Finding My Roots and Weekly Menu

This summer has certainly been a busy traveling season for us, with our last trip being a visit with family and friends to Ireland.  My mother Lilly was born in a small farmhouse in the tiny village of Knockmore, Ireland.   The first part of our vacation was dedicated to visiting with first cousins and exploring the farm and school where my mom grew up. 

Knockmore is a tiny portion of the Kilmactranny village in County Sligo, right on the border of County Roscommon and about 7 miles from the city of Boyle. 

FHFB and I met my cousin Gerald in the townsquare of Boyle - I didn't see him at first but he recognized me (probably because we stuck out like major tourists while we took pictures of the town!). 

After that, we drove a few miles to his home that he shares with his wife Tish and their two daughters, Sinead and Rebecca. They made us feel so very welcome, with a delicious Irish lunch
(which FHFB ate, even though we had just had lunch!)

  They live in a lovely home with horses and brand new black

and white kittens.

As an added wonderful surprise my cousin Angela and her daugher Sarah were also visiting for the weekend  - she reminds me so very much of my Aunt Nancy. 

When I told her this she laughed and said that I reminded her of our Aunt Nancy! 

Here's the Irish side of the family - without the Sicilian prince :)  FHFB - he took the photo. 

Our trip out to my mother's farmhouse was full of very mixed feelings.  Actually, I think I learned more about her throughout my travels through Ireland than I did from the visiting her home.  That may sound funny but what I realized throughout our trip is that I was hearing my mother's voice and expressions while listening to the Irish people speak, and I came to understand a little more of where she came from and why she approached the world in the way that she did.  Mom didn't talk about growing up in Ireland too much, I think it was a pretty hard life. 

This is the driveway that leads up to the farmhouse.  During the years that my mom was growing up, this cottage was covered with a thatched roof and did not have running water or electricity.
A small kitchen has been added to the back of the house.

This is the wonderful stone barn that stands to the left of the house.

Next to the barn is a lower attached building that was used to house the pigs and the piglets. 

The back building was used as a stall area for horses and cows. 

Can you see that beautiful view in the top left corner of the photo from the back of the larger barn?


This is just a small snapshot of our trip to Ireland, I will be sure to post more photos and let you all learn about and see the wonderful sights in this small island across the Atlantic. 

Something new that I discovered when I returned home is the new Blogger format.  I'm not sure if I like it better and I'm pretty confused about how to use it.  I needed to revert back to the original dashboard in order to edit this post and publish it - it seems that many people have received an error message like mine: bX-g04pxr and the recommendations in the Blogger chat room is to log in with the old dashboard.  Yikes, I'm not even sure what that means but I logged out and logged back in and there I was! 

I'm happy to be at home for the next month and will be busy cutting flowers from our gardens and entertaining on our back porch. 

Here's our menu for the next few days, using lots of vegetables from our garden of course.  If you want any of the recipes let me know and I'll send you the link.  It's a little hard to read due to the small size of the print but I'm not sure how to fix that - I just scanned this document so that I could include it in the post - is there a way to increase the size of the menu so that it's easier to read??

I'm linking in to Seasonal Sundays, On the Menu Monday at Stone Gable
and Menu Plan Monday! at I'm An Organizing Junkie!

Dinner for a Friend

FHFB and I have been to visit our friend Dave many times at Lindenmere in South Hero, Vermont. Dave is originally from New Jersey, and makes a trip back down here once or twice a year. 

The last time Dave was in New Jersey we hosted a small dinner party for him - and it was warm enough to eat out on the back porch. 

Here's what was on the menu:

If you have the time please check out some older blog posts about our trip to Lindenmere, Vermont.  It's truly a magical place that we love to visit.

http://froghollowfarmgirl.blogspot.com/2010/10/flatrocks-at-lindenmere.html

http://froghollowfarmgirl.blogspot.com/2010/10/vermont-vacation.html

(this blog post has another menu for you to check out!)

