Easter

British Easter Biscuits (cookies) can be left in a simple form or decorated as fancy as suits individual tastes. It is traditional in the UK to serve them tied with a ribbon in bunches of three to represent the Trinity. 

This plate of roast lamb is attractively accented with Klondike Roasted Herb & Garlic potatoes, Broccolini and Jasmine Rice.

 Easter Feasting

I think of the garden after the rain;

And hope to my heart comes singing,

"At morn the cherry-blooms will be white,

And the Easter bells be ringing!

~ Edna Dean Procter

Hard-boiled eggs may be the first food that comes to come to mind when thinking of Easter but many other foods factor into traditional Easter meals around the world.

Hot Cross Buns and Easter Cakes (cookies) are a particular English favorite. The Hot Cross Bun custom is supposedly derived from ancient Anglo-Saxons who baked small wheat cakes in honor of the springtime goddess, Eostre. After converting to Christianity, the church substituted with sweetbreads that had been blessed by the church for the more benign wheat cakes.

Countries around the world serve sweet cakes in the same vein, including Czech babobka and Polish baba. The Greeks and Portuguese enjoy round, flat loaves marked with a cross and decorated with Easter eggs while Syrian and Jordanian Christians serve honey pastries.

Roast lamb dinner has been a long-standing Easter tradition for many but it goes back earlier than Easter to the first Passover of the Jewish people. A sacrificial lamb was roasted and eaten along with unleavened bread and bitter herbs in hopes that the angel of God would pass over their homes and bring no harm and as Hebrews converted to Christianity, they brought their customs with them. Christians often refer to Jesus as The Lamb of God, thus merging the traditions.

Ham is a frequent choice in the United States. Before refrigeration, meat was slaughtered in the fall and the fresh pork that wasn't consumed during the winter months before Lent was cured for later use. The curing process was lengthy and because it was around the advent of Easter before they were ready to eat, making ham was a natural choice for the holiday menu.

On a side note, while they might not seem like Easter food, pretzels in fact are just that. They were first baked in a shape to indicate the torso of a person with arms folded and praying to mark this religious occasion. Whatever your preference, you might find trying seasonal favorites from other cultures interesting and worthwhile.

*********

Babka is slightly sweet yeast bread similar to Italian panettone that can be made with rum-soaked raisins, and iced or left plain. The name, which literally means "grandmother" in Polish, probably got the name because its shape is reminiscent of an old woman's wide, swirling skirts. Traditional babka is made with an enormous number of egg yolks but this recipe is lighter on cholesterol load, requires no kneading and only has to rise one time.

Easy Easter Babka

1 package active dry yeast

1/4 c. warm water (no hotter than 110 degrees)

1 c. scalded milk

6 oz. unsalted butter

3/4 c. sugar

1 t. salt

1 t. vanilla

3 large beaten eggs

4-1/4 cups all-purpose flour

2 T. lemon zest, opt.

1/2-1 cup raisins

Confectioners' sugar, opt.

Icing: (optional)

2/3 c. confectioners' sugar

2 T. lemon juice

1 T. boiling water

In a small bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Place butter, sugar and salt in a large bowl or stand mixer, and pour scaled milk over it. Using the paddle attachment, mix until butter has melted and milk has cooled to 110° degrees or below. Mix in the vanilla and eggs and add yeast and mix until well combined.

Add flour, lemon zest (if using) and raisins and combine thoroughly. Dough should be of a thick cake batter consistency.

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly coat a 10-inch babka pan, kugelhopf pan, Turk's head pan (turban pan), bundt pan or plain tube pan with cooking spray. Pour batter into prepared pan and cover lightly with greased plastic wrap. Allow to rise in a warm, draft-free place until doubled in bulk or dough just reaches the top of the pan.

Bake 40-45 minutes until instant-read thermometer registers 190° or a toothpick inserted near the center tests clean.

Cool on a wire rack and dust with confectioners' sugar if desired before serving. You may also drizzle the cooled cake with a mixture of confectioners' sugar, lemon juice and boiling water.

British Easter Biscuits

90 (scant half cup) grams butter

1 egg separated

Pinch salt

20 grams (2-1/2 T.) mixed citrus peel

Extra castor sugar

90 grams (scant half cup) castor sugar

180 grams (1-1/2 + 2 t.) self-raising flour

40 (4-5 T.) grams currants

1-2 T. milk or brandy

Cream butter and sugar and beat in egg yolk. Sift flour and salt and fold into creamed mixture. Add fruit and mix well. Add enough milk or brandy to make a soft dough, knead lightly and roll out on a floured surface to 5 mm thickness.

Cut with a fluted cutter and make a small hole to one side of each biscuit.

