Happy St. Patrick's Day!

My four Grandparent's were all born in Ireland and emigrated to the United States.  I've visited Ireland many times and still have some relatives in Killarney, Dublin, Galway, and Cork.

Here is a photo of my paternal Grandfather's family, at the time they were the largest family of voters in Boston...of course women couldn't vote yet.

His surname was Breen and they were from Kerry county.  (just so you know I have heard all the Kerry-men jokes!)  Other family names are Mooney, Nolan and Drummey.

Though I'm still a bit weak I rallied long enough to make a loaf of Irish bread...I make it with loads of caraway seeds and raisins and slather it with lots of Irish butter.  Good thing for my waistline I only bake it a few times a year!

If I'm feeling up to it we may go downtown and listen to some Irish music by the river.  It is a warm and beautiful day here in the south!

So Happy St. Patrick's Day!!!

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.