Another rainy and chilly few days here in the Valley of the Sun. My garden is very happy about the additional moisture and of course, the cooler temperatures are always appreciated. Happy St. Patrick’s Day weekend! Tonight we are hosting a dinner party celebrating our daughter, Julianna’s 27th birthday. I will be serving my two favorite recipes which I did share with you this week. Welcome to another Saturday Meanderings, where we chat about all good things this week.

Hosting a Cocktail Mixer

As you may know, I sit on the board for our neighborhood association. This week we hosted a cocktail mixer to introduce people to the association and recruit new board members. With about 40 people attending, I am hoping a caterer will help out with hors d’oeuvres, however, my favorite person is not available.

Using the large round wooden board from Sur La Table, with the help of Costco and Safeway, I create a charcuterie board using cheeses, meats, fruits, nuts and crackers.

Nasturtiums are abundant in the garden right now, and it’s amazing how a pop of color can take your charcuterie board up a notch.

Store-bought French macarons from Costco and lemon yogurt covered pretzels from Safeway make for a colorful Spring dessert tray.

This is the first time buying the Green Chili Chicken Firecrackers from Costco. A quick bake in the oven, it’s always nice to serve a warm/hot appetizer. By cutting them in half, this became a one-bite finger food. I didn’t try them but the tray was nearly empty, so I’m guessing they tasted good.

No photographs but in addition, there is a vegetable tray with hummus dip, fresh shrimp on ice with cocktail sauce, small bowls of cashews, garlic herb almonds and salt and vinegar potato chips.

All in all a very productive and fun meeting.

Gardening Update

This week I plant 6 brand new San Marzano tomato plants. I love this variety of tomatoes as it makes the best sauce. Five out of the 6 plants are missing….just gone. What? For years now, I have grown tomato plants and the critters have never expressed any interest in them. Who/What is eating my tomato plants?

Scattering seeds this week in the garden. I love growing chamomile for its delicate flower and scent~wonderful to dry or make tea. Even though the growing season for chervil is short, it makes a tasty salad.

The castor bean seeds are a new experiment and not even sure it will grow here. Now in doing some research apparently the seed and leaves can be really toxic so I may pull the plants if they grow. Here I thought castor beans = castor oil, all good for you, right? Geez. Not the brightest thing I’ve done.

Do You Take Magnesium?

Gaia Herbs posts an informative article about magnesium. Do you take this mineral that supports muscles and bones, energy, brain function, and so much more? Here is the article and it appears I need to do further research about this.

Currently, I take Magnesium Lactate as this was recommended to me after having low magnesium via a hair mineral analysis years ago. Taking a bath and using Epsom salts is another way to absorb magnesium into your body. Will do a deeper dive and let you know what I discover.

From the Internet

With warmer weather prompting Spring growth, it is also weed season. Stacy from Bricks ‘n Blooms has a very informative post about Homemade Weed Killer and other natural ways to kill weeds.

If you are using weed killers with glyphosate, there is evidence of its connection with cancer. With so many chemicals in our gardening world, please find an organic way to control weeds.

This time of year I love to tackle small Spring cleaning projects. Barbara from Mantel and Table will get you motivated to clean out your linens drawer(s) with her post on Storing Napkins~How to Organize a Beautiful Linen Drawer.

Do you stop for roadside freebies? I am guilty of doing so with this set of Adirondack chairs. Check out how my friend, Rachel from the Ponds Farmhouse transforms these resin planters into DIY faux Concrete ones. It’s probably good that Rachel and I do not live near each other! Ha!

Since my goal is to always post beautiful things, I consider this next post valuable to keep all of us safe. Since I drive a very old car, I don’t have a wireless or remote starter to the ignition. But since many of you do, please read this very informative article for your own personal safety and to prevent your car being stolen while pumping gas.

Mary’s Must Haves

If you have the sourdough bread making bug, then this starter set is a must have for your baking. It is 27% off this week at $39.99. Not baking sourdough bread yet? This is also a great gift for someone who does.