Place on greased baking tray and bake on top shelf (rack) for 10 minutes in a moderate oven. Remove from oven, brush with egg white and sprinkle with sugar. Bake an additional 10 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool.

Pizza Con Prosciutto is a popular Easter dish in many parts of Italy

Pizza Con Prosciutto

Filling

225 grams (1 lb.) proscuitto ham about 6mm thick

1 link dried sweet sausage

225 grams (1 lb.) mozzarella diced

700 grams (5 c. + 1 T.) ricotta cheese

1 c. grated percorino cheese

Dough

2 c. all-purpose flour

2 eggs

3 T. milk

2 T. melted butter

Preheat oven to 190° C. (375 F). Dice ham and sausage, mix with all of the cheeses and set aside.

Sift flour into a bowl and make a well in it. Add eggs, milk and butter, mixing gradually. Knead well, roll mixture into a ball and cut it into two equal parts. Roll one half out on a floured board, lift it into a pie dish and spread filling mixture evenly over crust.

Roll out remaining pastry, place on top and seal by pressing edges together. Bake until brown, approximately one hour. Serve at room temperature.

This “nutty” take on roast lamb should make almond lovers happy.

Amaretto Almond Encrusted Lamb Roast

Rind from one whole orange

2 c. water

1/3 c. crushed almonds

2 T. DISARONNO® Originale Amaretto

1/3 c. breadcrumbs

1 small bunch of parsley

1/2 c. sugar

16-20-oz. rack of lamb (ask butcher to dress rack and trim all fat from ribs)

Butter, room temperature

Set oven at 400°F to preheat.

Boil orange rind in small saucepan with water and sugar. Cook for 15 minutes; drain well and set aside to cool. Chop parsley fine, making sure it is completely dry before using.

Combine parsley, crushed almonds, breadcrumbs and amaretto in a food processor and blend well. Set aside.

Place rack of lamb in a roasting pan and place pan on middle rack of oven. Roast 15 minutes for medium rare, 20 minutes for medium and 28 minutes to well done. Remove from oven and let cool 5 minutes.

Separate lamb ribs and rub butter around the edges of each one. Roll edges in mixture of dry ingredients and amaretto mixture.

Arrange ribs on a platter and garnish with prepared orange rind.

Easter Symbols

Ø Easter Bells are rung in France and Italy throughout the year but not rung on the Thursday before Good Friday. They are silent as a way to remember the death of Jesus and rung again on Easter Sunday as way of telling people Jesus is alive again.

Ø The Cross is the symbol for the Christian religion as Jesus was nailed to a cross when he was executed.

Ø The Easter Lily is a reminder to the Christians of how Jesus came back to life. It is supposed to be a symbol of the purity of the Virgin Mary and is used in many Easter services.

Ø Easter Flowers such as daffodil, narcissus and the tulip are also symbols as they bloom in the spring.

Ø Pussy Willows are especially picked at Easter in England and Russia. People would tap each other on the shoulders with a branch of it for good luck.

Ø Lambs: The lamb is a symbol of Jesus as the Good Shepherd who watches over his human flock as though they were lambs. Lambs are typically born in the spring, making them even more symbolic. Israelites also used lamb's blood to save their firstborns in ancient Egypt.

Ø Rabbits are reminders of spring and new life and it is said they were the favorite animal of the spring goddess Eastre.

Ø The egg is a symbol of spring as well as Easter because they represent a sign of new life.

Ø Chicks are born from eggs and are also reminders of spring and Easter.

Ø Candles give light in darkness and Jesus is seen as "the eternal light" showing Christians the way from death to life.

Ø Palm Branches are used as a symbol of peace.

Ø Bread: Unleavened flat bread is eaten to remember Jesus' sacrifice and the freeing of Hebrews from Egyptian slavery.

Ø Wine red wine is drunk to remember Jesus shedding His blood for humans.

Ø Fireworks are believed to frighten away evil spirits. They also show that out of darkness comes light.

Passover

Charoset: This apple dish is served as an ancillary function to Maror at the Seder table.

Passover Food Great for Everyone

"Passover and Easter are the only Jewish and Christian holidays that move in sync..."

Marvin Olasky, Editor-in-Chief, 'World Magazine'

March marks the advent of Spring and the Easter season. While Easter is one of the holiest days of Christianity, the accompanying Passover has special meaning in the Jewish faith as it marks the escape of the Hebrews from Egyptian slavery. Passover begins on March 30 this year and continues through April 5. In the Jewish calendar however, a holiday begins at sunset of the previous day, therefore observing Jews will begin celebrating at Sunset on March 29.