I'm linking in to Yvonne's first On the Menu Monday party at Stone Gable!

Ciao, bella!

xxoo



Brunch at Frog Hollow Farm

A few weekends ago FHFB and I served our first brunch - can you believe it?  We're not big breakfast eaters here - something simple - maybe a poached egg with whole grain toast and coffee or a simple bowl of oatmeal - and we're good to go. 

Although we set the table in the dining room for the main part of the meal...

it was a gloomy day...

We actually started out in the kitchen with the banana muffins, Irish Soda bread and hot coffee....

then we moved into the dining room.

Here's the menu with the recipes:

March Brunch Menu

Lilly’s Irish Soda Bread

Banana Muffins (Ina Garten)

Mini BLT’s (Breakfast at Nine, Tea at Four)

Potato Galette with Smoked Salmon (Martha Stewart.com)

Canadian Bacon Strata (Martha Stewart.com)

Fresh Organic Strawberries and Blueberries

Chocolate Flourless Torte (Ina Garten via Judy Marino)

Bellinis

Mimosas

Coffee/Tea

 

I'll be over at Tablescape Thursdays and Foodie Friday!  

Ciao, bella!!!
xxoo

Seasonal Recipe and Menu Binders

Okay, I know I'm a little obsessive with organizing things.  Being organized energizes me on several levels.  First and foremost I hate reinventing the wheel.  What I mean by that is if I've found a great recipe or put together a fantastic menu, I want to be able to locate that information easily in the future. 

I know that it's not always easy to re-create a mood or feeling - and sometimes dinner parties and casual get-togethers take on a personality of their own - duplicating a particular menu or cocktail at another time may create an entirely whole new experience. 

Nevertheless, I like to be able to easily find specific menus and recipes - I really hate spending time looking for things like that - the time spent searching always distracts me and I find myself engrossed in looking through new recipes and cookbooks and before I know it an hour or so has gone by!!

This is my "Winter Binder" from Vera Bradley - a little blurry, sorry.

 So, several months ago I started putting together a Winter binder of easy entertaining menus along with the recipes.  Vera Bradley designs have never been a favorite of mine but I do love her  colorful binders. Color motivates me and can also add to the whole feeling of creating and looking at something special.  

The idea of creating this binder was the result of wanting to have simple delicious entertaining menus at my fingertips.  FHFB and I love to cook, but sometimes we are so exhausted after having a dinner party that I had to begin simplifying things, but still keeping our menus special, delicious and fun.  I think that as foodies ourselves we just want to have lots of things to taste and of course, a table full of delicious homemade dishes is always so wonderful to see - we eat first with our eyes 

(my eyes should be 10x their size if that's true!) 

This week I purchased a second Vera Bradley binder for Spring entertaining!

So far I have two vegetarian menus filed away.  

Our son is coming home for a few days at the end of March before heading over to Florence, Italy for the month of April, so I wanted to be ready with some simple but delicious vegetarian meals.  

Menu #1

*upside down mushroom tartlets

*yellow squash with hazelnuts and pecorino

*warm peanut and sesame noodles

Menu #2

*vegetarian lentil soup

*white bean and tomato casserole with broccoli rabe

*whole grain penne pasta with shaved 

 

If you would like any of these recipes please let me know and I'd be happy to send them to you!

 

Here are a some links to a few of the recipes:

 

http://www.marthastewart.com/recipe/upside-down-mushroom-tartlets

 

http://www.marthastewart.com/recipe/upside-down-mushroom-tartlets

 

It's snowing here this morning - spring is a little confused.

 

I'm participating in Metamorphosis Monday over at Between Naps on the Porch.

 

Ciao, bella!

St. Patrick's Day Menu from The Irish Pub Cookbook

I've been meaning to post this menu for over a week!  A friend of mine, Stephanie, who loves to cook as much as I do, gave me a wonderful cookbook a few weeks ago called The Irish Pub Cookbook written by Margaret M. Johnson and published by Chronicle Books.  

