SPD menu and food

 So St. Patrick's Day!!!  From here-to-fore referred to as SPD.

It was a great, long day!  I was on my feet all day, except for Biolife first thing in the morning, where one of the workers there gave me a mask from her stash! 

SO much snazzier than the plain blue one I'd had.

After that, I picked up a few more things for the big dinner and headed home.  Meri met me.  She made cupcakes for the upcoming wedding shower and peeled potatoes for me.  Maddy came as soon as she got off work and made the apple/blackberry crumble.

I was on my feet all the rest of the day except for when we ate at 7:30.  My feet and legs were killing as I lay in bed at the end of the day!

Since we saw The Quiet Man at the big screen last weekend, we watched other Irish movies.  Maddy was aghast that there were OTHER Irish movies to watch!  Robb and I had watched Amy Adam's in Leap Year a long time ago so I suggested that.  Meri must have seen it too once upon a time.  We enjoyed that while cooking.  Then she had to run home for a little bit and I pulled out some old VHS tapes.  I watched Rick Steve's tour of Ireland tape and wow, I wish I remembered how to do the tracking...  I figured it would clear up but it didn't.  THEN I watched The Commitments.  About the first Irish soul band in the 50s. I looked up the cast and it looks like it had most of the Corrs family (from the band Cranberries) in it for bit parts.  I loved the Cranberries!  If you can get past the language, The Commitments was a good movie!  Kind of a "That Thing You Do" but in Ireland and a ton of swear words.  That wrapped up just after both girls got back to the house.  After that our laughter and chitchat were all the entertainment we needed!

Anyway, here was our menu.  I forgot to get a picture of the shepherd's pie.

Leeks in cream sauce.  I didn't follow the directions to a "t" but think I've come up with a new way to make this.  The leeks were extra soft. *win*  I've saved the bottoms of the leeks and will plant them in my herb garden.  I love the mildness of them!

Colcannon - mashed potatoes with cooked cabbage and onions mixed in.  I may not add red cabbage to this next year as it makes the potatoes look off.  But it tasted good.

Red and green cooked cabbage.

The obligatory brown bread.

Apple/blackberry crumble.  Super good!

Dublin Coddle, a stew cooked in apple cider.

and of course the corned beef.  Next year I'll start it an hour earlier and NOT in the IP that shuts off every 25 minutes...

It was a great meal with my kids and their loves with them.  Leon couldn't join us this year but I'll make him another meal when he comes back of his favorites.  You know, the corned "ham".

Since Ada couldn't leave the nursing home and Mike was having dinner with her, Maddy took over several portions of each item and delivered their dinner at 6.  We didn't eat until almost 7:30.

I can see where Robb's critical thinking came into play, planning out when to start each thing, deciding if something should be dropped from the lineup or if we needed to add something new.

I'll make my notes on the menu and tuck it in to try and remember for next year.

I hope you had a wonderful SPD!