Our little boy became a “big kid” this week on the farm.

For his 5th birthday

we decided to make use of

what we are fortunate to have right before us

and celebrate with a

good

old-fashioned

kiddie’s farm fête.

So, we rounded up our two darling donkeys,

A sweet cow and her dotey calf

And three clucky chickens

{yes, the farmer is participating in Movember}

We made loads of fairy cakes to decorate (pictured top)

and homemade marshmallows + caramel corn

We used our very own honey for my special honey bbq beef brisket

that went with Martha’s Perfect Mac & Cheese

Our friend, Claire, created the most magnificent + yummy tractor cake

When the party was ended

each child was given a bag of goodies to take home

The sun was shining

Our faces were smiling

And our big kid was a happy, happy boy.

Slan Abhaile,

Imen

My Easy Honey BBQ Pulled Beef Brisket

serves 12

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon onion powder

1 teaspoon paprika

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 3-4 pound beef brisket (in Ireland try the beef rib roast)

1 18-ounce bottle of high quality barbecue sauce

2 onions, chopped

1 tablespoon Worchestershire sauce

1/4 cup honey

12 freshly baked soft rolls

Mix together minced garlic, salt, onion powder, paprika and pepper. Rub over the brisket.

Place sliced onion on bottom of slow cooker

In a small bowl mix the barbecue sauce, onions, Worchestershire sauce

Place the brisket in the slow-cooker and pour over the sauce. Spoon in the honey. Cook on low 10 hours or until the brisket is fork-tender. Pull the beef apart into strips.

Ladle the cooking liquid into a bowl or glass measuring cup and skim off the fat. Mix the juices with pulled beef. Serve on rolls

Photos by Imen McDonnell. Assisted by Master Geoffrey McDonnell

Tags: bbq, chickens, cows, donkeys, farm, fete, food, foodie, Irish, irish foodies, kiddies birthday party, Martha Stewart, Movember, party

Ahhhh yes, the new season has arrived on our idyllic Irish farm.  And each year when the long winter gracefully grows into Spring, I can’t help but feel nostalgic as I ponder the contrast between my former frenzied life in the city and our sublime quiet life in the country. Ok so maybe nostalgic is not quite the right word..perhaps it’s more like agonized. Yes, agony is definitely more like it….

So, ahem…{now wiping the crocodile tears away}

Greener than green grass growing at breakneck speed, new potatoes cropping up in the garden and mummy cows constantly calving are certainly a stark contrast to the citified symbols of Spring that I used to indentify with…..and frankly, could even say I adored. For it’s at precisely this time of year that my heart longs for convertible cars (well, specifically mine I suppose) buzzing about with their tops surreptiously peeled down, busy city sidewalks aflurry with freshly pedicured feet nestled into open-toed shoes and the absolute best bit of all: dining al fresco after work with girlfriends, sipping cocktails, noshing on salads and sushi all whilst in true Bill Cunningham style–watching all the fashionable women and men trotting down the street in their best Spring hues. An invite to do this on any given night = simply irresistable.

So terrrrribly irresistible that I am constantly trying my best to emulate that experience here by creating more of a relaxed and “countrified” version of my old ways. It goes a little like this:  after a long day of working on various projects, I will change into a powdery little tee, a pair of my favourite Gap white capris and flip-flops and put on my new Cath Kidston apron. I will then proceed to make a huge Summery salad to start out our dinner. This salad will inevitable include the following (mostly locally) grown ingredients: mixed greens with plenty of rocket and watercress, red onion, vine ripened tomatoes, cucumber, steamed asparagus, grated carrot, goat’s cheese, roasted walnuts and poppyseed sprinkles tossed with one of my secret-agent vinagrettes*.  Then, I will take out anything from (again mostly locally sourced) prawns to fish, chicken or steak which has been marinating in another one of my secret-agent concoctions* all day and throw them on the BBQ.  As this protein is sizzling away on the grill, I will then make a pitcher of citrusy margaritas, Bootlegs, or G&T’s for R and I (and any visitors we are lucky enough to have) to sip on after our little boy is in bed. On dry and warm evenings we sit on our terrace taking in the absolutely stunning sunset behind the Shanid castle ruin on the hill, watching as the light changes and our trees slowly morph into those gorgeous die-cut images that seem to be everywhere these days. I call it “Farm Fresco” and though it’s not the same as those bold and bustling city evenings, it can nearly be just as satisfying…..

This Spring we welcomed a sweet preemie calf. His mum was not well so R had to induce her 4 weeks early and she produced a little boy whom we have named “Bogo”. Normally calves are up and walking in an hour, but Bogo struggled for a couple weeks before he would finally stand and now he’s up and walking, stronger than ever. Perhaps I too am like Bogo….when I came here I was nearly paralyzed by the change. Now…a few years later I am slowly, but surely, adapting to this new life and each day Ireland and the countryside are becoming more and more like home to me.

Slan Abhaile,

Imen

*olive oil and a form of vinegar, crushed garlic and lemon juice or other fruit juice then close my eyes, choose some spices and hit pulse on the food processor.

photo courtesy of The Daily Telegraph

Tags: al fresco, bbq, Bill Cunningham, bootlegs, calf, city, convertibles, farm, GAP, ireland, J. Crew, margaritas, Spring, summer, sushi