Good Sunday, GUSgreenies!!!!!!! Sure, we all know my entire ancestral family pushed the vote wayyyyyy over the top for the Yes vote in Ireland for Marriage Equality. You can thank me and mine later. Astonishing, non smoking folks came back to non smoking pub Ireland from far and wide to cast a vote --FOR YES!!!!!!!!! And sure as peat in a bog, hysteria reigns in the pits of evil hearts. Ok, we have the NO!!!! guy actually congratulating the YES!!!! guy. Never in America.
If you want to say thanks to the tiny Isle which sacrificed way more by giving up smoking in the pubs, start drinking for breakfast -- water will do. There's no sacrifice in voting for equal rights. It is sad that there ever has to be votes for equal rights but humans are not as smart as cats.
Slainte (no diacritical marks because I'm lazy) my darling family, friends and comrades in Ireland. Stunning voter turnout. May we follow your lead.
I do have some recipes below to celebrate -- one of which is my sense of a brilliant appetizer in a Temecula Irish Pub. The food was great but this appetizer will be on my to do list forever.
GUS (Gave Up Smoking) is a community support diary for Kossacks in the midst of quitting smoking. Any supportive comments, suggestions or positive distractions are appreciated. If you are quitting or thinking of quitting, please -- join us! We kindly ask that politics be left out.
You can also click the GUS tag to view all diary posts, or access the GUS Library at dKosopedia for a great list of stop-smoking links. Check it out! GUS library.
A message to ALL quitters. You don't have to avoid GUS if you have a failed quit. We won't give you a bad time and we consider the failed quits as "practice" for the real quit.
Quit Keeper widget which is an outstanding aid for those beginning the difficult path to quitting. It lets you know how long you haven't smoked, how many cigs you haven't smoked, how much money you've saved.
Quit Smoking Counter h/tGDbot. For those of you who have had a problem with Quit Keeper or want a different counter!
Ok, so I was in California with my Mom -- who needs to really have me as a personal chef because she eats like a swallow -- and my sister who is the ultimate business go getter in the world. She also has a fitbit wrist thingy to calculate steps, miles, stairs, calories, sleep, sex, blogging, etc. My mom sent me one for Xmas as well but I read that it could cause skin rash. Hell -- I get skin rash from every kind of wrist watch and giant diamond bracelets silkie keeps sending me. So I returned mine for a comfort foam pillow and got change.
Welp, I saw how loose my sister's band is and how she was compulsive about tracking her non-sex life with my Mom and me. Soooooo, I ordered one and now I'm compulsive about my non-sex life and steps, miles, activity, etc. I've been walking the 100 pound not really trained eejit dog so, wow!!!! I'm doing great.
Wait, ok, enough about me and my widget, back to me and my great food experience and how great I am at figuring out how to make my great food experience.
My almost 89 year old more active than me Mom who barely eats said she loved a particular Irish Pub in Temecula, CA. Ok, there's one less than a mile from her house but that wasn't the one. The ONE was like driving to Ohio but still in Temecula. She raved about the Fish and Chips -- hmmmm --- always almost impossible to pull off. So, she and my sister had that and I had -- wait for it -- Irish corned beef egg rolls!!!!!!!! It was an appetizer.
Soooooooo, the food came out and I'm lusting after the fish and chips and then tried the first portion of the egg roll dipped in Thousand Island dressing (is Ireland one of the Thousand Islands????) Fricking brilliant. I then took my time to taste every bit of it so I could try to duplicate -- and I will. I'm giving youz guyz my guestimate and real Irish recipes to celebrate the most amazing weekend since most of Ireland got their frigging independence from those Brits (love my Brits but really . . . .)
Oh, and I did have a taste of the fish and chips --- OMG!!!!!!!! I want to eat everything without consequences. The fish perfectly crusted; chips were genius Belgian twice fried and I swear with a coating of corn starch for the crisp. Alright, I'm done on food pr0n. Off to the recipes now.
Barmbrack (Yeasted Bread)
Ingredients
450g/ 4 cups strong bread flour
25g/2 tablespoons butter or margarine
50g/ ¼ cup caster, superfine sugar
7.5 ml/ 1 ½ teaspoons easy blend yeast
2.5 ml/ ½ teaspoon ground ginger
1.5 ml/ ¼ teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
175g/1 cup sultanas (golden raisins)
175g/ 1 cup currants
50g/ ¼ cup chopped mixed (candied) peel
300ml/ 1 ¼ cup of warm strong tea
How to make Irish Barmbrack
Place the flour into a bowl and rub in the butter or margarine until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.
