Fiddle-dee-yummmmm

Indeed, it is St. Patrick's week and the smells abound here at the Smith Cookery.  Today I'm trying to get a few things ready for the celebration on Saturday so that I can attend my great nephew's ballgame early that same morning.  His wee team is in the 9 and 10 year old State Championships!   Go Miles and the Blue Springs Mustangs!  

So far today I've made a Kelley version of the lovely spinach dip I enjoy at McNamara's.  It features Garlic and Herb Kerrygold Irish butter and a big heaping pile of Dubliner Irish cheese.  DIvine indeed. It is served with wee chip sized boxty (potato cakes).  The boxty will have to wait till Saturday though.  They must be fried.  

I also made some hummus.  It's not Irish, but I like hummus, so sue me.  I made a less fat edition using greek yogurt instead of tahini and olive oil.  Turned out grand.  I did throw in a wee bit of parsley to give a green hit!  

I cooked the side dish of carrots and parsnips to make the "Orange and White Sunshine" dish.  I used Darina Allen's recipe from the Ballymaloe Cookery.  She's one of the best known chefs in contemporary Ireland.   I have just a few of her cookbooks :)

Along with those appetizers, we are serving some Irish sausage bites and wee pieces of white pudding to serve on my homemade Irish soda bread with a bit of Coleman's mustard and an assortment of Irish cheeses.  Fiddle-dee-yummmmm!  

The rest of my day today will be spent making Irish soda bread, traditional parsley sauce, the cheese sauce for Macaroni and Irish cheese, Irish Car Bomb cupcakes (Guinness in the batter, Irish whiskey in the filling and Irish creme in the frosting) my now infamous shot glass desserts (Irish coffee mousse-a Ronnie and Brad favorite) and new this year bread pudding!  

The main dish will cook while we are gone to the ballgame.  It's the American Irish dish of corned beef and cabbage.  

Just checked the weather for Saturday.  72 and sunny!  Turf fire burning on the patio, Irish music playing on the stereo. Good food on the bar, the counters, the buffet and the dining room table.  I feel a wee jig building up in my Irish toes!   

My favorite St. Patrick's Day memories?  
1.  My Granddaddy Ramsey telling me he was the world's tallest leprechaun.  At 6'5" he indeed he was.
2.  Wearing green to school so I wouldn't get pinched.
3.  Organzing the leprechaun visits each year for my boys.
4.  Writing a story for John David's kindergarten class about magical emerald eggs.  Then making 60 green jello eggs for Mrs. Skipworth's class.
5.  Being in Galway, Ireland in 2010 on St. Patrick's Day with my 3 favorite men.  My husband and my two boys.   
6.  Everyone sitting in the living room after the St. Patrick's Day meal of 2011 and Angie saying to Ronnie "Cover up your stomach with a pillow.  You ate so much your stomach is sticking out!" 

After the celebration with our St. Patrick's friend crew, we will attend church services on Sunday, go to Siobhan's house for Irish brunch and attend an Irish St. Patrick's Day concert with the Getty's.  Grand, grand indeed! 

Have I said how much I love St. Patrick's Day?  ST. PATRICK'S DAY MAKES THIS GIRL SMILE!!!!!