Passover Seder is one of the most widely observed of all Jewish customs, and at the center of every observance lies the Passover Seder Plate (Hebrew: ke'ara), a special plate containing six symbolic foods. The plate is carefully prepared and placed before the head of the household (or the one conducting the Seder) who in turn dispenses the Seder foods to each participant.

Each item has special significance to the retelling of the story of the exodus from Egypt, the focus of this ritual meal. The seventh symbolic item used during the meal — a stack of three matzos — is presented on its own individual plate next to or on the Seder plate.

The six traditional items are:

1) Matzah (a/k/a Matzoh or Matza) is crispy unleavened bread made of plain white flour, and water. At the Passover Seder, it is customary to eat matzah made of flour and water only. (Matzah containing eggs, wine or fruit juice in addition to water is not acceptable, as these items will cause it to become leaven. Matzah made with these items without the use of water is allowed during the remaining days of the holiday, but some strictly Orthodox Jews will not eat this kind of matzah at all.)

The dough is pricked in several places and not allowed to rise before or during baking, thereby producing a hard, cracker-like flat bread. Similar in preparation to the central Asian lavash and the Indian chapati, Matzah is a substitute for bread during Passover, when eating chametz (bread and leavened products) is forbidden.

Eating matzah on the night of the Seder is considered a positive mitzvah, i.e., a commandment. The historical explanation comes from the biblical narrative relating that the Israelites left Egypt in such haste, they could not wait for their bread dough to rise and the resulting product was matza. (Exodus 12:39).

The symbolic explanation is that not only does matza symbolize redemption and freedom, it is also "poor man's bread," thus serving as a reminder to be humble and not forget what life was like in servitude. Additionally, leaven symbolizes corruption and pride as leaven "puffs up". Therefore, eating the "bread of affliction" is both a lesson in humility and an act that enhances one's appreciation of freedom.

The Matzah stands for Priests, Levites and Israelites, the three castes of Jews and also commemorates the three measures of fine flour Abraham told Sarah to bake into matzah when they were visited by three angels (Genesis 18:6).

2) Maror and Chazeret: It is obligatory to eat Maror (bitter herbs) twice at each Seder. The bitter taste of Maror symbolizes the bitterness and harshness of the slavery which the Jews endured in Egypt. The bitter herbs may consist either of romaine lettuce, horseradish or endives but many people mix freshly grated horseradish with cooked beets and sugar to make a condiment called chrein for their Maror. Whole horseradish root can be eaten, but traditional Jews do not consider cooked or pickled horseradish a valid choice.

Chazeret is typically romaine lettuce, which has roots bitter tasting roots. Either horseradish or romaine lettuce may be eaten to fulfill the mitzvah of eating bitter herbs.

3) Charoset is a sweet, dark-colored, lumpy paste formed of a special mixture of apples, nuts, wine and cinnamon. Its color and texture makes it a symbol of mortar used by Jewish slaves to build the storehouses of Ancient Egypt. The word charoset comes from the Hebrew word cheres meaning "clay". While Maror is a special item on the Passover Seder Plate, charoset serves an ancillary function to it. Before eating the Maror diners dip it into the charoset. This combination represents how hard the Israelites worked in Egypt by combining a food that brings tears to the eyes with one that resembles the mortar used to build Egyptian cities and storehouses.

Despite its symbolism, charoset is a tasty concoction and is a favorite of children. During the Seder meal, it may be eaten liberally, often spread on matzah. In fact, some people believe it is the tastiest thing eaten during Passover. There are many other recipes associated with charoset. In addition to chopped nuts, cinnamon, and wine, Sephardi recipes also call for dates and honey. These ingredients reflect the various foods to which Israel is favorably compared in the “Solomon's Song of Songs.“

4) Karpas is a traditional Passover Seder ritual that refers to the vegetable, usually parsley, celery or boiled potato that is dipped in liquid (usually salted water or vinegar) and eaten during the occasion. The liquid makes food capable of becoming ritually impure. The vegetables symbolize the coming of the spring while the salt water symbolizes the pain felt by the Jews, who could only eat simple foods while they were enslaved in Egypt.

Some have explained the dipping of the Karpas to symbolize Joseph’s tunic being dipped into blood by his brothers. Karpas is hence, performed at the beginning of the Seder, just as Joseph's tunic being dipped into blood signaled the beginning of the Israelites’ descent to Egypt. Karpas means cloth in some languages means.

5) Zeroah (Hebrew for "bone) is a piece of roasted or boiled meat or poultry, preferably a shank bone. Zeroah represents the korban Pesach (the ancient Passover sacrifice), when the slaves sacrificed a lamb in the Temple in Jerusalem and roasted and ate it as part of the meal on the first Seder night, the eve of the Exodus. Since the destruction of the Temple, the zeroah serves as a visual reminder of the Pesach sacrifice but it is not eaten or handled during the Seder. The present day zeroah can come from whatever the family is eating, including the leg bone from a roast turkey. For vegetarians or anyone who prefers not to use a bone, some rabbis suggest using a roasted beet as a substitute.

