St. Patrick's "Day" Is Always Fun!
Monday the 16th began our celebration. We cooked corned beef and cabbage with potatoes and carrots plus Irish soda bread, asparagus, kale chips, and green cookies? (We are getting too old for ice cream!)
Sue made mustard-cheese sauce this year!
Did You Know? - Although the exact beginnings of corned beef are unknown, it most likely came about when people began preserving meat through salt-curing. Evidence of its legacy is apparent in numerous cultures, including Ancient Europe and the Middle East.
The word corn derives from Old English, and is used to describe any small hard particles or grains. In the case of "corned beef", the word may refer to the coarse granular salts used to cure the beef.
The word corned may also refer to the corns of potassium nitrate, also known as saltpetre (and one of the main ingredients in gunpowder), which were formerly used to preserve the meat.
So Let's Get Cooking...
It has been our tradition for years... Sue, the vegetarian, makes the best corned beet in the world. She begins with excellent ingredients directly from Bristol Farms and our own garden and then puts her secret ingredient into it... LOVE!
Herbs directly from the garden!
These were born about five minutes ago!
Something new.... Kale!
Did You Know? -
Kale or borecole (Brassica oleracea Acephala Group) is a vegetable with green or purple leaves, in which the central leaves do not form a head. It is considered to be closer to wild cabbage than most domesticated forms of vegetables.
The species Brassica oleracea contains a wide variety of vegetables, including broccoli, cauliflower, collard greens, and brussels sprouts.
After coating the kale with olive oil infused with black truffles plus
salt and white pepper, it is baked at 350 degrees for 10 minutes!
One word -- DELICIOUS!!
Roasted asparagus are essential
Carrots to be sure
A mix of Bristol Farms and our own home grown potatoes
Sue worked most of the day preparing this fantastic meal...
(She wondered the next day why her legs were hurting)
Greg dived right in!
A simple table for a simple meal... Did we say simple??
Sue checks the meat...
Perfect! The entire house smelled of corned beef
Really special as the place was Sue's Mom's
Corned Beef circa 1898... Ewww
Did You Know? - Although it ceased to be an important commodity in the 19th century Atlantic trade due in part to the abolition of slavery, corned beef production and its canned form remained important as a food source during World War II. Much of the canned corned beef came from Fray Bentos in Uruguay, with over 16 million cans exported in 1943. Even now, significant amounts of the global canned corned beef supply comes from South America.
The cabbage was magnificent... Picked this morning from our own garden!
Melt in your mouth potatoes!
Irish soda bread and Irish butter (Kerrygold)
Did You Know? - Soda bread (Irish: arán sóide, Scots: fardel, Serbian: česnica/чесница) is a variety of quick bread traditionally made in a variety of cuisines in which sodium bicarbonate (otherwise known as baking soda) is used as a leavening agent instead of the more common yeast. The ingredients of traditional soda bread are flour, bread soda, salt, and buttermilk. The buttermilk in the dough contains lactic acid, which reacts with the baking soda to form tiny bubbles of carbon dioxide. Other ingredients can be added such as butter, egg, raisins or nuts.
A beautiful table for special friends
Carri had a place but alas, no Carri tonight
Tookies!
Friendship is a special thing!
It's Now Officially Saint Patrick's Day!
We played golf with James before heading for Malarkey's for dinner
The ducks and geese did not get corned beef
Before leaving the ranch we did Happy Hour with
James, Channel, Mike and Charlotte
Normally it is kind of quiet.... Not tonight... The place was full!
We shared the Corned Beef and Cabbage plus the Corned Beef Rueben
We tried several of the drinks! Happy St. Patrick's Day
Loved the shirts!
Our "reserved table" was taken at 2:00 and the folks stayed...
That was fine... We had another great table!
Paul's Hawaiian Irish shirt was a hit!
Interesting
Cynda was our bartender/waitress... A beautiful girl
(...and our regular on Monday's)
Sue and Carri discussing the events that are about to unfold
We were worried about the sunset this evening
The bagpipers were fantastic
Sue dies a quality-control test
Nancy and Paul trying all the drinks!
That will put a smile on your face
The Long Beach Fire Department Bagpipe Band!
Fine music!
The place was crowded!
Green beer is on its way
What??? An empty glass?
We slowed him down and sent the picture to Amy!
Amy always says "Ducks are smart"
Paul had to send this one back to Amy!
Ah ha... The sunset arrives right on schedule at 7:01
It was beautiful
Yes... They are texting each other... It was loud inside
Carri's smart phone is disguised as a wine glass
Love Greg's hairdo
\ 
Touch typing?
We know how to party!
"Smile... They will not guess what we are up too!"
Greg hears the faint call of the Irish line dance
Right turn...
Left turn...
On the way out Greg finds another dancer!
The man knows how to boogie
Sue (The Party-Girl) Said "Let's Go To Patty's Place"... Excellent Idea
While having a wee drink we spotted this picture
View from the bar
Sue made the fatal mistake of asking Paul if he was hungry!
A selfie...
We were doing well!
Thanks to our new friends... He knew the iPhone camera
Sue was showing her Irish... She was caught with the flash on
