St. Paddy's Day Digest

The sun rose on a beautiful mild day here in Eire, west.  Most of the Davis gang had already gotten up at Midnight to break the Lenten fast so they could also be ready for Communion in the morning...  But, first things first...  Bright and early, before even dressing for Mass, the Littles woke and ran to the leprechaun trap to see what they could see.  Gabey, reconstructing the scene, tells it in so many words:

"Well, looks like one was here. I don't know how he got in.  No one knows, but you can see he ended up in the pantry.  He got up here, got into the marshmallows, then drank some of this.

"What is it, Gabe?"

"Food coloring!  But, it was green ya know, sooo...

"But, anyway.  He stepped in it. Then slid down the broom handle off the shelf.  Then he walked across to the mudroom.  See his footsteps?"

"How come they end here, do ya think?"

"He wiped his feet on the door mat.  And he got most of the green off...  but you can see another track here across the kitchen.  Then he went in the dining room.  He looked over and saw all the stuff in the cage, and ran across and climbed up the chair to the little table...

"And he saw the beer in there. There was other stuff, but after eating the marshmallows, he was probably thirsty...

He thought that the little tea cups had beer in them, but it was only tea, so he looked up and saw the Guinness bottles and thought he'd go in and get some.  He went in and tripped on the little wire and 

SNAP, the cage door shut.  But not all the way.  It didn't lock, so he pushed it right open. He ate a piece of the cookie.  Then he went in the craft room and wrote a note and left it in here for us."

So, hmmmm...  Santa doesn't come to our house, but leprechauns do?

Well, that is the question right now...  Do they, or don't they?

William says right off the back that the note is in Mommy's handwriting.

Theresa looks over William's head and winks knowingly at Cathy.

Michelle smiles quietly.

"Maybe it is," Mommy says.  "What do you think?"  No answer.

 But later in the day, William accuses Cathy of playing leprechaun.  Cathy insists it wasn't her and Anna agrees Cathy hadn't gotten up in the night.

 Gabe, more quietly skeptical finally asks Mommy if she did it.  Mommy says, "Would I pull a trick like that?"  One raised eyebrow. His.  Mine are both raised -- innocently.  For now.  

Here's the "wink."

There'll be a lesson in healthy skepticism coming later, followed by a talk about knowing the difference between what's real and what's make-believe and why it's important to know the difference.

And I'm making plans for more elaborate shenanigans next year.  The children will get to figure out where the leprechaun has been and what he's been up to... Maybe I'll enlist special helpers every year.... Sorta like the Santa game, I think -- It may well be more fun for  "the leprechaun"  than the children.

White board art for the day.

And here's the rest of our traditional St. Patrick's Day in a nutshell --

For Posterity:

St. Patrick's Itinerary, 2013

Children attending: Michelle -17, Theresa-14, Cathy-12, Anna-10, Gabriel-8, William-7

1) Mass at 8 a.m. The four girls sang in the choir -- just them with Sr. Petra today, and it was awesome!  The Lorica was so pretty!

2) Lunch:

Corned Beef 

Colcanon 

Soda Bread (ala Cathy -- the best ever!)

3) The Quiet Man, enjoyed thoroughly while eating bread pudding

4) I had to take Dan to the airport to fly to another 

week of work in Nevada (Ugh.Not traditional!)

5) Darby O'Gill & the Little People (Young Sean Connery. Oh, yes; oh, yes.) 

Watched after i got home and started blogging this post!

6) All Creatures Great and Small (the PBS series) -- watched at dinner time while eating

popcorn 

cheese

apples

summer sausage

This day, not a recipe for good health, mind you!  But -- really -- it's not our normal routine -- by a long shot.  It being a Sunday in Lent, and an Irish holiday,  however, we feel no shame in celebrating like couch potatoes!

And now, just a little Muppet silliness to end the day on.

This video dedicated to the cheese man, Dominic (even though he can't
have cheese on his health regimen right now -- we know where his
heart is!)

Happy St. Patrick's Day to All!

The Eve Before St. Patrick's Day...

And all through the homestead
There's a green haze over everything,
Mornin' Mass 'til bed.