6) Beitzah is a roasted egg, symbolic of korban chagigah (festival sacrifice) that was offered in the Temple in Jerusalem. It is roasted and eaten as part of the meal the first night of Seder, apart from the Paschal lamb. Although the Pesach sacrifice and the chagigah were both meat offerings, the Chagigah (festival offering) is commemorated by an egg, a symbol of mourning (as eggs are the first thing served to mourners after a funeral).

The Beitzah is also a symbol of spring, the season in which Passover is always celebrated. In many households, it is customary to use a brown egg on the Seder plate and the egg should be baked or roasted if possible.

Some Seder gatherings put additional items on the Seder plate as symbols. The special foods eaten on Passover are also food for thought. Every item abounds in meaning and allusion. For example, some Seders include an orange on the Seder Plate to honor feminism, gay and lesbian rights, rights for marginalized people and Jews, and/or activism.

The Passover season lasts a week during which time some great food is served but you don’t have to be Jewish to enjoy a great Passover meal if you use some of their wonderful recipes in your own home.

Leg of Lamb is frequently the roast of choice for Passover and Easter gatherings but brisket is also a popular mainstay and can easily be made kosher. It’s great served with mashed potatoes or potato latkes or vegetables roasted with olive oil, salt and pepper.

Grandma’s Best Beef Brisket

1 T. vegetable oil

1 4-lb. beef brisket

Ground black pepper to taste

2 onions, thickly sliced

2 cloves garlic, peeled and cut in half

Salt and pepper to taste

Heat the oil in a large deep skillet or pot over medium-high heat. Season the brisket generously with black pepper. Place in the pan and cook until the surface is a rich brown color, not burnt, but dark. Lift the roast and scatter the onions in the pan. Place the uncooked side of the roast down onto the onions. Repeat the browning process.

Add the garlic to the pan, and fill with enough water to almost cover the roast. Bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to low and cover with a lid or tight-fitting aluminum foil. Simmer for 4 hours, turning the roast over once halfway through. The roast should be fork tender.

Remove the brisket to a serving platter. Bring the broth in the pan to a simmer, scraping the bottom to loosen any browned bits. Cook until reduced to a thin gravy. Taste and season with salt and pepper if needed.

Sweet and Sour Brisket is a very traditional dish for Rosh Hashanah and Passover but it certainly is a winner any time of the year.

Sweet and Sour Brisket

4 lb. beef brisket

1 c. water

1 c. ketchup

1/2 c. white vinegar

2 onions, sliced

1 clove garlic, minced

3/4 c. brown sugar

1 T. salt

Heat brisket in a large skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Cook until browned on all sides. Stir in water, ketchup, vinegar, onions, garlic, brown sugar, and salt. Bring to a boil, then cover and reduce heat to medium-low. Continue simmering until tender, turning brisket occasionally, 2 hours and 30 minutes to 3 hours and 30 minutes.

Remove brisket and allow to cool before slicing the meat against the grain. Place brisket slices in a 9x13 inch baking pan or large platter and pour gravy on top. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Remove any excess fat and reheat before serving.

This southern sounding chicken dumpling soup is an excellent variation on traditional Matzo Ball Soup.

Passover Chicken Dumpling Soup

8 eggs

2/3 lb. ground chicken

1 egg, lightly beaten

1/3 c. matzo meal

Salt and pepper to taste

1 pinch ground cinnamon

10 c. chicken broth

1 c. uncooked rice

Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil. Place 8 eggs in the boiling water; let the eggs boil for one minute, then remove the pan from the heat. Let the eggs sit for 15 minutes before removing them from the pot. Let them cool, remove the shells, the white portion of the eggs (save or discard the white), and chop the yolks.

In a medium bowl, mix ground chicken, beaten egg, matzo meal, salt and pepper to taste and cinnamon. Form mixture into walnut-sized balls and refrigerate until ready to cook.

In a large saucepan over high heat, bring chicken broth to a boil. Add rice and chicken balls, cover and lower heat to medium low; simmer for 20 minutes or until the rice and chicken are cooked. Ladle into soup bowls and garnish with hard-boiled egg; serve.

This easy to prepare apple dish serves as ancillary dish to Maror.

