Lá Fhéile Pádraig Sona Daoibh!

Yes, it is true,  I do feel jealous of you blog readers who live in a hub of big Patrick´s Day celebrations!

That said we did have some fine fun here yesterday; a local club in the area, situated in an old milk house, had a most enjoyable Patrick´s Day gathering: music, bag pipes, Irish stew, the lot.  AND more, there were lots of people who talked to me... at least 10!   So I was not totally without some Patrick´s Day fun.

The day that´s in it is a perfectly wonderful day to introduce a new aspect to this wild and exciting well read blog. -  A blog with more fans than one can count on two hands.  Oh alright then, one hand.   Hey one lives in the hopes of a following that needs two hands to be counted.  But, this wild new section of the Irish Stew for the Soul, could be the clincher!

Today I am introducing Hausfrau Róisín Housekeeping Tips.  

Now a Hausfrau Róisín Housekeeping Tip could be 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.  But, it would be running said home/life 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; and 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!  (Absolutely no cook, or medical professional anywhere has ever recommended any Hausfrau Róisín Housekeeping Tip.)

So to kick off this exciting new adventure, I will give a great recipe AND two tips!

First the fabulous cooking with little effort/time/cost.  

This is a recipe from cook Donal Skehan that I heard yesterday on the Marion Finucane Show on RTE1. (Full details at the bottom of the blog).

Now as chefs go, Donal is my kind of man; he suggests one should  have basic things in the cupboard, the kind of stuff we all know we should have; pasta, spices, sun dried tomatoes, chickpeas etc. With those ingredients always to hand, one can, without too much effort, put together a very yummy meal with the minimum amount of e.t.c.   See recipe below and let me know what you think?

Creamy Salmon Tagliatelle with Garden Peas and Sundried Tomatoes
Thursday, June 2, 2011
Serves 4
300g (11oz) tagliatelle
2 tbsp olive oil
2 handfuls of peas, fresh or frozen
2 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
200g (7oz) low fat crème fraîche ( Hausfrau Róisín: how about a little half and half milk instead.) 
 A good handful of fresh dill, chopped
75g (3oz) sun-blushed tomatoes, roughly chopped
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
200g (7oz) sliced smoked salmon, cut into strips
Juice of 1/2 lemon, to serve
This is a great meal to throw together in just minutes and it’s really filling. You can pick up sun-blushed tomatoes in the supermarket. They are a much brighter colour than sun-dried tomatoes and a little less intense in flavour.
Alternatively roast some halved cherry tomatoes with a little olive oil with sea salt and black pepper at about 200oC for about 40 minutes.
The Method
Cook the pasta in a large saucepan according to the instructions on the packet.
In the last few minutes of the pasta cooking time, drop in the peas, then drain.
Heat the oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat, add the garlic and fry gently for 1 minute.
Add the crème fraîche and heat through then add the dill, tomatoes and a good pinch of salt and black pepper and stir through.
Finally add the salmon strips and hot tagliatelle and toss everything together until coated.
Serve each portion with a generous squeeze of lemon juice.

Source: Marion Finucane Show Saturday Morning on RTE1.  http://www.rte.ie/radio1/marian-finucane/programmes/2013/0316/376980-marian-finucane-saturday-16-march-2013/?clipid=1032190

 See http://www.donalskehan.com/ for more.

And the housekeeping tips.  Source: MOI

a)  The acquiring of all these ingredients can be a bit of a bore.  But once done, its done and then only topping up required.  I suggest you set yourself a day just to buy the basics AND then plan a big treat (ie bribe) for yourself AFTER the job is done.  I have found the ol´bribe technique works very well on me. 

b)  O.K. so you have made this wonderful meal, its eaten, it was yummy, the cook got the brownie points and now... all those pots to be washed...ugh... Not so.  

Stop and think.  

What pots and pans can you safely store in the oven without washing and use again tomorrow?   I mean why wash out all that wonderful olive oil in the pot you cooked the noodles in, a waste of perfectly good olive oil that is!  So there you are not not washing up, rather creating a ´base´for what ever you plan to cook tomorrow. 

Get creative with your ´bases´ -  but be sensible, do not not wash a frying pan that had a cream and chicken sauce in it, esp if its 90o outside!  - even Hausfrau Róisín has her limits, however tenuous they may be!

 Lá Fhéile Pádraig Sona Daoibh! For the non-Irish speakers among you: Happy Patrick´s Day to you!  

A snowy day in Allensbach

   



So, as I write this blog I am in bed.  Its Sunday morning.  Just had breakfast – in bed.  A wild thing to be doing in Germany I can tell you!  Looking out the window I can see it snowed. If you look carefully, you can see a thrush down by the flower pot.

Of course a walk was obligatory.  One can´t let the sunshine go un-enjoyed.

And of course a few photos were obligatory too.  Enjoy! 

 

An analysis of the state of affairs in Ireland from a bar stool somewhere in Dublin. Part A.