The kids have been peeling and baking and such. Nothing is missing the Irish touch:












The house is decked out in emerald and gold,
And a trail has been laid for a plot to unfold.

Should a leprechaun sense the Irish blood here
And pay a visit on St. Paddy's Eve this year --
Looking for the pot o' gold, lost to his sight 
in the lackluster glow of the crescent moon light...

He may find, as he searches hither and yon

That his visit here is a bit prolonged...

Should he manage to fall into the O'Davis kids' plot...

To make it into Ripley's Believe it or Not.

If you look verrry carefully, you can see the rigging of the leprechaun trap: a stout rubber band (green, of course) is strung tightly between the front of the cage door and the the bottom right hand corner of the entry, and then, holding the door opened is a green piece of embroidery thread pulling from the back of the door and threaded in front of the pot (where you can just see it) to a paperclip hidden on the bottom of the cage, where it's attached to a very thin piece of thread.  If (when!) the leprechaun climbs up to check out the gold, or have a cup of tea or a sip of Guinness, he's bound to trip on either the rubber band or the thread.  Either one will cause the door to snap shut behind him!  We'll have to tweak with the light in the dining room tonight so there will be just enough for the little guy to see the gold, but not bright enough for him to see the threads we want him to trip over!  

Hopefully, we'll have an update and pictures of the little fella to share with you tomorrow!

* Gold good luck "dubloons" contributed by Gabe and William
* Bits and pieces of gold jewelry donated by Anna, Cathy, and Michelle
* Bits of real currency from all over the world ("because Leprechauns are world travelers") from Cathy
* Tiny tea set to whet the little guy's whistle belongs to Michelle
* The Guinness was Gabe's idea. 
* The Irish breakfast tea was from Mommy's stash
* And, no, William O'William is not drinking beer in the first photo...  It's cinnamon tea, really it is.

Warmin' Up for St. Paddy's Day

This bit o' Irish Trivia especially for Cathy who loves piggies:

A pig, allowed to live in Irish farmhouses in olden days, was once known as "the gentleman that pays the rent."

(And now...  Ahem! No name calling, children!  My advertising this bit o' trivia does not give you license to use the information maliciously...)

Some of our Favorite Irish Recipes:

Guinness Stew

Ingredients:

2 pounds beef chuck steak, boneless and well trimmed, cut into 1 inch cubes (you can substitute mutton if you prefer)

1 1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 cup chopped onion

1 clove garlic, chopped

1 cup quartered mushrooms

1 1/2 tablespoons flour

Pinch of crushed thyme

Pinch (or two) of crushed cayenne

Pinch of black pepper

1 cup Guinness beer

1 cup beef stock

2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

1 Bay leaf

2 cups chopped carrots

2 cups chopped potatoes

Chopped parsley for garnish

Salt and Black Pepper to taste

This is How You Put It All Together:

Heat the oil in a wide skillet or saute pan that has a tight fitting cover until hot


Add the beef and brown well, stirring occasionally to brown all sides.
Add the onion and garlic; cook until onion is slightly browned.

Combine the flour, thyme, black pepper and cayenne in a bowl and then add to the beef, stirring to make a roux


Continue to cook over medium-high heat until the roux is slightly browned (careful not to burn)


Stir in the Guinness and beef stock and bring to a boil, stirring until the sauce thickens and any lumps are cooked out


Add the carrots and potatoes, cover the skillet and place in a 325 degree F oven for 1 1/2 - 2 hours or until the meat is tender.

Colcannon (Recipe link found below)

Simple Bread Pudding

(We double this)

Ingredients:

2 cups whole milk (or 2 cups half & half)

1/4 cup butter

2/3 cup brown sugar (light or dark, depending on taste preference)

3 eggs

2 teaspoons cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3 cups bread, torn into small pieces (french bread works best)

1/2 cup raisins (optional)

Sweetened Condensed Milk (optional)

This is How You Put It All Together:

1. In medium saucepan, over medium heat, heat milk (or half & half) just until film forms over top. Combine butter and milk, stirring until butter is melted. Cool to lukewarm.

