March 1, 2018

Don’t Pinch Me, I’m Wearing Green Underwear!

Dale and I “play dress-up”, as John Wayne and Maureen O’Hara, while visiting
The Quiet Man Museum in Cong (County Mayo) Ireland. :o)
September 2013 

Follow me on our fun-filled Ireland/Quiet Man Trip,
by clicking on the titles below. 

Irish Gold 1

Irish Gold 2

The Quiet Man’s Ireland, Day 1

The Quiet Man’s Ireland-Day 2, or A Day Fit for a “Quiet Man Crazy”

Top of the Mornin’ to Ya!

Happy March!  Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

I love St. Patrick’s Day!  March 17th, is a day happily blanketed in all things green, a day giving me a legitimate excuse to overindulge on deliciously hearty Irish Stew,
or Shepherd’s Pie, followed up by richly butterscotch-coated Irish Gold (My family’s  traditional St. Patrick’s Day treat). It is also the holiday that beckons me to immerse myself in all things Irish, by watching one of my favorite all-time classic films,
The Quiet Man!  

My blu-ray edition of The Quiet Man beautifully remastered and released by Olive Films .
Of the several copies of this film that I have owned over the years,
this is the one that really does The Quiet Man justice.

I must agree with director Martin Scorsese sentiment*,
that this romantically iconic kiss, in The Quiet Man, is one of cinema’s best!
(*As stated in the documentary John Ford: Dreaming The Quiet Man.)
Read about Scorsese’s praise for this film here.

John Wayne’s silk shirt soaked from the rain STILL gets me! :o)

Thank you to the Maureen O’Hara Magazine Website for
the use of this photo and quote.
To see more on this fan website, click here.

My personal copy of Filmmaker Sé Merry Doyle‘s excellent documentary about The Quiet Man.

My souvenir sign, happily purchased in Cong/Ireland, along with my “shamrock” broach (not purchased in Ireland) that come out each
St. Patrick’s Day.
(Technically, shamrocks have three petals, this is actually a four-leaf clover.) 

Don’t Pinch Me, I’m Wearing Green Underwear!
(or St. Patrick’s Day is sometimes spent at Walt Disney World!)

Where will you find yourself on this St. Patrick’s Day, and what memories will it hold? It is interesting to look back over the years to see where I have spent my March 17’s.  In 2014, I was in the vibrant city of Dubai with my hubby on business.  In 2008, and also 2013, I was lucky enough to find myself on Spring Break with family members at Walt Disney World!

Where will you find yourself on this St. Patrick’s Day?

Packing for the 2008 trip, and being proactive against, and fearful of, the dreaded
St. Patrick’s Day pinch, I made sure that each of my family member’s suitcases included the mandatory green apparel, appropriate for March 17th. My youngest son, age 14 at the time, decided upon his anti-green, St. Pat’s tee, emblazoned with the words, “Don’t pinch me! I’m wearing green underwear!”  Chandler’s unique
tee-shirt elicited many a smile, and comment, from guests and WDW staff alike that day, becoming a special Disney, and St. Patrick’s Day, memory. :o)

My youngest son (on the right, next to his oldest brother),
wearing his giggle-inducing tee-shirt while at Walt Disney World.
March 17, 2008

The “gang” in St. Pat’s gear and seated in front of the Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster.
My daughter-in-law (at that time, future daughter-in-law :o))
wore light-up Mickey ears, prompting one Disney cast member
to ask her if she was feeling “light-headed”.  :o)
March 17, 2008

Enjoying a sunny St. Patrick’s Day at WDW with my daughter, and doing our “Singing’ in the Rain” imitation at Hollywood Studios.
March 17, 2008

Not all of my kiddies could make this trip to Walt Disney World.
We were, however, joined by my daughter’s Texas friend, Natasha (far left),
for this Disney vacation.  Martese and Natasha became friends while working at WDW for the Disney College Program in 2010.
March 17, 2013

The beautiful Burj al Arab, in Dubai, all lit up in green, and decked out
with a shamrock, for St. Patrick’s Day.
March 2014

To read my blog posts about Dubai, click here and here.

Check out My Walt Disney World Posts!

Disney Food and Wine Festival-Here

Disney World Family Reunion-Here

Disney World Recipe–here, here, and here.

 Check out My Disneyland and Disney Studios Posts!

Disneyland-Here

Disney Studios–Here

Disneyland and Disney Studios-Here

 The Further Saga of My Broken Leg Adventure

I am getting around much better these days! :o) Or as the mentally unstable Commissioner Dreyfus utters in my favorite Pink Panther film,
The Pink Panther Strikes Again,
“Every day, and in every way, I am getting better and better.”  

