Tea for Two

January 6, 2011

Just a few weeks ago, Michael and I realized our kitchen in Ireland is missing something VERY important. I thought we had it nearly kitted out, what with my awesome new slow cooker and all, but I was wrong.

I don't know how we can even call ourselves Irish. Well, technically I can't call myself Irish at all until another three years when I've got a passport in my hand, but still. We don't own a teapot. We have an electric kettle, so we can make individual cups of tea, but I'm pretty sure every Irish kitchen needs a teapot, even if we are mostly a coffee family.

But I've been poking around the internets looking for a cute teapot to properly finish our Irish kitchen. What do you think of these?

{Hand Painted Teapot from Paisley Hill Designs on Etsy}



{Word Teapot from MyDeco}



{Avoca Trinkets Teapot from Bijouled}



{John Lewis Stripes Teapot from MyDeco}



For the record, I think American kitchens need to adopt electric tea kettles instead of the stove-top version (the sound my dad's makes nearly gives my mom a heart attack every morning). Electric kettles are genius and fast and peaceful - no screeching noise! I use mine to make coffee in our French press every morning and it takes no time at all. Does that tell you something about how Irish I will ever be?

Electric kettles are also great for filling hot water bottles, which I think Americans should adopt as well. I've got my sister (whose apartment is like a tundra) hooked on them. We even have two in our house so we don't have to fight over who gets it! They're great for warming up the cold bed before you have to climb in at night.

Alright, there you go, my pitch for all things Irish on your Friday!

Recommendation

When you're reading a book, do you ever feel like you really want to get to the end to find out what's going to happen, but on the other hand you don't want the book to end and be over?

I'm nearing the end of The Help, by Kathryn Stockett, and I just think it is so good. Given, I'm not the only one, it topped the New York Times Bestseller List and they really know what they're talking about.



And here's the starred review from Publishers Weekly:

"What perfect timing for this optimistic, uplifting debut novel (and maiden publication of Amy Einhorn's new imprint) set during the nascent civil rights movement in Jackson, Miss., where black women were trusted to raise white children but not to polish the household silver. Eugenia Skeeter Phelan is just home from college in 1962, and, anxious to become a writer, is advised to hone her chops by writing about what disturbs you. The budding social activist begins to collect the stories of the black women on whom the country club sets relies and mistrusts enlisting the help of Aibileen, a maid who's raised 17 children, and Aibileen's best friend Minny, who's found herself unemployed more than a few times after mouthing off to her white employers. The book Skeeter puts together based on their stories is scathing and shocking, bringing pride and hope to the black community, while giving Skeeter the courage to break down her personal boundaries and pursue her dreams. Assured and layered, full of heart and history, this one has bestseller written all over it."

So you don't even have to take my word for it - the experts think it's great too!

What about you all, are you reading anything great at the moment? Send on over some recommendations!

Orders

January 5, 2011

Good morning, everyone!

Last night, I got a call from a family friend who was looking to order four dozen cupcakes for a luncheon Thursday. She's not a big dessert lady, so she's leaving the flavors and icing choices up to me. So fun!

Did you know you can do that? Yep, I take orders. Sadly, the edible treats can really only be ordered by those living in the Dublin area. But if you're thinking of hosting a party, brunch or tea and don't want to take on all the baking yourself, you can place an order with the China Village Bakery (the name's a work in progress!). Anything else, like this cute baby mobile or these wreaths, you can order to be shipped anywhere!

Before Christmas, I got an order for two pumpkin cakes and a batch of cookies for a principal, a secretary and a teacher. Then I made an order for two Christmas stockings for two lovely little boys. They ended up being red and white stripes and mini polka dots with embroidered initials. Too cute!

My hope is that within the next few months, you'll be able to easily order edibles and inedibles from a page on this site. But in the meantime, you can email me at fromchinavillage@gmail.com for more information!

For tomorrow's order, I'm going to make vanilla cupcakes with chocolate frosting:



and carrot cupcakes with cream cheese frosting:



And I'm still pondering a chocolate cupcake recipe to throw in there as well. I figure three flavors are way more fun than just one!

{Images from here and here.}

Zuzana-ing

January 4, 2011

I've told a few friends about this site I use instead of belonging to a gym, but I'm always forgetting to send them the link. So, here it is!

It's called BodyRock, and the (really jacked) lady who does the workouts is called Zuzana. She's Czech and her husband is Canadian. They travel a lot around Europe and they document their adventures on the site as well.



Her workouts are designed so you can do them at home with minimal equipment. Most of them require no equipment at all. The theory is that you can use your own body weight to build muscle and stay fit.

I like her workouts because she always seems like she thinks they're really difficult too, even though she probably has about 1% body fat and serious muscles. It helps when I'm huffing and puffing that at least she is too!

And I like that I can do the workouts in our small living room, sometimes watching TV, and they don't take forever! Some of the workouts take her only 12 or 17 minutes. They take me longer, but I'm usually done in half an hour!



