St. Patty’s Day – Corned Beef and Cabbage

It’s St. Patty’s Day!

What’s better than Corned Beef and Cabbage on St. Patrick’s Day?

When it’s waiting for you after the parades…

This Crock Pot version is easy and delicious!

Crock Pot Corned Beef and Cabbage

Serves: 6 Prep Time: 10 minutes  Cook Time: 8 hours

kid favorite recipes holidays featured dinner crock pot    St. Pattys Day   Corned Beef and Cabbage

WHAT YOU NEED:

1 3-4 pound corned beef brisket (with seasoning packet)

1 lb potato cut into bite sized pieces

1 bag baby carrots

2 onions quartered

1 bulb fennel, sliced

2 garlic cloves

1 can beef broth

3 T apple cider vinegar

2 T brown sugar

2 T soy sauce

2 garlic cloves minced

S&P

1 head cabbage cut into 6 wedges

WHAT TO DO:

Toss potatoes, carrots, onions, fennel and 2 whole garlic cloves into the bottom of a slow cooker.

In a large measuring cup combine beef broth, spice packet from the corned beef brisket, cider vinegar, soy sauce, brown sugar, minced garlic, S&P and stir to combine.

Place the brisket, fat side up) on top of vegetables in slow cooker.  Lay wedges of cabbage around brisket.  Pour beef broth mixture over corned beef and cabbage.

Cover and cook on low for 8 hours.

Remove corned beef from slow cooker and slice thin on an angle.

Serve on a platter along with veggies and potatoes.

St. Pattys Day – Irish Soda Bread

Irish Soda Bread

Did you know that Irish Soda Bread is apparently not even Irish?

It’s true…

But soda bread is historic!

Historic in the fact that you didn’t need yeast or an oven to make it.

That meant that everyone could now have this delicious delight and bake it right over their own fire!

Try it!

It’s simple and comes together fast and great for the kids to get involved with.

vegetarian recipes for kids kid favorite recipes holidays featured baking with kids    St. Pattys Day   Irish Soda Bread

WHAT YOU NEED:

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

1/3 cup white sugar

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 egg, lightly beaten

2 cups buttermilk

1/4 cup butter, melted

WHAT TO DO:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Grease a 9×5 inch loaf pan.

Combine flour, baking powder, sugar, salt and baking soda. Blend egg and buttermilk together, and add all at once to the flour mixture. Mix just until moistened. Stir in butter. Pour into prepared pan.

Bake for 65 to 70 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the bread comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack.

St. Patty’s Day – Potatoes Fitzpatrick

Being Fitzpatricks and all…

You know I had to come up with a good potato dish to celebrate the big day…

This one is it!

It’s got everything you need for the perfect St. Patty’s day meal.

If for some strange reason you have leftovers…

Reheat them in a pan the next morning with some corned beef and some eggs…

Sure to make you feel better…

If you had a wee bit too much Guinness!

kid favorite recipes holidays side dishes featured dinner    St. Pattys Day   Potatoes Fitzpatrick

WHAT YOU NEED:

2 T butter, divided

1 T olive oil

1 onion, sliced

S&P

1/2 head of cabbage, sliced

1 clove garlic, chopped

1 T apple cider vinegar

WHAT TO DO:

In a large skillet heat olive oil and butter over medium high heat.

Add in onions, season with S&P and allow to cook until soft, about 5-6 minutes.

Toss in your cabbage and garlic and cook until cabbage wilts down, another 6-7 minutes.  Remove from pan.

Toss in another tablespoon of butter and lay in your potatoes in an even layer along the bottom of pan, don’t touch them, let them crisp up a bit.

Once they’ve browned add the cabbage and onion back in and stir to combine.

Let the mixture brown a bit more then deglaze with cider vinegar and season with S&P to taste.

Delish!!!

This ain’t your nana’s cabbage!

Mexican Fiesta Week – Tequila Lime Chicken

Welcome to day 2 of Mexican Fiesta Week.

As you know…

I love me some margaritas…

kid favorite recipes holidays healthy eating for kids featured dinner    Mexican Fiesta Week   Tequila Lime Chicken

So I’ve decided to dust off a fabulous recipe that combines your meal with your tequila.

This is the fabulous Tequila Lime Chicken courtesy of my girl Julie over at Mommie Cooks

Now I make mine totally different, I usually marinate chicken pieces for a day then grill it on the bbq…

She does the whole darn bird in the oven!