Speaking of bread, my sweet friend and neighbor, Tevia, ordered some dehydrated sourdough starter from the internet and shared some with me this week. Yes, you can order starter from around the world and rehydrate it.

There is one that is several decades old from San Francisco, and with it I make this nice looking loaf of cheddar, rosemary and garlic bread. I will post this recipe shortly~it’s a family favorite. It is fun to experiment with different starters.

Cake Pans

After purchasing my favorite cake cookbook, Layered, I realize that I do not have good cake pans. Yesterday, in making the London Fog cake (a request from my daughter, Julianna, for her birthday), I want to share these cake pans that I love.

The cake recipe requires three 8″ round cake pans and these from Fat Daddies do not disappoint. It’s amazing that just having the right equipment makes such a difference in the success of the recipe.

I am in the process of trying to consolidate all my Mary’s Must Haves. There will be tab at the top of my home page where you will be able to find all the items and their associated links. Hope to have that complete in a week or two.

Tonight, for the birthday celebration for our daughter’s 27th birthday (which is actually on St. Patrick’s Day), I am busy in the kitchen making 2 Guinness beef pies, a Bailey’s Irish Creme cheese cake, my favorite arugula salad and of course, the London Fog birthday cake.

On Sunday, I am doing a 5k/10k with said daughter in order to work off some of the calories from the night before!

Next week, we are heading to Virginia to pick up our new puppy. I am not sure if I will have the opportunity to post, but I hope to share pictures of our journey (and our new little fella) along the way.

Until we chat again, have a wonderful weekend, a fun St. Patrick’s Day and we will connect soon!

Just a reminder that any words that are italicized bring you to the source. If it is a product on Amazon, please note that I am an Amazon Affiliate. If you purchase something through my website, I receive a small (very small!) stipend, which doesn’t affect the price you pay at all. My goal is to make sourcing the items easy for you. Thank you for your continued support.

Whether you are Irish or not, I believe we all need the luck of the Irish right now! St. Patrick’s Day is special in our home as it is the birthday of both my daughter and my mother. To learn more about the history of this holiday, please click here. Today, I have two recipes for you: Guinness Pie and Baileys Irish cream cheesecake.

Most people think of corned beef and cabbage for St. Patrick’s Day. But I am not a huge fan of the traditional dishes. Each year, I make both of these recipes and since they are so delicious, I make them again and again! The original recipe for Guinness Pie was published in the New York Times but if you try and get it online, they make you pay for a weekly subscription. Not sure how I scored a paper copy of it, but the printable recipe is below. I will provide a link to the cheesecake recipe.

Guinness Pie

If you need a pie crust shortcut, I strongly recommend Trader Joe’s pie crust. These are a staple in my freezer as I use them for both sweet and savory pies. You can find them in the freezer section of your local Trader Joe’s. This is my favorite preferred alternative to a homemade crust and super easy to use. However if you don’t have a Trader Joe’s, you can make your own crust or use another store-bought brand.

Before I start any recipe, I gather all my ingredients.

Since this recipe requires a bit of chopping, having sharp knives is important. The sharper the knife the safer the chop. Before you sharpen your knife, please note the type of knife you have. We have a sharpener for my Asian blades and a different one for the German blades. Here are several choices in knife sharpeners.

With all the vegetables chopped and ready to go, cooking commences.

Carrots, celery, onion, garlic, mushrooms are cooked in a oven-safe pot. I used my Le Creuset pot~~which I love (and wish I had a few more!). But any Dutch oven or heavy stock pot will do.

A side note about my Le Creuset~ this signature porcelain enameled cast iron Dutch oven is an investment, but you will not be disappointed. Mine is 5.5 quarts (or #26). With this recipe I believe you could go with a smaller one, maybe a 4.5 or 3.5 quart size.

I use my Le Creuset frequently. It’s perfect for everything from baking homemade bread to making soups and stews. This pot will be passed down to the next generation. You really can’t go wrong with purchasing it.  