Charoset

3 medium Gala or Fuji apples, peeled, cored, and finely diced

1-1/2 c. walnut halves, lightly toasted, cooled, and coarsely chopped

1/2 c. sweet red wine such as Manischewitz Extra Heavy Malaga

1-1/2 t. ground cinnamon

1 T. brown sugar

In large bowl, stir together all ingredients. Store, covered, at room temperature until ready to serve.

Matzo Balls (Knaidlech)

3 eggs

3 T. chicken fat, room temperature

1/2 t. salt 3 T. hot water or chicken soup

3/4 c. matzo meal

2 qt. boiling salted water or hot soup

Pot of chicken soup

Separate the eggs and beat the yolks until light colored and thick. Add chicken fat, salt and water (or soup). Beat whites until stiff but not too dry and fold into yolk mixture. Fold in matzo meal and refrigerate for about an hour, or until batter is thick enough to form balls.

Roll batter into balls and drop carefully into boiling salted water or hot soup, cover and let simmer for 25 minutes. Add Matzoh Balls to a pot of chicken soup and let cook for another 15 or 20 minutes. Serve hot.

If you think Passover cake can’t be very good without leavening, a big slice of great apple cake or delicious sponge cake may come as a very pleasant surprise.

Passover Apple Cake

2 eggs

1 c. vegetable oil

1 c. white sugar

1-1/2 c. matzo meal

1/2 c. potato starch

2 t. ground cinnamon, divided

8 large apples - peeled, cored and sliced

1/2 c. brown sugar

1/2 t. ground nutmeg

Preheat oven to 350° F. Grease a 9x13 inch glass baking dish and set aside. .

Combine eggs, oil and sugar in large bowl with electric mixer. Stir in matzo meal, potato starch and 1 teaspoon cinnamon. In a separate bowl, toss apples with brown sugar, remaining teaspoon of cinnamon and nutmeg.

Layer half of the dough into the prepared 9x13 inch dish. Pour the apples into the dish then pat remaining dough over the apples. Sprinkle with some brown sugar if desired and bake in preheated oven for 45 minutes.

Passover Sponge Cake

8 egg yolks

1-1/2 c. white sugar, divided

1 T. orange zest

3/4 c. matzo cake meal

1/4 c. potato starch

8 egg whites

1-1/2 T. fresh orange juice

Preheat oven to 325° F. Cut parchment paper to line the bottom of a 10-inch tube pan but do not grease the pan.

In a medium bowl, whip egg yolks until light. Gradually add 1 cup sugar and orange zest; continue whipping until thick and pale, about 7 minutes. Sift together the matzo cake meal and potato starch; set aside. In a large glass or metal mixing bowl, beat egg whites until foamy.

Gradually add remaining 1/2 cup pf sugar, continuing to beat until whites form stiff peaks. Fold the dry ingredients into the yolk mixture alternately with the juice. Fold 1/3 of the whites into the batter, and then quickly fold in remaining whites until no streaks remain. Spread evenly into the prepared pan.

Bake for 1 hour and 10 minutes in the preheated oven, until cake springs back to the touch. Invert onto a wire rack to cool. Run a knife around the sides of the cake before removing from the pan.

Potato Kugel is often served as a side dish but Vegetable Kugel is an excellent way to add a slightly different touch to the festivities. This recipe includes directions for both sautéed and roasted versions.

Vegetable Kugel

3 stalks celery, sliced

4 carrots, sliced

3 medium potatoes, sliced

2 onions, sliced

2 red peppers, sliced in 1-inch pieces for sautéed version, left whole for roasted version

8 oz. mushrooms, sliced

3 T. matzo meal

4 eggs

1 t. salt

1/4 t. pepper

Spray a baking dish with vegetable spray and set aside. Prepare vegetables for whichever version you choose.

Sautéed version:

Sauté onion in one T. of olive oil; add remaining vegetables and sauté them vegetables.

Roasted version:

Place vegetables on cookie sheet, spray with olive oil spray or non-stick spray.

Place oven rack to the highest level and turn heat to broil. Broil 7 minutes on each side (until brown and soft). Combine vegetables with eggs, matzo meal, salt and pepper and mix and pour into prepared dish. Bake in a preheated oven for one hour @ 350oF.

Matzo Balls can be purchased at the supermarket but that’s just extra expense for this super easy to make ingredient often added to chicken soup during Passover.

My car lost

My little red car came out on the losing end with a Land Rover yesterday. Everyone was okay but I'm a little sore today. Amazing how much better Percocet and good chocolate will make you feel though. More later when my back and neck loosen up a bit. Just wish my car would be!

Bragging on my granddaughter

Please allow to me boast a little. TS just told me Roo has the highest sight-read score in her whole Kindergarten. 84! The closest anyone else came was 54 and teacher said this is the highest of any class she had ever taught. The teacher also said it was the best parent teacher conference she had all day because there were no oher problems. Way to go, Roo!

