Irish recipes

Want to make something Irish for St. Patrick's Day? Here is a simple and delicious (and authentic) alternative to corned beef:

IRISH STEW
(taken from "Potato," by Alex Barker with recipes by Sally Mansfield, published by Lorenz Books (c) 1999.)

Ingredients:
2 1/2 lbs. boneless lamb chops [or beef stew meat - not traditional, but easier to find and more economical in the States]
1 T. vegetable oil
3 large onions, quartered [I don't use all 3 b/c my kids won't eat them - I put in 1 large or 2 medium.]
4 large carrots, thickly sliced
3 3/4 c. water
4 large firm potatoes, cut into chunks
1 large thyme sprig
1 T. butter
1 T. chopped fresh parsley

Savoy cabbage, to serve (optional)

1. Trim any excess fat from the lamb. Heat the oil in a flameproof casserole, add the lamb and brown on both sides. [I don't use the oil; and I use a deep-dish lidded saute pan.] Remove from the pan.

2. Add the onions and carrots to the casserole and cook for 5 minutes until the onions are browned. Return the lamb to the pan with the water. Season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil then reduce the heat, cover and simmer for 1 hour.

3. Add the potatoes to the pan with the thyme, cover again, and simmer for a further hour.

4. Leave the stew to settle for a few minutes. Remove the fat from the liquid with the ladle, then pour off the liquid into a clean saucepan. Bring to a simmer and stir in the butter, then the parsley. Season well and pour back into the casserole. [I never do this step. I fail to see the point of skimming off the fat, just to stir in more fat (plus the with beef there isn't much anyway) so I just add the parsley, adjust seasonings, and serve.] Serve with Savoy cabbage, boiled or steamed, if liked.

I put the times in bold to alert you that this does take a while to cook. If you try it in a crock pot, let me know how it turns out!

If you are looking for something vegetarian or for a side dish (or a use for leftovers), try a google search for colcannon, Irish soda bread, Irish griddle scones/cakes, rissoles, or champ. Enjoy! :)

Bog Water

Colin: "What's with the jars of bog water in our --"

Me: "Huh??"

Colin: "Oh, you haven't seen [blah blah blah]" [me following anxiously and not quite listening to the rest]

AND ... Rebecca's "campsite" that she set up in the middle of the dining area has a large plastic jar half full of water w/ dead dandelions floating in it! I totally bust out laughing. Colin said there was another one in the living room. Did I mention that I've pretty much been on my own with the kids for like 2 weeks straight? I told him I'd let him be the one to tell her *again* that outside stuff stays outside. :)

Beet Salad

This is another semi-original recipe inspired by several delicious roasted beet salads in restaurants, and using Betty Crocker's roasted beet salad for reference.

Ingredients:
1 lb. beets
1 c. mixed spinach, arugula, other salad greens
1 mandarin orange, peeled and separated into sections
1/3 c. pistachios, shelled and chopped
Citrus Vinaigrette dressing

1. Cut off beet greens, leaving about 1/2 inch of stem. Return greens to refrigerator for use later. Wash beets and place in a microwave-safe dish with 1/4 c. water. Cover tightly (leaving a steam vent) and microwave on high until beets are tender, about 8-10 minutes.

2. Cool beets by running cold water over them, then remove remaining tops and skins. Cut beets in half and slice, or cut into wedges.

3. Place salad greens on individual plates. Layer with beets, orange wedges, and pistachios. Drizzle with dressing (recipe following).

Citrus Vinaigrette
1/3 c. olive oil
3 T. cider vinegar
1/4 c. orange or lemon juice
1/2 tsp. dried terragon (or 1/2 T. fresh chopped French terragon)
1/2 tsp. dried oregano leaves (or 1/2 T. fresh chopped oregano or marjoram)
1/2 tsp. dried parsley (I don't recommend fresh for this - the flavor is too strong)

Mix all ingredients well and drizzle over salad. (If you use unsalted nuts, add a little salt to the dressing.)

(This recipe also tastes great with a little goat cheese or feta cheese crumbled on top.)

Does Jesus need us to sin?

