicious & fluffy tea latte'

If you want to froth your latte', but don't have a milk-frother, and want to have the frothy foam on the latte', here's a bit of a tweak you can try if you have a mason jar:
Proceed with the first 2 steps, but then only fill the mug with milk until the whole mug is only half full. Heat up the mug in the microwave for about 1 to 1 & a half minutes. Begin to steep the tea, and then try this SPEEDY FROTHING METHOD! Plus, it will probably give you enough to fix two of these delightful drinks to share with a friend.

The flavors mixed all together are delicious!! And will make you want to be in the Emerald Isle while enjoying your newfound tea! You should enjoy it with a delightful slice of APPLE IRISH CREAM CAKE! Trust me. You're welcome!

ENJOY!

Tingling Leprechaun

I love my coffee.

Yes, it's my vice. And it's ugly when/if I don't get it.

I do whatever I can to include my coffee in celebrations, too. Because I will have it! So I may as well include it into whatever holiday celebration. Amm-i-rite?

Around Cinco de Mayo & Dia de los Muertos, I will make my SPICY MEXI-MOCHA.
Much along the same lines, I have been making an Irish-inspired coffee for quite a while now. I thought I'd shared it here already, but then realized I had not! So I will do it now!

I've been enjoying this coffee drink both hot & cold. And I usually have it about once a week, and increases in consumption as St. Paddy's nears.

I, personally, am not a fan of the over-cheesy, "if it's green, it must be Irish," kind of thinking. Even though I love me a Shamrock Shake, I am not big on green mint stuff being used for St. Patrick's Day, either. Why? Because it's not authentic! However, I make a slight exception in this case. Why? Well...there's always cocktails & other drinks created with the most fun names...some even with a purpose! I created this drink (a coffee one) in 2008 while having a lot of time & resources on my hands at a stress-free job I had gotten. I went to the kitchen & grabbed my coffee, Irish Creme hot chocolate mix & found a chocolate-mint starburst hard candy in the candy dish, on my desk...so, I mixed them together. It seemed like it would taste pretty good...and it did! So much so, I played & tweaked to create this drink I still have about once a week, to this day!

Here's what I do:

**********

TINGLING LEPRECHAUN

Ingredients:

* 1 C freshly brewed coffee (non-flavored...just a delightful blend of your choice)
* 2 T chocolate syrup
* 4 T Irish Creme creamer
* 1 1/2 T chocolate/mint creamer
   (like International Delight York-flavor or Coffee Mate Peppermint Mocha -
     I prefer I.D.'s Peppermint Chocolate Truffle,
     but theirs disappointingly seasonal at Christmas)
* milk or half & half creamer
* ice - if making the iced version
* whipped topping (optional)

Directions for Hot:

~ brew the coffee

~ in a large mug, add in the chocolate syrup and flavored creamers

~ when the coffee is brewed, pour in the hot coffee into the mug

~ fill the rest of the mug up with the milk (I will use chocolate milk sometimes) or half & half

~ stir it all up, adding the whipped topping (if using)

~ begin to sip the deliciousness

Directions for Iced:

~ brew the coffee

~ in a tall glass, add in the chocolate syrup and flavored creamers

~ add in ice to fill about 1/4 of the glass

~ once the coffee is brewed, pour coffee into the glass & stir (ice will melt)

~ fill the glass almost to the top with the milk (I will use chocolate milk sometimes) or half & half

~ stir the coffee drink well

~ carefully add in some more ice until coffee reaches top of the glass

~ add the whipped topping (if using) and a straw

~ begin to drink the deliciousness

Tip: Use chilled coffee so it won't melt the ice nearly as quickly!

Yield: 1

**********

As a note: you can adjust these amounts of ingredients depending on your own tastes. Cut down on creamers & add more coffee, if you'd like. Or just add a splash of coffee & enjoy the the other flavors. I'm not there to judge.

On Sunday mornings, we are rushing around getting ready for church. I will make the iced version in a BIG travel cup (using about 3 times the amounts here...cuz...coffee...and chocolate), and then I will use a packet of Carnation Instant Breakfast, in the chocolate flavor, instead of the chocolate syrup. Then it's my breakfast mocha! YUM!!

My usual Sunday morning Tingling Leprechaun iced breakfast mocha

Also, feel free to try regular Bailey's Irish Creme instead of just the creamer (and maybe a bit of coffee liqueur) for an Irish coffee kick! It's the perfect name for a cocktail, anyway!

