A little too much of a good thing!

Anyone who reads this blog knows that I have a pretty good life. I work, I lunch, I blog, I drink wine, I have my own business, I am a lifetime member of Weight Watchers. Speaking of Weight Watchers, I recently was hired as a receptionist. This means that 2 days a week, I am working at a meeting. This has me thinking about my weight. For a year now, ever since my trip to Italy last June, I have been slowly gaining a few pounds. I have decided to lose those few pounds and get back to my weight, pre-Italy 2010.

Delicious Vegetable Soup

I have been indulging a bit too much lately. My portion sizes have been creeping up, and some weekends the wine consumption has been a little too 'Briget Jonesish'! One of the ways that I get myself back on the straight and narrow, is to visit my local produce store, and fill up my crisper with a variety of fruits and vegetables. If I eat too many raw vegetables I get a stomach ache, so I decided to make a nice pot of vegetable soup. There really is no recipe. Just start by sweating some onions, garlic, and carrots in a pot. Add some no fat vegetable stock, and add veggies you like. I always add some cabbage and zucchini, as well as some fragrant dried herbs, such as basil or oregano. Simmer the soup until the veggies are tender, and presto...hearty, tasty, good for you, soup!

Soup Memories

I still remember eating a pureed vegetable soup at a friends house when I was about 16. It had a tomato base, and had the nicest, semi smooth texture. Do you have a vegetable soup memory? Leave me a comment, and a link to the recipe. Maybe we will start a vegetable soup trend!

2nd Annual Soda Bread SHOWDOWN...The RESULTS!

I was having too much of a good time on Sunday afternoon at Slainte by the Pier's 2nd Annual Soda Bread SHOWDOWN to remember to actually TAKE A PHOTO OF THE SODA BREAD!!! so these cute little Guinness Salt and pepper shakers is all you get!( For sale for $19.99...check the website for more info.)

MOTHERS DAY BRUNCH...and IRISH FOLK MUSIC.

I arrived a little after 2 pm, and the restaurant was HOPPING! Mother's Day is always a bit of a panic...one of those 'ALL HANDS ON DECK' situations! Nevertheless, the musicians were playing, the people were clapping and singing and eating...and the competition soda breads were arriving. By 3 pm, we had received 3 entries, and Jack had them cut up and placed on platters for judging. Everyone in the restaurant was invited to come up and have a taste,and to decide their favorite. Even though I did not have a large pink sash that had "JUDGE" printed on it in large black letters, or an official clipboard with one of those pens on a string,or a serious pair of black rimmed reading glasses to wear low down on my nose to enable me to scowl at the texture and 'uniformness' of each loaf of soda bread...I did admire the democracy of the Sunday afternoon pub atmosphere!

AND THE WINNER IS!

I am pleased to report that the loaf that was chosen as the winner, was MY choice as well. Chris was the big winner...and coincidentally...it was his first attempt at baking soda bread!
Well done Chris! I thought your loaf was delicious, a bit sweet, and smelled as good as it tasted!
Hey...I believe that description could apply to most mothers as well!

I'm already looking forward to next year's competition...Chris will be defending his title, and it will give me some time to design my SASH, buy some glasses, and locate a clipboard...with one of those pens on a string...(I love those!)

Thanks Jack!

Slainte By The Pier
Contemporary Irish Restaurant and Bar
15057 Marine Drive
West Beach, White Rock, BC
778-294-0066

www.slaintebythepier.ca

2nd Annual Soda Bread SHOWDOWN at Slainte

This lovely photo is the view from the patio at Slainte by the Pier Restaurant on Marine Drive in White Rock. The view is ever changing. Sometimes the tide's out, sometimes it's in. Sometimes the sun's shining, sometimes it's not. One thing that is constant, is the great food at Slainte! This Sunday, May 8th, is a special day for many reasons. It's Mother's Day. It's Sunday, so that means that Slainte is hosting it's weekly Irish Folk Session from 2 to 5 pm...and...it's time for this year's,

The 2nd Annual Soda Bread Showdown!

This Sunday, myself and Maureen Robinson, owner of the Milsean Shoppe in Aldergrove will be part of the judging panel. From 2 to 5 on Sunday May 8th, we will be tasting what we expect to be MANY fabulous recipes of traditional, and non-traditional soda bread.

For more information, and to get your entry form...please visit www.slaintebythepier.ca.
We hope to see you, and your mom, on Sunday!
I'll be the one with a smile on my face, and some tasty soda bread in my hand...

Lamb. The GOOD News and the BAD news!

I recently read a good online article at 'COPYBLOGGER': "4 Ways to Keep Your Lifeless Blog from Boring Your Readers to Tears." It inspired me to try a few new tricks to keep myself, and my HOARDS of faithful readers, always coming back for MORE Cathy Eats!

Boneless Shoulder of LAMB!!

I made a boneless shoulder of lamb for dinner last night. I have never cooked this cut of meat before, and am pleased to report that it tasted wonderful!
I found a recipe by Trish Magwood via Food Network Canada, and as always, made some alterations.( google: boneless lamb shoulder)

I had no onion
I didn't have 24 hours to marinate it...I only had 2 hours.
I had only about a quarter of a lemon's worth of juice.(I found more lemon in the fridge after the lamb was cooked!)
I used fragrant buckwheat honey from Chilliwack, and it was brilliant!
I had no fresh Rosemary...so I used dried Oregano.

The recipe was for a 5 lb piece of meat. Mine was 1 and 1/4 lbs...and I cooked it only 15 minutes in the oven at 450 degrees...PERFECTLY medium rare!

Apartments and HIGH HEAT SEARING!( Why I NEED a BBQ!)

I live in an apartment, and have a galley kitchen, with no window, and a kind of wimpy hood fan. When I find a recipe that recommends SEARING meat on the stove top...all I can think is that my whole apartment will smell like that meat for the next 24 hours...even with the fan on high, and the patio door wide open. So I have to be creative! I thought I was being super smart by pre-heating my oven to 450degrees, with one of my non-stick sheet pans in there to get nice and hot. When the oven was up to temperature, I placed my meat on the hot sheet pan, and closed the oven door. 12 to 15 minutes later, after turning the meat over once...I took the meat out of the oven and covered it with foil to rest until the P-Man got home. Remember the delicious honey, I used in the recipe? Well, this morning, it was attached to that sheet pan like fur on a cat! I tried to soak and scrub...but in the end, scraped off most of it with a butter knife, washed the pan, and placed it in the bag for the Salvation Army.

Next time I will use tin foil...