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Fresh Fridays
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Fresh Fridays, March 12

Kathleen

by Kathleen Pope Apr 16, 2024

Welcome to another fabulous edition of Fresh Fridays, our once weekly email; highlighting tips, tricks and fabulous recipes!

First, this is your friendly reminder to SPRING FORWARD this Saturday night! Set your clocks FORWARD one hour if you live in a state that observes Daylight Savings Time. If you do not, I am jealous!

Although I love the lighter-later, I am not a fan of the havoc the time change can do to us, I especially remember this when my boys were young! Yes, this is the one where you LOSE an hour of sleep! Want help adjusting, read on for tips from the experts.

How to adjust to daylight savings time

  1. Start early |A bit late on this one, but it’s recommended starting a week ahead to adjust your schedule by 15-30 minutes a day.
  2. Stick to your schedule |Be consistent with eating, social, bed and exercise times during the transition.
  3. Don’t take long nap | Shutting your eyes mid-day is tempting, especially if you’re feeling sluggish. 
  4. Avoid coffee and alcohol | Put down coffee and caffeinated beverages four to six hours before bedtime. Alcohol also prohibits you from getting quality sleep, so avoid it late at night. (Cleveland Clinic)
daylight savings time funny, I am so excited for Daylight Savings time!" Said no parent...ever!
This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure & privacy policy.

What are you up to this weekend? Sunshine? Warmth? Cold? Blizzard? Denver has several feet of snow in the forecast — I am secretly praying that happens! I love big snowstorms and I cannot lie! 🙂

St. Patrick’s Day is Wednesday, March 17th

I am so excited about St. Patrick’s day this week! It’s the little things! Do you make something special for St. Paddy’s day?

TWO NEW IRISH RECIPES!

This year in addition to the Irish recipes I already have on the blog, I made two brand new ones, both you will love!

Hearty, Healthy, Rich Shepherd’s Pie

(aka Cottage Pie this recipe is made with ground beef instead of lamb)

I will let the pictures do the talking, but be sure to hit that button below and check out this flavorful, comfort food dinner!

cast iron pan filled with skillet shepherd's pie with hands bringing up spoonful.

CLICK HERE FOR THE EASY SHEPHERD’S PIE RECIPE

4 Ingredient Traditional Irish Soda Bread

Another winner, winner bread with dinner recipe! Dense, hearty and really just 4 ingredients; baked in a skillet, it comes out warm, crusty and tastes amazing slathered with rich Irish butter!

Facebook image for 4 ingredient Irish soda bread with wedge removed and irish butter on side.

CLICK HERE FOR THE EASY RECIPE FOR IRISH SODA BREAD

I bet you might want even more to choose from, I have built up a nice variety of St. Patrick’s day recipes, plus a round-up with some of my foodie friends delicious delights!

All the Best St. Patrick's Day Recipes

Chocolate Guinness Cake with Irish Buttercream

Do you like dark, deep, rich chocolate? A moist, heavy and delicious cake, with notes of coffee topped with a dreamy buttercream. Well say hello to Chocolate Guinness Cake with Irish Cream Buttercream.

Stout Fudge Brownies (Beer Brownies)with Irish Cream Buttercream

Rich Milk Stout Fudge brownies with a stout reduction, enhances the chocolate, with notes of vanilla, brown sugar and coffee, topped with a thick layer of decadent Irish Cream buttercream and a sprinkle of sea salt. The perfect treat for your St. Patrick's day celebration.

Bangers and Mash with Milk Stout Gravy {Sausages and Mashed Potatoes}

Bangers and Mash with Stout Gravy! What's not to love about delicious sausages, cooked in a creamy milk stout, layered atop fluffy mashed potatoes; smothered in a rich stout onion gravy.

Creamy Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes

Dreamy, roasted garlic mashed potatoes; enhanced with the flavorful elegance of roasted garlic, these will become your go-to mashed potatoes.

Instant Pot Rustic Mashed Potatoes

These Instant Pot Rustic Mashed Potatoes quick, and they are loaded with incredible flavors; like garlic, Boursin cheese, spices, cream and broth for restaurant style mashed potatoes! Stovetop and slow cooker instructions included.

Irish Whiskey Mule {Colorado Mule}

A delicious and simple Irish Whisky Cocktail!

St. Patrick's Day Recipes

Be sure to leave me a comment below and let me know what you are making this St. Patrick’s day!

graphic with trending this week on The Fresh Cooky
  • Chile Relleno Casserole | one of those recipes you can eat breakfast, lunch or dinner!
  • Starbucks Copycat Coffee Cake | featured on a couple of big blogs last week, it’s a winner for sure, plus it makes two smaller cakes!
  • Easy Traditional Tiramisu | You won’t believe how delicious and SIMPLE this recipe is!
  • Firecracker Chili | This spicy, but NOT HOT chili recipe is a longtime family and friend favorite.
  • Slow Cooker Barbacoa Beef | eat by itself as a delightful Mexican pot roast or make amazing barbacoa beef street tacos!
graphic with swirl and says favorite tool of the week

In both the Soda Bread and the Shepherd’s Pie recipes, I used my trusty, 10″ Cast Iron Pan. I personally love Lodge Cast Iron pans, you can check out their collection here.

I own the grill/griddle, and the smaller skillet (great for cooking eggs), and these fun mini skillets for skillet cookies!

Why you’ll love your cast iron skillet!

  • EVEN HEAT | If you have never cooked in a cast iron pan, you are in for treat. The heavy weighted cast iron distributes heat evenly when cooking on a stovetop or oven.
  • PRE-SEASONED | When I was young you had to season them before you could really use them, nowadays you buy them pre-seasoned!
  • STOVETOP to OVEN | You can start a dish like Shepherd’s Pie in this skillet and then move it right into the oven to finish cooking.
  • EASY CLEAN UP | Simply wash out with hot water and if needed use a scrub brush and then spray with a little oil, rub clean and dry with a paper towel and you are all set.

THIS IS MY FAVORITE PAN, LOVE THE TEMPERED GLASS LID!

Irish blessing image with clovers.

Have a beautiful week and I hope you found the 4 tips on how to adjust to daylight savings time handy!

Hang in there, it’s Friday!

signature of Kathleen, The Fresh Cooky Recipe developer

P.S. Be sure to check out last weeks Fresh Fridays for more recipe ideas!

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Hi, Iโ€™m Kathleen Pope. Here at The Fresh Cooky you will find easy, mostly from-scratch, trusted recipes for all occasions. From speedy dinners to tasty desserts, with easy step-by-step instructions. I am here to help teach you how to make mouthwatering recipes without spending hours in the kitchen.

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Kathleen Pope

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Hey there! I'm Kathleen Pope, a proud wife, mom of two awesome college boys, and recipe nerd. Welcome to my world of easy recipes with a healthy twist! Join thousands who trust The Fresh Cooky as their go-to recipe source. Let's cook up some magic!

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