Saturday, April 16, 2011

Home Is Where the Heart Is



So, for the past few months, Brian and I have been in the process of buying a house. We have officially outgrown our two bedroom apartment, and were looking for a place to settle down in and eventually raise kids. Also a bigger kitchen would be nice. :)

Anyone who's ever bought a home can tell you, it's an emotional roller-coaster with your hopes and dreams, and a lot of uncertainties. Amidst the super busyness of meetings with our agents, unbearable waiting periods, and disappointments, I began to doubt we would find the right place. And through the whole process, I found myself wondering, what really makes a house a home? And is all of this worth it?

I had always pictured our future home as a cozy place with big windows, a spacious and sunny kitchen, a large yard for our kids to play in with a garden and lots of flowers. I dreamed of cozy nights by our fireplace, a large guest room for family, and plenty of space to invite our friends over to entertain.

All of these things are nice, but I've come to realize, unnecessary. As much as I really wanted all those things, by grace, I can see now, they're not what I need... But what I do need has been with me all along. And no place would be as happy, as secure, or as complete, without him.

When it comes down to it, a house is not a home without love. Whether from a parent, roommate, sibling or spouse. A cheerful greeting, a warm embrace, the inviting smell of something baked just for you, these all tell you, that whenever you walk through your door, you are home.

Well, by God's grace, we have found a home. And it is more than we could have dreamed. We are overwhelmed with thankfulness and excitement. And we can't wait to invite you in. Errr, once our kitchen is unpacked, and I am again baking. So, fasten all your moveable parts. We're moving!

Oh, forgot about the picture. A special scone made for me after a stressful morning during our house search.

Luck of the Irish





Time flies when you're having fun, or when you're really busy, or aren't inspired to get on your blog and write. I guess all of these have been true at different points in the past six months. Sorry.

But the important thing is that I'm back! And thank you to the one (Brian) or more faithful readers that have been keeping up with my blog anyway. :)

Alright, well, even though I haven't been blogging, the good news is that I've still been baking/cooking.

Okay...To the topic!

So, about a month ago was St. Patrick's Day. And for a few years now, Brian has been dreaming about making some good old Irish food on that day to celebrate. You know, to honor his Irish roots. He's half Korean, one quarter German, and the rest is mostly British with a little bit of Irish in there somewhere... But that little bit is enough reason to celebrate. So this year, we decided that we were going for it. So, he found a recipe for some Irish stew and calconnon (mashed potatoes with bacon and cabbage). And another recipe for some chocolate Guinness ice cream. And to make things more merry, we decided to invite some friends and make it a potluck.

Well, the recipe was very straight forward, you just need plenty of time to cut veggies and let the stew cook. And instead of boiling cabbage for the mashed potatoes, frying it in bacon grease was much better. As for the ice cream, be sure to weigh the amount of chocolate you're adding, (don't just eye-ball it in a measuring cup) or it may be too little. And when the recipe tells you to stir the mixture over an ice bath. Do it. dairy and beer do not mix well, and the extra stirring helps everything come together better. The result, was a perfectly smooth chocolaty ice cream, with a hint of Guinness. Even a non beer drinker like me could appreciate this. Sorry, no picture of the ice cream.

So, with good food, good friends, and a little Irish jig thrown in there, I guess you could say that night, we felt like some of the luckiest people in the world. Did it have anything to do with the luck of the Irish? Why don't you try the recipes and find out for yourselves?

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Beer-Braised-Irish-Stew-and-Colcannon/Detail.aspx

http://www.chow.com/recipes/11506-guinnessmilk-chocolate-ice-cream