A LUCKY dinner
And some thoughts on tradition...
What makes a tradition special? I have two philosophies, and yet the two philosophies come from opposite ideas. One philosophy is that a tradition is special because it associates two things: Sundays are special because you always have dinner with your family that night. Spending the night at your grandmother’s is special because she always makes you pancakes for breakfast. Cocktail hour with your father is special because he always makes his special martini. From this perspective, something is special because there is comfort in the repetition and association--you know it will happen time after time on a fairly frequent basis.
My other philosophy about what makes a tradition special is the idea that it is something that is predictable but happens very infrequently, therefore you really treasure it when it comes around. Holidays are the perfect example of this. They come once a year and you look forward to something associated with each one. My in-laws make a homemade pasta every Thanksgiving, and it is so special because you have it that one time a year. Could you make that pasta every week? Yes. Would it be as special? Well, it would be a different kind of special.
Every St. Patrick’s Day my mom would make corned beef and cabbage. In all reality, it was probably one of the easier meals she put on the table. Throw a big hunk of meat, onions, carrots, potatoes and some wedges of cabbage in a big pot of water and voila – dinner is done. But did we ever have this meal the other 364 days of the year? Of course not. It was reserved for that one day on the calendar year, and because of that we all looked forward to it. It was special. We also looked forward to the Reuben sandwich (arguably the best sandwich of all time) that we knew we would have the next day.
Both types of traditions are quite special – the consistent traditions that you provide for those you love and the traditions that are special because they happen infrequently, maybe only once a year. Both important, both special, both very different.
MENU
Guiness Beers
Roasted Corned Beef & Cabbage OR Shepards Pie
Stout Cake with Creamy Bailey’s Glaze
Grasshoppers
Last year I made Once Upon A Chefs Roasted Corned Beef and Cabbage - roasting instead of boiling was a game changer! Hope you will try her recipe!
Photo credit: Once Upon A Chef
Another great St. Patrick’s Day dinner is Shepherd’s Pie and ours is delicious!
Our Stout Cake is so moist and the Bailey’s frosting puts it over the top!
No, these are not Irish, but they are green, and absolutely DELICIOUS! And we are dubbing them lucky too :)
Fun St. Patrick’s Day Tips
This is the one day a year I buy a box of Lucky Charms and let my kids enjoy them for breakfast. They always think it’s the most fun!
Does the Leprechaun visit you home? Last year he spelled out the message, “Catch me if you can!” in rainbow colored M&M’s on Leigh’s kitchen counter. He also died the toilet water green!!
Put on some Irish dance music for the kids and show them some videos of Irish Clogging dancing- we bet you will get a reenactment!
If you do make the Corned Beef and Cabbage make sure to make a leftover Reuben sandwich or our Reuben Hot Pocket the next day.
March Favorites
Inspired by all things green….
Great ideas and recipes. Look forward to this newsletter every month.