A Taste of Ireland

 If you love potatoes, then Ireland is the place you need to visit.  There was some type of potatoes served with almost every meal.....

Every meal we had felt like a warm hug, and I will say that the warmth lingered long after we left the table.  Our tummies were full.  I enjoyed the experience that went along with the visit to our different country.  

Our meals were filled with hearty beef stew.  Beef stew was served at every restaurant we ate at.  Rich, slow-cooked beef, tender carrots and a thick savory gravy.  YUM!  A big bowl of stew and in the middle was a huge spoon full of mashed potatoes. 

Other meals were full of beef pot pie...very similar to the beef stew with the exception of having a crispy crust surrounding the stew.  One thing that I thought was very interesting was that our breakfast meals were all served with baked beans!!  Never, have I heard of baked beans being a breakfast food.  

SWEET TREATS and BAKERY WINDOWS...

I could have stood in front of those windows all day.  Rows and rows of beautiful donuts...chocolate covered, cream filled, topped with crumbs, drizzle and all kinds of pure goodness.  They all looked like a piece of art!!  I did indulge in a Blueberry donut and it was delicious!!  

Then came the HOT TEA and lots of Cozy Moments.  We all enjoyed the hot comforting tea...along with sweet cream and a sugar cube OR TWO!!  And the scones were like a little slice of heaven.  They were soft, crumbly, slightly sweet, and perfect with a touch of butter and jam.  Ours had berries tucked inside and every single bite was bursting with flavor.  

Goodness... a warm scone paired with the Hot Tea....these were moments that we never rushed.  We had several opportunities to just sit and talk while soaking up all of the goodness.  

I cannot leave off the bread pudding...It was so warm and rich and drizzled with a buttery sauce that left my tummy full of love.  It was indulgent in the best way and was the kind of dessert that you do not want to go away.  

Every meal seemed to invite us to sit longer and we took advantage of this many times.  The only food that I did not like was "Chocolate Pudding" which is a breakfast food. If you've never heard of it, you must google this and take a look at the ingredients included in a slice of chocolate pudding.  It was not for me!! 

These foods are still lingering in my mind and I am sure that I will attempt to make the beef stew in the days ahead.  I enjoyed discovering a culture through its food...it for sure opens your eyes and warms your heart and it reminded me just how wonderfully diverse this world truly is.  

I'll leave you all with this short video.  Enjoy...

* Yesterday was filled with Doctor appointments and today is test day for Sam.  I will be away from my computer again today.  Hope to catch up on reading post this evening.  Thank you for understanding.