A three-year-old's logic

A recalcitrant Little Bit when I told her she had to leave a particular play area (at home) yesterday: “But I don’t want to!”

Me: “I don’t care. Let’s go. Now!” (Now! added when I saw she wasn't moving.)

LB (still not moving from her spot and crying loudly): “No, I not going!”

Me (seeing her feet dug in firmly): “Stop crying and come on. Don’t me have to pop your hiney.”

LB: “But if you spank me, it will make me cry more.”

Makes sense I guess but some days you just have to keep them from seeing you laugh.

Happy ending: She came with me, albeit reluctantly, when she saw I meant business. Dodged a bullet there, lol.

Spring has sprung (sort of)

Well, it's officially springtime in GA and you know what that means: beautiful blooms, longer days, and huge temperature swings in short periods of time. I mean, 70s for two days and snow flurries the following? Seriously!!

Roo is in soccer now and we missed her second practice due to the weather. I e-mailed the coach and said that even though it wasn't called off, I couldn't expose my three-year-old to 39 degree weather and drizzling rain for an hour. She was very nice and e-mailed me back, explaining that they had just essentially played around a half hour since only two others showed up. Glad to hear that I wasn't the only "slacker" parent!

On an entirely different subject, I am amazed at the amount of vitrol I have been witness to the past few days regarding the passage of the healthcare bill. Whether you agree or disagree with it, I mean is it truly necessary to resort to name-calling and incivility? When did we as a people get to the level where the person that shouts the loudest is considered the winner? For myself, I see the pros and cons of it...I am truly concerned about the amount of money involved and how it will impact future generations, but I also see some good points to the bill as well. Regardless, I am finding very few people with whom I can discuss this with reasonably and in an educated manner instead of them channeling the media with inaccurate and what they believe to be pithy quotes, so I am choosing to keep my opinions mostly to myself.

View from the inside

For the first time in my life, I’m living in a place where many church congregations exceed the population of the towns in which I spent most of my life. I've been in Atlanta for a year now and I still find the constant hum of a vibrant energy exciting.

Despite the differences, Atlanta is a big city made up of small communities and many things are similar, just on a different scale ~ most of the time anyway. After the first few months, reality set in and I've learned just how pronounced those differences can really be, especially traffic-wise. I have also discovered how to translate some of these communications as well as a few tips to help cope.

Even though I can no longer wait until five minutes before I have to be across town, learning your way around really isn’t as complicated as it seems. Especially if you invest in a handy dandy GPS and a good compass if your vehicle didn’t come equipped with these.

With the weather we’ve had this winter, you can’t depend on the sun to tell if you’re going north or south or east or west (this is much easier to confuse than you can ever imagine!), I especially recommend a compass.

A GPS will help you find where you’re going but the best thing about it is when you take the wrong turn or miss yours and wind up in an area that looks like a completely different country, you can pull over and set it to take you home. Double value: I programmed mine with a Hannibal Lector voice and it also entertains me while driving.

I love it when that Anthony Hopkins voice says something like, “Driver, ahead you have a left turn. It’s just as well. Your therapy’s going nowhere,” or “Driver. You’ve reached your destination. Don’t worry. I’ll inform Clarice myself” and numerous other gems like that. Bonus: No one here pays attention to you if you are laughing while driving alone. Either they assume you are on your cell phone or are thinking, ‘Oh, Lord, another nutcase! Don’t make eye contact! Don’t make eye contact!’

I used to wonder why people from the city always spoke of distance in time instead miles, i.e., it’s 30 minutes instead of 3 miles, etc. but now I know. Perhaps I exaggerate a bit. You can make it in 15 if the traffic isn’t as heavy as usual or you get all the lights or there’s no accident or roadwork on the way or donkeys fly.

Just because you checked traffic conditions on the Internet or other sources and found your route was clear just before you walked out the door, that doesn’t mean they will be the same when you get there five minutes later.

The statement, “Traffic is flowing smoothly on the downtown connector,” does not mean it is flowing rapidly or even at the speed limit for that matter. It might be “flowing smoothly” at 19 mph. Or less.

If a flashing sign over the interstate tells you there is a wreck 3.7 or whatever miles ahead, get off immediately even if you cannot see any jams or holdups. I promise there will be one of monumental proportions right around the next curve, about the time you find it’s too late to take another route.

You should also learn the proper answer to certain questions or at least what the asker wants to hear. For instance, when a DeKalb County police officer asks if you know why he pulled you over on I-20 when you were driving 62 mph in a 55 mph zone, “Umm, for slowing up traffic?” is probably not the best reply. For some reason, that seems to make them positively apoplectic.