It's called the culinary celebration of Irish Pub grub!  

 

I found so many new and delicious recipes for our St. Patrick's Day celebration here at Frog Hollow Farm on Saturday.

Here's what we're serving from the cookbook to 26 adults:

Esther Dunne's Bacon-Potato Cakes

Guinness Beef Stew

Chicken and Ham Pie

Cider Braised Chicken and Cabbage

 

Some things that our guests will see on the table when they arrive that I ordered from a little local restaurant called Stella G's:

Lobster Salad Tartlets

Salmon Crepes

Several other appetizers that my sisters are bringing.

 

And of course we couldn't have a St. Patrick's Day party without the following:

Lilly's Irish Soda Bread 

Corned Beef (from my sister Laurie)

 

If you're having a St. Patrick's Day party this weekend like we are and would like one of these recipes please email me, I'll do my best to send them to you!

 

Still figuring out the dessert menu!!

Ciao, bella!

Valentine's Day at Frog Hollow Farm

Frog Hollow Farm Boy and I will be traveling in a few days, and I wanted to be sure to think ahead and have a delicious Valentine's Day dinner planned for him when we get home.
I'm not usually this organized, and I'm not sure that this will work for us.  We usually like to eat what we feel like eating on any given day, so planning too far ahead may put us in a position of not wanting fish for dinner. 
Does that make sense ? 
I know he'll love the pasta and the chocolate profiterole, but I also know he loves halibut and I wanted to try this very delicious recipe from one of the last few Williams-Sonoma catalogs. 

Don't their recipe photos always look so delicious?  

So, I'm doing some of the grocery shopping this week and freezing the halibut since we can't always find it in the grocery stores around here and I don't want to be running far and wide the day we get home. 

Valentine’s Dinner at Frog Hollow Farm

Appetizers

Goat Cheese and Roasted Tomato Crostini

Dinner

Alaskan Halibut Cioppino

Rigatoni Peperonata

Green Salad

Crusty Italian Bread

Dessert

Double Chocolate Profiteroles

We're continuing to enjoy the beautiful snowfall here in New Jersey and have plans for snowshoeing with our friends Steve and Liz this weekend (hopefully!)

XXXOOO

I'm participating in the The Tablescaper's Seasonal Sundays!  Come check out the wonderful blogger who participate in this fun meme!

The Flatrocks at Lindenmere

As promised I'm posting some photos from the flatrocks on Lake Champlain.  Everyday around 4:45 when we're visiting Lindenmere we all pack a couple of picnic baskets full of delicious Vermont cheddar, whole grain crackers, olives, various spicy Italian salamis, fruit and of course - lots of wine! 

After we're all packed up we take as short walk down a narrow path through the beautiful cedar trees down to the flatrocks, which are these huge flat rocks that hug the perimeter of Lake Champlain on the west side of South Hero Island.  And when we arrive here's what we see:

 This flatrock area is the perfect place to set up several Adirondack chairs and sit back to watch the sunset with friends and loved ones.

 

It's such a gorgeous day here in north western New Jersey.  We're looking forward to a wonderful weekend with friends on the back porch!

Ciao, bella!



Vermont Vacation

I'm finally sitting down to share our wonderful trip up to Vermont in early September. 

Thirty years ago was the first time FHFB and I took the long drive up to South Hero Island in a very large old Cadillac with a 6 month old baby.  Truth be told I was a little nervous, I didn't know our host (he was another weather friend of FHFB's) and I wasn't sure how baby-friendly the house would be. 

We all fell in love with Lindenmere the minute we drove down the narrow tree lined lane to the magical little house overlooking Lake Champlain.

I can't believe I don't have any photos of the house - it's a summer house built in the 1920s with cedar shingle siding and  wooden windows painted with a simple white trim.

