St Paddy's Day

Saturday night we had band rehearsal in Ivoryton (named after the tusks brought to the old piano factory.) We cooked corned beef and cabbage and potatoes and parsnips and turnips in my two Presto pressure cookers and it was all so delicious! I gathered up the steaming juices left over and brought it home. The next day it was great heated up over Brussels sprouts and leftover buckwheat noodles! It made an instant gloopy yummy soup.

I also served up a loaf of whole wheat Irish soda bread, one of two loaves I had baked that morning. Bill and I ate most of the second loaf on the way home after rehearsal. Everyone going out of town was being stopped at a police road-check. The state policeman shined his flashlight into the car; "We're just checking everyone to make sure there's no liquor." I said "No, just Irish soda bread, want some?" I showed it to him, but he declined. I really wish he could've had a few bites.

At school on Monday all the kids wore green Mardi Gras beads (St Patrick's Day beads!) and plastic green bowlers. The girls had four-leaf-clover stickers under their right eyes. They are all so cute. I hope they know it. At home, I baked two more of my Irish soda breads, this time using my freshly-made yogurt. Then I pedaled over to Shaw's Meats to see if Jamie Sullivan had any corned beef left. He corns his own beef in the weeks leading up to St Patrick's day, filling barrels of brine with cuts of beef. He dyes the beef red by throwing in a couple of beets!