Then you can go on with your day, like on St. Paddy's, where you are set & ready to take in the events of St. Patrick's Day, or even your own Irish fare (several recipes HERE)!

*CHEERS*

ENJOY!

Mimosa Hurricane

It's Carnival time, folks!

I love when Mardi Gras comes, and we end up enjoying things like Dirty Rice, Red Beans & Rice, Shrimp Boils, Red Beans & Dirty Rice...
You get the idea.

To celebrate, I figured out how to fix up another Carnival/Mardi Gras staple: King Cake! (cheater recipe HERE)

I made it last year, too, along with a staple drink: Hurricanes!

Now then, since we were celebrating with the kiddos, and it was a Tuesday night, I decided to make them mocktails instead of cocktails. And they were delicious!

But it got me thinking about something...

Since my King Cake (or Carnival Cake if you don't have the baby...at least that's what I'm calling it) is a glorified cinnamon roll that I've enjoyed for breakfast the next day...and a Hurricane has orange juice in it...
Hmmm...
Mimosas are served at breakfast/brunch time, and they contain orange juice in them...

So...why not make the Hurricane into a Mimosa to enjoy with your King/Carnival Cake in the morning, with a small tweak?? Switch out the rum for Champagne!

Here's what I did:

**********

MIMOSA HURRICANE

Ingredients:

* 1/4 C orange juice
* 1/4 C pineapple juice
* 1 T lemon juice
* 1 T lime juice
* 1/2 - 1 T white sugar
* 1/2 C Champagne/white sparkling wine
* crushed ice
* splash grenedine
* garnish: orange slice/wedge, lime slice/wedge, maraschino cherry, pineapple chunks, etc.

Or look at it this way, in proportion to your glass:
* 1/4 of your glass crushed ice
* 1/2 of your glass, over ice, with Champagne/sparkling wine
* 1/2 of your glass, over ice, with juices & sugar
* splash of grenedine


Directions:

~ In a Hurricane glass, add in some crushed ice

~ Top the crushed iced by pouring the juices, sugar, and Champagne/sparkling wine over the ice; stir together to combine

~ When time to serve, add the splash of grenadine; add garnish of choice (super fun to add a little umbrella & a big bendy or crazy straw, too!)

~ Consume with a slice or two of King/Carnival Cake


Yield: 1 serving


Notes:
+ Make a mocktail version by using a sparkling white grape juice or sparkling cider in place of the Champagne/sparkling wine

+ If you want to make a bigger batch of this, multiply by the number you want to serve for, heat the lemon & lime juices with the sugar in a sauce pan to make into a syrup, then add it with the orange & pineapple juices to a large pitcher or bowl; stir. Add in the juice to the glass (pour or ladle), halfway up, then fill the rest of the glass with the Champagne/sparkling wine. Top it with the splash of grenadine & garnish.

Tip: Don't have grenadine on hand? If you're using maraschino cherries for garnish, splash a bit of the syrup from the jar into your mimosa instead!

**********

While you're at it, fry up some andouille sausage to go along with your NOLA-style breakfast! Yum!

And if you had a great time with your meal the night before, imagine how delicious your breakfast/brunch is going to be in the morning!

Perfect for guests staying the night or for a girls'-get-together for brunch!

I mean...coffee is always great with it in the morning, too...but maybe have coffee with one piece of leftover King/Carnival Cake, and a Hurricane Mimosa with the other! (if there's any cake left...)

Cheers & Laissez les bon temps rouler!

ENJOY!

Respectable King Cake

Happy Carnaval!

It's just a few days past 12th Night (aka - 3 Kings Day/Epiphany), and it is now carnaval time in the NOLA (New Orleans, LA) area, leading up to Mardi Gras!

Parades happen all throughout, and many, many festivities!

As the hoopla is getting going, so is the desire for Cajun dishes.

Our family celebrates Mardi Gras (now), even though we've never been to the NOLA area during this time. My hubby has been there for some mission work to help with some cleanup from Hurricane Katrina, but that's the extent of it.

One of these days, I would love to go! I have an online friend that lives there & keeps me up-to-date. I want to go meet her, too. In the meantime, I recreate what I can, here in the midwest.

