Ok, guys. Before I dive into photos and posts about our spring break road trip, I need to share about this birthday cake. I know, it’s another cake. But it’s H’s first ever birthday cake, and despite the storm of insanity that plopped down on our house the week of her birthday I was still determined to make it as awesome as I could.
Archive: March 2013
This has been a helluva month. I posted about the awesomeness surrounding H’s first birthday, but then I basically needed a break. I found out a couple days before her birthday that my district isn’t renewing my contract next year. I’m up for tenure at the end of the year, and…that’s the end of that. They don’t have to give a reason, but they did, and it was frankly more insulting than if they just hadn’t told me why. So that was a blow to the juggling act that has been returning to work after having this glorious little lady, and it all happened very fast, and I still had to try and pull off her birthday party despite being terribly distracted and frustrated. Then I spent the week between H’s birthday and spring break trying to finish Battle of the Books with my 4th graders and deal with my job posting going out and telling folks I will not be back.
Today was HFR’s luau birthday party. It was kind of a trip.
She was not into the leis.
But she was dressed in her finest resort casual…
…despite the fact that it snowed today!
I’m posting this right under the wire before H’s first birthday expires; it has been a long and bittersweet day. We both took the day off to hang out with H. Adam and I were up at 1:11 this morning to stare at her awesome sleeping self in her crib and reminisce about her arrival last year. That was such a great moment we shared, laughing about her stubborn refusal to come into this world. We’ve had a truly rough week here in the Reeve house, and this morning was tied up with some of that drama. So I needed those moments throughout the day when we would just look at her, and look at each other, and giggle like idiots that she’s been ours for an entire year. We still look at her sometimes and think, “Where are your parents, and when are they coming to get y–oh, right.”
Ohmagoodness.
In honor of St. Patrick’s Day next weekend, I give you this bowl of heaven. The recipe was from the March issue of Food Network Magazine (the CHEESE issue…I mean, honestly). I don’t know how much more I can say that the name of the recipe doesn’t already say a million times over. I made this exactly as directed and froze the rest of the filling and dough for future pie eating. Sometimes you just don’t need to mess with perfection.
To pay tribute to the incestuous and oft-overlooked relationship between Irish and English cooking, and for my Brit husband who will never understand about St. Patrick’s Day, I used this English stout instead of the obvious choice. I thought the label would made me look like I know stuff in the Whole Foods checkout line.
Side note: do you like my new individual pot pie bowls? I’ve been spending time in Williams-Sonoma this week.
Beef Pot Pies with Cheddar-Stout Crust
For the dough:
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
3/4 teaspoon fine salt
1 stick cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
3/4 cup grated Irish cheddar cheese (about 3 ounces) **I did use a nice aged yellow cheddar, that’s my only change
6 to 7 tablespoons stout beer
1 large egg, lightly beaten
For the filling:
2 1/4 pounds beef chuck roast, trimmed of excess fat, cut into 1-inch pieces
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/3 cup stout beer
3 medium leeks, white and light green parts only, halved lengthwise and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 pound carrots, cut into 1-inch pieces
2 stalks celery, cut into 1-inch pieces
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