What I choose to do on Mother's Day...

First let me wish everyone who is celebrating Mother's Day a beautiful day.  It is a tough job being a mom, and we can only hope we are doing the best job we can!  My kids seem pretty happy with the one they have!!!

So I am sorry for not posting much this week.  Either my dinners were not my best endeavor, or we ate out, or we ate late and I was too tired to blog.....  This morning I have decided to share an amazing recipe and share some photos of what I looked at this morning.  I was up early and decided it was so nice outside, I just wanted to hang out and enjoy it all...

I came out my back porch door and looked down on my new fire table.  We sat around it last night and it was so beautiful.  I looked to the right and realized how much I appreciate my hot tub!  How convenient is it to climb out of the hot tub and walk over to the fire pit...

I walked back to the waterfall pond and fed my koi.  There is something about just standing there and watching fish swim around that is so peaceful!

Next stop on my tour was the other pond under my kitchen window.  Yesterday I decided my 4 gold fish needed some company so I bought six more...

On other picture I wanted to show you was these really cool lights I put around my yard.  They give off the coolest pattern of light.  Not sure if you can tell by this picture:

You must be tired of looking at fish right about now.  So I will now share a recipe with you for the best Irish Soda Bread you will ever eat.  It came from Ruth Hannon, a dear friend of my mom's.  It's one of those recipes that comes out delish every time you make it!  Here goes:

2 1/2 cups flour

2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

1/4 cup butter softened

1/2 cup sugar

1 beaten egg

1 large container sour cream

1 1/2 cup raisins (I use craisins instead...call me crazy!)

Combine dry ingrediants and then blend in remainder of ingrediants.  The batter will be thick, a little gooey.  I scoop it into a round pan, about 2 inches deep, but I suppose you could cook it in a rectangular pan if you wanted.  I sprinkle sugar on the top and pop it into the oven.

cook for 50 minutes, check to make sure it is done, and voila!

Like I said, fluffy, moist and yummy... not like your usual soda bread that is dry and crumbly, not that there is anything wrong with dry, crumbly irish soda bread....I just happen to like the fluffy, moist kind!

Ok, so I am off to grocery shop... Like I said, what I choose to do on my Mother's Day is cook!  ox