St. Patrick's Day Post #4 - Dinner!

I'm so sorry! I really did mean to post this yesterday afternoon, and at the latest early this morning. But when your only access to the internet is at work sometimes you have to be a little flexible. :). Anyway, don't worry. If you're making this and haven't started yet you're not behind at all.

Actually, I'm a little embarrassed I let it build up like this- it's really freakishly easy.

You start with your corned beef. Put it (and the seasoning packet in with it) in a large pot filled with approx 3 gallons of water. Bring it to a boil and simmer it for about 3-4 hours. A foam will start to form on top. You can skim it off if you want, I never bother.

While this is boiling you'll want to start to cut up your veggies. Carrots and potatoes cut in chunks a little bigger than bite sized. Cabbage heads cut in halves or quarters. About 30 minutes before you plan to serve up the food you'll add the potatoes, carrots and cabbage. If your pot it too small you may want to remove the corned beef and put it in the oven on warm while you cook the veggies. Check for done-ness at 20 minutes and cook until firm but easily cut with a fork or butter knife.
Serve with vinegar, horseradish or good mustard. And maybe some yummy soda bread.

PS As Amanda mentioned a couple post before, those who really love St Patrick's Day plan life events around it. If you're really in love consider getting married on St Patrick's Day - all the coolest people do.

Happy Anniversary My Love!

St. Patrick's Day Post #3 - Symbols & Traditions

from history.com...some fun info about St. Patrick's Day symbols & traditions.

Symbols and Traditions

The Shamrock

The shamrock, which was also called the "seamroy" by the Celts, was a sacred plant in ancient Ireland because it symbolized the rebirth of spring. By the seventeenth century, the shamrock had become a symbol of emerging Irish nationalism. As the English began to seize Irish land and make laws against the use of the Irish language and the practice of Catholicism, many Irish began to wear the shamrock as a symbol of their pride in their heritage and their displeasure with English rule.

Irish Music

Music is often associated with St. Patrick's Day—and Irish culture in general. From ancient days of the Celts, music has always been an important part of Irish life. The Celts had an oral culture, where religion, legend, and history were passed from one generation to the next by way of stories and songs.

After being conquered by the English, and forbidden to speak their own language, the Irish, like other oppressed peoples, turned to music to help them remember important events and hold on to their heritage and history. As it often stirred emotion and helped to galvanize people, music was outlawed by the English. During her reign,Queen Elizabeth I even decreed that all artists and pipers were to be arrested and hanged on the spot.

Today, traditional Irish bands like The Chieftains, the Clancy Brothers, and Tommy Makem are gaining worldwide popularity. Their music is produced with instruments that have been used for centuries, including the fiddle, the uilleann pipes (a sort of elaborate bagpipe), the tin whistle (a sort of flute that is actually made of nickel-silver, brass, or aluminum), and the bodhran (an ancient type of framedrum that was traditionally used in warfare rather than music).

The Snake

It has long been recounted that, during his mission in Ireland, St. Patrick once stood on a hilltop (which is now called Croagh Patrick), and with only a wooden staff by his side, banished all the snakes from Ireland.

In fact, the island nation was never home to any snakes. The "banishing of the snakes" was really a metaphor for the eradication of pagan ideology from Ireland and the triumph of Christianity. Within two hundred years of Patrick's arrival, Ireland was completely Christianized.

Corned Beef

Each year, thousands of Irish Americans gather with their loved ones on St. Patrick's Day to share a "traditional" meal of corned beef and cabbage.

Though cabbage has long been an Irish food, corned beef only began to be associated with St. Patrick's Day at the turn of the century.

Irish immigrants living on New York City's Lower East Side substituted corned beef for their traditional dish of Irish bacon to save money. They learned about the cheaper alternative from their Jewish neighbors.

The Leprechaun

The original Irish name for these figures of folklore is "lobaircin," meaning "small-bodied fellow."

Belief in leprechauns probably stems from Celtic belief in fairies, tiny men and women who could use their magical powers to serve good or evil. In Celtic folktales, leprechauns were cranky souls, responsible for mending the shoes of the other fairies. Though only minor figures in Celtic folklore, leprechauns were known for their trickery, which they often used to protect their much-fabled treasure.