I have a friend who is gifted at summing up things political/economic and what not in Ireland.

He has said I may share his ´meanderings` as he calls it.

Reading this, I think you will, like I did, quickly grasp the personal consequences of the bank bail out in Ireland. Not always light reading, but it is easy to understand.  

I don´t presume to think I can add anything to Mr. Mystery´s thoughts. This is too good to mess with, so I don´t add any of my own words.   Part b. comes later.

Do let me know if you have any comments.

And enjoy your cup of tea -  you will need it after reading Mystery Man´s opinion!

                                             -----------------------------------

….Yes, was following the 'end' of the Anglo-Irish debacle last week and in two minds about it all.  I saw a reference to the fact that the Irish are covering about 42% of all European bad banking debt.  The gas thing is that if we simply let it go back in 2008, and said that private debt is not, nor should it ever be 'sovereign debt', then the German and French banks that lent to the Irish Banks in the first case, would have been in a very sticky position, not least with their own compatriot tax-payers.  Would the Germans/French still have agreed that 'private bank debt' should become 'sovereign debt'.  Highly questionable!

On the face of it, it seems that last week's deal was good, in that it buys us time here in Ireland.  Apparently, we won't have to borrow E20 billions in the next ten years to cover the Anglo debt... this will now be spread out over 40 years - in the bulk, 27 years - at a lower rate of interest 3% as opposed to 8%.  It means though that our children and grandchildren will still be paying for this folly.  Having said that, to have stayed on the original 8%/10 year path was simply not sustainable... Ireland too, like Greece, would have defaulted and where would our children/grandchildren be then?  Having said all that though, I look at Iceland, where they simply let their banks go bust - because they're not in the EU or part of the Euro - and they're doing fine right now.  What madness betook our politicians... Brian Cowen/Brian Lenihan et al?  I will go to my grave without ever fully understanding what happened.

I think that in macro terms, it's good for us... but in micro terms I'm not sure that we shall notice any difference.  Then again, perhaps the water charges and the property taxes will not be as high, now that we've had this change.  We shall never truly know.

Having said all that, I'm also very cautious about adopting a sense of victim hood... We've had enough of that in our country too - And it looks like that's not going to disappear anytime soon, what with the Magdalena laundries etc.  There's an awful lot of 'look what they've done to us' with 'they' ranging from the English, to the British, from the Church to the Banks, from the priests to the nuns, from the absentee landlords to the absentee property developers, from crooked politicians to immoral bishops.  There's very little about what we've actually done to ourselves! Honestly though Ro, is there anything - since Ireland won its independence - that Ireland can be genuinely proud of?  We've one of the most unequal societies in Europe - our choice as we've consistently voted in FF/FG/PDs through out the years - even the 'good' years.  Think about what 'unequal' actually means and it is very quickly, very sobering!!  What of our kinship with each other?  I think that we've a very selfish group of people, no?

Well, at least I've got the start of an Irish stew in the making... and a cup of broth right here beside me to start with!  These are the small things that we need to keep remembering... and valuing!!!  I can hear the pot 'bubbling away'.  Genuinely, that and the broth are making me happy right now

Anyhow, I'm off.  I'm going to dip in to the pot again for some more broth.  Mmm, good, even if I say so myself.  Anyhow, so long, take care and say a prayer that the Irish will at last wake up and value each other like ordinary decent Europeans do elsewhere!
Lots of love to you Ro... and to H. too. 

Fasnacht- When one takes one´s Fun very Seriously!

 These are colouful days indeed by the Bodensee -  even if we are into our 4th day in a row with 100% cloud coverage.  No, nary a sign nor a sight of a sun ray to be seen in the heavens.   But these  days are colourful none the less- because it is Fasnacht! 

Fasnacht is a bit like Mardi Gras in Rio -- only with clothes on!   Most people here love Fasnacht;  it is a time for fun and letting one´s hair (or toupee) down. -   And maybe even a bit more `comes down`but as this is a family friendly blog we won´t go there!  People are very serious about their fun at Fasnacht!  The locals parade around in the streets wearing lovely colorful costumes and playing music;  many of the participants wear beautifully carved but often grotesque masks.  Most of the participants belong to particular vereins or groups.  The  costumes and masks have stories about which often no one knows the origin.  Some of the stories or themes are certainly from the middle ages, but I suspect some go back to before Christianity.   I am including a connection to a website of photos from my first Fasnacht here.  The local verein celebrated its 100th anniversary that year, so it was joined by many other groups from near and far as they say.

https://picasaweb.google.com/100073360914706849194/2009#5581298151356603586

You will see there are 100`s perhaps thousands of participants, and very few viewers, that is because in every village and town they all have their own parade.  Many people from the villages are involved so there is not too many left to look on!