We usually make Dirty Rice around this time. I've made my own, but we tend to be convenient & use either Zatarain's or Knorr's. I add our own ground beef, sausage, bell peppers & celery when I make it.
Last year, we switched it up! We did a divided shrimp boil with potatoes, corn & sausage. YUM!! I also used Zatarain's Red Beans & Rice to accompany it. Sometimes we use Knorr's version of it, too.

I've also made some versions of a Hurricane mocktail. I even bought short hurricane vases to use as glasses to serve it up in! I just need to track down what I actually did for it. That's for another time.

I also added another Carnaval/Mardi Gras staple to the celebration last year. I finally faked a King Cake!! I say "faked" since I needed a shortcut to get the same type of result. I was trying to find which recipe I basically used from last year, but couldn't find it, or even very few others, due to links being gone/broken or now having a virus or spam attached to the link. Bummer. So, I remember the basis & was ready to do a test run as I attempt to make it a few times during this year's Carnaval as it leads up to Mardi Gras! I also research & try to do my best to recreate something as authentic or authentic-like as possible...even in short-cut mode...yet still respectable.

(check out some of my past Mardi Gras celebrations HERE)

Here's what I did:

**********

RESPECTABLE KING CAKE

Ingredients:

* 3 Cinnamon roll cans, with cream cheese icing (set aside)
* 2-3 T butter, melted
* 1/4 C brown sugar (not packed)
* 2-3 T ground cinnamon
* 1 T lemon juice or 1/2 tsp lemon extract
* sanding or decorating sugars in purple, green & gold/yellow (the darker colored, the better)
* 1 tiny plastic baby (without the King baby, it's only "cake")


Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F or what your canned cinnamon roll packaging tells you

2. On a flat, clean, then floured surface, open the cans of cinnamon rolls, setting the icing packets aside for later, and use hands to squish it all together to create a lightly-kneaded cinnamon roll dough ball; I unrolled them all, first, then squished them together

3. With a rolling pin, gently roll out the dough ball so it makes one large rectangle-like shape, about 20-22" long; be careful not to make it too thin, maybe a quarter-inch to haf-inch thick

4. In a microwave-safe dish or bowl, melt the butter for just a few seconds; 20-30 seconds should probably do the trick

5. When the butter is melted, with a spoon or basting brush, "paint" the butter over the top side of the flattened cinnamon roll dough

6. Once the surface of the dough is covered in melted butter, sprinkle the surface with the brown sugar & ground cinnamon (you may not use all of it, but even sweeter if you do)

7. After the dough is covered with butter & brown sugar, begin tight-rolling the dough back up; start from one of the long sides & roll to the other - keep tucking & rolling (it may take some time depending on how long your dough is rolled out to be), until you have the dough rolled into a log

8. Take a bundt pan (or fluted pan) & spray it with cooking spray (I love using the one with flour already in it)

9. Carefully take your cinnamon roll dough log & snake it into the bundt pan, pinching the ends together, when it makes a full circle, to close it as best as you can; make sure the "seam" of the roll is facing upward in the pan

10. Place the pan with the cinnamon roll cake circle into the oven for about 20-30 minutes, until golden brown (check to make sure it's baked thru - not to "squishy")

11. While the cake bakes, take the packets of cream cheese icing & combine them together into a small bowl or directly into a small storage baggie

12. Add the lemon juice/extract (I used lemon juice) into the cream cheese icing, then mix it together (if it's in a small baggie, close the baggie & "mix" it by squeezing & "pinching" the mixture); set aside, best in the fridge until ready to use

13. Once the cake is done baking, remove from inside the oven & allow to cool IN THE PAN for about 10 minutes

14. After the cake is fairly cooled, take the tiny plastic baby & insert it SOMEWHERE in the cake

15. On a round plate or platter large enough for the cake, invert the cake pan onto the plate so the cake exits the pan & onto the plate/platter

16. When the cake is cool enough that icing won't melt when added to it, drizzle/spread the lemon-ized cream cheese icing over the top of the King cake (now there's the baby in it); if you are using a storage baggie with the mixture, cut a hole in one of the bottom corners of the baggie & squeeze the icing over the top of the King cake; let it "drip" down the sides, then use a little rubber spatula or small knife to even out the covering, if need be, depending on how thick the icing is

17. While the icing is still "wet", begin to sprinkle the sugars in alternating colors in a stripe pattern to adhere to the icing

18. Allow icing glaze to set & harden; about 30 minutes to an hour

19. Slice CAREFULLY (there's a baby in there!) & serve

No baby...just layers of sweet deliciousness...