Leprechauns had nothing to do with St. Patrick or the celebration of St. Patrick's Day, a Catholic holy day. In 1959, Walt Disney released a film called Darby O'Gill & the Little People, which introduced America to a very different sort of leprechaun than the cantankerous little man of Irish folklore. This cheerful, friendly leprechaun is a purely American invention, but has quickly evolved into an easily recognizable symbol of both St. Patrick's Day and Ireland in general.

St. Patrick's Day Post #2 - Music, Appetizers and Punch

Try this puzzle while you read:

Ok so last time I talked about necessary parts to St. Patrick's Day celebrations, besides the obligatory wearing green so you don't get pinched (which you should still definitely do cause no one likes to be pinched, at least in public). I listed music as one of those requirements. I hold by this. Having music playing while people are arriving and munching is pretty much critical to get in the mood.

The problem is I don't really remember a specific artist being emphasized. It seemed like everyone just brought any Celtic cds they had and we switched them around. That's why I mostly rely on the Irish and Celtic Music Podcast. I got it off iTunes for free and they even have St. Patrick's Day specials. Just a fun blend of music. You'll probably discover a few songs you really like.

Next, appetizers...one rule. Keep it simple! Remember St. Patrick's Day food can be a little heavy if you're not used to it and you don't want to fill up on little things before hand. I recommend the following:

• cheese and crackers
• veggie tray
• fruit (green grapes, kiwi, green apple slices for fun)
• spinach dip and a good bread
• hummus
• celery and olives filled with cream cheese (I know this one's kind of hokey but we always had it)

Most importantly...PUNCH!!!

I love green St. Patrick's Day punch. When I was growing up it was pretty simple: sprite and lime sherbet. I like to add some pineapple juice to give it a little something more. Remember it doesn't need to be crazy. People will love to just have a little and then drink a more regular drink for the actual meal.

And now to prepare for Monday when I post the recipes here's your shopping list:

• Corn Beef Brisket (get one for every 4-6 people, it will come with a spice packet inside)
• Cabbage (1-2 for each brisket)
• Carrots (I just buy a big bag of the baby ones- they're the perfect size)
• Red Potatoes- if you can find the little tiny ones for a reasonable price get them, if not bigger ones will work we'll just cut them up
• white vinegar and/or a good mustard and/or horseradish (this is for on the corned beef some people will like one or the other)
• a good soda bread or rolls

And here are your answers from the puzzle above. Did you get it???

St. Patrick's Day Post #1 - Best Movies

Ahhh St Patrick's Day. How I love you!

Growing up St. Patrick's Day rivaled and maybe even surpassed Thanksgiving. It involved traditional American-Irish fare (Corned beef and Cabbage aren't Irish but American Irish if you didn't know. I'll share more about that the day I discuss food), movies, music lots of drinking and plenty of green punch. It was an awesome holiday devoid of a lot of the normal holiday trapping such as gifts etc.

When I grew up (or at least moved out of the house) it became important to me to have my own St. Patrick's Day celebration, especially since no school seemed excited to give me a St. Patrick's Day break to rival Thanksgiving break. I tried to start out small but it usually involved forcing all my roommates and close friends and neighbors to try corned beef and cabbage and green punch etc. It was marvelous.

Of course, as mentioned before, food is not the only necessity to a great St. Patrick's Day Celebration. Movies are key. Especially if you are like me and still haven't really gotten the timing of cooking dinner down quite right (I usually end up with something done a good hour ahead of schedule- probably the something that will melt- and quite a few things not done when everyone arrives). This is 100% necessary if you have had to strongly encourage people to be there or the celebration involves ANY children.

So I will help you. These are in no particular order, except Quiet Man being the best by far at #1.

Here is a list of my favorite St. Patrick's Day movies:

*I'm just going to take the descriptions off IMDB but will add comments where necessary*

1. The Quiet Man

Sean Thornton(John Wayne) has returned from America to reclaim his homestead and escape his past. Sean's eye is caught by Mary Kate Danaher(Maureen O'Hara), a beautiful but poor maiden, and younger sister of ill-tempered "Red" Will Danaher. The riotous relationship that forms between Sean and Mary Kate, punctuated by Will's pugnacious attempts to keep them apart, form the main plot, with Sean's past as the dark undercurrent.