2. Combine sugar, eggs, cinnamon, nutmeg, and vanilla. Beat with an electric mixer at medium speed for 1 minute. Slowly add milk mixture.


3. Place bread in a lightly greased 1 1/2 quart casserole.


4. Sprinkle with raisins if desired. Pour batter on top of bread.


5. Bake at 350 degrees F for 45 to 50 minutes or until set. Serve warm. Drizzle with Sweetened Condensed Milk if you have a sweet tooth.

And, now, a Wee Bit O' Blarney Quiz:

1. What does "Erin go bragh" mean? (For extra credit: What language is it?)



2. What is the alternative title of the song "Danny Boy"?


3. What are the colors of the flag of Ireland?

4.  What were the shapes of the marshmallow pieces in the original Lucky Charms cereal? (For extra credit: What does the leprechaun say as a sales pitch for the cereal?)


5.  In the song "When Irish Eyes Are Smiling," what can you hear in the lilt of Irish laughter?


6. Notre Dame derives from what language? (Aw... Too easy for us Catholics, huh?)


7. What is the name of the Irish priest depicted by Spencer Tracy in the 1938 classic movie "Boys Town"? (For extra credit: What is the Boys Town motto?)


8.Before baking Irish soda bread, why is a cross traditionally slashed in the top of the loaf?


9. What is the minimum number of years that Irish whiskey is aged?


10. What is the popular Irish dish composed from mashed potatoes, cabbage, minced onion, and butter?
11.  In Irish folklore, what is the traditional profession of a leprechaun?

12.  In the song "I'm Looking Over A Four-Leaf Clover," what does the fourth leaf represent?


13.  In early television commercials for Irish Spring soap, a woman expresses her approval of the product by saying what phrase?


14. What is a 'shillelagh'?


15. What is the historical root definition of the word "whiskey"?



16. What type of meat goes into a traditional Irish stew?


17. What were the years of the Irish potato famine?



18. What is the title of the final novel by Irish writer James Joyce which is known for its experimental language and free associations?



19. Where would you start looking for Irish moss?


20. The Irish are said to be quite the drinkers.  How many pups are there in Ireland per capita? a. One per every hundred? b. One per every 350?  c.  One per every 749? d.  One per every 1423?



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Answers:


1. Ireland forever. (Extra credit answer: Gaelic.)
2. Londonderry Air. The lyrics were written by an English lawyer named Fred Weatherly to a traditional tune.
3. Green representing Roman Catholics, orange representing Protestants and white in between representing living together in peace.
4. Hearts, moons, stars and clovers. Shapes added to later versions of the cereal included horseshoes, pots of gold, rainbows and red balloons. (Extra credit answer: "They're always after 'me Lucky Charms." Or, "They're magically delicious.")
5. You can hear the angels sing. The lyrics are: "When Irish eyes are smiling, sure 'tis like the morn in spring. In the lilt of Irish laughter, you can hear the angels sing. When Irish hearts are happy, all the world seems bright and gay. And when Irish eyes are smiling, sure they steal your heart away."
6. French. Notre Dame means "Our Lady" in French.
7. Father Flanagan. (Extra credit answer: "There is no such thing as a bad boy.")
8. To scare away the devil.
9. Four. The usual distilling age is 7 to 8 years. Premium Irish whiskies are aged many more years.
10. Colcannon (Recipe here! Yumm!)
11. A cobbler or shoemaker.
12. Somebody I adore. The lyrics are: "I'm looking over a four-leaf clover that I overlooked before. One leaf is sunshine, the second is rain, third is the roses that grow in the lane. No need explaining, the one remaining is somebody I adore. I'm looking over a four-leaf clover that I overlooked before."
13. "Manly, yes, but I like it too."
14.  A big walking stick.
15. Water of life. It is a shortened version of the Irish word uisgebeatha. Uisge means water and beatha means life.
17. 1845-1849
16. Lamb or mutton chops.
18. Finnegans Wake.
19. In the water. It is a seaweed found along the west coast of Ireland. Also called carrageen, it is used as a thickener in puddings, soups, ice creams, cosmetics and medicines.
20.  b. One for every 350 people!

How'd you do?