Images of Two March Days and Irish Soda Bread

Last Year -- March 7, 2017

This morning March 16, 2017

Yup! Still a lot of ice. 

Last year, 2017, was one of the shortest ice-ins ever here on North Iowa's Clear Lake. This year has been more normal, at least from an ice perspective. Ice-in was December 8, 2017. This morning there is a wide swath of open water over along the north shore from the sea wall around nearly to the Redstone on North Shore Drive and almost to South Shore Inn on South Shore Drive. We have a stout northeast breeze today and it will be cloudy with some kind of precipitation so probably not a lot of melting will happen. 

Winter started off with a real old fashioned cold snap. Temperatures were down below zero for the highs, not to mention the overnight lows in the minus 20s. We've had more ice storms than I remember from past winters and a few medium-sized snows, a couple of blizzard condition days, and at one point the snow was literally blowing sideways. All in all, not a terrible winter.  Folks who summer up here will have a fair number of sticks and maybe even a few branches to pick up come opening-up weekend. 

To celebrate the possible coming of spring and days ahead when daffodils will finally emerge from what is now solidly frozen ground, OH! and St. Patrick's Day -- here's my favorite Irish Soda Bread. It is the kind of treat that goes well with warm day egg salad to downright cold corned beef! No matter what Mother Nature will bring, it is a bread sure to please. 

The craggy surface of traditional Irish Soda Bread 

is perfect for dunking in gravy or spreading with butter and jam. 

 Rae's Irish Soda Bread

1 tablespoon vinegar

1 cup milk

2 cups flour

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt (optional)

1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Put the vinegar in a glass measuring cup and add milk to make one cup. Set aside for a couple of minutes until it sours. In a medium mixing bowl combine the flour, baking soda, salt if using, and cream of tartar. Pour in about 3/4 cup of the soured milk and mix quickly with a fork. Then begin to knead gently to form a rough, slightly damp dough. You may need to add a bit more milk, a tablespoon at a time. DO NOT OVER KNEAD. This is a roughly textured dough. If you over knead the dough will be tough. Form the dough into a circle about 6-inches in diameter. Flatten to about an inch and a half thick. Place on a lightly greased baking sheet. With a serrated knife make an "x" cut almost halfway through the dough. Bake until the bread is browned and sounds hollow when you tap it. Cool before slicing.  

Copyright 2018, Rae Katherine Eighmey. All rights reserved.