This movie is an absolute must. I mean it has John Wayne playing a feisty American-raised Irish man. Maureen O'Hara is feisty and beautiful and the side characters are hilarious. Plus it has a freakishly long, good old-fashioned fight scene.

2. Darby O'Gill and the Little People

In the enchanted Emerald Isle, Darby O'Gill spins tall tales of leprechauns and banshees. Unfortunately, when he actually captures the leprechaun king and discovers their hidden gold, no one will believe him!

This was my favorite kids movie for St. Patty's Day. Scary banshees, leprechauns and Sean Connery: how could anything go wrong?

3. Waking Ned Divine

When word reaches two elderly best friends that someone in their tiny Irish village has won the national lottery, they go to great lengths to find the winner so they can share the wealth. When they discover the "lucky" winner, Ned Devine, they find he has died of shock upon discovering his win. Not wanting the money to go to waste, the village enters a pact to pretend Ned is still alive by having another man pose as him, and then to divide the money between them.

I actually don't really remember watching this one growing up. I saw it in college and loved it. Feisty Irish people!

4. The Secret of Roan Inish

10-year-old Fiona is sent to live with her grandparents in a small fishing village in Donegal, Ireland. She soon learns the local legend that an ancestor of hers married a Selkie - a seal who can turn into a human. Years earlier, her baby brother washed out to sea in a cradle shaped like a boat; someone in the family believes the boy is being raised by the seals. Then Fiona catches sight of a naked little boy on the abandoned Isle of Roan Inish and takes an active role in uncovering The Secret of Roan Inish.

Yea for Selkies! Beautiful coastal scenes of Ireland and a fairy tale feel.

5. The Commitments

Jimmy Rabbitte, just a tick out of school, gets a brilliant idea: to put a soul band together in Barrytown, his slum home in north Dublin. First he needs musicians and singers: things slowly start to click when he finds three fine-voiced females virtually in his back yard, a lead singer (Deco) at a wedding, and, responding to his ad, an aging trumpet player, Joey "The Lips" Fagan. Song by song, gig by gig, the Commitments start their climb to the top: Dublin gets soul. But internal strife also builds: Deco is insufferable, Joey's a Casanova, and Jimmy may lack the seasoning to hold things together. Will the Commitments slip away?

Maybe the first grown-up movie on my list. Some language etc but awesome music and tons of fun.

6. Finian's Rainbow

A mysterious Irishman, Finian, and his beautiful daughter Sharon, arrive one day in Rainbow Valley, a small Southern town of tobacco sharecroppers in the mythical state of Missitucky. The town has its own resident dreamer, Woody Mahoney, who thinks that he might be able to put the town on the map by crossing mint with tobacco so that it'll grow already mentholated. Finian's come to the town because he's stolen a leprechaun's crock of gold and plans to plant it in the ground so it'll grow faster (or else why would the Americans have rushed to dig the gold out of California only to plant it back in the ground at Fort Knox?). But trouble arrives in the form of Og the leprechaun, who has followed Finian to America and is bent on retrieving his gold. Meanwhile, the bigoted Senator Billboard Rawkins, in an effort to stop progress in his state in the form of a new dam and hydroelectric system, plans to take the remaining parcel of land needed to stop the project - Woody's, which Finian has purchased to save from the auctioneer's gavel. But then the government's geologists reveal to the Senator that gold has been detected on the property! Rawkins and his men confront the sharecroppers to seize their land using as an excuse an obscure law making it a felony for blacks and whites to live together, but when Sharon, outraged at this bigotry, cries out while standing right over the pot of gold, "I wish to God you were black ..." all hell breaks loose as wishes come true.

How to teach your kids to love the Irish, hate greed and be disgusted by racism. Stars Fred Astaire.

Honorable Mention:

Far and Away

A young man (Cruise) leaves Ireland with his landlord's daughter (Kidman) after some trouble with her father, and they dream of owning land at the big giveaway in Oklahoma ca. 1893. When they get to the new land, they find jobs and begin saving money. The man becomes a local barehands boxer, and rides in glory until he is beaten, then his employers steal all the couple's money and they must fight off starvation in the winter, and try to keep their dream of owning land alive. Meanwhile, the woman's parents find out where she has gone and have come to America to find her and take her back.

This one doesn't concentrate as much on Ireland itself but the American-Irish. But full of a young, hot Tom Cruise.