Butternut Squash Macaroni and Cheese

I'll be frank: I'm not going to go into much detail about this stuff because we really weren't fond of it. At all. It just wasn't our thing. The texture was just not right, and well...the taste left something to be desired. I think I'll just stick to regular Kraft Mac & Cheese and eat it more sparingly.

Two thumbs down from us!

Bed and Breakfasts in Ireland

If you are ever in the Irish countryside, one of the greatest parts of the experience are the welcoming Bed and Breakfasts along the way. With the exception of Dublin and Galway, we stayed in B&Bs the duration of our trip, and we were glad we did!

The breakfasts were superb at each and every one, and I have a new favorite meal: Irish porridge!

I'll touch on each one we stayed at and what we tried each morning, but unfortunately, I didn't do a great job of getting pictures, so those will be sparse.

1) Launard House (Kilkenny, Ireland)

This was our first experience with a full irish breakfast, and it was the first day that we learned that in Ireland, you really don't need to eat much for lunch. We were horribly skeptical about what Irish black and white pudding was, especially after the description, but it tastes a log like sausage in the US.

2) Danabel B&B (Kinsale, Ireland)

Danabel was such a delightful place to stay! The breakfast was, again, top-notch, and filled us all the way to Killarney where we stopped to split a bowl of soup and a sandwich.

3) Crystal Springs B&B (Killarney, Ireland)

Crystal Springs was tied for our absolute favorite B&B of our trip! It was SO welcoming, the hostess was SO very sweet and helpful, and the breakfast was delicious as well!

4) Tailor House (Castleisland, Ireland)

Tailor House just absolutely felt like home to us. Well, apart from the bold color scheme lol The hostess was absolutely incredible, SO very welcoming, and just being around her and her husband was enjoyable. The breakfast was equally as incredible. Apart from the part where the small town of Castleisland in itself really isn't much to write home about, we would VERY highly recommend this B&B to anyone and everyone!

5) Bunratty Heights B&B (Bunratty, Ireland)

Bunratty Heights was our least favorite B&B of the trip. The accommodations were just not that great, although the breakfast was still pretty good. In fact, we didn't ever have a bad breakfast at any of the places we stayed. The ambiance here was just alright, though.

Pumpkin Pancakes with Maple Pecan Syrup

It's really no big secret to anyone who knows me: Autumn is by far my favorite season of the year. The air just feels alive and brisk and a short walk leaves you craving warm baked goods, hot chocolate, cider, and all sorts of other goodies with either an apple or pumpkin base - YUM!

I came across this recipe...how I came across this recipe...and decided I just HAD to try it out. But I'm not going to lie: these sound much better than they tasted. And I'm probably not going to ever make them again. I think it had to do with the cottage cheese in them - it just did nothing for me.

The Pancakes

The ingredients were simple enough:

flour
salt
baking soda
1 can pumpkin
1 C cottage cheese
1 egg
milk


I combined the dry ingredients first, then blended the wet ingredients until smooth before adding in the dry ingredient mixture, and pouring out the batter into yummy-looking, albeit orange pancakes!

The Maple Pecan Syrup

The syrup consisted mainly of just maple syrup and pecans, with a dash or two of nutmeg.



Overall, a fairly easy recipe, and it wasn't really too complicated, but it isn't something I'll be making again. It wasn't bad or anything, just seemed like a lot of calories for something I wasn't over the moon about.

Lasagna

Lasagna is one of those elusive meals that for some reason I had been avoiding for years. I'm not really entirely sure why, other than it just seemed so complicated. I'm definitely one for a challenge, but lasagna (like the Red Velvet Cake from the intense Chocolate Cake book) is one of those things that just always gave me a bit of a mental block. So I decided one day that I just had to try it.

I googled "Lasagna" and the first recipe to pop up was AllRecipes.com's "World's Best Lasagna". I read through the ingredients, decided that it sounded good and figured that if I was going to tackle it, I might as well do it right!

I started with a pound each of italian sausage and hamburger and browned them along with the garlic and some salt and pepper.

(Awww - this makes me a tad nostalgic seeing the Kelvinator!)

I cheated a bit and went with the no-cook noodles (which worked great!)

According to the recipe, the next thing to do is add all the tomatoes, but instead I went on to the fresh basil and chopped it right up and added it in. I don't do it often enough, but LOVE cooking with fresh chopped herbs. It just adds a little flair and a little flavor that you don't find with the dried stuff.

And it's SO pretty!

And, of course, what's a good pan of browned meat without the seasonings!

The next part is easy: Layering!
You start by pouring about 1/4 of the sauce in the bottom of the pan (This makes 2 pans, so about 1/8 in each pan), then top with noodles.

Smother with the ricotta mixture (only 1/3 of it, since you'll repeat the layers twice more), and then smother with mozzarella cheese.

You then repeat the layers until you're out of ingredients.

Then you bake it for about an hour at 350 and take it out and it looks like this:

It is the best lasagna I've ever had! Delicious!

Bistro (Spiddal, Ireland)

On our way out to explore Connemara, northwest of Galway, we stopped for lunch at this little bistro, just outside Spiddal, and tried to see what we could of the scenery. It was a really cozy atmosphere, and as usual, we split a bowl of soup and a sandwich to hold us over to supper.

Both were good, but as was also the norm in Ireland, the service was pretty slow. You have to learn to adhere to their laid-back vibe and just go with it. In Ireland, there is really no such thing as a "quick bite". A "quick" meal there is an hour.

French Onion Soup

Honestly, I don't even recall when I made this. It's one of those where I made it once (probably should have made it again - it really IS delicious...I remember that much). It was really easy enough.

I sauteed some onions (maybe 2C?) in butter, thickened them a bit with flour, then added something like 2-3 cans of beef broth, a little water, and seasonings (thyme, bay leaves, pepper).

When it's good to go, put it in its serving crock and top it off with a piece of french bread or baguette with swiss cheese and make it melty (oven or microwave works good for this).



Two thumbs up from us!

Goup

Goup is one of those old family staples that never disappoints. It's probably one of the simplest meals I know how to make, and it's definitely one of those comfort foods that I think of when I think of fall or winter meals.

It has just a few simple ingredients:

Brown:
1lb ground beef
1/2 white onion, diced
1 container fresh, sliced mushrooms (optional)
Drain, then add:
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 small bag frozen corn
1 C milk
salt and pepper to season

Serve it over wide egg noodles or mashed potatoes and you won't be disappointed. It's a standby at our house. Mmmmmmm :) You could probably add more veggies, but we like to keep it simple at our house. It might not look like much, but it's absolutely delicious :)

Bergen Bar and Grill - Bergen, MN

In our little tiny corner of the state, there aren't many food options, to be honest. I love small town living, but small town eating? Well, there's a reason I cook and bake so much.

Back in 2006 when my husband and I were dating, he took me out to Bergen Bar and Grill for the first time. I couldn't believe it was worth the hour wait (yeah, it's small), but absolutely was.

If you haven't been there before (and you aren't a vegetarian/vegan/etc.) you will not be disappointed with their sirloin smothered in mushrooms and onions (we always get the dinner for two and split it, which is really enough for 3-4 mildly hungry people if you each order extra sides). It is, by far, the best steak I've ever had in my entire life: Everyone we've taken there agrees wholeheartedly.

It is here

Of course this place gets my highest above all high recommendations. Absolutely wonderful! Just be prepared for a wait. (If it's summer, grab a drink and lounge on their deck, but note that while they do have a beer license they do not have a liquor license, so if you want some wine or other beverages, BYO and just get a setup.)