Stir in 5 ml/1 teaspoon of the sugar.
Then add the yeast, ginger and nutmeg mix well
Stir in the sultanas, currants and mixed peel and make a well in the centre.
Gradually work in enough of the warm tea to make a soft but not sticky dough.
Knead well until the dough leaves the sides of the bowl clean.
Knead on a lightly floured board for about 10 minutes until smooth and elastic.
Place in an oiled bowl cover with Cling-film (plastic wrap)and leave to rise in a warm place for about an hour or until the dough has doubled in size
Knead again and then shape into a large round and place on a greased baking sheet.
Cover and leave in a warm place or 30 minutes or until the dough has doubled in size.
Shape into a greased and lined 900g/ 2lb loaf tin and bake in a pre-heated oven at 230°C/450°F gas mark 8 for 15 minutes then reduce the oven temperature to 200°C/400°F gas mark 6 for a further 20 minutes until well risen and golden and the loaf sounds hollow when tapped on the base.
Dissolve the remaining sugar in 15ml/ 1 tablespoon of hot water and brush the syrup over the loaf and return to the oven for 2 minutes.
Leave to cool then serve sliced with butter.
Porter Cake
from Odlums
OMG I love this cake and I don't even eat sweets.
Ingredients:
450g / 1lb Odlums Cream Plain Flour (around 3 1/3 cups)
Pinch of Salt
1 level teaspoon Baking Powder
1 level teaspoon Mixed Spice
225g / 8oz Sugar
225g / 8oz Butter
450g / 1lb Sultanas
125g / 4oz Candied Peel
300ml / 1/2 pint Guinness (Porter)
2 Eggs (beaten)
Method:
Preheat oven 180°C/350°F/Gas 4.
Line a 20cm/8″ round cake tin with greaseproof paper.
Sieve the flour, salt, baking powder and mixed spice into a bowl and add the sugar.
Rub in the butter and add the fruit and mix.
Add the porter to the beaten eggs and add to fruit mixture.
Mix well.
Transfer to the prepared tin and bake for approximately 2 hours.
Place on a low shelf position in the oven.
Notes:
Check cake after an hour and if it is browning too quickly, cover with a double layer of greaseproof paper until baked.
My Interpretation of Corned Beef and Cabbage Egg Rolls
Ok, so you already have to have some leftover corned beef cooked with its brilliant spices (must have nutmeg in the mix). You aren't going to cook a whole corned beef for this recipe unless you are having an Irish gay wedding with lots of folks.
Ingredients
Yield 12 eggrolls
12 egg roll wraps
1⁄2 lb shredded cooked corned beef
2 teaspoons chopped fresh ginger
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 pound grated swiss cheese
1 teaspoon salt (I might omit the salt depending on the taste of the beef)
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 (16 ounce) bag shredded cabbage and carrot coleslaw mix (not quite the whole bag and you can shred yourself)
4 green onions, sliced
1 egg, beaten with
1 teaspoon water
oil (for frying)
Directions
Quickly stir fry ginger and garlic and mix in with the shredded corned beef.
Mix salt if using and sesame oil. Add to corned beef and mix well.
In large bowl combine cabbage mix, shredded swiss cheese and green onions.
Pour meatmixture over vegetables/ cheese and stir well. Let cool slightly.
Lay wrap in front of you so that it looks like a diamond.
Place 3 tablespoons corned beef filling in center of egg roll wrapper.
Fold bottom point up over filling and roll once.
Fold in right and left points.
Brush beaten egg on top point.
Finish rolling.
Set aside and repeat with remaining filling.
Heat 2-3 inches oil in large frying pan to very hot (350ºF).
Fry a few egg rolls in pan at a time, 2-3 minutes per side.
Drain on paper towels.
Cut each egg roll on the diagonal. I swear, I'm just guessing -- you can add and subtract according to your amazing talents.
Serve with Thousand Island Dressing or whatever floats your rainbow.
WELCOME TO zestyann, OUR NEWEST BUDDY!!!!! Everyone knows I can't add to the great anod's super duper list so I'll wait for him to add zestyann.
Yayyyyy!!!! anod's updated buddy list!!!!!
