I'm sure its because its been that time of the year (St Patricks Day) that the demand for Irish Soda Bread has been pretty high. However,there are many different versions of this bread.
Some people use currants or white flour and/or caraway seeds to enhance the flavor,but the original Soda bread contained flour,buttermilk salt and soda. In the early 1800's ,yeast bread making was not that popular,so Baking Soda was used as a leavening agent.
Here is a recipe for my mums soda bread.
3 1/3 Cups Whole Wheat Flour
1/2 Cup All Purpose Flour
1 Tablespoons Wheat Germ
3 Teaspoons Rolled Oats
1/2 Quart Buttermilk
1 Teaspoon Baking Soda
1 Teaspoon Sugar
1 Egg
2 Tablespoons Canola Oil
Pre heat oven to 375 degrees.
Mix all ingredients together in a bowl.
Form into a round loaf on a baking sheet. Cut a cross on the top of the loaf and bake for approx 40 mins... Enjoy
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Friday, March 20, 2009
http://www.wfaa.com/video/gmtgeneral-index.html?nvid=343634&noad=yes
Last Monday I spent the morning at the WFAA studios. I prepared an Irish Cheesecake,using Brady's Irish Cream. First I ........well,why don't you just watch the clip above ! It explains all.
This weekend I am attempting to build a web site with ecommerce so that people can buy RACHEL GAFFNEY'S TRADITIONAL IRISH BUTTER SHORTBREADS....
This should be an interesting challenge,as I prefer to work with food...!!watch this space..I wonder how long it will take this Irish woman?
Last Monday I spent the morning at the WFAA studios. I prepared an Irish Cheesecake,using Brady's Irish Cream. First I ........well,why don't you just watch the clip above ! It explains all.
This weekend I am attempting to build a web site with ecommerce so that people can buy RACHEL GAFFNEY'S TRADITIONAL IRISH BUTTER SHORTBREADS....
This should be an interesting challenge,as I prefer to work with food...!!watch this space..I wonder how long it will take this Irish woman?
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
ST PATRICKS DAY
LA FHEILE PHADRAIG.........HAPPY ST PATRICK'S DAY .... in Irish (as gaeilge)
Lovely sunny day here in Dallas. A little different to the weather I remember growing up in CORK ! However, although generally wet and cold,we still had a day off from school and for that we were always grateful . Lent was strictly adhered to in our house but on this day it was a day of feasting, special dispensation from the church.
As I mentioned before,the name GAFFNEY goes back to the King of Ireland in the 400's,known as NIALL OF THE NINE HOSTAGES. Niall was a pagan king,and invaded England. During this time he kept a young man named Sucrat and his two sisters hostage. Sucrat was a christian boy. Later he became known as Patricus. He would introduce chrsitianity to Ireland and become our patron saint. Although never really proved the myth about the shamrock still lives on. It is thought that St Patrick used the three leafed shamrock to explain the Holy Trinity. The stem representing God,and each leaf representing God the Father,God the son and God the Holy Spirit.
Today,I spent with my kids. No bacon ,cabbage or green beer! We did however cook and I made traditional Irish butter shortbread with a GREEN icing !! We ate Shepherds pie with creamy mashed potatoes,along with real Irish soda bread and KERRYGOLD IRISH butter.......mmmmmm.
All in all a perfect day. My days of wild parties seem to be replaced by a very satisfying feeling of watching my boys run and laugh......
Lovely sunny day here in Dallas. A little different to the weather I remember growing up in CORK ! However, although generally wet and cold,we still had a day off from school and for that we were always grateful . Lent was strictly adhered to in our house but on this day it was a day of feasting, special dispensation from the church.
As I mentioned before,the name GAFFNEY goes back to the King of Ireland in the 400's,known as NIALL OF THE NINE HOSTAGES. Niall was a pagan king,and invaded England. During this time he kept a young man named Sucrat and his two sisters hostage. Sucrat was a christian boy. Later he became known as Patricus. He would introduce chrsitianity to Ireland and become our patron saint. Although never really proved the myth about the shamrock still lives on. It is thought that St Patrick used the three leafed shamrock to explain the Holy Trinity. The stem representing God,and each leaf representing God the Father,God the son and God the Holy Spirit.
Today,I spent with my kids. No bacon ,cabbage or green beer! We did however cook and I made traditional Irish butter shortbread with a GREEN icing !! We ate Shepherds pie with creamy mashed potatoes,along with real Irish soda bread and KERRYGOLD IRISH butter.......mmmmmm.
All in all a perfect day. My days of wild parties seem to be replaced by a very satisfying feeling of watching my boys run and laugh......
Monday, March 16, 2009
GOOD MORNING TEXAS
The sun is shining here in Dallas. The Day before St Patricks Day. This morning I did a cooking segment with WFAA channel 8. Gary Cogill, the host and I , showed people how to make "Irish Cream Cheesecake" with a Rachel Gaffney Shortbread base.
http://www.wfaa.com/video/gmtgeneral-index.html?nvid=343634&noad=yes
Just click on the above link to watch..............
http://www.wfaa.com/video/gmtgeneral-index.html?nvid=343634&noad=yes
Just click on the above link to watch..............