While this cooks, your kitchen will smell so good!

The recipe calls for 3 pounds of brisket. Though it does not instruct to trim the fat from the brisket, I did~~about 7 oz. of it. The fresh rosemary is clipped from the garden. If you don’t have an herb garden, I really encourage you to have fresh herbs in a pot. Simple pleasures and how intoxicating is the smell of fresh rosemary?

The recipe also calls for 4 cups of stout beer. I had two bottles of Guinness but when I measured it, the volume was only 3 cups. However, the beer did cover the beef in the pot, so I didn’t feel a need to add more.

What makes this stew so delicious, is that, after sautéing all the vegetables and beef, is the slow-baking in the oven for 2 1/2 hours. After the appropriate baking time, freshly shredded cheddar cheese is added (or trotter gear, if you have it). Look at the rich texture and color of the stew! While the stew is cooking you can work on the crust.

Just a side note on trotter gear. It involves pig’s feet (ewww) so the cheddar cheese option is fine with me. But here’s a recipe if you are interested in making it.

The pie crust can be placed in either a 8-inch square Pyrex dish or a pie pan. I like using a 9″ deep dish glass pie dish. After I add the beef stew, I put the remaining cheddar cheese on top and then top it with a basketweave crust using different widths of dough. With the leftover dough, I use shamrock cookie cutters for a decorative touch.

If you are not familiar with a basketweave top crust, a standard pie crust top is fine.

Using green food coloring, I paint the shamrocks with a pastry brush. I did this for the first time last year and really thought it made the Guinness pie look more festive. Then pop the pie into the oven for another 45 minutes until the crust is puffy and golden.

This is such a flavorful, hearty pie, which is perfect for this time of year. Though the recipe yields 6 servings, I could easily get 8 out of the pie. Since we are having guests for dinner on Thursday, I will be making 2 pies. Plus the leftovers are equally delicious!

In addition, I will serve my arugula salad with lemon dressing so we have more greens for St. Patrick’s Day. We have a bumper crop of arugula that will bolt soon as the temperatures rise, so I am trying to harvest as much as I can from the garden.

Bailey’s Irish Cream Cheesecake

The next recipe is very decadent but such a festive dessert for St. Patrick’s Day. Just a note: The recipe recommends a 5 hour refrigeration time so plan accordingly. Here is the direct link to the cheesecake recipe~~click here. I will be making this the day before and finishing it on St. Patrick’s Day before company arrives.

For the crust, put whole Oreo cookies in the Cuisinart to get 2 cups of crumbs~~approximately 18 to 20 cookies. Mix in melted butter.

The recipe tells you to put the crumbs in a spring form pan, yet isn’t clear on if they only go on the bottom or up the sides. Keep the crust on the bottom (per the pictures on the link). Bake for 8-10 minutes. If you need a 9″ springform pan, see one here.

The directions are a little vague about wrapping the springform pan. I wrap the bottom and the sides with double foil to make sure no water will enter the inside of the pan during the hot bath.

Once the cheesecake is finished baking and has cooled, it needs to be refrigerated for at least 5 hours or overnight.

I let mine cool overnight and will make the chocolate ganache the next day.

Last year I failed to get a photo of an individual piece, so this is from 2 years ago. My ganache last year is much shinier, which is the trademark of a successful ganache. Regardless, the taste of the cheesecake is just amazing.

I hope you will try these recipes because I only recommend the ones that I have personally tried and tasted. There’s nothing worse than spending time in the kitchen only to have an underwhelming dish.

Also, if you missed the post on decorating a St. Patrick’s Day table to go with these fabulous recipes, you can see that here. Enjoy!

If you enjoy this post, please share on Pinterest.

Saturday’s All Things Lemon class, with 10 eager participants, is a resounding success. It is the perfect time to celebrate citrus season here in Phoenix, Arizona. You cannot beat the quality and freshness of picking a lemon, orange, grapefruit, tangelo or tangerine right from the tree. This class is an opportunity to gather and learn, meet new friends, and taste fresh recipes.