They're hard at the beginning, but they get a little easier and you build muscle really quickly.

For each workout, she does a video where she demonstrates everything . I usually watch the video once or twice so I know what each exercise is and see the correct form, and then I do the reps on my own. I set up this free interval timer on my computer and off I go!



Right, so there's my Zuzana pitch as I'm spending a few days coming down from the sugar buzz of the last few weeks.

Here are my top 5 favorite workouts from the site. And don't let the names scare you! Or her slightly provocative workout outfits. Ha!

1. Sexy Pain Train Workout

2. Eight Exercises Drill

3. 600 Rep Workout

4. Rock Your Body Workout

5. Turbo Fat Blaster Workout

Obviously, I can't guarantee you'll look like her by doing the workouts. Heck, I don't look like that and I do them several times a week. But that's because I like sugar. I could eat chocolate for every meal (I actually did eat chocolate for most meals over the last few weeks!) and I usually choose sweet tooth over Zuzana bod. But I think I'm fitter than if I belonged to a gym, and saving myself lots of money on a gym membership!

Enjoy!

Resolved

December 31, 2010

I love new year's resolutions. I think of them for months leading up to the new year, trying to figure out what will be the best way to start the year on the right track. I know some people find them too much pressure, but I suppose I've never been too worried about breaking them.



And I figure even if you break them, at least you tried and that's a step in the right direction!

My most successful resolution I've ever made was in 2007 to stop cursing. I had been working on political campaigns for a few years and I'd picked up the campaign lingo, which generally involved a lot of cursing (sorry, parents!). So in 2007, I made a resolution to stop cursing.

Four years later, it has nearly worked. Nearly. It just goes out the window when it comes to cat poop and certain very important domestic disagreements when I really need to make my point (sorry, Michael).

So this year, I'm re-resolving to really stop swearing altogether.

I'm also making a resolution to write a letter, not an email or a facebook message, each week. Everyone loves getting letters, and I think it will make 52 people smile!



A few months ago, I started writing a book, then got caught up in my blog and put it down. But 2011 will be the year I finish writing my (first!) book, and maybe 2012 will be the year you all see it in print!



Of course, I have a long list of crafty, arty projects I want to start and finish, and lots of recipes I want to try. And even my lovely blog is getting a serious makeover in the coming weeks which I think you all will like.

What about you all? Did you make resolutions? Are you scowling at me through your computer because you hate resolutions? Come on, I know you're out there!

{I'm not sure where those images are from! I saved them before I started this little blog, so if they're yours or if you know where they're from, please tell me so I can give credit!}

Cheery New Year!

See you in 2011!

Remembering Veggies

December 29, 2010

One of the most surprising gifts I received for Christmas was from my brother in law. He's 18 and perhaps the biggest fan of my chocolate chip cookies. And he shocked me with an awesome crock pot!

I've been wanting a crock pot for the longest time, so I am very excited to find some new recipes to try with it.

Here are a couple that are at the top of the list (they are heavy on the veggies because it feels like a million years since I've had any!):

Slow Country Green Beans



2 pounds fresh green beans, ends snapped, broken into two or three pieces
1 yellow onion, cut in fat wedges and separated
1 ham hock
1 15-ounce can of stewed tomatoes, broken into pieces
1 teaspoon of fennel seed)
1-2 cups water
salt & pepper

Place all the ingredients in the slow cooker, cover and let come to a simmer. Adjust heat to maintain slow simmer, stirring occasionally and adding water if needed. After several hours, remove the ham hock and cut the meat into pieces and return it (along with the bone and any large pieces of fat, if you like) to the pot. Some time later, season to taste. Cook for about 10 hours or until beans are almost buttery.

All Day Boston Baked Beans



1 lb or 500g bag of small white beans (called navy beans or cannellini beans or haricot beans, depending on where you are)
1 large onion
4 garlic cloves
1 chunk of fresh ginger
4 Tbs. molasses, or 4-5 Tbs. dark brown sugar
1 chunk of smoked bacon or ham
2-3 bay leaves
2 tsp. salt
Several grinds of black pepper
1 tsp dried mustard powder, or 1 Tbs. prepared mustard (brown or Dijon style..whatever you have around)
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 cup ketchup
water

Slice the onion. Smash and roughly chop the garlic. Peel and grate the ginger.

Put all the ingredients into the pot. Pour in water to about 1 1/2 inch / 4 cm above the level of the beans. Mix well.

Set your oven temperature to 250°F / 120°C, or your crock pot / slow cooker to around 200°F / 93°C. (If you have a Rival crock pot, this would be the LOW setting.) Put your pot in or turn it on, depending on what approach you're taking. Set the timer to 6 hours. At that point, check on the pot - the beans may be a bit hard, or not, depending on how dry they were to start with. Usually I find it needs at least 8 hours for the beans to get really tender and sort of caramel-colored. Add water as needed if it looks dry. (If you can't be there to check at the 6 hour mark, just add more water to start with so it doesn't dry up.)