1BQ, 2thanks, 3rdGenFeminist, 417els, A Man Called Gloom, Abra Crabcakeya, Actbriniel, addisnana, AfroPonix, aishmael, Alise, Alpha99, also mom of 5, ambeeeant, American in Kathmandu, amk for obama, andsarahtoo, angry marmot, Anne933, anodnhajo, aoeu, AoT, aquarius2001, arcadesproject, Archie2227, arodb, Arthur Wolf (in memoriam), assyrian64, Aunt Acid, awkawk, b4uknowit, BadKitties, bamablue, BARAKABETH, barnowl, b barrie, bdizz, beatpanda, beefydaddy18, betterdemsonly, BFSkinner, bgblcklab1, BigAlinWashSt, Bike Crash, BirderWitch, BJKay, bleeding heart, blingbling65, blue husky, Blue Intrigue, bluedust, BluejayRN, BlueJessamine, BlueMississippi, Bluerall, bluestatedem84, BoiseBlue, Boston Beans, boudi08, Brahman Colorado, breedlovinit, BrenP, BrianParker14, Bronxist, broths, BrowniesAreGood, bsmechanic, Buckeye Nut Schell, buddabelly, Bugsydarlin, bumbi, BusyinCA, cactusgal, cagernant, Carol in San Antonio, CathiefromCanada, CathodeRay, CDH in Brooklyn, Cedwyn (in memoriam), cee4, Cen Den, ChocolateChris, Christy1947, ChurchofBruce, ciganka, cinnamondog, citizenx, ClapClapSnap, claude, Cleante, Code Monkey, codobus, Coldblue Steele, Colorado is the Shiznit, coloradomomma, common green, Common Sense Mainer, congenitalefty, coppercelt, CwV, dadanation, Damnit Janet, dangoch, DarienComp, dauber, Dauphin, Dave in AZ, David54, deedogg, deha, demkat620, Dexter, Diana in NoVa, Dickie, DiegoUK, Dingodude, dirtdude, distraught, djMikulec, docreed2003, dolfin66, donnamarie, Donna O, dotsright, Dr Teeth, Dreggas, DRo, droogie6655321, Dube, duckhunter, Eclectablog, Eddie C, EdgedInBlue, edr, effervescent, elbamash, El barragas, el vasco, electricgrendel, entrelac, ericlewis0, Everest42, Ex Con, exiledfromTN, exlrrp, ExpatGirl, ezdidit, fat old man, fauve, fhamme, Fineena, fiona2, fishhawk, Flea, flumptytail, Friend of the court, fritzi56, FrugalGranny, Garrett, Gator, gchaucer2, GDbot, Geiiga, GenXangster, glpaul, gooderservice, gooners, Gordon20024, gravlax, GreenMountainBoy02 (in memoriam), greylox, grndrush (in memoriam), GrumpyWarriorPoet, GuerillaLiberal, GulfExpat, gzodik, Haningchadus14, Haole in Hawaii, HappyinNM, henlesloop, here4tehbeer, HeyMikey, hideinplainsight, High Tide, hiliner68, history first, hold tight, Homers24, Hugh Jim Bissell, hulibow, I love OCD, I said GOOD DAY sir, Illinois IRV, Im a frayed knot, imisa, Indexer, indubitably, indyada, Interceptor7, Inventor, Isaacsdad, ItsaMathJoke, itsbenj, itsjim, Jahiz, James Earl, JamesEB, janl1776, Janeo, jarbyus, jayjaybear, jbalazs, JBL55, jbou, Jeffersonian Democrat, jillwklausen, jmadlc55, jmonch, Joes Steven (aka Steven), john keats, john07801, johngoes, johnny wurster, jsfox, just another vet, JVolvo's Mom (in memoriam), jwinIL14, Kai99, kailuacaton, Kamakhya, kat herder, katchen, Kelly of PA, khloemi, Khun David, Kitsap River, kittania, kos, KrazyKitten, Kristina40, Ksholl, labwitchy, ladypockt, Lahdee, LamontCranston, langerdang, LarsThorwald, LA rupert, last starfighter, LaughingPlanet, Laurie Gator, Lava20, Leo in NJ, LiberalVol, lightarty, Limelite, Lipstick Liberal, litoralis, lmdonovan, lockewasright, Lonely Liberal in PA, Lonely Texan, longislandny, Lorinda Pike, LtdEdishn, lunacat, lunachickie, luvsathoroughbred, lying eyes, maggiemay, magicsister, mango, Marc in