Making and Baking

We start in the kitchen, with our first recipe, an easy Meyer lemon tart. We learn how to blind bake a sweet pastry crust and whirl all the filling ingredients in a blender.

Adding a dusting of confectioner’s sugar, thin lemon slices, fresh berries and mint sprigs dresses up this dessert for company.

Typically, I make most of our cakes from scratch, but I realize that store-bought cake mixes makes life easier. The next recipe (thank you, Chloe!), Limoncello Bundt cake is made with both a white cake mix and an instant lemon pudding. With only 15 minutes to prepare, this recipe is a stunner.

While things are baking in the oven, we head out to the back porch. It is a beautiful, moderate day and we use the outdoor table to make preserved lemons.

The preserved lemon recipe I have shared before and you can find it in detail in this previous post. We have fun smushing the lemons into a jar, adding fresh lemon juice and spices.

Participants are given instructions on shaking the jar for the next 2 to 3 weeks until the lemons are preserved. Additional recipes for using preserved lemons is also provided, including my favorite pasta one.

Making Limoncello

Next up is making limoncello from scratch. Since this recipe takes a few weeks of macerating the lemon rinds in Everclear, I make it ahead of time to maximize our time in class. Providing each attendee with their own simple syrup, they can adjust the sweetness according to their own tastes.

Is limoncello better with Everclear or vodka? Everclear is a good choice because when mixed with simple sugar, it dilutes to the correct alcohol ratio of 28-32%. Vodka is a bad choice because it will lower the alcohol ratio to about 14-18% which is less than the traditional Limoncello.

In addition to traditional limoncello, I make Meyer lemon Limoncello, again a few weeks ahead of time. Providing some sips, some participants prefer it to the original limoncello.

The class concludes with taste testing the lemon tart, limoncello bundt cake and of course, limoncello. New friendships are made and everyone goes home with their bag of goodies.

Recommended Supplies

Recommendations are made regarding supplies: lemon squeezer, zester, bundt and tart pans.

The bundt pan I use for the limoncello cake I find at a local thrift store for $6.00. However, you can also find many sizes and styles online. Here’s one made by Wilton and is carbon steel now 25% off for $13.99 with 4.8 rating with over 15,000 reviews.

The best pan for the easy lemon tart is one with a removable base and a fluted edge. I made this tart in both a removable base pan and a springform pan. Clearly, the removable base tart pan works best.

As I conduct classes here at Bella Terra, I am learning so much. In researching different varieties of lemons, I discover that most store bought lemons are treated with a wax coating to protect them while shipping and to make them more visually appealing (shiny).

The wax is either beeswax (which isn’t too bad) but another is petroleum-based. So if you are using the rinds of store bought lemons, soak the lemons first in hot water and watch the wax rise to the surface. The thought of zesting wax in your recipes is a bit yucky.

I want to thank all those who donated freshly picked lemons to this class ~Sandy, Anne, Tevia, Dawn, and Steve. You are very generous! I am also very grateful to those who signed up for this class. We did have fun!

Happy Saturday and can you even believe it is March already?!? Being raised in the northeast, there are traditional sayings for some of the months. Will March be “in like a lion and out like a lamb”? Our weather in Phoenix is finally a bit warmer in the mornings( mid-40s) and afternoons (mid-60s-70s). With all the colder temps in January and February, I am a bit behind in planting the spring garden. But more on that later. Welcome to Saturday Meanderings where we chat about all good things this week. As I write this I am in Florida, visiting and gathering with my blogging friends.

All Things Lemon Class

This lemon-focused cooking class was last Saturday and 10 people attending. It is the first class I have conducted on my own and all in all, it went well. I will write a more detailed post about this as I want to share some of the recipes with you.

