Yesterday was Open House at work. This meant I was there from 7:00AM until 8:45PM. I stopped for something to bring home to eat on my way home and then stayed up until midnight working.
Up again this morning and out the door before I knew what had hit me. My dog (big, lovely pup who thinks he is chihuahua-sized) got sickly and was on the bed at 4AM looking for help and a desperate walk in the rain. Gotcha covered, buddy.
But that left me with a grand total of…. well, not enough sleep to even be able to add at this point. LOL.
At work by 7 and home by 5… just in time to feel like collapsing, but no. My love invited me for a date. Dinner was delicious, but my company was the best.
And this photo? Why that, my friends, is my dessert. The same one my elderly neighbor and I have decided to try to recreate in our own kitchens.
The dessert was UNBELIEVABLE.
I did my usual multiple questions for the server. He was spot on and helped me select a great entree. By the time dessert rolled around, my love was hoping for tiramisu. No such luck, he ended up with Cinnamon-Apple Bread Pudding… but me? I hit the MOTHER LODE!
The server suggested – and I accepted – a custard. Not just any custard. A Bailey’s Irish Cream and Dark Chocolate custard with whipped cream and a mint leaf. OMG. OMG. OMG.
Two bites in to this rich delight and the server swings by to ask how we are doing. I have a mouth full of chocolate custard (it’s that ALWAYS the case???) and I wave my hand in the air and ask him to wait a second. He pauses and looks at me curiously. Once I could finally speak, I told him that we would be needing two more of these little custards to go. I KNEW our 82 year old neighbors would die for this.
Nancy and Don are our substitute parents. They are also my taste-testers and new recipe guinea pigs. Nancy and I have a common love affair with creme brulee and a good Irish coffee. They are the perfect neighbors. So I KNEW when I tasted this, that Nancy and Don would be in heaven too. We were just going to have to bring some home to share.
We delivered the treats in the rain with a few DVDs from our stacks of adored films so they could have their own date night. Oh, the SMILE that exploded across Nancy’s face when I told her what was in the treat bag! I wish you could have seen it. You’d fall in love with our neighbors too. Twenty minutes after we got home from our delivery, Nancy called. Yes, the Bailey’s and Chocolate came smiling and beaming through the phone. Then she asked me if I’d started on my own batch yet because she was thinking she might like more of this stuff soon! LOL. You bet, Nancy. And you will be the first one I rush some over too.
Next time, we will bring our neighbors with us on date night. They will be great dates too. Especially if Nancy and I can smile sheepishly over our chocolate custard cups at each other.
Sometimes it just takes a little chocolate to soothe the soul and bring your spirit back into your body. This evening was certainly a little healing for me and has brought me back a bit.
Tomorrow night? Why tomorrow I will be joining the throngs of teenagers from school at our football game. I’m the Foreign Exchange student coordinator too (we teachers wear many hats) which means I’m taking the exchange kids to their first American football game ever. Little do they know that I have other kids bringing face paints and meeting us to paint their faces for the game. Their gonna love it! It will be like something out of a movie for them.
And for me too. Tomorrow night is “Faculty Night”. The Senior boys each choose a teacher to wear their home jersey that day and to the game. They rush out on to the field with us and we are recognized on the loud speakers (ACK!). Honestly, I’m always SHOCKED that some sweet kid wants me to wear his sausage-casing football jersey. (Those things were NOT meant for women. LOL)
This is why I love me job. How many other jobs let you run out on to a football field under the bright lights after painting some foreign kids with face paints that their parents would NEVER expect after spending your whole day singing songs in Spanish with a big cheesy grin on your face?
Yea, my job rocks. Seriously!
Now if only I could find someone to grade all 160 of these stinkin’ papers for me. I’d be all set.
EDITED NOTE: Bailey’s is not GF. 😦 (Thanks for telling me, LQ!) but, St. Berndan’s Irish Cream IS… so I will move forward with this idea of recreating this dessert. OH! I’m so happy to be able to have an Irish Cream and bummed that I didn’t know about this one. Sorry all. Usually my gut tells me within 15 minutes, but not this time. While I’m thankful to have avoided the painful reaction to gluten, I’m sorry if my ravings have mislead some. Last time I had checked (2006) Bailey’s was GF. Sadly, it is NOT GF now (as of 9/2007).
Gluten Free Gobsmacked 
OMG! That dessert sounds wonderful! Where did you get it?? And please DO share the recipe when you figure it out 🙂
I’ve already pooled my family recipes with my neighbors to find the best ratios. My sister just threw a recipe into the mix tonight too. Won’t be long before I try one, that’s for sure. That dessert was too good for words! -Kate
Rest and enjoy your weekend – you deserve some time off if you can take it! This dessert sounds wonderful, and you are so sweet to get some for your neighbors.
I’ve taken the whole day off practically – OH! It’s gonna hurt tomorrow when I’m working all day and grading… LOL But heck – we’ve had FUN! I hope you have had a great one too, Steve! =) Kate
2-4-6-8 Who do we appreciate?
YAY! Mrs. Chan!
(cheer for football game)
We won! 24 to 7! Wahoo! Surely it was NOT my cheering that helped win the game, but boy did I feel it this morning and early afternoon when I tried to talk. Everything came out like a CROAK! LOL Thanks for the cheering, Ging! Hope you had a great weekend!- Kate
I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but according to the Clan Thompson database (who checked with the manufacturer on 1/17/07), Bailey’s Irish Cream is NOT gluten-free. Depressing, isn’t it?
UH! I could cry! But thank you for telling me. I usually have a ummm… immediate reaction if I eat gluten – but nothing this time. I am grateful for your information, though. Thank you! Now… I’ll just have to find a GF irish cream…. or a new love in the liquor world. LOL – Kate
OH! Dang! Last I checked, 2006, Bailey’s was GF.
The Bailey’s website states:
“Gluten: Please be advised that the whiskey used in Baileys® is manufactured by fermenting grain which contains Gluten.”
“Due to the presence of gluten in the whiskey components before distillation we cannot absolutely guarantee that there are no effects to coeliacs.”
“As we are not qualified to give medical advice persons requiring a gluten free diet must consult their medical adviser before consuming Baileys®.”
GRR! I could kick myself. I thought the distillation process was okay because it’s the same for other things, right?
Anyone else know?
Thanks LQ. At least I know I need to get my GF lists updated at a minimum.
Alas. The Irish Cream custard will have to wait until I know for sure.
WAHOO! Problem solved!
Q:Is Saint Brendan’s Irish Cream Liqueur gluten-free?
A:Yes. Saint Brendan’s Irish Cream Liqueur is gluten-free.
Check them out at:
http://www.stbrendans.com/index2.htm
Hooray!!!!
Yeah, I knew about the GF thing on the Bailey’s, but you’d had such a hard week…I was waiting to tell you 🙂
ging
Ginger, you’re the babe. I got lost in the maelstorm of emails that week but now remember you’re helpful comment and hint too. Dang! I think maybe I was in denial, huh? -Kate
Hi, different Ginger here. I think Bailey’s are just covering their butt, because if it has been distilled, it is GF. I drink it and haven’t felt a reaction. I drink Bourbon, Scotch and Whiskey, all of which are GF because they are distilled. Now I sound like an alcoholic! You didn’t feel a reaction right? I have no problem with Saint Brendans, but usually you just find Bailey’s in a restaurant.
I too make spring rolls all the time and recently realized that cold water works just as well. I have been working on perfecting fried spring rolls. Let me know when you get that custard recipe worked out, then I can make it for my date night!