The History of Welsh Love Spoons

Little Devil and I love to visit estate sales.  We aren't searching for anything in particular.  Just interesting things that catch our eye.  Sometimes we don't buy a thing, but it's sure fun to see what other people collect or to admire the architecture of the home.  Sometimes we drool over sterling silver punch bowls.  Sometimes we try on fur coats or shoes from Harrod's of London.  And sometimes we find the most unusual little things we can't live without.  My most recent find was a wooden Welsh Love Spoon, along with matching linen and history book.  I've never heard of Welsh Love Spoons, but I do have some framed English linens that belonged to my great aunt hanging in my dining room, so I invested a dollar to learn more about the tradition.  While the custom of giving wooden spoons as gifts is traditionally Welsh, it does date back to Celtic times and the Irish also consider the spoons as a token of affection or good luck, so I thought it would make a great St. Patrick's Day post.  Not many love spoons have survived past the 17th century, but St. Fagan's Castle in Cardiff, Wales is home to a spoon dated 1667.  There is evidence that suggests that love spoons were part of a prelude to courtship, and were offered to a young lady by a suitor.  Love spoons developed from the practice of using a particular utensil to eat.  A spoon suggests one can help himself, while a love spoon indicates a desire to help one's lover.  Eventually the spoons were no longer used to eat, and were hung on the wall to be admired.  The types of wood, and designs vary by craftsman.  Unfortunately as with many ancient crafts, the number of artists has dwindled and the spoons are typically only found as souvenirs from a visit to Wales.  Each spoon's designs have a particular importance.  Keys or keyholes indicate, "My house is yours."  One heart meant, "My heart is yours."  Chain links indicate the number of children a suitor desired.  While many of the symbols have an obvious meaning, some spoons contained meaning only between the suitor and his betrothed.  Like a one-of-a-kind, hand carved Valentine.  Why did a lover choose a spoon to symbolize his feelings?  We may never know, but the likely reason is wood was plentiful, and a spoon form is simple to carve.  The long handle provided a canvas for ornamentation.  Whatever the original intent, I'm glad the tradition has survived.  The spoons are beautiful, and meaningful.  And we all deserve a gesture of love and luck! 

Isn't this neat?

I just love the linen.
It describes what each carving
on the spoon symbolizes

A very interesting tradition...

I can't imagine Mr. Devilish Dish carving
a token of affection for me...Although
he did get me a new phone today
so I can't complain :)

Keys and Keyholes
"My house is yours."

Here's my spoon.  Isn't it intricate?

Can you believe I got this neat piece of history for $1?
It's almost as good as the time I found a pair of
vintage Christian Dior sunglasses for $6.
Estate Sales are the best!

Here's my St. Patrick's Day treat for you...
A FREE PRINTABLE!  A blessing from
my kitchen to yours.

Click on the image to enlarge.
Right click and save to your computer.
Open with the software of your choice
and print onto cardstock. 
These images are my exclusive artwork.
Please be courteous when using these printables
and remember they are for personal use only.

Mamaw's Coconut Cream Pie

I've been wanting to post this recipe forever and I haven't for two reasons.  The first being no one in my house likes coconut and the second being I'm a terrible pie maker.  Since today is National Pi(e) Day (3/14 get it?) I decided this would be the perfect recipe to share and that I would conquer my pie fears.  Every anniversary my husband and I give each other gifts from the traditional list.  Sometimes it's easy and sometimes it's a challenge.  (7th Anniversary=Wool.  He got 7 pairs of wool socks!) The first anniversary gift traditionally is paper, and I received a cookbook.  The first thing I made was a double-crust, deep dish apple pie.  And when I cut into it, I discovered what I had really made was a double-crust, deep dish apple soup.  As a 21yr old newlywed, that was pretty discouraging and I have not made a pie since.  (Let's say it has been a FEW years.)  Now my friend Michaela, over at An Affair From The Heart, makes beautiful pies.  So beautiful that she sells them during the holidays.  (If you're in the Omaha area, I highly suggest you get a pie.  Or an ice cream cake.)  We were discussing pies the other day and she encouraged and inspired me to try making a pie again.  When I realized Pi(e) Day was around the corner I decided I would finally post a real pie to The Devilish Dish.  I had no trouble deciding which recipe to make either.  My husband's grandmother, Evelyn (Mamaw) was the most precious, sweetest lady on the planet.  She adored my husband, which instantly made me adore her.  While she didn't cook all of the time, she was quite famous for a few of her recipes (navy beans and cornbread) and Coconut Cream Pie.  And while we don't care much for coconut, the rest of the family loves it.  This is my father-in-law's favorite pie and my mother-in-law makes this recipe for every holiday.  I made a homemade crust using my Aunt Judy's Foolproof Pie Crust recipe (coming soon) and when I sliced into the pie last night to take pictures I was overjoyed to find it was perfect.  Today I'll be delivering slices of coconut pie to everyone in the family to celebrate Pi(e) Day.  I know Mamaw would approve.  You definitely have to try this recipe.  If I can make a pie, you can too! 

The best coconut pie.
(And we're not even coconut fans!)

I did it!
I successfully made a pie!

It turned out perfectly.

Here's the slice we shared. 

The rest of the family is getting a slice too.

To celebrate Pi(e) Day.

I'm so happy.  I didn't make Coconut Cream Soup.
I actually made Coconut Cream Pie!

This is the best coconut cream pie you'll ever eat.
Recipe from the sweetest lady ever.

That's Mamaw (Evelyn) on the left.
Volunteering as a pink lady at the hospital.
Look at her beautiful smile.
We miss her!