The participants with the masks, are instructed to approach children meekly and stretch a hand out with a sweet for the child, who may or may not take the sweet.  I understand people who don´t approach children gently will be taken to task or even put out of the verein.  What is  wonderful is that children, even when quite young, become used to different or ugly or other or what ever - and noise!  

The down side is people can be insistent with adults that they partake of alcoholic beverages, but in an imperfect world we can deal with this not ideal situation. 

Although I don´t have a great understanding of Fasnacht, or the psyche behind it, I do attend a lot of the parades and some of the Fasnacht Balls.  - I so enjoy seeing kids, babies, teenagers, seniors and all in between having fun together.  Romeo H is, for the most part not a great Fasnacht fan.  There is indeed a solid minority who leave town altogether for Fasnacht, or just stay home and hibernate during Fasnacht.

Today, Ash Wednesday, is the last day of Fasnacht, at least in this area, in more Protestant Switzerland, some areas start their Fasnacht into the first days of Lent.  But now the hard working Germans will put away their Fasnacht masks and costumes and get back to the serious business of working hard again. Until Fasnact next year.

Views of New York....

Looking into my photo file I have put together a collection of not your usual angles on views of New York.   You might have fun working out some of the locations where the photos were taken.

This is Rosa.
Rosa is a WONDERFUL New York Story.  For over 30 years she has been a street vendor on 32st Street, across from Madison Square Garden.  - She is also a great adviser on head wear!
But more.  Her two children would join her after school and do their home work under the table. Clearing a good spot for learning; her son is now a doctor and her daughter a lawyer.... Is that a true New York story or what!

And last but NOT least,  Tyke my ´former` cat.  Now 14 1/2 and still thriving and bossing every one around in the Long Island City Vets - his home since 2008.

The Fine Sport of Wellie Racing finally comes to the Heart of Europe!

Well folks there you have it.  Yes, a momentous start to 2013 indeed, because --- wait for it... YES.... wellie racing can now be experienced right bang in the middle of Europe! YES YES YES!  

Read on for the exciting details...

A Report on the First Ever Wellie Race in the Middle of Europe.  Posted from St. Gallen, Switzerland. 

As President Michael D. himself said, if ye can´t get to the Gathering, bring the Gathering to you!  So on January 1^st. 2013, simultaneous and at the same time as the wellie race in Castlecomer, a wellie event took place under the Santis Mountain in Switzerland,  only a Kazensprung  - not a stone´s throw as ye non-German speakers might say, from St. Gallen  in Switzerland. 

 Now we all know de lads in Powley Vale are very high cultured well read sort of chaps, so they would know all about St. Gallen.  But a lot of the rest you might need to be reminded that St. Gallen was founded by a friend of St. Columbanus way back in 612 A.D.  So it was felt, naturally, a wellie race was the most fitting way to end the year long celebrations of the1400 anniversary of the founding of this UNESCO designated world cultural site.

There was a lot of ´wanna be´participants  in this the First Ever Wellie Race in the Middle of Europe who were automatically eliminated from the race, because their footwear did not comprise of what would be described as the  dictionary definition of a ´wellie`.  For example there were a few who insisted on wearing warm leather boots, but it was made very clear to them if they and their feet were not going to be freezing in wellies like the rest of us, then they could not participate.  Likewise a few smart a-ses wore what appeared to be wellies, but on closer inspection, their footwear was found to comprise of runners and leggings.  A few more turned up with wellies alright, but they wanted to race with their skis on too.  And one boyo had wellies tied onto his snowmobile and caused a great rumpus when he was told he could not participate.  Fortunately a Swiss Ban Garda took him in hand in no time. 

So even if due to the aforementioned ´logistical´ issues the number of participants in the First Ever Wellie Race in the Middle of Europe, in St. Gallen, Switzerland was ´a tad´ lower than the numbers participating in the Castlecomer race, Germany, Switzerland, the county of Clare and the townland of Coolgrange were well represented none the less.  

The winner in the under 50s age group was 5 yr old Martina Kretz age (she of Swiss-Co.Clare origins), closely followed by her sister Mary age 6.  Interestingly the over 50s prize went to their father Guido, mother Ann - who is responsible for the Clare connection in the Kretz-Broggy  family came in not too far behind.   So the Kretz family left their mark indeed on the St. Gallen Wellie Race at  Moos, 9116 Wolfertswil.  The winners all received a bag of Taytos, flown in from Ireland especially for the big event*.  It was felt Guido Kretz looked far too young for a man over 50, so he had to produce his birth cert to prove he was before he got his bag of Taytos. 

 The prizes were presented by Herbert Ehinger of Germany, who it must be acknowledged, took great care to ensure that no harm came to the bags of Taytos before the big prize giving event.

(*Regarding the Taytos; what with Switzerland´s stringent rules on importing foods and all,  nobody knows nothin´ and can´t remember anything either,  about how the bags of Taytos got flown from Ireland and got smuggled into Switzerland).

Roisin Hausfrau January 2, 2013