Friday Favorites (and a bunch of other stuff)

Yesterday, I had big plans of posting about our St. Patrick's Day festivities, but someone made off with the cord to my camera (ahem...I think you know who I am referring to), so I was unable to download pictures. Last night, while drawing the curtains for the evening, I found it under one of the recliners, so, crisis averted.

On to the St. Patrick's Day fun - - Camden informed me on Monday that he wanted to wear a crazy hat to school on Tuesday, so we made this, courtesy of Family Fun.com:

If you have little ones, then you are most likely well aware of the wonders of craft foam. We keep a large supply of it on hand here, because you never know what you might need to create. I have to say, I was a little daunted by the instructions for this hat, but in the end, it wasn't hard at all, Camden loved it, and I've filed it away for future use. His hat was a big hit at school. If you've never been to the Family Fun website, check it out - - so many great crafts, recipes, and general ideas for fun with children.

On Tuesday, I spent a good part of the afternoon preparing a St. Patty's Day feast for my boys. I don't know why I don't prepare a corned beef brisket more often...it is so easy, and the smell of it simmering on the stove top reminds me of home and the "New England boiled dinners" that my mother use to make. I saw this recipe on Allrecipes.com, and it did not disappoint. I used my slow cooker instead of the stove top, and in the last 30 minutes of cooking, I added cabbage, red potatoes, and carrots. I also made some Irish Soda Bread, using this recipe. It was a little sweeter than any other soda bread recipe I've tried in the past, but I really loved the texture and flavor of this loaf. It tasted great the next morning, toasted and spread with some honey butter.

Irish Soda Bread

For dessert, I wanted to make some mint brownies - - I swear I've posted the recipe for them here before, but I cannot for the life of me find the post. Anyway, it is a Paula Deen recipe, and is basically a layer of brownie, a layer of buttery mint filling, and topped with chocolate. I was a little short on time, so I just used a pouch of Betty Crocker brownie mix, but I baked it in an 8" spring form pan, so that I could make a little torte. It turned out great, and was a nice compromise to making it all from scratch.

Chocolate Mint Brownie Torte

This week also found Riley a bit under the weather. I have to admit, I was pretty upset on Tuesday evening - - he was having a very hard time moving, he kept crying out in pain, and his general behavior was very out of character for him. I spent some time thinking about the fact that I often forget that he is pretty old (twelve!) - - and that I take for granted that he won't always be around. He's been a part of my life for such a long time that I really cannot imagine a day without him around. We paid a visit to our wonderful vet on Wednesday, and he is pretty certain that Riley has significant arthritis in his front right shoulder and elbow, as well as a bad ear infection. So, he's taking antibiotics for his ear, and that should clear right up. He also gave me some medication for his arthritis, and within 24 hours, he was like a new dog. It is amazing to me that a small, completely inexpensive pain pill made such a difference for him. The vet told me that it was time to start treating Riley like the old man that he is. On Tuesday, when Riley was feeling really awful, I happened upon Camden, reading books to him - - I'm so glad I caught a picture of it. Camden loves his pup.

As for today, we've had a little change in plans, because at 5:30 this morning, my boy awoke with a fever of 104 degrees. So I am in full-on nurse mode today, for the umpteenth time over the past few weeks. I suspect we'll be paying a visit to the doctor later today. Here's hoping Griffin can escape the fever part - - he's already coughing and wheezing though, so I'm not too optimistic, unfortunately!

Fever Boy

I tried a great recipe for Baked Tilapia With Lots of Spice earlier this week. It was really delicious, and super easy to prepare. I think the next time I make it, we will use it in fish tacos. I'm trying to make sure we have one meal centered around fish each week, so I'm constantly in search of great fish recipes.

I love this doll at A Foothill Home Companion, and wish I could get over my sewing machine intimidation.

I think I am going to take on this challenge next week. Anyone else?

I love this post about decorating a mantle (and using spray paint!) at Balancing Beauty and Bedlam.

Happy Weekend!