Always keep a soothing music CD ready to pop into the player when you feel your blood pressure rising. I recommend a quiet Henry Mancini CD. (Enya grinds on me after a while.) And gum. Lots and lots and gum!

I’ve learned to relax and enjoy the changes, not just here but in myself. The times I’ve gotten off the beaten path, literally or mentally, whether I meant to or not (and most of the time I did not), I’ve seen or learned something new. Every day can be a day of new discovery if you let it.

Roll with the punches, go with the flow and all those old adages we’ve heard before and you will be pleasantly surprised. And commit this modern beatitude to memory: Blessed are the flexible for they shall not be bent out of shape.

Missed opportunity?

It was so beautiful out today. Hard to believe it's going to be cold again the first of the week. Yuk!

So many things are in bloom, so much color to enjoy. Cherry trees, Japanese Magnolias, hedges of yellow forsythia, and others I have no idea what they are but like to see them. A nice time ~ still cool enough for the pansies in the landscaping to show off but warm enough for other things to poke theirs heads up. The daffodils have been here a while but they've always thumbed their noses at the cold.

The only thing that spoiled my walk was seeing a mother walking her two children, ages somewhere between 6 and 8, from the bus stop, talking on her cell phone all the time. She ended one call and punched in another immediately. It was only a couple of blocks but apparently she couldn't unplug it from her ear for that short distance. The only time she spoke to them was to yell at the youngest one to hurry up. What a missed opportunity for a little quality time!

Sam-I-Ain't!

If what I did Sunday does not give me 'Grandmother of the Year' title, perhaps it will negate some of my little-less-than-proper behavior at Verizon the day before.

I was "chosen" to attend an Atlanta Symphony Orchestra production of Green Eggs and Ham with my granddaughters and their Mom. Perhaps I was expecting too much after seeing the ASO and Atlanta Gay Men’s Choir production of Broadway music a few months ago but that didn’t happen! Whatever the case, there was no comparing the two!

The first show was a truly professional production and this one was amateurish in comparison. Not that the simplistic props were all that bad (for the kids anyway) but I have to wonder who thought the narration in an almost-operatic female voice was appropriate for children. Heck, I had trouble understanding her myself. (Wonder what that says about me?)

The children enjoyed it though but I was as happy as they were that it only lasted an hour!

Big city "sophistication"?

Seen on a t-shirt outside Kroger today: Mess with me and you mess with the whole trailer park. When I moved to Atlanta, I thought I left all that in South Georgia. LOL, apparently not!

My Saturday

It has been a totally weird day. I didn’t start out that way but it turned strange pretty rapidly when I went to the local Verizon store to return a broken telephone holster.

First of all, they had no customers in the front of the store but plenty of help standing around. I was directed to customer service where there were several customers but only one person helping. Typical I suppose.

After standing there for what seemed forever, someone finally came back and started listing customers so we could be called in the order we had gotten in line. This was after one other person finally came back to help and called someone forward who had not been there as long as some others. To say that annoyed me (and the others) is a gross understatement.

To make matters even worse (if they could be) some old guy wearing Nikes, white socks, a velour top, and way-too-short baggy knit shorts with extremely wide legs was sitting on an office chair waiting his turn in line. He kept turning and every time he swiveled his chair, his shorts rode up even higher. Every time I averted my eyes, he seemed to move into my line of sight again. Boy, some things do not get better with age and what I saw today affirmed that in spades!

I finally went up front and asked why they couldn’t just change the broken holster out and let me go. It was after 2 p.m., I had not had breakfast or lunch, so was not only crabby, but hungry and crabby, a deadly combination! I was informed I had to go through customer service but I think the muttering I did moved me up a little.

The supervisor-type I was grumbling to called me forward in a few minutes. With Murphy’s Law in full force, I got the new person who had no clue how to do anything. Instead of asking for help, she stood there with the broken holster, looking around as though she had never been in the store before. Since she made no effort to, I had to aggravate the supervisor again to ask if they even had the item in stock. Of course they didn’t!

Okay, now a simple refund. Not! She gazed at the cash register as if it was a strange creature that was about to take her hand off at the wrist. By the time she figured out which buttons to push, the telephone rang. She couldn’t let someone else answer it. No, it had to be her and she promptly engaged in a conversation with an unseen customer. I tried politely to get her attention and she was so wrapped up in the conversation and staring at the register that she didn’t seem to hear me.

It was at that point I probably won “Bitchy Customer of the Month” title. I spoke loudly enough she could not ignore me and said, “Miss, put your call on hold and finish processing my transaction!” She mumbled something I could not hear but put the phone down and finished quickly.

Moral: Do not mess with old women. Especially, tired hungry old women who are already p***ed off. It won't be pretty!