   “Every day, and in every way, I am getting better and better.”  

See and hear the exasperated Commissioner Dreyfus utter these words to Inspector Clouseau, here.

I rarely use my cane around the house anymore, and the pain and swelling of the injured area continues to diminish. :o)
I still descend the stairs on my backside, but am confident enough to ascend the stairs upright with my trusty quad-foot cane (actually the handy cane is a loaner from a friend), provided someone is following right behind me, as a safety precaution. Hopefully, my March 7th doctor’s visit will garner positive results, and this boot will soon be a distant memory.

I continue to descend the stairs on my backside.

With my increased mobility, I am slowly easing back into the cooking of meals at my house.  I even made chili for the chili cook-off in celebration of my British pen pal
Jenny Hammerton‘s new book release, Cooking with Columbo!

My version of Johnny Cash’s Chili simmers on the stove.

I proudly display my new copy of Cooking with Columbo,
just released last month .

To read my guest blog with cookbook author Jenny Hammerton, click here.

St Patrick’s Day Recipes

There are probably as many recipes for Irish Stew, as there are shamrocks in the emerald fields.  Today, I share with you mine. My recipe began with an ad from the American Lamb Board, cut from a magazine many years ago.  Not being a big lamb fan, I immediately changed the main ingredient to beef, making a few other changes along the way.  I share with you my version of Irish Stew, with a little Irish Gold for dessert.  Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

The source and inspiration for my own Irish Stew recipe.

Gather the ingredients to make my hearty Irish Stew.

Annette’s Irish Stew

Ingredients

1-1.5 pounds of beef stew meat, making sure it is cut into bite-sized pieces

1 Tablespoons cooking oil

2 (32 oz.) beef broth

3 cubes of beef bouillon

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon coarse black pepper

1/4-1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

2 carrots, peeled and sliced

4-5 red potatoes, scrubbed and quartered,
or 3 large russet potatoes, peeled and cut into bite-sized pieces

8 whole pearl onions, peeled, with ends cut off

1 (12 oz) package of frozen peas

1 (12 oz. can) evaporated milk

1/4 cup flour 

Irish Soda Bread, if desired, to go along with the meal

Directions

In large soup pot with tight-fitting lid, brown stew meat in oil over medium heat.

Drain off the excess oil.

Add beef broth, beef boullion, salt, pepper, and thyme.

Cover; simmer over medium-low heat for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add potatoes, carrots, and onions.

Cover and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring once, or twice.

Add peas, cover and simmer beef and vegetables for another 15 minutes,
or until they are tender; stirring once, or twice.
Beef should be tender enough to cut with a fork.

Meanwhile, in small bowl, blend/whisk evaporated milk and flour until smooth.

Add flour mixture to stew using a whisk and stirring continuously; cooking with lid off until the liquid is thickened and until stew is bubbling hot.

Serve with extra salt, pepper, and bread of your choice.  Irish soda bread, perhaps?

Serves 4

Irish Gold

I have been making Irish Gold for years.  My children, when young, used to help me in its preparation for St. Patrick’s Day. The results may have been less than perfect-looking, but we had fun, and they were always quickly devoured.  Last year, my pre-school age grand daughter and I continued the family tradition by whipping up our own batch of Irish Gold.  :o)

My grand daughter and I had fun making Irish Gold together.

Irish Gold

Ingredients 

1 box Miniature Ritz-Bits Peanut Butter Sandwich crackers,

 
1 (12oz.) bag Butterscotch chips

 Directions

  Melt butterscotch chips slowly in a microwave safe bowl.

  Carefully dip the Ritz-Bits crackers into the melted chips.
(I use small tongs for this.)

  Set on wire rack, or waxed paper, and let the butterscotch harden.
(May need to be refrigerated.)

Enjoy!

Legend has it that Saint Patrick used the shamrock
to illustrate the Trinity (The Father, Son, and Holy Ghost).

Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

Thank you for your continued prayers for the healing of my leg.

Thanks for reading,
Annette

To enjoy any, or all, of my past blogs and photos, click here, or go to imannette.net, selecting the posts that you desire to see in the Recent Posts,
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I’m Annette usually posts every other week.
Look for my next post on Thursday, March 22.

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My entryway table decorated with a “bit of the green” for March.
For crafting information about these two St. Patrick’s Day pieces, click here.