Cedar trees surround the house and lean precariously over the rocks into the lake.  The house is up pretty high so there's no danger of any flooding. 

Our host plants the loveliest garden every year, full of colorful annuals and geraniums that he saves year after year in their clay pots.  He really has a green thumb.

Tomorrow I'll post some photos of the lake and flatrocks.  

Our Vermont host is visiting Frog Hollow Farm this weekend  and we're planning to have a wonderful dinner on the porch.  Hopefully the rain and wind will be out of here and we can all sit snuggled in some sweaters and talk the night away. 

Here's our menu chock full of Italian comfort food:

Frog Hollow Farm Sausage and Peppers

(all the peppers are from FHFB's garden!)

Baked Rigatoni with Bechamel Sauce

Crusty warm semolina bread

Arugula salad with toasted walnuts

Ina Garten's Apple Crisp

(I use less of the citrus zest when I make this absolutely delicious recipe)

The first time I ever made this recipe was about 10 years ago.  We were expecting a phenomenal meteor shower that year, I think it was in November, but I'm not sure.  Anyway, we had some friends coming over at 3:00am (yes, I know, a bit crazy) to sit and watch the show with us.  And I say 'show' because I've never seen anything like it.  The meteors were so numerous and so very bright, they were lighting up the whole field.  It was one of the most magical nights that FHFB and I have shared together - and we had our dearest friends with us as well!  Afterwards everyone came into the kitchen and the aroma of the baking apple crisp was still in the air.  With a steaming cup of coffee the apple crisp just hit the spot - we still talk about that meteor shower and when we do our friends always mention the apple crisp. It was truly a memorable evening! 

(He just came into our office told me it was the Leonids meteor shower in November.)

I hope your evening is memorable as well - there are so many memories to make!

Ciao, bella!

Labor Day 2010

Labor Day at Frog Hollow Farm was celebrated in glorious weather on the back porch and in the gardens. 

As always, my specialty cocktail was the hit of the party. 

This particular delicious Sparkling Sangria cocktail, pictured above, is from Michael Chiarello's recipe collection at Food Network.com. 

Our menu was pretty basic - with all that's going on around here lately we didn't have time to try any new recipes, and sometimes going back to basics works best for a barbeque. 

Here's our menu:

Aperitivo

Grilled Shrimp with Rosemary, Lemon and Garlic

Grilled Fontina and Mozzarella Sandwiches

Italian olives, local fresh cheese, and spicy salami

Tomato bruschetta

Spicy wings from Stella G's - a local restaurant

Roasted Red peppers - Rao's recipe

Dinner

Oven Baked Baby Back Ribs

Oven Fried Chicken (Barefoot Contessa Family Style)

Hot Dogs with relish, sauerkraut (my dad's request)

Hamburger sliders

Fresh corn-on-the-cob from a local farmer

Red potato salad (from my sister Colleen)

Caprese Salad (from sister-in-law Jan)

Green Salad with mustard vinaigrette (from sister-in-law Jan)

Delicious cheese and herb quiche (from sister Laurie)

Dessert

Colleen's Famous homemade apple pie with vanilla ice cream

Ricotta-Orange pound cake with strawberries

Fruit Strudel (from sister Laurie)

Chocolate Chip Cookies (from nephew Luke) 

Beverages

Ice cold beers:  Stella Artois, Beck's and Corona

Sparkling Sangria

An assortment of soda and sparkling waters

We're heading up to Vermont shortly - I'm hearing that I'll need to pack my sweaters along with summer outfits.  Packing for this trip is getting a bit overwhelming but we're stopping at the Woodbury Commons Outlets on the way up (FHFB wants to check out the Tommy Bahama store) and I'll probably pick something up at the Eileen Fisher store. 

Ciao, bella! 