It’s a great take…check it out.

My recipe OCD changes are in italics…you all know how I am!

kid favorite recipes holidays healthy eating for kids featured dinner    Mexican Fiesta Week   Tequila Lime Chicken
Mommie says -
WHAT YOU NEED:
1 whole chicken
1/4 Cup of Tequila
1/4 Cup of Olive Oil
1/2 tsp of Chicken Base (or 1/4 Cup of Broth)
1 Lime, Juiced
1 orange juiced
1 lemon juiced
1/2 cup pineapple juice
1 jalapeno diced
4 Cloves of Garlic
1 Small Bunch of Cilantro, Chopped
1 tsp of Cumin
1 tsp of Chili Powder
1 tsp of Paprika
1/2 tsp of Salt
1/4 tsp of pepper
Cayenne Pepper to taste (Optional)
WHAT TO DO:
Grab your chicken, rinse and pat it dry.  Drop it into your baking dish and sprinkle the dry spices; cumin, chili powder, paprika, salt, pepper and cayenne on both sides of your bird.
Next you’ll want to mix together your tequila, olive oil, chicken base (or broth), lime juice, orange juice, lemon juice, jalapeno, pineapple juice, garlic, and cilantro.  Now pour your cilantro mixture over the top of your chicken.  It should be starting to look good already and you haven’t even begun cooking it!

This is optional, but I threw my squeezed limes, oranges and lemons, into the cavity of the chicken.  I would have mulched them up anyway and this way, I get every last bit of lime flavor infused into my chicken.

Throw your chicken into your oven heated up to 350 degrees.  Cook it covered for the first 1.5 hours and then uncovered for the last 30 minutes, basting once or twice with the chicken’s juices the last half hour.

Cooking times will vary depending on the weight of your bird, but as a reference, the internal temperature of your bird should reach 180 degrees.  If you have a meat thermometer, stick it into the bird once you get to the uncovered portion of your cooking time.  You should stick the thermometer between the leg and the breast to hit the deepest part of the chicken.

Once your chicken hits that magic number of 180, pull it out and prepare to feast on something spectacular.  If this doesn’t make your mouth water, I don’t know what will.

kid favorite recipes holidays healthy eating for kids featured dinner    Mexican Fiesta Week   Tequila Lime Chicken

Easter Week – Easter Egg Mini Pies

This is a fun delicious craft to make with kids this easter.

They’re easy to make…

Fun to decorate…

And the bite size portions go down super easy!

kids desserts kid favorite recipes holidays featured crafts baking with kids    Easter Week   Easter Egg Mini Pies

Easter Egg Mini Pies

WHAT YOU NEED:

Pie crust dough (you can use store bought or make your own.

Canned pie filling

4 egg whites

Food coloring

new paintbrushes

WHAT TO DO:

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.  Roll out your pie crust and using an oval cookie cutter cut equal numbers of “eggs.”

kids desserts kid favorite recipes holidays featured crafts baking with kids    Easter Week   Easter Egg Mini Pies

Place half of them onto an ungreased cookie sheet.  Top each with a spoonful or two of filling then moisten the edge with egg white.  Top with remaining eggs and seal edges to close.

Add food coloring to your egg white then let the kiddos use the paintbrushes to paint on designs on top of eggs.

kids desserts kid favorite recipes holidays featured crafts baking with kids    Easter Week   Easter Egg Mini Pies

Bake at 375 for 12-14 minutes.

Serve and enjoy!

Easter Week – Eggcellent Eggs

It’s Easter.

That means Easter Eggs.

Thought I’d bring back this little tidbit on Fresh eggs for this week.

holidays featured cooking tips    Easter Week   Eggcellent Eggs

Did you know that a carton of eggs can keep in the fridge for up to 5 weeks?

Yup!

How can you tell if your raw egg is fresh?

Put it in a pot of water.

If it floats it’s either hard boiled or waaaaaay past it’s prime.

If it sinks and lays on it’s side it’s fresh fresh fresh.

If it sinks and stands on an end, it’s about 2 weeks old.

If it slightly tilts, it’s only a few days to a week…

Go ahead, try it, you know you want to!

What about your easter eggs?

holidays featured cooking tips    Easter Week   Eggcellent Eggs

Do you eat them or just admire them?

Thanks to Wikipedia for these images…

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