The morning was perfect weather-wise and everyone went home with lots of information on the beautiful lemon. It is fun to make your own preserved lemons, limoncello and tasting the likes of lemon tart and limoncello bundt cake.

New Non-Alcoholic Beverages

After seeing this frequently on Instagram, I thought I would give it a try. Each month I get a case (12 bottles) of 3 different flavors. Each bottle serves 2. There is no commission for me referring this product to you, only sharing something I am enjoying now.

Here is information directly from their website:

“Curious Elixirs are booze-free craft cocktails, infused with adaptogens to help you unwind. Our beverages are handmade with the best ingredients and no refined sugar. 

We created Curious Elixirs because we believe non-alcoholic drinks should be unusually delicious, well-crafted, and good for bodies and souls. So we began a mission to serve up the world’s best booze-free craft cocktails. 

Each Curious Elixir also bolsters the body using the mysterious properties of plants — from an ancient botanical that increases serotonin and dopamine precursors…” See their website here.

New Wine Refrigerator

After 23 years, our ULine wine refrigerator died. In researching replacement of our ULine, my, have the prices gone up over the last two decades. A new ULine wine refrigerator is upward of $2500 ~ what? It did take a week or so to look at different wine refrigerator options, but we purchase a Kalamera 30 bottle single zone wine refrigerator from Wayfair….for $422.71.

I nearly read every comment as concerns include: noise, chilling ability and bottle capacity. Delivered this week, we are happy with this brand. It has a very cool blue night light and fits perfectly in the space.

Why Am I in Florida?

One of the nicest part of taking on blogging at this age, is that I am able to meet some truly wonderful women. I am part of a group (they are far smarter and successful bloggers!) of women who share their talents, technological information and tips on how to be better at this. If you attended the Fall Styling Workshop, you met Chloe (from Celebrate and Decorate) and Chas (Chas’ Crazy Creations.

Since we truly enjoy each other’s company, we try to get together 2-3 times per year. Chloe’s home in Celebration, Florida is so lovely and we are working hard and doing a bit of playing. I am enjoying photographing Chloe’s home and her sweet dog, Lily.

As you know, Chloe is the master of beautiful table settings so we are playing with these colorful dishes from Caskata. Aren’t they lovely?

New Haircut, finally!

In an attempt to grow my hair long (as requested by my sweet husband), I tried, I truly did. However, I didn’t find it flattering and finally got a haircut this week.

I’ve known my hairstylist longer than my husband and Roscoe, once again, does a great job. Roscoe Nichols at Pucci Salon in Scottsdale, Arizona.

We are Getting a New Puppy

For those of you who have been following me for awhile, know we lost our beloved Cooper in 2022 and our dedicated beagle, Sox last year. Losing two dogs who were best of friends has left a void in our family. Cooper, an Akbash was the perfect protector of our property.

In a few weeks we will be getting an Akbash puppy and here is the most recent picture of some of the litter. Aren’t they adorable?

Mary’s Must Haves

One of the benefits of visiting with my blogging friends, is that the share products they love. Being here at Chloe’s I am getting first hand experience with some of these. I’ve already ordered these under cabinet 40 LED Rechargeable Battery Operated Motion Sensors indoor lights.

Chloe has these lights in this bookcase that lines a hallway and they act as nightlights because they can be switched to motion activated. Another is placed underneath a bathroom cabinet for lighting your way to the toilet at night. Plus they have 3 settings~ dimmable, on, and motion for different applications.

The lights are attached magnetically so if you experience a power outage you can remove the lights to use as a portable flashlight. Many uses-to line a staircase, use in your closet, the list goes on and on. Rechargeable with a USB port.

These lights are currently 33% off at Amazon, priced at $19.98 for 2 lights. See it here!

Slow Cooking Liners

If you use your crockpot frequently, you may appreciate this product. I had no idea these existed but I believe they are productive on a few levels.

Slow cooking for many hours can result in burnt bottoms of your crockpot. These liners help prevent that and keeps the pot clean.

