Food

Now that Keith and I are living independently we've been able to do a lot more of our own cooking. I had been missing this aspect of our liveswhile in Dublin. So now we're back to oatmeal for breakfast and finding new recipes in cookbooks for the remaining meals. I also baked chocolate chip oatmeal cookies in celebration of our new freedom. I do love some of the food I've had since I arrived in Ireland, but some of it is just bizarre. Here are some of my more memorable food items:

1. Crunchies-- A Cadbury candy bar made of a caramelized sugar center and chocolate exterior. The secert is adding baking soda so that the sugar fizzes and develops air bubbles, so it has a light texture. I saw a recipe for something similar in Martha Stewart, so I will probably be attempting to make them when my supply runs out.

2. Mushy Peas-- Exactly what it sounds like-- peas whirled up in a blender. I first had these in Harrods in London with my fish and chips, which is the traditional pairing. Some people are totally opposed to mushy peas, but I loved them. Peas are also way easier to eat when you don't have to chase them as they roll all over your plate.

3. Full Irish Breakfast-- Fried eggs; fried mushroom; fried tomatoes; sausages; bacon, aka rashers; black pudding; and sometimes baked beans. I can't resist all that salt, sorry.

4. Breakfast Roll-- This falls under the bizarre category. It's basically a variation on the Irish Breakfast, but without the eggs, vegetables, and the need for a fork. Keith bought this for me when he went into a market to get me a coffee and a "snack." He said he bought it just so I could see this crazy thing people eat forbreakfast every day. If he enjoyed it as much as I did, I think he may have had other motives.

5. Potatoes-- Yeah, the Irish really do love their potatoes. No matter what you order in a restaurant, it probably comes with some sort of potato side dish. You are better off with fries or mashed potatoes than with coleslaw though, becausethat seems to just be a bit of cabbage mixed in with a load of mayonnaise.

6. Beverages-- Guinness really is better here. Hot whiskeys are delicious and taken liberally as medicine for colds and flus. Irish coffees are not bad either. Here I am enjoying one.

And here is Baz when he got a feather stuck up his nose.

Crackers

Keith and I have finally arrived in Rosslare, where we will be based through the end of March. For my part, I am relieved to be here, especiallyafter a slightly taxing New Year's weekend in Kinsale. We were invited to stay in a house rented by some friends, PJ and Caroline. There was a total of 15 in the house, plus some others who were staying in town. It was another boozy weekend; fun but exhausting. And then I started getting sick. I think it was about 3 am on New Year's when I thought maybe all this partying was going to take a toll on me. It has. I also blame Frank (or as people have nicknamed him, "Toxic Frank"). He has had a persistent cough for a few weeks and tends to stand a bit close to people in conversation. At some point I compared him to Typhoid Mary, but no one had ever heard of her. In my spare time I looked her up on Wikipedia and you'll never guess where she's from. That's right! Ireland! Anyway, back to New Year's Eve-- it was actually a good time. We had some trouble figuring out when midnight was exactly. We opened crackers, like in Harry Potter. I like crackers a lot. You pull one open with your neighbor at the table and out come items such as paper crowns, jokes, and toys. There was also singing in English, Gaelic, French. Most of the songs were traditional ones about better times in the past. The French one was about cannibalism. It was a bit strange for me, but I liked it as long as I didn't have to sing. Keith says "the Irish are mad into singing" and that if a party goes on long enough that's what it leads to.

Before I post some photos, here's a quick Baz story for you. Because we were moving to Rosslare after Kinsale, Keith and I had packed the car to the brim with our wordly possesions. About an hour in, not too long after we had gone around a traffic circle I looked to the back seat and a suitcase and several jackets and sweaters had fallen over on top of Baz. He didn't even notice I was looking at him because was holding his neck straight up, still trying to see out the window. Jeez Baz, why didn't you say something?