The talent of humanity can flabbergast me by times!

Sometimes I can sit with my cup of tea, and be in awe for a moment of what we humans can be capable of.  Our talent, what we can achieve I mean.   

The bad stuff we do to ourselves and our world, we all know already.  But it´s the other stuff, the good amazing stuff, that I sit there and ponder.  And I will ponder it now.  Because, it is my opinion that we get so bogged down with bad stuff, or just with the living of life, that the really good stuff about us humans can go un-pondered.

I am talking now about Hurling. 

Not the first time I have pondered the wonder of hurling on this blog and elsewhere.  

Hurling is one of the national sports in Ireland.  - And a good reason that we do not do ´so well´with the´ol soccer - because a lot of the kids are out playing hurling, or camogie.  (Same game, played by girls; don´t know why it has a different name.)

People mix up hurling with:  kurling, bowels, la crosse, hockey, even ice hockey.  It is not any of these.  To try and explain is pointless, people just don´t get it.  But, a video is worth 1000 of words....
Here is a quickie video with a few minutes of action.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fgEMvRrOCRI

So if you are in awe, and think what you saw was ´one off action´.  No it is not.  Here is a link to a seven minute video with more of the same awe inducing moments.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8i3-Qk7FNeQ

And if you want to get more of the same - even better maybe.

Below is a link to the great first final played September last between Kilkenny and Tipperary last September.  Both are great hurling counties.

This game was SUPERB.  Really it was.   Probably the best game of hurling played in living memory.  It was perfection with few glitches through out.  Excellent play, and absolutely no injuries through play. Unbelievable when you consider the speed of the game. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1RpPtgzPY_o

A point to consider.

These hurlers are as good at their game as top league world soccer players.  

The difference is:  Messi, Rolando, Schweinsteiger et al,  can sleep in the day after they play a hard game. 

Hurling however is not a professional sport.  For hurlers this is their hobby.  These men get up and go to work the next Monday. 

And their managers too.   For Brian Cody the manager of the Kilkenny Team, the day job is as headmaster of a boys school.  And he is excellent at that job too.  

And how cool is that for the boys in St. Patrick´s De La Salle National School in Kilkenny.  They get to see a super hero every day in his day job.... That would be like Super Man being the headmaster in Jerry Seinfeld´s school in Manhattan, New York.  ... (See here if you don´t know what I am talking about...) 

http://parade.condenast.com/20772/petermehlman/a-writer-for-the-sitcom-explains-why-seinfeld-loved-superman/)

FYI: The sport of hurling was played back in pre-historical times; it has been played in Ireland for well over 2000 years.  Now they play with  balls about the size of a tennis ball and harder than a golf ball. - Back then it was a tad less civilized -  they played with skulls!

.... Wow, with all this ´awe´and what not, I think I have to go and make another cup of tea!
                                           ---------------------------------------------------------

While hurling amazes, it does not have a monopoly on ´awe´for me.  If you want you can check this link to other bewonderings on the Olympics.
http://irishstewforthesoul.blogspot.de/2012/08/the-olympics-wow-oh-wow.html

Hausfrau Róisin Tipps of the moment: It´s all about the chicken.

If you are a regular reader of Irish Stew for the Soul, you will know about the Hausfrau Róisín Housekeeping Tips so you should skip to No. 1 right now.

But if you have not been a regular ISFTS reader - and if not, WHY not?  You may need an introduction to the Hausfrau Róisín Housekeeping Tip. 

A Hausfrau Róisín Housekeeping Tip is anything pertaining to managing a home, be it cooking or cleaning etc. Indeed, on days I may be feeling a little bolder, I may even stretch to tips on managing one´s life, or one´s computer files etc.  But, all would be about running said home/life/computer a lá Hausfrau Róisín. 

The main characteristic of a Hausfrau Róisín Housekeeping Tip is that it would offer the best possible outcome with the least amount of effort/time/cost.  If Hausfrau Róisín gets a few brownie points after expending so little effort/time/cost for achieving said fabulous results - then so much the better!  

Disclaimer:  Absolutely no cook, domestic science professional or medical professional anywhere has ever endorsed any Hausfrau Róisín Housekeeping Tip. Ever.

1) Making gravy for the chicken dinner.  The EASY way,

(And I don´t think Jamie Oliver would object to this one!)

So there you are having spent ages preparing the dinner.  The chicken is cooked and everyone is famished, especially MOI!    So it is a stress to try and separate out the fat from the good stuff in the chicken juices to make the gravy.  In the meantime, the chicken is getting cold, and you are getting all flustered with your gravy making ´cos there is no time or space or cooking rings free.   So here is what to do....

AFTER dinner is over, collect all juice and bones etc. And boil up and make your stock as ususal.   Only this time when the stock it ready, divide the stock into two smaller portions.  One of which you can  thaw and use as gravy the next time you are cooking chicken.

And more.  This time when you are cooking the chicken and using the thawed out stock/gravy from the last chicken you cook, just add a small handfull of porridge oats to the chicken gravy and boil it up for a few minutes.  It thickens the sauce, and good for you too.   And all that result with just about no work at all.

2) Serve it on a Platter!

Hear me out on this.  Lots of people bring the roasting pan to the table.   I grant you lots of brownie points right there. But if you put the chicken on a pretty already heated  platter.  You get loads of additional brownie point - I estimate a good 20% plus extra brownie points with very little work -   just by serving the chicken on a platter surrounded by the veggies etc.

It is not only pretty, but you can hide the squashed veggies or what ever with the prettier ones on top.

And YOU get to look like an amazing cook, who is totally in control in the kitchen!

3)  Use a blue permanent ink pen to write info. on the lid of the food container you are freezing.

So your stock is made, divide up and COOLED.  - Never put something into the freezer that is not previously cooled down to room temperature.  Because of the risk of creating life forms you really do not want to have in your freezer, or anywhere near your food, that is a no no even for Hausfrau Róisín.  

Anyway, back to writing on your container lid; make sure the lid is dry and clean before you write. Avoid smudging the writing. When you take the container out of the freezer, the writing will wipe off and the lid will be ready to re-use.  This is far less hassle than making little stickies every time you freeze.

4))  Hide away a stash of:

a) Clean old newspapers.

b) Clean old paper tissue/towels

c) Clean old rags.

Most of the time you will never think `I absolutely need a newspaper/ tissue/rag` this very moment.

That is until the day you want to clean your bike/ use a stain to polish a wooden table/ wash the b.b.q. grill - or to clean off the gooey grease on the roasting pan you just used to cook your chicken.

You will be glad to have that stash to hand then.

Well I think  I deserve a cup of tea after all that!

More next time.  H.R.