Three Bean Vegetarian Chili



2 bottled roasted red peppers, drained and chopped
1 large minced onion
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
2 tablespoons chili powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 cups organic vegetable broth
1 1/2 cups butternut squash
1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained and chopped
1 (15-ounce) can pinto beans, rinsed and drained
1 (15-ounce) can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained

Preparation:
Add all ingredients to the slow cooker. Cook on high for 3-4 hours, or on low for 6-8 hours. Garnish with sour cream and green onions before serving.


*I found these recipes with the site foodblogsearch.com. I just typed in "crock pot" and came up with so many recipes to cook in the crock pot. Did you know you can even do cupcakes in the crock pot? Sounds risky!

So Clever!

December 27, 2010

Yesterday, with the Christmas craziness over, I went to work on a (belated) holiday card email to send to our family and friends in America.

This is what I came up with:



I used the site Picnik and it is just genius. I uploaded a photo, tweaked it a little with their awesome (and free!) photo editing options, and made it into a Christmas card. You can send the card from their site, but I wanted to be able to write personal messages at the bottom so I just sent it to myself, added the message and sent it along!

I'm no photo expert, so this site is a great, free option for giving your photos a little boost.

Check out the options for "seasonalizing" your photos too - they're hilarious!



Not that we've needed extra snow here in Dublin, but you can even add snow and lights!



There's even an option to add nuts, hats and ornaments! Instant holiday cheer!

Festivities

I hope you all had a lovely and peaceful Christmas and Stephen's Day, or Boxing Day, or day-after-Christmas Day or Blizzard Day, or whatever the case may be!

We had a festive, white wonderland Christmas in Dublin and then woke up today to green grass and pouring rain again. Maybe it means spring is on the way!


{The Christmas mantle at 52 Grange Park}

My parents sent over a Kindle for Michael and I to fight over, so I've been browsing Amazon for books. Anyone have any great suggestions? I just finished the sample of My Life in France, by Julia Child and Alex Prud'Homme and I'm hooked. What a fun, inspiring lady.


{Papa J and Mama Lo surprised us with a dryer - can you say excited??}

Sadly, our Christmas tree had to be taken down already - there were more needles in a pile on the floor than on the tree and it's been brown for over a week. Maybe we peaked too soon this year? But now that the tree is down, we're going to do a serious deep clean on the apartment over the next few days. There is a dusting of flour and cocoa powder on nearly every surface from the frenzy of baking over the last month and it's got to go!



{Happy Holidays from the Westbrooks family!}

Mulling

December 22, 2010

On Sunday evening, Michael and I went to a lovely little Christmas gathering at a friend's house.

When we walked in the door, the smell that greeted us was just delicious. Mulled cider and mulled wine! It just smelled like Christmas.

Since we can't get real apple cider in Ireland (no apple farms either - giant bummer in the fall), mulled apple cider is a great alternative.



Image from here.

Here's a recipe that will make your house smell like it's ready for the holiday this weekend!

Mulled Cider Recipe

* 1/2 cup of brown sugar
* 1 teaspoon of whole allspice
* 1 teaspoon of whole cloves
* 1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
* 3- inch stick cinnamon, broken up
* 2 quarts of apple juice

Stir everything together in a saucepan and heat until just simmering. Let steep for at least 20 minutes or up to half an hour. Strain out the spices and serve into warmed mugs. This recipe will serve around 8 people.

Hint: If you place the whole spices in a small cheesecloth bag, it will be much easier to take them out before serving.

I don't have whole allspice or whole cinnamon sticks, so I'll probably use about 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon and 1/8 tsp ground ginger. We'll see how that works! I think you could also add some orange peel for some citrus zing.

The other thing you can make to fill your house with Christmas is mulled wine.



Image from here.

Mulled Wine

* one orange, peeled and sliced (keep peel as well)
* 1/4 cup brandy
* 8-10 whole cloves
* 3 cinnamon sticks
* 1 tsp fresh or 2tsp ground ginger (or allspice)
* one bottle of red wine

Combine all ingredients in either a large pot or a slow cooker. Gently warm the ingredients on low to medium heat (avoid boiling), for 20-25 minutes. Stir occasionally to make sure that the honey or sugar has completely dissolved. When the wine is steaming and the ingredients have been well blended it is ready to serve. Ladle the mulled wine into mugs (leave seasonings behind) and enjoy!

Now, don't those sound cosy?

I've had a big baking day, I made chocolate snow drop cookies for the neighbors, two pumpkin cakes for a friend's daughter's school, homemade pizza to keep Michael happy, and another batch of (perfect) buttercrunch so I could redeem myself from yesterday's disaster. I'm all baked out.

Even my computer is covered in flour and cocoa powder dust!