Saturday, March 17, 2012

Happy St. Patrick's Day


Happy St. Patrick's Day!


My grandparents all emigrated from Ireland. My Mom's side of the family was from Galway while my Dad's were from Kerry and Cork. I've been back many times and still have some relatives on that side of the pond.

We are having the traditional Irish american corned beef dinner tonight along with some brown bread and smoked salmon. For dessert I am making my grandmother's banana pie...ok, maybe not traditionally Irish but she was born there and I'm told it was one of her favorites....

besides it is in our family cookbook. The photo above shows my grandfather and his siblings. Can you imagine having all those brothers?! (and there were two more that didn't make the photo!) At the time this photo was in the Boston Globe they were the largest Democratic voting family in Boston. Of course women didn't have the vote yet...my great aunt is quoted in the paper as saying she and her Mom will be first in line when the law changes.


There is a small parade in Augusta today. I've never gone down to it but may give it a try today. I can't get over how hot it has been here. When I was growing up outside Boston I remember a year when my Irish Step Dancing School was supposed to dance/march in the Boston parade but were pulled out midway due to the dangers of ice. They put most of us on Fire Trucks...wrapped in blankets!

On a different note but appropriate for today...I have a new favorite tool in the kitchen. After years of struggling with an old cheap potato peeler I finally opened up this new one from Pampered Chef...who knew what difference it could make! It is like when you finally change the blade in your rotary cutter and realize how dull your old one really was...I'll be glad to have this new one as I work on dinner tonight.

7 comments:

Janet O. said...

Quite the Irish heritage!
Our St. Paddy's Day dinner is potato soup, soda bread and ginger ale, with shortbread for dessert.
Such an appropriate analogy with the new potato peeler. We can surely all relate to that! : )

antique quilter said...

oh what a nice post, memories are the best aren't they?
thanks for sharing.
kathie

Betty Lou said...

What a rich Irish family history you have, sounds like a fun day in your household. My ancestors came from Scotland and Wales, my maiden name was Mac Callum.

Impera Magna said...

Happy St. Patrick's Day to you! What a great photo of your grandfather's family... and what wonderful family memories! Banana pie sounds good to me...

:)

Tonya Ricucci said...

Was that twelve brothers? TWELVE? aiyeee. do not go to the parade. stay inside where it is cool. dinner sounds yummy!

Siobhán said...

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

cityquilter grace said...

won't be any ice in southie today or tomorrow either; it's 70 today and probably close to that tomorrow. i remember plenty of st patty's days you would freeze your arse off in southie...