I received an e-mail from a friend a while back (probably a year ago, and unfortunately the original message is long gone) describing a conversation he had with his step-daughter who is not a Christian. He was describing Jesus as Redeemer, and she then asked if the Fall was inevitable and necessary so God would have something to redeem. My friend's response was that no the Fall was not essential to God in some co-dependent way, and then he began to question whether the concept of redemption is actually the central feature of the Son's identity. He told me that this conversation was radically changing the way he understood who Jesus is, but - as is typical - he did not elaborate.

I have often returned to this question over the last year, and strangely this is the first time I have thought of any scripture to go with it. But I thought of Romans 6, particularly verses 1-4: " ¹ What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? ² By no means! We are those who have died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? ³ Or don't you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? ⁴ We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life."

We don't have to sin for God to express His grace. What then? It's almost 1am - I don't have any answers to these questions at this point! And of course I am coming from the presupposition that God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit is unchanging - that Jesus is who he has always been and will always be. That means that while human destiny may have changed at the cross, Jesus was who he was before the cross, before creation, after the Fall, after his ascension.

So I am wondering if the role of Redeemer is actually a manifestation of some other part of God's character, like a manifestation of mercy/love/compassion (hesed), justice, and righteousness, and of course grace. I am thinking that if the Fall had never occurred, these traits would be manifest in ways other than redemption of a fallen world. Further, and actually I do remember my friend saying something about this, is the identity of Jesus as God incarnate, Emmanuel - God With Us. I wonder if the incarnation itself is somehow more central to who Jesus is than even his death and resurrection? If so, how does this effect our concept of incarnational ministry? What if Jesus' death and resurrection is more central to who we are than who he is?

What say you, my theologically-minded friends?

Memories

I was walking home from work today, trying to push back memories of a couple of my most embarrassing moments (not sure why they came to mind in the first place), and it occurred to me that there really isn't much prior to my senior year of high school that I care to remember at all. Kind of a disturbing thought.

There are of course a handful of friendships that got me through, and I would never want to forget them. And there are some good family times that are worth remembering, especially from early childhood. And a couple of fun crafts or projects from preschool that I've already enjoyed replicating with my own kids.

But most of it was either awful and unfortunately unforgettable, or all too forgettable and unremarkable. Oh well, I guess I learned a lot from it all, anyway.

OMG, I figured out how to post something! Yeah, it only took me what, like 3 years? There's a little link at the top that says "New Post." Who knew? So to start, I'll go ahead and post the lyrics to the song from which this blog title comes: "This is the Stuff" by Carolyn Arends. Yes, it's a cheesy old school Christian song, but I like it in spite of itself. :)

Riding around in a big yellow school bus
Elmer's Glue and a brand new lunchbox
Writing my name for the very first time
With a pencil that was bigger than me
From jumping rope and skipping school
To doing things that grown-ups do
Life goes by like that big old bus
If you miss it, it's history

Paper dolls and paper weights
Scraped up knees and hearts that break
Dreams to dream and plans to make
Love to give and love to take

(This is the stuff)
The smallest moments
(This is the stuff)
I need to notice
(This is the stuff)
Life is made of

Walking along as my life unravels
Looking back at the road I've traveled
All the things that matter most
Have caught me by surprise
Misty eyes and silent prayers
Promises and secrets shared
Friends that keep you up all night
Laughing 'til you cry

Life's made up of little things
Ties that bind and apron strings
New beginnings, old routines
Love and heartache in between

(This is the stuff)
The smallest moments
(This is the stuff)
I need to notice
(This is the stuff)
Life is made of

Old Friends

I just took a tour of late 80s/early 90s rock videos on youtube. It was like visiting with old friends. Ah, Mr. Big, Nelson, Winger, Def Leppard, Bon Jovi, Warrant ... gotta love those power ballads! I feel all refreshed -- partly from the joy of knowing I've grown out of the more immature themes in some of this music, partly from the fun of nostalgia, and partly because some of the music still touches me emotionally in a way that much of today's music just doesn't.

Eric Martin, Kip Winger, and Jani Lane are all really good writers. As I continue to work through Sheila Davis' curriculum, I will definitely be studying their songs along with the folk songs Davis recommends and of course the amazing Rich Mullins. Who knows if I will ever be brave enough to share my writing with the world, but maybe someday I will be able to connect with people and touch their lives the way these songs have touched mine.