pistachio shamrock cookies

 

Shamrock Cookies are not just a delightful treat but also come with a sprinkle of history and symbolism!

 

Shamrock cookies are typically associated with St. Patrick's Day, which is celebrated on March 17th. 

The shamrock itself is a three-leafed clover, which, according to legend, was used by St. Patrick to explain the concept of the Holy Trinity (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit) to the people of Ireland. Over time, the shamrock became a symbol of Ireland and St. Patrick's Day.

 

While shamrock cookies have Irish roots, their popularity as festive treats soared in the United States, where St. Patrick's Day is widely celebrated with parades, parties, and lots of green-themed foods. 

The cookies are often made in the shape of shamrocks and decorated with green icing and sprinkles. This recipe is a real gourmet upgrade!

Pistachio Shamrock Cookies are the most a delightful treat, especially for celebrating St. Patrick's Day! Here's a simple recipe from Better Homes & Gardens magazine for making these tasty and festive cookies.

St. Patrick's Day is bursting with delicious and festive treats! Here are of my other favorites, Including Irish Soda Bread which I make a lot. It’s not only a March treat, you know!

 

Irish Soda Bread: A traditional bread made with baking soda instead of yeast. It's often studded with raisins and caraway seeds. Check out my Soda Bread Recipe here.

 

Corned Beef and Cabbage: While not a "treat," it's a classic St. Patrick's Day meal in the U.S., often enjoyed with potatoes and carrots.

 

Shepherd's Pie: A hearty dish with ground meat, vegetables, and mashed potatoes baked to perfection. I make this every Christmas as well!

 

Potato Pancakes (Boxty): These crispy pancakes made from grated potatoes are a delicious savory treat.

 

Green Velvet Cake: A festive twist on the classic red velvet cake, usually adorned with green frosting. I must try this one!

 

 

 

ciao fabiana

 

 

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hosting a 4th of July brunch

 

July 4th is almost here! Today’s creative combo is Red, White & True Blue featuring two vintage-inspired patterns: Buffalo Check and Capri Stripe!

 

Why be all matchy-matchy, when you can create your own unique look?

Here I combined two classics from for a fun nod to patriotic décor  using coordinating blue stripes and red checks by Solino Home.

The tablecloth in the Capri Stripe pattern, coordinates so well with so many different napkin styles from the Solino Home collection, but especially love it with the bold red check.

Texture is brought in with raffia placemats and my new napkin rings. This pretty bamboo flatware is my “go-to” for so many of my tablescapes. It adds an elegant but casual note to any table.

Yummy croissants and ripe, red strawberries are welcome addition to this table and make it an official "brunch" setting!

Singular Shasta Daisies stand watch over the center of the table in individual vintage glass bottles.

 

What better reason than the 4th of July to go all out with the red, white and blue décor? I get so inspired just by the stars and stripes flying proudly on so many beautiful homes in our neighborhood.

 

Remember to "Making it nice" for Independence Day! It's so fun to pull out the red, white, and navy and set a beautiful table or two for this long holiday weekend.

Shopping info:

Capri Stripe Tablecloth

Red Check Napkins

Raffia Placemats

White Farmhouse Plates

Rattan Napkin Rings

Bamboo Flatware

 

One tip is to start with an inspiration piece and then lay the foundation with a pretty runner or tablecloth. It’s as easy as pie! And speaking of pie, I’m off to make our favorite Apple Crumble pie.

 

ciao! fabiana

 

 

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You can check out some of my favorites here at “Tablescaping Essentials”*. 

 

 

 

 

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two amazing recipes for St. Patrick's day

What better way to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day than with a little something sweet? I’ve incorporated some of my favorite ingredients to create a fresh and buttery Irish shortbread cookie.  

Traditionally, shortbread is made from three simple ingredients, butter, sugar and flour, and I’ve upped the flavor profile with this recipe by using authentic Irish butter which provides a richer taste.

Topped off with a decadent glaze made with fresh lime zest and lime juice, these cookies are perfect for celebrating everyone’s favorite Irish holiday! These cookies are the perfect companion for a cup of hot tea or coffee. Recipe found HERE.

No St. Patrick’s day would be complete at our home without homemade Irish Soda Bread. This is the easiest bread to make, since you use baking soda, hence the name soda bread, instead of yeast. And there’s no wait time to let the dough rise. Mix, form into a mound and pop this directly into the oven.  

  

Traditionally I use dried currants for this recipe, but as you can see, dried blueberries were used for a little fun twist. We love the dried Oregon blueberries from Trader Joe’s.  Recipe found HERE.

And I’m bringing my favorite green cabbageware plates to the table once again for our traditional St. Patrick’s Day meal of corned beef and cabbage. Whole Foods has great options for corned beef this year. I purchased two, and we had one earlier this week. 

If you’ve never cooked corned beef, it’s very easy. Basically, you boil it with special spices, onion, garlic, bay leaf and thyme and just let it cook for hours until it’s fork-tender. At that point you can add shredded cabbage, carrots and potatoes cook a bit longer and .... 

YUM!

ciao! fabiana 

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shortbread cookies and home tour news

We made it to another Friday, and this is THE weekend to catch up on sleep since Daylight Savings starts on Sunday. Anyhow, I wanted to update you all on the happenings going on around here…

Firstly, I wanted to share my latest obsession, these Key Lime Shamrock Cookies. I baked them up exclusively for Cottages and Bungalows, and I have to say they’re probably my family’s favorite cookies right now! To quote my husband, “They’re better than Girl Scout Cookies.”

If you’re a fan of shortbread, you’ll love the addition of fresh lime zest to the mix. And if you’ve never attempted to make shortbread, they’re among the easiest cookies ever, as they only include three basic ingredients. Recipe found here.

The Newport Harbor Home Tour is on the horizon, and we’re getting pumped up about the seven amazing homes on the tour this year. This is a peek at Ashley Clark’s home from last year’s tour.

Don’t you just love this outdoor space that’s adjacent to the pool? Sitting in those fun chair swings just make you feel like you’re on vacation!

All the home tour fun begins at Jenni Kayne at Lido Marina Village on May 16. They’re kicking off the festivities as hosts of our morning reception, catered by Malibu Farm.  Home Tour tickets are now on sale!!

While I’m at Lido Marina Village, I always make a point of stopping in at Serena & Lily, my happy place! Such a fun vibe in that store, and I always walk away with lots of inspiration for my home.

Like these amazing grouping of outdoor Summerland Pendants! They’re so bold, they just make quite a statement on their own, don’t you agree?

Lido Marina Village is the perfect place for a morning walk along the water. There are so many fun places for breakfast and lunch, and Nobu is here too, which would be lovely for dinner. I haven’t been there yet, but it sounds amazing!

Look at all the veggies growing in raised planters around this restaurant. Yes, that’s broccoli!

ciao! fabiana

And now the official cookbook 
is available from Malibu Farm!

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