KS, MargaretPOA, Marjmar, Mark E Andersen (Kodiak54), marknspokane, marsanges, maryabein, Matf, Matt Esler, Maxiemax, maybeeso in michigan, MBNYC, mdemploi, Meteor Blades, Micburke, michael1104, MillieNeon, minerva1157, MinervainNH, Missys Brother, Miz Trom, mjbleo, MnRaindog (in memoriam), mntleo2, mollyd, Mopshell, Morague, MotoGP, Mr Bojangles, mrsgoo, mskitty, msmacgyver, MsWings, Murphoney, nannyboyz, Naturalized Texan, ncsuLAN, NearlyNormal, Nedsdag, Nespolo, Nick Zouroudis, NinetyWt, nokkonwud, NotGeorgeWill, notgivingup, NY brit expat, occupystephanie, oceanview, Ole Texan, OleHippieChick, Olkate, one pissed off democrat, One Pissed Off Liberal, Onomastic, operculum, OrangeMike, Ordvefa, Overseas, Over the Edge, Pager, paige, PaintyKat, paj1, palmer18, paradox, parryander, paulitics, peglyn, Pennsylvanian, Penny GC, phrogge prince, plok, Portia Elm, Positronicus, post rational, PowWowPollock, Proud Mom and Grandma, psycho liberal, ptolemynm, puckmtl, Purple Priestess, PvtJarHead, Qwisp, racheltracks, Radiowalla, randallt, ray bob, real world chick, red mittens, Reepicheep, regis, relentless, revelwoodie, revsue, Rex Manning, rexymeteorite, RiaD (in memoriam), rickeagle, ridemybike, rightiswrong, Rileycat, rincewind, riverlover, rkex, roadlion, RoCali, Roger Fox, Rosebuddear, roses, rscopes, Rudini, RumsfeldResign, Safina, SallyCat, Sanuk, Sark Svemes, sboucher, scooter in brooklyn, Scrapyard Ape, seenaymah, Senor Unoball, sewaneepat, sfbob, sgary, Shahryar, sheddhead, shesaid, Shifty18, shmuelman, shopkeeper, shortgirl, sidious666, sidnora, slksfca, slowbutsure, smartcookienyc, smeesq, Smoh, smokeymonkey, snoopydawg, snorwich, SnyperKitty, SoCalHobbit, SoCalSal, sofia, soonergrunt, sostos, sowsearsoup, SpecialKinFlag, spmozart, spotDawa, SpotTheCat, StateOfGrace, Statusquomustgo, stiffneck, stonekeeper, suesue, sunbro, Super Grover, susans, swampyankee, Syoho, tallmom, tarkangi, Tay, tdslf1, teknospaz, The Eyewitness Muse, The grouch, The Technomancer, The Termite, theatre goon, TheGeneral, TheStoopingRabbit, tigerdog, TigerMom, Tim DeLaney, tiredofcrap, TomP, tonyahky, Toyotabob7, TracieLynn, TreeFrog, triciawyse, tripodisblack, trs, trueblueliberal, TrueBlueMajority, ttanner, Tulsonian, Turn VABlue, Turtle Bay, Tyto Alba, uc booker, UncleCharlie, Unduna, Unforgiven, ursoklevar, USArmyParatrooper, VA02 femocrat, Vacationland, valadon, Vayle, vc2, Vetwife, vgranucci, Via Chicago, Village expects idiot home soon, viral, vulcangrrl, waytac, webranding, Wee Mama, weelzup, Wes Opinion, Whimsical Rapscallion, willy be frantic, willy mugobeer, Wood Dragon, wolfie1818, Wordsinthewind, Wreck Smurfy, x, xopher, YellowDogInGa, yet another liberal, Zotz
Sun AM: gchaucer2
Sun PM: bgblcklab1 Yayyyyyy!
Mon AM: Portia Elm
Mon PM: Open
Tue AM: gchaucer2
Tue PM: Open
Wed AM: Open
Wed PM: Vacationland
Thu AM: Portia Elm (anodnhajo on hiatus)
Thu PM: Open
Fri AM: flumptytail
Fri PM: Open
Sat AM: Open
Sat PM: Open
Solid science education is the best inoculation against ignorance.
The Inoculation Project meets Sundays at 10 am ET / 7 am PT to help fund science and math projects in red-state public school classrooms and grow more rational voters. Join us at the link each week to cheer!
Sunday's The Inoculation Project: Human Circuits can be found by clicking the link.
|