The Luck of the Sweets

Maniac Monday: Girl Vs. Ireland

Visiting Ireland was one of the amazing experiences of my life. Living it for years through the stories of my Grandma's childhood that would come up in just about every conversation with her, I felt at peace and at home. We stayed in the house my Grandma grew up in, went to church where her and the family would walk to every week, and took countless pictures on the beautiful countryside. Of course, tea time and pub time were big parts of our day as well. When in Ireland...

A big part of every vacation I go on is diving into the culture of wherever I am, and what better way to experience the culture than through food? My Mom, Uncle Bill, and I had fish and chips every single day, and WOW were they a good choice every time! Let's cut to the chase, though. THE IRISH SWEETS! Butlers Chocolate seemed to be the country's brand of choice, so we went to the first cafe we saw and got bite-sized samples of nearly every kind. 

Butlers Chocolate

It's not a secret in my family that I love sweets, and that goes for my extended family too. My cousins hosted us overseas and wanted us to feel right at home while staying with them. Here are some of my favorite Irish goodies we had as late-night snacks after a long and fun day of site-seeing and pub hopping. I don't think they put as much sugar in these as our American equivalents...

These should last us through the night

In addition to the daily fish and chips came a daily dessert. Everything was homemade, and the taste confirmed that. The fluffiness, richness, tastefulness, and hugeness left me satisfied every time. 

Irish Puff Pastry #1

Strawberry Cheesecake

Heath Crunch Pastry

Irish Puff Pastry #2

I wish I could have experienced Ireland with my Grandma, but her spirit was ever-present throughout our entire stay. Seth and I agreed that every European vacation will end with some time spent in Ireland. It was an amazing time! All of this reminiscing is making me crave a cup of tea. What a classic time of day tea time is!

An Irish Blessing: "May the road rise up to meet you, may the wind be always at your back, may the sun shine warm upon your face, and the rains fall soft upon your fields. Until we meet again, may our God hold you in the palm of his hands".
RIP Grandma *05-14-12*