Corned beef on St. Pat's Day

 For as long as I can remember I have  cooked a corned beef, cabbage, carrots, potatoes meal on St. Patrick's Day.  It was one of Jerry's favorite meals and very easy, just put in the pot and boil simmer for hours in broth and dark beer.  Only one year, when he was in the hospital I didn't fix it that day. I bought a corned beef dinner from a local restaurant for me.  But I had the brisket in the freezer and when he was back home he wanted the corned beef dinner he'd missed in the hospital.  

When we lived in CA it seemed we got better corned beef than is avaiable here,  always bought Shenson's brand which has  never been available in this area.  Maybe it is no longer in CA either.  Anyway we enjoyed the meal and Jerry looked forward the next day to a rrepeat of left overs which were always there with just two of us eating.  

My half eaten crned beef dinner last night

The past couple years, with just me now, I would find the smallest brisket and cook it, having left overs for a couple meals.  This year the smallest brisket I could find wass still over 2 lbs,  I decided I'd just forget about it because I did not want to eat it for weeks.  Then I saw a ready made just heat and eat mel at our Festival Grocery take out deli counter and thought that would work for me.  There were 3 generous slices of thick corned beef, a potato, a few carrots and some cabbage.  I figured I'd add cabbage and have left over meat for a rreuben style sandwhich in a day or so.  So I would once again have my corned beef and cabbage meal  I thought it would be better than going to the local tavern to get take out because the noise there hurts my ears Besides there would likely be a huge crowd celebrating and drinking.  Yesterday our temperatures dropped down to winter like again with a tough wind, I didn't feel like leaving the house. 

When I prepared this I added ore cabbage and carrots and another tiny red potato to some beef brroth and ale,,,I did not think I should add the corned beef until near the end to just heat it.  What a disappointing dinner!  The most tasteless bland and tough corned beef I have ever had.  I had to douse it with lots of fresh horseradish to eat it.  I only ate one of the three meat slices and thought maybe with some lacey swiss cheese it would be ok on the marble rye bread for a sandwhich or two.

Left over corned beef and potato

  Today I decided it was not even going to makea decent tsting sandwhich.  I was tempted to toss it but I get tired throwing out food.  I do that more than ever now with just me to eat.  

I decided to cut the meat up and use it in a soup.  I've never made corned beef and cabbage,carrot,  potato soup before.  I  like soups though and can always freeze some for another handy meal.  So right now the soup pot is simmering and smelling aromatic.  I chopped and sauteed half a small onion in butter in the pot till almost transparent, then added chopped celery, a small sweet red pepper chopped, some celery leaves and some baby carrot halved, worcestershure sauce, thyme, more beef broth, the left over ale broth from yesterday , a generous dollop of grainy heavy brown mustard because I had no mustard seeds and a couple big bay leaves.  I hope this slow simmer tenderizes the meat hunks.  If not the cabbage which I'll dd later and veggies will be tasty.  Some rye bread and butter and I'll have a nuttritious meal.  For sure by the smells already it will taste better than last night's fiasco.  

Soup's on

Lesson earned,  don't buy that again.  Invite someone to dinner and cook my own. 

Getting the green; today we all share the Irish

I have not a drop of Irish blood, but  do celebrate St. Patty's day.  When I first heard of this day as a child, I figured it was for me, anything Patty related was mine and no one told me any differently. One of  our traditions is an annual feast of corned beef, cabbage, boiled potatoes, carrots and onions, horseradish with some green added and all washed with Guinness.  This traditionally Irish meal is not so well known in Ireland.  An Irish coffee might appear too especially if the day is dreary.  Green tea at the end of the day.  I dress in as much green as I can without looking like  a clump of cabbage and rather like the idea of the rainbow, with the pot of gold, so I don bling and some gold too.. oh and this year I have green fingernails with glitter,  fun for the few days. . 

Corned beef is such an easy meal to make that when it goes on sale, generally the day after St Pat's Day, I purchase a few briskets for the freezer and we enjoy  a repeat meal another time.  What can be easier than  tossing it into a pot with spices, usually provided with the brisket, I add more dill and bay leaf, and some tiny boiling onions, water, a  can of beer and letting it boil and simmer for hours and hours.  Later on, add the potatoes, carrots and last the cabbage which I prefer merely steamed a bit; Jerry wants his more cooked.  

Here is a new to me recipe that appeared in today's La Crosse Tribune.  If we have enough left overs this could be a follow up meal tomorrow,  Panini Reubens non traditional with cabbage and  sans thousand island dressing which I do not like anyway.



Green jadeite rooster

 This year I tried to decorate for the day, we  were just home from snow birding and I was removing the last of the burgundy and gold decor from Christmas, so looked for my green; there was not much but a trip to Hobby Lobby and Michael's and I was in business.  I have one new piece of green from a recent expedition to the Lacrosse Center Flea and Antique show, this dandy rooster, bringing my rooster collection to a grand trio.  I found him unusual and while I am really trying to avoid trinkets I could justify purchasing him for only $5, the vendor was desperate for a sale as he had been $25.  Not a chip nor a crack, so he gets center table stage this year.  He perches proud amidst some Kelly green small vases that I have collected from family over the years.  Some small foil derby hats atop the vases and the green was on.  These were my Aunt Marge's vases, she loved "showy" so I know she would approve of the glittery hats.




Green vase with new green bowler



In addition to the small tinsel tree I leave up year round in the downstairs TV room corner, with all intentions of decorating it year round, I am adorning my antique post washer, described best as a metal plunger on a broomstick, which belonged to my grandmother Rose and perhaps her step mother before that. It reminds me how difficult housework used to be in her day and how I should not find it that difficult to run an electric vacuum and apply the microfibers to what little dust I get in this house. Over Christmas I moved the plunger to the foot of the stairs and adorned it in red, and set an angel atop with teddy bears at its base. For St Patty's decor I found some green and gold tinsel for the broomstick, attached an Irish angel and pulled out Tweety for the base with the angel. A sight of memories at the foot of the stairs, today it is  Pat's shillelagh.



Antique washer wearing
the green.