Occasionally I will make a slow cooker meal and want to deliver it to a family member or friend. How easy to grab the bag and transport the contents. The liners are BPA-free and safe for high temperatures. For a 6-count box is $3.31 and you can find it here. P.S. Chloe makes chili while we are here and uses these liners so she gets all the credit!

Pill Pouches

It’s a little embarrassing that I travel with my vitamins like this~quart size Ziploc bags….

Especially when my friend, Andrea, uses this….

I did find them on Amazon here and for a packet of 100 it’s a mere $7.99. They would be good for daily dosage of pills and vitamins too.

Well that’s a wrap, folks! Have a fabulous weekend!

I am addicted to the Great British Baking Show which airs on Netflix.  The 15 seasons, now hosted by Prue Leith and Paul Hollywood (swoon~~ah those blue eyes!), is a must see. Each season brings the best home bakers from across the country vying for a chance to be named the winner. Since this show ignites the baking desire in me, I am inspired to share how to make these delicious tea cakes, known as lemon madeleines.

Have you Watched this show?

Amateur British bakers face off in a 10-week competition whipping up their own dishes hoping to be named the best in the U.K. The show is so informative-who knew the British had so many different cakes, breads, puddings, and pastries! Even though Madeleines are French in origin, it is the Great British Baking Show that encourages me to step out of my comfort zone and try new recipes.

What are Madeleines?

Madeleines are a very traditional French breakfast or tea cake.  Perfect madeleines should have a nice hump at the top, indicating a good rise and a lightness in texture. The thinner edges should be golden brown, caramelized and crunchy. According to this recipe, a madeleine pan is nice but not necessary. You can also use a miniature muffin pan. Personally, I like the shape of this tea cake and prefer to use the correct pan.

Ingredients and Recipe

This recipe for madeleines is from Dessert University by Roland Messier, executive pastry chef at The White House for 25 years. My friend, neighbor and chef, Barb Fenzl, hosted Roland’s cooking class years ago. His cookbook is a treasure trove of delicious desserts and you can find it here.

Not only was his class informative, but he entertained us with food stories of various presidents and their families. Working at the White House for 25 years, I’m sure there are many things he cannot share.

Simple, Fresh ingredients

The ingredients are rather simple~~flour, baking powder, lemon, sugar, eggs and lots of butter!

Blend the flour and baking powder together.

Zest the lemon~~later the fruit will be juiced for the lemon glaze. Zesting is very easy if you have the right equipment. This is clearly my favorite zesting tool here.

Using the paddle attachment on your mixer, blend the sugar, butter, lemon zest and salt.

Be careful not to over beat.

With the mixer on low, add the eggs and then the egg yolk until well combined.

Stir in the flour mixture and mix until dough is smooth.

Cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

Baking Preparation

Butter and flour the madeleine pan.  The only one I have is a Tefal silicone one with 8 cakes. Though the recipe stated there isn’t a need to butter and flour the non-stick pan, I did so to prevent any sticking. Updated note: I do not like this silicone pan. It buckles in the oven and prevents the batter from laying evenly. Maybe it works better laying on a cookie sheet? See another pan resource here.

Fill the cups 3/4 full.  The batter is almost cookie dough-like and it’s hard to tell when it’s 3/4 full. My first batch produced rather large madeleines.  I measured the batter in the second batch (a low heaping tablespoon) and the madeleines were a more normal size. Below is a picture of the first batch pre-oven.

With my convection oven so I set the temperature at 400 degrees (recipe calls for 425 degrees) and baked them for approximately 8 minutes.  That time will vary depending on the how much batter is in each hole.

Finishing Touches

After baking, remove the madeleines immediately from the pan.  Mine pop out nicely.  Brush each one with the lemon glaze. This silicone basting brush works very well with the delicate cakes (see here).

This is only the second time I’ve made madeleines and I really love this lemon recipe.

These are a big hit with my family!  I wonder what Paul Hollywood and Prue Leith would say 🙂

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