Dinner and Dessert Menu for the Weathermen on the Porch at Frog Hollow Farm

It's raining outside - and I'm supposed to be on my way to my yoga class but I've decided that I don't want to get wet, so I'm here posting Part 2 of the Weathermen's Barbeque menu.  Don't get me wrong, I love yoga and feel great whenever I practice either in a class or on my own, but today is just not a yoga class day for me. 

Okay, now for the dinner menu from our gathering on Saturday here at Frog Hollow Farm!!  Several of these recipes are from Ina Garten's collection.  I just love her style and everything about her!

Coconut Cupcakes

Yesterday I invited two friends to stop by for Frog Hollow Farm Margaritas on the back porch. The weather was perfect for sitting and talking outside - and the margaritas were definitely the perfect cocktail!  Since both ladies had worked all day I wanted to serve some simple, delicious appetizers and a light dinner. 

Here's the menu:

Aperitivo

Twice Grilled Peppers with Buffalo Mozzarella and Caper Basil Vinaigrette
Yes, I did serve these on Friday night for SVV and FVV but they were so delicious, and I still had some of the ingredients leftover so I decided to make them again.  They were a perfect savory for the occasion and I always love it when I can put something together with things that are already in the fridge or cupboard.

Herbed Goat Cheese Medallions with Thinly Sliced Red Onions and a Red Wine Vinaigrette
(very simple, one of Martha Stewart's recipes that I can't find online)

Frog Hollow Farm Margaritas


Dinner

Mustard Chicken Salad

Chopped and Lightly Marinated Grape Tomato and Organic Cucumber Salad

 Frog Hollow Farm Asparagus


Dessert

Coconut Cupcakes

As you can tell I love and use many of Ina Garten's recipes.  You may know her as the Barefoot Contessa.  She is a fabulous cook and gracious hostess and I love her simple, no-fuss approach to entertaining.

But the star of the evening (for me anyway) were the coconut cupcakes - I was determined to make them since our visits in April to Georgetown Cupcakes in Washington DC and Babycakes Bakery in Abingdon, Virginia. 

I'm a little nervous because there are a couple of leftover cupcakes, and I bet they would taste great with my morning tea, or mid-morning tea, or afternoon tea (you get it) - but I'm going to save them for FHFB. 
Today should be in the 90s - I'm heading off for my yearly mammogram and some shopping.  I always reward myself with a little something after my yearly mammogram and also whenever I visit the dentist - two things I dislike doing, but I know they're very important. 

Enjoy your day and do something nice for yourself!

Ciao, bella!

The Beautiful Sarah P.Duke Gardens, Chapel Hill, North Carolina

According to the Duke Gardens website, the 'Sarah P. Duke Gardens provides a place where people of all backgrounds and ages come for beauty, education, horticulture, solitude, discovery, study, renewal and inspiration.' 

One part of our recent road trip was to see Duke University and the Duke Gardens.  FHFB and I have a thing about visiting many different kinds of gardens to see how the experts have chosen the plants, landscape and trees that all work together to form spectacular visual settings.  The Sarah P. Duke Gardens in Chapel Hill, North Carolina is a beautiful place where one can't help but become inspired, rejuvenated and motivated. 

Of course, if you are FHFB, you have to find the snack bar wherever we go.  This little building was a former gardening shed.  Inside they serve ice cream and small sandwiches.  The room has very deep-set windows with simple, elegant green toile curtains.

Let's take a walk through the gardens together....

Sweet and sunshine yellow....

A burst of spiky pink...

A lovely combination of California poppies and pansies....

Here they are again, I love the color of this flower....

Pure white rhododendrons....

Candy cane pink rhododendrons...

Beautiful, elegant columbine...

Hope you enjoyed this brief tour of the Sarah P. Duke gardens!

Tonight's Menu:

Aperitivo

Green Cerignola Olives

Toasted Semolina Bread with Tomato and Cucumber Bruschetta

Dinner

Pan Roasted Herb and Bread Crusted Halibut

Oven Roasted Sweet Potatoes

Steamed Green Beans

Ciao, bella!