Blueberry Breakfast Cake

I don't make dessert every night, but I do make it more often that I probably should.  Baking is to me what golf is to Mr. Devilish Dish.  Thankfully, we don't usually eat it all.  I share with my parents or neighbors or his office.  When I originally baked this cake, I made it for dessert.  I served up a slice to my husband and he didn't eat all of it.  He said, "It wasn't sweet enough and it was like a blueberry muffin and should be for breakfast."  This was before I had a chance to try it and I assumed it was because he was expecting something rich and decadent like my Banana Souffles or something chocolatey and sticky like my Red Wine Dark Chocolate Hot Fudge Sauce.  And then I sat down and took a bite and realized he was right.  It's a delicious cake.  Very moist and soft and full of juicy blueberries.  But much better suited for the morning with a cup of coffee.  And that's what we did. I wrapped it up and we enjoyed a slice the next morning. 

We enjoyed this more for breakfast, but
feel free to enjoy any time you want!

Broccoli Cheddar Pie

We've been having tons of fun with the sous vide machine that Mr. DD gave me for Valentine's Day.  He's been talking about cooking fish with it forever, so last week I threw him a bone.  I'm not a huge fan of fish, but he and Little Devil love it.  He wanted to sous vide some salmon with lemon and fresh dill.  My job was to create some side dishes.  Something I knew I would like with or without the salmon.  I'm kinda tired of rice and mashed potatoes seemed too heavy.  Then I stumbled upon this Broccoli Cheddar Pie.  It's light, with lots of flavor.  It's not as egg-y as a quiche, so it makes an elegant side dish to any entree.  Shredded cheddar cheese makes the crust!  How can you go wrong with that?  I'll have to admit the salmon turned out very good, but the entire family agreed the Broccoli Cheddar Pie stole the show.  With St. Patrick's Day and Easter around the corner, it's a perfectly green, perfectly delicious recipe.  I'll be adding this to my list of regular side dishes, and it's definitely going on the menu the next time we have dinner guests. 

A wonderful new side dish.
Broccoli Cheddar Pie

Look how colorful.
St Patrick's Day and Easter are coming up.
What a great dish to serve!

It slices and serves beautifully.
As you can see, it's less egg-y than a quiche.
Although it would be quite delicious for brunch too.

Move over potatoes,
Broccoli Cheddar Pie is the new side dish
in town.

Cilantro Lime Rice

Cilantro and Lime go together like peanut butter and jelly.  I love the fresh, aromatic combination.  I hate to admit it but I don't eat at Chipotle.  We really don't eat much fast food at all.  We really don't eat out much at all.  But I do hear everyone rave about their cilantro lime rice.  There are a zillion variations on the internet, it's just a matter of finding the right ratio of cilantro and lime to suit your tastes.  Little Devil and her dad love this version best because it's not as heavy on the cilantro as I would like it to be.  Feel free to change that though. You'll have a terrific side dish or the base for a refreshing, healthy rice bowl.

Cilantro Lime Rice
Our new favorite side dish!

Cilantro Lime Chicken

As I've said before I love the combination of cilantro and lime.  It's so zesty in salsa and Cilantro Lime Rice is a great side dish for any meal.  When I ran across this recipe at Sally's Baking Addition, I knew it would quickly become a favorite in our dinner rotation.  I love meals that can be prepared in one dish and I'm always on the look out for new preparations for chicken breasts.  Mr. Devilish Dish loved the sauce so much, that when I make this again I'm going to double it.  I served it with Cilantro Lime Rice and black beans.  I think the next time I make this I might even double everything and use the leftovers to make some healthy, zesty rice bowls for lunch.  The chicken is so moist and flavorful it's a wonderful weeknight meal.  Thanks Sally!

Avalanche [No Bake] Cookies

One of the reasons I started The Devilish Dish was to keep myself busy after my car accident in 2010.  It was life changing, and while I'm so grateful to be alive and able to walk, my family and I have had to make a lot of adjustments.  Prior to 2010 whenever Mr. Devilish Dish and I traveled he would often drop me off somewhere interesting, and head to the golf course.  I would walk miles around town shopping and sight seeing, and even walk back to the hotel with my packages in tow.  The first time we traveled after my accident I realized there would have to some changes.  It's not too bad, I carry a book with me and as long as he's dropping me off where there is a comfortable safe place to sit and rest it's all good.  The first time I ever had an Avalanche Bar was in Santa Cruz, California.  Of course he was golfing and my plan was to sight see and shop Santa Cruz.  But when your walking is severely limited by pain and swelling you learn to walk the highlights and take lots of time to sit and smell the roses.  As long as there's a place with a chair and a Diet Coke I'm all good.  I found an old fashioned candy store in Santa Cruz with wonderful homemade treats and a great sitting area to rest my foot and read my book.  They had a big cake stand full of giant Avalanche Bars and the sign intrigued me.  Peanut butter and marshmallow?  Count me in.  If you've never had an Avalanche Bar, it's basically a Rice Krispie Treat with peanut butter, marshmallow and white chocolate.  I think this bar even went over the top and had mini chocolate chips too.  Obviously it was so delicious and memorable that I'm still thinking about it, and trying all kinds of Avalanche variations.   It was exactly the kind of treat my weary foot needed!

Mr. Devilish Dish said, "These look nothing like they taste.
They look like a bite of sugar cookie dough, but tastes like
a peanut butter Rice Krispie treat."

He's totally right.  And then he proceeded to eat about 10 of them.