the luck of the irish

Did you know I'm Irish?

Yes, I know, I'm American. But you know how it is. Americans like to spice things up a bit, by claiming their largest fraction of whatever-it-might-be as their true heritage and just running with it.

Well, we've been running with our Irish side for as long as I can remember.

My maiden name is O'Neil. I just love O'Neil. I love the way it sounds, love the way it looks. It was a fantastic name to have for 22 years, and I'm proud to be a part of that family -- just as I'm proud and excited to be a part of a new family name for the rest of my years!

(I'm not one of those girls who won't take my husband's last name. I have some thoughts and theories on those women, but I'll keep them to myself.)

We had THE BEST St. Patrick's Day party this past weekend.

We just decided to go for it, and have a big shindig with 4 other couples in our little cozy apartment. And I gotta say, I was totally pleasantly surprised with how lovely it was. I was a little stressed about how the flow would be, and about our lack of seating, but everything worked and it was great. It was so fun!

Luna was pretty at home with the Irish decor.

I utilized our computer chair,
fabbing it up with a soft blanket and pillow :)

Balloon chandelier!

I tried the fun Pinterest technique of putting a marble in a balloon, and hanging a bunch of them from the ceiling. Worked like a charm!

ON THE MENU:

Appetizers:

Dubliner Cheese (imported from Ireland), grapes, green apples, and kiwi.

Green hummus, with celery or pita chips. 

Main Course:

Guinness Stew, with Colcannon

Specialty Drink: 

"No"jitos! Yummy lime/mint soda drinks.

Dessert: 

Mint Brownies. Mmmm.

How adorable are these kiwis,
cut into shamrocks with a cookie cutter? :)

Shamrock confetti, and chocolate cold coins :)

A fabulous touch of "rainbow" added to the table!

 PS: I was wearing a black shirt with green jewelry, and let me tell you, I was bombarded with accusations. I was totally psyched at how spirited everyone was :)
And how dedicated they were to GREEN!
So I changed. :)

We all hung out for a while, and Allison mixed up our Nojitos while we all snacked and visited.

The whole apartment smelled so minty! Yum!

I was wishing I had a dinner bell to bring the boys inside to eat.

Once the Nojitos were done, and I could hear the tummies a growlin', I ran up and grabbed an Irish blessing to bless the food with.

I used the wedding blessing that my maid of honor read to us in her speech at our reception. Over Christmas break, she gave us the blessing in a beautiful gold frame. I thought it was fitting for the evening!

We were then ready to dig in. :)

I totally loved the Colcannon.

It's an Irish dish, made with mashed potatoes and kale.

One of the couples had brought it go with the stew, and it was the perfect addition! 

A big dollop of Colcannon, topped with Guinness stew, is an extremely delicious meal.

There's nothing like some soft, delicious mint brownies with vanilla ice cream to finish off a happy stomach!

I may as well introduce these couples to you.

I absolutely love any get-togethers that bring all of us girls together, but having the men along is always double the fun. We had some pretty goofy moments - and I love the photo booth style pictures we set up!

GREG AND ALLISON

A dynamite couple, with good looks and an adorable baby boy to boot.

Healthy, stylish, and athletic, this pair is the epitome of High School Sweethearts.

CHRIS AND HEATHER

Coffee, food, travel, and fitness -- all of these things are integral parts of the Chris/Heather combo!

A fun and outgoing pair, they're sure to liven up any get together with their energy and humor.

JOSHUA AND STEPHANIE

A power couple complete with style, taste, and culinary skill. (Stephanie reigns as Dessert Queen).

Their adorable pinch-his-cheeks baby boy is enough to make anyone grin, and they're a warm, happy family that is always a joy to be around. 

PHILLIP AND ERICA

Animal-loving, Catan-playing, fun-loving, well-read couple that is impossible not to love!

They're smart and kind, but it was their love of games and great books have made them top-notch in our book -- plus they're pretty much adorable.

DUSTIN AND CAITLIN

OH wait - that's us! Weird and awkward, we've somehow managed to snatch up all of these great friends. 

THE GIRLS

We are what make the parties great.

Make no mistake.

THE BOYS

They are what make us happy. :)

I hope you guys had a fabulous St. Patrick's Day, because I know I did! 

I love Irish things. I love St. Patrick. 

Show this off to your friends, as a no-booze way to party.

:)

xoxo

In love,

Cait

rosemary

....bread. Mmmm, bread. Rosemary bread.

Oh, drat. I don't have any yeast!!

Muaha. Lucky for me, I am able to capitalize on both my hunger, laziness, and efficiency (and what they call the world wide web!).

May I present to you, a yeast-less and yet delicious (and ridiculously easy, therefore me likey), rosemary bread recipe!

Popeye and Olive-Oil

delicious Rosemary bread

I think Rosemary is one of the most delicious flavors in the world. 

In August, when we went to DC, we ate at this fabulous restaurant called Good Stuff Eatery that served Rosemary and Thyme french fries. I'm not sure I've ever had such a wonderful fry flavor combo. Totally at the top of my YUM list.

This recipe is so easy. Took me about 10 minutes to throw the ingredients together, and then 55 minutes to bake. And it is SO GOOD. 

Ingredients:

• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 2 teaspoons dried rosemary
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 3/4 cup sweet white wine or apple juice
• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350° F. Spray your chosen bread pan with cooking spray. I used a nice round pan, which worked great. 

2. In a large bowl, mix together dry ingredients (flour, sugar, walnuts, baking powder, rosemary, and salt).

3. In a separate bowl, lightly whisk the eggs and add in the white wine and olive oil.

4. Slowly add the egg mixture to the bowl of dry ingredients, mixing well.

5. Pour the bread batter into your bread pan, and bake for 55 minutes, or until golden brown (and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean!). 

And you're done!

Delicious, seasoned and nutty bread for your next soup dinner, or afternoon snack, or even breakfast. :)

And all from things you (well, I) probably already had in your pantry!

It was nice to finish off the last of my cooking white wine, as well as the olive oil. I love being able to use up things in my pantry, and not let things go to waste :)

It was also game night last night.

We've been playing some fun word games online, and so both of us were hankering for some real-life Scrabble!

I used to be the word master in this marriage, but I think law school has really given Dusty the upper edge -- it was a really close game, the whole way through! Our finished board was nuts, with words like "bema" and "veeps". What in the world??

I still managed to snag the win, but my hubby had me on my toes :) we'll have the championships later, I'm sure.

I'm so happy it's Friday. This weekend will be a lot of fun, with a movie night tonight, another game night with some friends tomorrow, and church and relaxation on Sunday. :)

In love,

Cait

P.S. Oh -- and don't forget. There's a very special holiday coming up this month :) we've got festive salt shakers to prove it...