St. Patties Day

I just wanted to do a quick post about one of my favorite holidays of the year. St. Patrick's Day! Yeah!!!! Green beer and pinching people for fun always sounded like good times to me :) I sometimes wonder why the green beer started...hmmm, maybe time for more research. So I do what I always do when I am curious about something.... I googled it. A wealth of information available right at my fingertips. I think the history of St. Patties Day is very interesting, but I still could not find an answer to why the green beer started. A curious thing indeed.

Anyway, I thought that I would share a recipe today. This bread is crusty on the outside and has a great heaviness to it. This bread is rib-stickin' bread and you don't need to eat a lot... Trust me, I overindulged last year :)

THIS RECIPE IS NOT ALLERGY SAFE- so If you have allergies, try substitution.

IRISH SODA BREAD
Adapted from a recipe by MP Welty on allrecipes.com

INGREDIENTS

4 cups all-purpose flour
4 tablespoons white sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup margarine, softened
1 cup buttermilk
1 egg
1/4 cup butter, melted
1/4 cup buttermilk

DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Lightly grease a large baking sheet.
2. In a large bowl, mix together flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt and margarine. Stir in 1 cup of buttermilk and egg. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead slightly. Form dough into a round and place on prepared baking sheet. In a small bowl, combine melted butter with 1/4 cup buttermilk; brush loaf with this mixture. Use a sharp knife to cut an 'X' into the top of the loaf.
3. Bake in preheated oven for 45 to 50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean, about 30 to 50 minutes. You may continue to brush the loaf with the butter mixture while it bakes.

And so it begins...

I am beginning this blog to bring myself closer to the world. I recently discovered that I feel as if I float above the world, too unusual to maintain contact with the majority population. I feel a little bit lost as I navigate my way through life, and I think I was driving my husband crazy with all the discussions I have with him. Of course, the discussions generally are me talking and he nodding his head and saying um-hm every once in a while. I wanted to connect with people and live.

I want to share. I am a corporate zombie by profession, a baker by passion, and a loon by astrology. I wanted to share my thoughts, my recipes, my passions, and even my kookiness once in a while.

I wanted to help. I have allergies and I can't eat certain foods. I have developed a network of friends that have the same circumstances I do. As a baker, watching what I make is skill. As a friend, watching what I bake for others is lifesaving. I wanted to share ideas about living nut-free, dairy-free, gluten-free, vegan, fat-free, or even egg free.

I wanted to be. Anything and everything I want.

So there we go with the first glimpse into my mind. Hopefully the journey is an adventure.