See? There's a baby in there!

Yield: up to 18 (depending how small you cut the pieces)

**********

The pics, above, are from my early test-run. After I went thru all the steps I need to so I could remember what the heck I'd done before, I now know what I need to do differently the next time around. I will update this post when I have pics of the updated product. Use the ingredients I have listed!! It's what I will use next time around...
This time, I didn't use enough cinnamon rolls to make the cake a bit thicker & fuller, and maybe baking it a minute or so longer than I did this time.

My NOLA friend was kind enough to send me a couple of King babies to use in future cakes (yes, the one in the pic, above, is one of them). And, after I was worried how my King Cake looked last year, she saw the pics & said it looked like King Cake to her! WHEW! I do try really hard to get culture as authentic as I possibly can...within my skill set & resources.

(By the way, King Cake is also delicious the next morning for breakfast with your coffee. It's pretty much a beautifully decorated cinnamon roll. BOOM! You're welcome.)

Also, when you serve the cake in slices, whoever ends up with the baby usually gets a special prize or holds the next get-together...something. And they can keep the baby to use in their making of King Cake!

Someone is getting da baby...

Looks like it was my hubby who got da baby! Guess I need to figure something special. LOL!

Also, a little history in some of what's going on with the King Cake/Carnaval/King Cake colors...

Purple - Justice

Green - Faith

Gold - Power

On a semi-different, but totally the same, note, there were 3 gifts given by the magi to Baby Jesus, celebrated on Three Kings Day/12th Night (aka - the 12th day of Christmas), which is January 6th. Even though the Bible states 3 gifts given, it's often depicted as 3 wise men, one to bring each gift...even though it's never stated how many magi showed up. It's plural...so there were at least 2, but not sure how many for sure.

Some have pointed out that the colors of Mardi Gras/Carnaval also seem to represent the gifts:

Gold - gold

Green - frankincense

Purple - myrrh 

And they were on their journey to find Baby Jesus (aka - King Baby), which actually took them 1-2 years after Jesus was born. Interesting fact! Right?

Oh! You need to remember...the cake without the baby is just "cake"! Maybe a Carnaval Cake?? Can we make that a thing that sticks in case you don't have the baby but want to make the cake? You'd still respect the cake. Amm-i-rite?

See? An easy-peasy recipe AND we learned a little something! You're welcome.

Hope you enjoy it & make it a few times between now (or beginning January 6th) thru Mardi Gras!

Laissez les bon temps rouler!
(That's French for "Let the good times roll!")

ENJOY!

**********

UPDATE:

I finally got around to doing a cake with the right amounts of stuff & a couple of tweaks.

Isn't it beautiful? Yeah it is!

I have figured out that I should bake this for about 25 minutes in MY oven. I still say start checking at 20, and keep it in, if needed, for around 30 minutes. Each oven is a bit different. You want golden brown & not super squishy. I slightly over baked this one by leaving it in for the full 30 minutes without checking. Hey...I was multitasking...and just forgot. Thank God for the timer!

Also, when I prepared the icing glaze, I also added some extra powdered sugar to insure it was less runny. I added about a quarter of a cup & squished it in with the cream cheese icing & lemon juice. It worked like a charm! A perfect dripping without running. And it gave a beautiful canvas for the colors.

I decided to make the colors pop a bit more with one of my favorite decorating tools: spray color.

Yes. When my kiddos want me to bake a cake that I have to cover in a color, I turn to this Wilton product to just spray...and it gives a fun, airbrushed, artistic look to it. Just watch where you use them, wear an apron for protection, and spray. They are aerosol cans, so it will have particles floating...so just make sure you watch where it goes. I love them. And I just happen to have colors I needed for the cake!

So, with the thicker white icing with the colors sprayed was already awesome looking...but you know I was adding the colored sugar, too! And I wound up with a bold color cake! So happy with it!!

But I'm going to make a confession about this update, I didn't put the baby in it. So it's what I consider "Carnaval Cake". It looks like King Cake...but it doesn't have the baby.

And even with it being slightly over-baked (it was NOT burned), this turned out fabulously! I cannot wait to do it again & I am now satisfied with my cake, whether it be Kinged or just Carnival.

Hope you enjoy trying this, too! BOOM!