Bailey's Irish Cream Cake

Hope everyone had a fun St. Patricks Day. I think my daughter's teacher did...when I went to get the girl from school, her teacher was wearing a GIANT green bow on her head. Musta started with the Irish drinking games a little early. (just kidding, she's a very nice lady)

I decided to try to do another St. Patrick's day themed meal today, just for the heck of it. For dessert I made this Irish cream cake I found made by Cathy at the Noble Pig.

It's easy, and yummy, and chock full o' Bailey's. The recipe called for a box of pudding mix, but I was out (well I had pistachio for some unknown reason), so I just threw in a couple of spoonfuls of sour cream to add some moistness. Seemed to work out fine.

The kids really seemed to like it. It is okay to feed children alcohol laden food isn't it?

I also made Cathy's Irish beef stew which I will probably post about in a couple of days, then I'll start stalking copying someone else.

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Don't forget: just a few more posts until I reach 100 and I'll have some sort of lame-O giveaway! You don't want to miss it.

Early St. Paddy's Day

The leprechauns of the sporadic cook household were feeling restless so we decided to have our St. Patrick's day feast a little early. I haven't worked with corned beef too much but I'm thinking it's fairly foolproof.

This was made in the crock pot. I added about a cup of beer, and a half a cup of water that I seasoned with some dry mustard and garlic powder. I also sprinkled part of the package of spices that come with the corned beef over the top. I would have cooked the potatoes in with it but didn't have any right then, so just boiled them up separately later in the day.

It cooked about 8 hours on low, then I turned it up to high, chopped the cabbage up and stuck in for about 1 1/2 hour.

It turned out really nice and tender, didn't even really need a knife to eat it with.

For dessert I copied Kevin at Closet Cooking by making this Chocolate Stout Cake with Bailey's cream cheese frosting. I used an oatmeal stout, whatever the heck that is. Sounds healthy though, right?

I thought this cake turned out super moist and velvety, with just a little something different going on. My daughter says she's "kookoo" for it.

Not sure what I'll do with all that left over Bailey's.

Gratuitous cute dog pic

Beans and Cornbread

Remember a few days ago? When I was too tired to make the beans and cornbread? Well, I finally managed to build up enough stamina to go forth and conquer those beans. They put up quite a fight, but I was the eventual winner. Mmm...cornbread. Very much like what I ate every other day growing up. Not fluffy, kinda dense and grainy. And NO sugar. That was strictly forbidden. (I've grown to like sweetened cornbread, but don't let my mom know)

Then the yummy beans...they're just not very photogenic. They can't help it. I had some leftover shredded pork and threw that in there while they were cooking...turned out really good. I'm such a Pioneer Woman slut.

Man...if I had this meal with some fried potatoes, and the fried chocolate pies I made a few months ago, I would seriously think the clock had turned back thirty years. Which would be a little freaky but it's worth it for fried chocolate pies.

Monkey Bread: aka Pleasure Spiked with Pain*

I'd really like to say something witty, or clever, or coherent here. But as I took this monkey bread out of the oven I let the weight of the pan land on my wrist and must have let it sit there 5 0r 10 minutes, and now the pain in my left wrist left me barely able to rip a hunk out of this bad boy and shove it in my face.

It also made me utter phrases that rhyme with "other trucker", and "muckity muck muck". (hope my crude language doesn't shock you too much)

Good thing my little monkies were at Grandma's. But I think they would have enjoyed this; and my son would probably have laughed at me. He enjoys seeing others in pain, what can I say?

This would probably be a good thing to have the kids help make since it's easy as pie. Just shake some biscuit pieces around in a bag with cinnamon and sugar, put them in a bundt pan with some walnuts, and pour the butter and brown sugar on top and bake. (the real recipe is linked above) And maybe they could remind you to be careful with hot surfaces.

*Name that song and you'll win a big bag of absolutely nothing!

Blackberry Cobbler

I had such big cooking plans for today. Big, enormous plans. I had 3 different Pioneer Woman recipes I was going to make. This cobbler, some pinto beans, and cornbread. But then after I made this cobbler, I was completely exhausted. Too tired to make beans, people! That's just sad.

But if I was only going to make one out of the three, I'm glad I started here. I know there's some debate whether or not this is truly cobbler. Doesn't really matter, just eat it.

With some whippy cream of course.

On a non food related note, I got a snazzy new haircut today. I'll never get it to poof up like that in the back again, which is why I plan to never wash my hair, ever again.

I Got Nothin'

Please to enjoy this lovely picture of my hubby's flower. I think it's a fairy duster or something.

French Onion Soup

This is an Alton Brown recipe. It's super easy and uses only one dish (it's all made in an electric skillet).

It starts by sweating the onions for about 45 minutes in a whole bunch of butter. Can't go wrong there.

But then during the soup making part he has you add 10 ounces of apple cider. At first I thought I liked it okay..defintiely a little different from the usual onion soup. Then as I delved deeper, I decided it was definitely too sweet. So next time, I will decrease the apple cider and add more broth. I think with those changes it will be incredible.

Who am I to question Alton Brown? Well, no one really. Don't tell him, okay?