St. Patricks Day

In honor of St. Patrick's Day occurring this weekend, and many people in my office wearing green today, I figured I would bake some "Irish Inspired Breads".

Had I really planned this out I would have asked my friend Sue (the one with the awesome dog Diego who can be found getting into trouble here ) for her mom's recipe...her mom grew up in Ireland and makes a fantastic Irish Soda Bread...but alas I did not plan.

Whether you love beer or not I think you will love this super easy beer bread. It bakes up with a wonderful golden brown crust and is lovely toasted as well. I used one of my favorite beers and the only one I had in the house Ithaca Beer Company Apricot Wheat Ale

 

Click here to print the Beer Bread Recipe

Click here to print the Irish Soda Bread Recipe

 

 

 

 

 

Cooling side by side

Golden Crust on the Beer Bread

 

Beer Bread Slide

 

Irish Sode Bread Sliced

Zuchinni Bread

Zucchini is one of those wonderful produce items that is always in season.
During a cold snowy winter or a hot sunny summer at the local farm stand you can always find these gorgeous green beauties.

An awesome co-worker of mine Dana, asked me a few weeks ago if I had a zucchini bread recipe I could share...so today's Friday in Food is Dana Inspired~

I will confess I do love to make these quick breads, as I told you in last weeks blog post this is one of those super easy mix everything together and pour into a pan recipe.

Fresh from the oven cooling on my baking rack.

To liven these up a bit I added dried cranberries to one, and mini chocolate chips to the other.  I love to use mini chips in this type of baked good and I feel it adds just a hit of chocolaty goodness, where as regular size chips might be too much.

Sliced and ready for my co-workers.
On the left chocolate chip
On the right cranberry

These will freeze beautifully as well.

Chick here to print a copy of the recipe.

Oatmeal...

Good for you?
A cold weather warmer?
Heart Healthy Food?
Lowers Cholesterol?
Instant. Quick Cooking. Old Fashion Oats. Irish Oats...you know the kind that takes what feels like an hour to cook. So many varieties to choose from.

There was a time in my life when Thursday night was THE NIGHT to go out.  Last night I did go out to dinner, with my sister, cousin, nephew and niece.  This means my Thursday night schedule was thrown off. Walking in the door at 10pm was not the time to undertake a baked good item for Friday's  tasty treat.  side note I have been known to be up baking until after midnight...there is usually a holiday involved in that.

I have an amazing memory and a many years ago in my "to make one day recipe pile" was a Baked Oatmeal.  It did not take long to put together, looked pretty and was not your typical bowl of hot mushy cooked oats (which I thoroughly enjoy with brown sugar).

This meant I would loose 30 minutes of sleep, get up early and throw this together.

I made 2 batches one with nuts one without- this recipe could easily be doubled as well.

Print the Baked Oatmeal Recipe Here

You could make this on a Sunday and leave it in your fridge and have breakfast all week.  Just simply reheating in the microwave.

The fruit combinations are endless:
bananas & blueberries 
peaches & raspberries
nectarines & blackberries
apples & raisins

Please note: dont skip the sliced banana on the bottom of the pan, this add moisture to the oats and the bananas pretty much melt to nothing.