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Monday, March 17, 2014

One Extra Year To Repent

Happy St. Patrick's Day!!

I just finished my AWESOME Irish stew, which is seriously the best stew in the world. I NEVER order stew at a restaurant because there's no way it's this good. I weep when I see Campbell's soup commercials that reference the word "stew" because I don't think that word means what they think it means.

While I am the undisputed queen of stew, many spirited discussions have taken place in this house about the fact that I do NOT put potatoes in my stew.

They do NOT belong in stew. A potato is like a snowflake - it should be celebrated for its eternal and unrepeatable, fierce beauty alone, with only salt and butter, its closest friends. Much like bacon should not be demeaned by being wrapped around a lesser food, a potato exists on its own plane of perfection, and does not stoop to being a component of another dish. I'm also completely offended when asked in a restaurant if I'd like a potato "loaded." Loaded with butter and salt? The Holy Trinity? Yes. A tray full of cheese and sour cream and chives and bacon? Shudder.


The potato is actually the reason that many Irish people landed in America - nearly 25% of the country emigrated during the potato blight and ensuing famine years. Perhaps even my great greats.

So we are NOT going to stick what I consider to be a sacred ingredient and quite likely the reason that I was born an American INTO A STEW!

So it is said, and so it shall be written.

Here are some fun facts about potatoes:
  • In 1995, the potato became the first vegetable grown in space
  • The Incas measured time by correlating units of time with how long it took for potatoes to cook.
  • Thomas Jefferson introduced french fries to the US. God bless him.
  • Potato chips were invented in Saratoga Springs, NY by a hacked off chef trying to put a Vanderbilt in his place.
  • During the gold rush, potatoes were actually worth their weight in gold.
So I had to make a card today, of course, and I decided it was going to be a thank you card. To the potato. Which was not in my delicious stew. That I'm super humble about. :)

Pin It

Paper: Watercolor Paper, Watercolor Wonder Notecards

How about them potatoes? :)

"May you live to be 100 years, with one extra year to repent."
                       ~Irish toast

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12 comments:

  1. AnneMarch 17, 2014 at 9:07 PM

    I'm with there on the potato - it is probably the reason I am here, too, since my grandfather, grandmother, and their 13 children fled Ireland because of the famine. We always served potatoes by themselve, unadorned, and meat on the side! Thank you for the dedication to the potato.

    PS I love the card.

    ReplyDelete
  2. ScrapacatMarch 17, 2014 at 9:08 PM

    I once saw a spud in Idaho...
    I suppose carving a potato into a stamp would be sacrilege, eh? Slainte!

    ReplyDelete
  3. UnknownMarch 17, 2014 at 10:02 PM

    LOOOVE potatoes!!! Tonight we had them baked w/ butter and salt AND... more butter. Yummy!

    ReplyDelete
  4. BethMarch 17, 2014 at 11:26 PM

    I think you should share your stew recipe...

    ReplyDelete
  5. Heather RogersMarch 18, 2014 at 9:22 AM

    Love the beautiful water color look. :)

    ReplyDelete
  6. Joyce FisherMarch 18, 2014 at 9:24 AM

    I suppose it's hard to be humble if you make the best stew in the world. I'm thinking you should invite me over for supper the next time you make a pot. The thank you card is really beautiful.
    Peace, Love and Joy,
    Joyce

    ReplyDelete
  7. Elaine MMarch 18, 2014 at 1:00 PM

    Your card is OH SO LOVELY!
    Will you share your wonderful stew recipe (I'm sure we wont be able to make it as fantastic as your's though - giggle)

    ReplyDelete
  8. UnknownMarch 18, 2014 at 3:07 PM

    this flower confirms that you have mad watercoloring skills which accompany, yet do not compliment, your mad stew making skills.

    i am curious if you are walking out your Lenten pledge and sending out these beautiful cards you're crafting?

    ReplyDelete
  9. UnknownMarch 18, 2014 at 3:07 PM

    this flower confirms that you have mad watercoloring skills which accompany, yet do not compliment, your mad stew making skills.

    i am curious if you are walking out your Lenten pledge and sending out these beautiful cards you're crafting?

    ReplyDelete
  10. Sunny StrawbalerMarch 18, 2014 at 5:49 PM

    Great Irish quote! Great card too :-)

    ReplyDelete
  11. Jean Fitch from jlfstudioMarch 20, 2014 at 1:58 PM

    I'm ashamed (in this company) to admit I add potatoes to my stew (turnips too at times). But then, if I could, potatoes would appear at least once a day on my table. The leprechauns played a nasty trick on my potatoes though. I bought what I though was a perfectly good bag and when I opened them on St. Patrick's day ( a mere two days after buying) I discovered the little men had turned them green! Shame on me for not adhering to the sanctity of the potato and selecting them one by one individually by hand instead of wrapped in a plastic bag (hanging my head in shame - but then I sometimes add sour cream to my potatoes too). My Irish ancestors would be drumming me out of the clan and revoking my tartan.

    One last bit of fun, in case you've missed it. You mentioned bacon. Have you upgraded to the new phone app that wakes you up to the smell of bacon cooking? Or seen the ads?

    http://www.wakeupandsmellthebacon.com/?utm_source=1315023&utm_medium=106916742&utm_campaign=8030406

    Knowing your nose for bacon I'm betting you've seen this already but I've been offline for a bit and it's totally new to me. Enjoy.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Bev GerardMarch 21, 2014 at 9:42 AM

    Oh good golly!
    If I had that stamp set I would be making this fabby card as soon as I submit this comment! LOVE!

    ~Bev

    ReplyDelete

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