Stars n' Stripes Salute - St Vince de Paul - Irish blessing/recipe

Today is Saturday and I'll be leaving for Rita's in an hour. We are having a party today to celebrate Monica's citizenship. I got her an ornament for her Christmas tree this year - her first Christmas as a citizen - its a European glass Chris Radzko ornament shaped like a Christmas tree and painted with the stars and stripes.
Rita and I split the cost for this 'do' and several guests are bringing appetizers. We are not having a meal. Just snacks and the all American dessert - an apple pie - beverages will be spiced hot cider, wine iced tea and whatever people bring themselves.
I told Rita to make a list of what she wants me to do to set up, clean, prepare platters etc. I can't wait! I'm also bringing my slow cooker to keep the cider warm and delivering Rita and Dave's souvenirs from Cape Cod.
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I recently joined the St. Vincent de Paul Society. Its an international Society with the headquarters in Paris, France. People call us for help and then we go out in twos and visit them in their homes. We have helped people with rent, utility bills, gas money, grocery money and helped one person have their car repaired.  I just love doing this work. I've never been happier. It is a religious order of lay people and we follow a Rule. The people I work with are so generous and its an honor to serve the friends of St Vincent who contact us.
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today its raining so I chose this Irish blessing for today:

May the blessing of the rain be on you—
the soft sweet rain.
May it fall upon your spirit
so that all the little flowers may spring up,
and shed their sweetness on the air.
May the blessing of the great rains be on you,
may they beat upon your spirit
and wash it fair and clean,
and leave there many a shining pool
where the blue of heaven shines,
and sometimes a star.

 Make a pot of tea and enjoy it with the recipe below: 

Crunchy Apple & Blackberry Crumble
Contributed by Hartson Dowd

"In autumn the hedgerows are bursting with juicy, plump blackberries. Apples are the perfect flavor partner to blackberries, and now is the time when local varieties are in season. Crumbles are a classic and so easy to make. Here is one to welcome in the autumn!"

Ingredients:
For the filling:
2lb Bramley or Granny Smith cooking apples
1lb blackberries
6oz brown sugar
2 lemons

For the topping
8oz plain flour
6oz butter
2oz brown sugar
4oz muesli or a mixture of oats, seeds and chopped nuts

Method:
1. Pre-heat the oven to 400F.
2. Peel, core and chop the apples into small chunks. Cut the lemons in half and squeeze the juice over the apple and mix well. This not only adds flavour but prevents the freshly peeled apples from discoloring.
3. Layer the apples, blackberries, and sugar in a large pie dish
4. Place the flour in a large bowl and then rub in the butter until it resembles breadcrumbs - leave a few lumps of butter so that the topping is not too fine. Add the muesli or oat/seed/nut mixture and the sugar and mix through.
5. Use a spoon to sprinkle the crumble topping evenly over the fruit. Bake for 45 minutes or until the fruit is cooked and bubbling juices seep through the topping.
6. Cool for a few minutes and then serve with custard or fresh cream.
Serves 6 to 8

Back in the saddle again...

Nearly a week and a half back home. Work has picked up and I've been really busy at it.

Now that I understand myself I've found that it makes some things easier but its taking time for it all to sink in and I wish I were further along. But I love my life now and not speaking the language is okay - all part of the whole picture.

Last Sunday Faye and I went apple picking, Mike couldn't pick apples due to his fall allergies - but joined us afterward for venison chili. It turned out pretty good. Mike and Faye liked it but I think that I added a bit too much salt. Yesterday, I made a deep dish apple pie with the granny smith apples I picked and mixed in a couple golden delicious. It is yummy and the house smells soooooo good :)
Today's Irish blessing is in honor of St. Francis of Assisi whose feast day was yesterday.
 
God bless the cow that gives us milk
God bless the lamb that gives us wool
God bless the hen that gives us eggs
God bless the pig that pays the rent
God bless the horse that we may ride
God bless the cat that catches mice
God bless the dog that herds the sheep
God bless the geese for our feather beds
God bless the lark for her morning song
God bless the swan upon the pond.
God bless all friends of fur and feather
And St. Francis protect them in all weather.
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today's Irish recipe -

Traditional Irish Toffee - Yellowman
"Did you treat your Mary-Ann
To dulse and yellow man
At the old Lammas Fair at Ballycastle-oh?"

The Lammas Fair, or as Mr. John McAuley wrote in his famous song ‘"the Oul' Lammas Fair", takes place on the last Monday and Tuesday in August in Ballycastle, Antrim, Northern Ireland. The town also had a vibrant weekly market day which was founded in 1612, though it is virtually non existent today. The Lammas Fair is also famed for having an 'unbroken history', having taken place annually for the past 300 years but it origins go back to the legends and myths of Ireland. McAuley died in 1937.The Ould Lammas Fair
At the ould Lammas Fair in Ballycastle long ago
I met a pretty coleen who set me heart a-glow
She was smiling at her daddy buying lambs from Paddy Roe
At the ould Lammas Fair in Ballycastle - O!
Sure I seen her home that night
When the moon was shining bright
From the ould Lammas Fair in Ballycastle - O!

======= CHORUS =======
At the ould Lammas Fair boys were you ever there
Were you ever at the fair in Ballycastle - O!
Did you treat you Mary Ann
To some Dulse and Yellow man
At the ould Lammas Fair in Ballycastle - O!
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In Flander's field afar while resting from the War
We drank Bon Sante to the Flemish lassies O!
But the scene that haunts my memory is kissing Mary Ann
Her pouting lips all sticky from eating Yellow Man
As we passed the silver Margy and we strolled along the strand
From the ould Lammas Fair in Ballycastle - O!
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CHORUS
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There's a neat little cabin on the slopes of fair Knocklayde
It's lit by love and sunshine where the heather honey's made
With the bees ever humming and the children's joyous call
Resounds across the valley as the shadows fall
Sure I take my fiddle down and my Mary smiling there
Brings back a happy mem'ry of the Lammas Fair
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CHORUS
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In any event, Yellow Man Toffee was definitely always served at the old Lammas Fair at Ballycastle in Co. Antrim. As for the dulse - that's seaweed. One has to assume that the dulse was served as a savory before the sweet?
For these taste buds, we sure hope so!


Ingredients:
1 heaping teaspoon butter
1 cup brown sugar
4 cups corn syrup
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 tablespoons distilled white vinegar.

Method:
1. Melt butter in a sauce pan; coat the inside of the pan with the melted butter.
2. Add sugar and syrup and then the vinegar. Stir over low heat until the sugar and syrup have melted together.
3. Bring the mixture to a boil and simmer without stirring.Test by dropping a little into cold water to see if it sets.
4. Add the baking powder which will make the mixture foam up.
5. Stir well and then turn into a greased pan. Cut into squares.
Toffee as it used to be made: In the old days, the mixture would have been turned out onto a slab and pulled until it became pale yellow. When it hardened, it was broken into pieces with a small hammer.