Sunday, March 15, 2009
What a game !!! Yes , Ireland beat Scotland yesterday at Murrayfield. The pitch looked like a herd of cattle had run through it before the game began !! Talk about mud.
Slow first half,but in typical Irish fashion the heart took over and it was evident to those of us who were watching via big screen tv in Dallas. Sorry Scotland. We love them really,after all they are our family. Edinburgh had to be a fun place last night.
Next week we take on the mighty Welsh. Now that promises to be quite the game.........
Slow first half,but in typical Irish fashion the heart took over and it was evident to those of us who were watching via big screen tv in Dallas. Sorry Scotland. We love them really,after all they are our family. Edinburgh had to be a fun place last night.
Next week we take on the mighty Welsh. Now that promises to be quite the game.........
Saturday, March 14, 2009
The air seems to be thick with tired,angry,frustrated people. These are indeed tough times.
Haven't we been here before? In some shape or form?
Remember the famous exhortation of America "give me your tired,your poor,your huddled masses yearning to breathe free" What other nation offered this kind of sanctuary....
Over 35million people came.
Now,it is time to give back. Whether you are Irish like me (after all, 7 million of them were Irish) Polish,Italian,French,German,Sweedish...the list goes on. We can do this again.
With a strong worth ethic and integrity,it can and will be great again. So lets move on, so much talk. Lets work. Its what our ancestors did.
"I have the simplest tastes. I am always satisfied with the best"
This has to be my all time favourite quote ! The great OSCAR WILDE.............
And on that note ...being satisfied with the best....Today IRELAND V SCOTLAND at MURRAYFIELD. I will be watching my brothers friends play their hearts out for Ireland. Namely ,Peter Stringer and Ronan O'Gara. Lets beat the scots,then the Welsh and bingo...Grand Slam..........I'm off to TRINITY HALL for some Irish Breakfast and to watch the match with my English husband and some other Irish friends.........GO IRELAND GO..... I see my name sake Alan Gaffney is the assistant coach for the Irish Rugby team ! It just had to be a GAFFNEY !
Haven't we been here before? In some shape or form?
Remember the famous exhortation of America "give me your tired,your poor,your huddled masses yearning to breathe free" What other nation offered this kind of sanctuary....
Over 35million people came.
Now,it is time to give back. Whether you are Irish like me (after all, 7 million of them were Irish) Polish,Italian,French,German,Sweedish...the list goes on. We can do this again.
With a strong worth ethic and integrity,it can and will be great again. So lets move on, so much talk. Lets work. Its what our ancestors did.
"I have the simplest tastes. I am always satisfied with the best"
This has to be my all time favourite quote ! The great OSCAR WILDE.............
And on that note ...being satisfied with the best....Today IRELAND V SCOTLAND at MURRAYFIELD. I will be watching my brothers friends play their hearts out for Ireland. Namely ,Peter Stringer and Ronan O'Gara. Lets beat the scots,then the Welsh and bingo...Grand Slam..........I'm off to TRINITY HALL for some Irish Breakfast and to watch the match with my English husband and some other Irish friends.........GO IRELAND GO..... I see my name sake Alan Gaffney is the assistant coach for the Irish Rugby team ! It just had to be a GAFFNEY !
Thursday, March 12, 2009
What a day. I suppose you could call this my SUPERBOWL !! St Patricks Day....
My childrens school host faculty lunches once a month for the staff. Today they had an Irish theme and me being the resident cailin was aked to help !
I baked fresh Irish soda bread and served it with Kerrygold Butter. For dessert I baked Brady's Irish Cream Cheesecake with a RACHEL GAFFNEY SHORTBREAD base.
Main course,I hear you ask? Well they served Shepherds Pie and Rueben Casserole !!!
Shepherds Pie hails from the U.K. For those of you who are unfamiliar with geography,England and Ireland are in fact separated by a body of water known as the IRISH SEA !!
Tonight I am chatting live with KATE DELANEY,who tells me she hails from Cork. Kate is the host of AMERICA TONIGHT. 1160am Talk Radio. We will be discussing Irish Food & Drink. I am really looking forward to this. This show is syndicated around the country,so the American public are just going to have to endure me.............Tune in tomorrow for more........
My childrens school host faculty lunches once a month for the staff. Today they had an Irish theme and me being the resident cailin was aked to help !
I baked fresh Irish soda bread and served it with Kerrygold Butter. For dessert I baked Brady's Irish Cream Cheesecake with a RACHEL GAFFNEY SHORTBREAD base.
Main course,I hear you ask? Well they served Shepherds Pie and Rueben Casserole !!!
Shepherds Pie hails from the U.K. For those of you who are unfamiliar with geography,England and Ireland are in fact separated by a body of water known as the IRISH SEA !!
Tonight I am chatting live with KATE DELANEY,who tells me she hails from Cork. Kate is the host of AMERICA TONIGHT. 1160am Talk Radio. We will be discussing Irish Food & Drink. I am really looking forward to this. This show is syndicated around the country,so the American public are just going to have to endure me.............Tune in tomorrow for more........
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