Signs of Spring

Signs of spring are cropping up here and there. 

Some tips of the early flowering plants are peeking through the ground, the birds are a bit more vocal and the light is hanging around a little bit longer at the end of the day.

I've been able to go out with just a heavy sweater on and I don't have to wear my boots all the time anymore. 

I love spring.

Had sissy and the girls over this weekend for our annual St. Patrick's day celebration of corned beef and cabbage.

Okay, we were a few days early. We never seem to be able to celebrate St. Patrick's day on the actual day with our busy schedules. But is there ever a bad day for corned beef and cabbage? Nope.

It's all good, as my teens say.

One of my favorite foods on this holiday is Irish soda bread. I've never tried to make it. But this year I thought I might. So I started looking at recipes and came across one for Irish soda bread muffins.

Oh me, oh my. 

Ooh, la, la.

We have a winner.

Moist and just a touch sweet, with the delicious flavor of caraway seeds blended with raisins, these muffins make for some tasty little morsels.

Everyone liked them, even the Man. Although there's really only one thing he doesn't like on St. Patrick's day.

The cabbage. 

He complains when I cook it, saying it makes the house smell horrible. He wants me to cook it in a separate pot so it doesn't contaminate the rest of the meal. And he makes me put it in a separate bowl when I serve it. But the funny thing is, he always takes a piece, tries a bite of it and deems it inedible. 

Until this year. 

This year, I wouldn't let him try it. Which made him want it even more. But I didn't want him to waste any of it. He got all indignant, forcing me to let him take a piece of cabbage. And then licking his lips, like he loved it.

Ha.

I know better.

So for the past two nights of leftovers, I've limited him to one piece of cabbage.

He's not fooling me.

On a totally random note, the Man loves planning his garden. And planning. And planning.

Now he's buying seeds and getting ready to start them indoors.

This is a fantastic sign of spring.

He even wants to get the rototiller out for the garden. I told him no.

Not until all the snow is gone.

Just got these fake Japanese cherry blossom stems from Pottery Barn.

Love them.