To start off, I have to talk about my second trip to Dublin to visit my lovely friend and hostess, G. Well, more gush than talk, really. I absolutely adore Ireland. It may be cold and rainy this time of year, but the people and atmosphere are still as welcoming and friendly as ever. Everyone I come across in Ireland is always so laid back and genial, not to mention my host is probably the best ever (going so far as to make me hot chocolate and a toastie at 4:00 AM after getting back from a night out). Dublin itself is such a small, big city. It's a city that is probably on most people's list of places they want to see before they die; yet, in many ways, it feels more like a large village, where everyone knows one-another and anyone is welcome. In addition to how wonderful the atmosphere is, it really is that green. Even in November, there was still so much green. It's gorgeous. Just look at it:
Anyway, to end my raving, just go visit Ireland if you haven't. DO IT. Ok, rant over.
While I was in Dublin this time, we saw quite a few sites (and had a wonderful few sleep in days, too!). The first night, we went and had dinner at Counter Burger: this amazing hamburger place where they have a mile long of toppings to choose from to build your own burger. Mine was delicious topped with a feta cheese spread, cheddar cheese, crispy fried onions, grilled pineapple, black bean and corn salsa, cranberries, and green onions. I know, sounds weird, but if you don't like it, go build your own. We also had a side of parmesan, aioli fries which were possibly some of the best things I've ever put in my mouth.
After enjoying our delicious hamburgers with a pint of cider, we strolled on down the avenue to catch our bus for the Haunted Tour of Dublin. This tour was SO MUCH FUN! It was the perfect amount of creepy, interesting, and funny. I would totally recommend looking into it if you visit Dublin. Unfortunately, I didn't get any good pictures because I forgot my camera and an iPhone flash is just not up to taking pictures in a creepy, pitch-black setting.
On Saturday, we visited the Irish president's house. This wasn't like getting a tour of the White House. We simply walked in and said we wanted to do the tour, the lady wrote our names down, we got in a couple of regular vans, drove on out to the president's place, and had a tour around. No security except for one guarda (police) chilling in the background. Like I said, Irish=laid back.
Earlier while we were waiting for the next tour to start, we walked around a bit of Phoenix Park (the park where the president's house is and one of the largest parks in Europe). We saw the American Ambassador's house (not too far away from the president's house) and the memorial cross where Pope John Paul II visited in 1979.
After we left the lovely president's home, we did another very touristy thing everyone must do while visiting Ireland: visited the Guinness Brewery. We learned how Guinness is made and how to pour the perfect pint. We then enjoyed said pints at the top of the Guinness Brewery in the Gravity Bar overlooking Dublin.
We then went home, got ready, and had a fun night out in Dublin! (After which the aforementioned toastie and hot chocolate were consumed).
The next day we had a pretty lazy attitude, so we meandered around Temple Bar and had some lunch in an Irish restaurant. My Guinness Stew was to-die-for.
We then made our way to the second alcohol-inspired tourist destination: The Jameson Distillery. Here we had a tour of the distillery and learned about the history of Jameson and how it was made and differs from other whiskeys. At the end of this tour, we also received a complementary beverage, which I was, unfortunately, unable to finish, as pretty as it was. But here is a picture of the aesthetically pleasing Jameson with ginger ale and lime that I did not drink:
That night we took it easy. Ate a couple of pizzas and watched some TV. Perfect ending to a wonderful weekend. The next day before I had to catch my flight home, I got a tour of G's university: Maynooth which, of course, has a castle on he grounds (because it's in Ireland). I also got to enjoy one last wonderful meal in a real Irish village pub before catching my Aer Lingus flight back to Home Sweet Holland.
Thanks, G, for another wonderful weekend in Ireland! Can't wait to visit again! And now that I'm done talking about my Ireland trip (for now), on to the next topic of discussion:
Not only did I find out while I was in Ireland that my big cousin got engaged, but one of my best and oldest friends is GETTING MARRIED!!! SO, CONGRATULATIONS TO BOTH OF THEM!! I'M SO, SO, SO EXCITED FOR Y'ALL!!!
I'm also super excited to help K plan her wedding, even from a few thousand miles away! First step toward becoming and event planner! She already has tons of ideas and I have tons of suggestions and ideas as well! I'm so tickled for her and her new fiancé, E! Can't wait to be there for her when they tie the knot in October! So be warned, I'm sure I'll throw in tons about the wedding as the months progress!
Now that I've blabbed about Ireland and congratulated K for about the ten zillionth time, I think I'll wrap this blog up with a recipe I prepared for my host family yesterday. I haven't done much since getting back from Ireland, since I babysat last weekend and was, unfortunately, in bed with a flu-like sore throat bug all this past weekend.
So, luckily for YOU, my dear reader, this blog will not go on forever. On to my shrimp and crab chowder:
I decided to make my daddy's famous crab chowder this week, though the recipe did have to be adapted for ingredient availability. Instead of crab (which the local grocery store does not keep in stock), I used shrimp. Also, instead of the jarred, pre-made Alfredo sauce and half and half usually used at home, I had to substitute from-scratch Alfredo and cream. This recipe is a go-to crowd pleaser for my family and, even with the few alterations and substitutions I made, it still turned out fabulous and the host family loved it just as much as everyone always does!
Shrimp and Corn Chowder
Ingredients:
- 3 tablespoons of butter
- 3 large stalks of celery
- 10 small mushrooms
- 2 medium yellow onions
- 2 cloves of garlic
- 2 cans of whole-kernel corn
- 3 cups heavy cream
- 2 cups milk
- 1 cup shredded parmesan cheese
- cheese sauce, cream sauce, or white gravy mix
- 3 tablespoons garlic powder
- 1 tablespoons onion powder
- 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
1. Finely chop celery, mushrooms, onions, and garlic.
2. Heat butter in large pot over medium heat.
3. Sauté vegetables in butter until tender. Add corn and let simmer over low heat while preparing next step.
4. In a large sauce-pan or skillet, carefully heat half of the cream until simmering.
5. Slowly add shredded parmesan and whisk, making sure that the cheese melts smoothly.
6. Add the rest of the cream and half of the milk to the sauce. Whisk together.
7. Slowly add cheese and/or cream sauce mix, whisking to prevent clumps.
8. Season to taste with garlic powder, onion powder, and salt.
9. Add sauce to vegetables and stir from the bottom, making sure all ingredients are evenly combined.
10. Add the additional milk a little at a time until desired consistency is reached.
11. Cover top of the chowder with a layer of black pepper and add cayenne pepper. Stir thoroughly and season with any additional salt or other seasonings to taste.
12. Add pre-cooked shrimp and allow the chowder to simmer over low heat, stirring occasionally from the bottom, for about 20 more minutes.
13. Enjoy alone or with rolls, garlic bread, or any other type of dipping bread!
Well that's that for this time 'round! Friday (because obviously no one has Thursday off for a holiday that doesn't exist is the Netherlands and I also have Friday off, so I can spend all day cooking) I'm preparing a real American Thanksgiving dinner for my host family and some friends, so there'll be a nice long, food-inspired post after that! I'm also trying out a few new casserole recipes this week, so hopefully I can blog a bit about those too!
Until next time!
Y'all come back now!
Fantastic Ava, I'll do my best and try to make this lovely receipe, Anneloes
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