Out of sync

A sinus infection has kept me out of sync for several days, actually for the past 3-4 weeks. After it moved into my ears, I decided to give in and go get some antibiotics this afternoon so here's hoping I will be my usually witty self soon. That may be a good change, lol.

PKA Candidate

It’s official. My green thumb really is as brown as I thought. I swore off anything even remotely horticulture-related, especially inside plants, when I managed to kill some cacti many years ago; but the bamboo was so pretty and tempting that I couldn’t resist buying a few pieces to “green-up” my apartment. After all, it only required water and no direct sunlight ~ no potting, no fertilizing, nothing I could mess up on. Apparently I did.

The once beautiful dark green plant in my kitchen window (still in water) is now a sickly shade of yellow in its death throes. I surrender! Wonder if there’s a chapter of Plant Killers Anonymous near me? I'm desperately in need of a sponsor.

Wearing of the Green coming up soon

Colcannon, a traditional Irish potato-leek dish, usually includes prizes of small coins and other trinkets much as a British Christmas pudding.

Fadge, a type of griddle bread, is basically a classic potato farl (derived from the Gaelic fardel, literally meaning 'four part), referring to the way it is typically cut into quarters for serving). One version is filled with sliced apples and served at Halloween.

Bailey’s Irish Cream Cheesecake drizzled with chocolate is a delicious way to top a St. Patrick’s Day meal.

If St. Patrick’s Day is here, can spring be far behind?

“When after the Winter alarmin',

The Spring steps in so charmin',

So fresh and arch

In the middle of March,

Wid her hand St. Patrick's arm on...”

~Alfred Percival Graves (Irish poet)

When Graves penned that verse, he may well have been experiencing a winter much like this one that has roamed ferociously over parts of the United States. In any event, he sounds as pleased about the arrival of spring as most of us probably feel about it now. As he so eloquently expressed it, St. Patrick’s Day heralds the arrival of Spring and after the unusual cold we’ve had here in the not-so-sunny South, I’m sure many of us are prayng his predictions hold true this year!

Along with Spring and St. Patrick’s Day comes parades, festivals, images of leprechauns, pots of gold, shamrocks and green. Lots and lots of green. Green beer, green food, green clothes. Chicagoans even dye their river bright green every year.

Green has been associated with St. Patrick's day and Ireland for many years, but the truth of the matter is that it was once considered the color most treasured by the faerie folk; and parents wouldn't dare dress their children in green on St. Patty's day, for fear of having them stolen by these supernatural creatures. Today, it is one of the three colors of the Irish flag, and is worn with great pride.

St. Patrick's Day has traditionally been a religious occasion in Ireland and Irish laws mandated that pubs be closed on March 17 until the 1970s. In 1995, the government there began a national campaign to use St. Patrick's Day as an opportunity to drive tourism and showcase Ireland to the rest of the world. The multi-day St. Patrick’s Festival in Dublin, featuring parades, concerts, outdoor theater productions and fireworks shows, attracted nearly 1,000,000 celebrants last year.

Irish food is not usually lauded as special but it has been an integral part of American cuisine for many years. In fact, Abraham Lincoln’s inauguration dinner menu included Corned Beef served with cabbage and parsley potatoes as the main entrée while the traditional Saint Patrick's Day meal is corned beef, boiled potatoes, and mashed cabbage served with Guiness of course. Lincoln’s dinner differed in that it opened with Mock Turtle Soup and ended with Blackberry Cobbler. No Guiness for this repast though. Just coffee.

Today, there are new additions to Irish menus as well as modern versions of most old recipes but many prefer the more traditional methods. A mixture of both is included here for your St. Patrick’s Day celebration. NOTE: I’ve tried to leave Irish spellings and terminology intact as much as possible and inserted some clarifications and conversions for convenience sake.

*********

Irish Lamb Stew

2 lbs. cubed, boneless leg of lamb

2 medium onions, chopped

2 T. flour

1 t. salt

1/4 t. rosemary

1 lb. potatoes, cut into pieces

2 small rutabagas, cubed

1/4 c. frozen onions

3 T.oil

1 clove of garlic, minced

2 c. beef stock

Black pepper to taste

1 bay leaf

6 carrots sliced

1 lb. frozen peas

Cut lamb into cubes. Heat oil in a heavy saucepan, add lamb and cook until lightly browned, remove from pan. Add onion and garlic and cook for a few minutes. Add flour and stir, heat until mixture browns. Gradually add stock while stirring.

Return meat to saucepan. Add salt, pepper, rosemary and bay leaf. Cover and simmer for 1 hour or until meat is almost tender. Add potatoes, carrots and turnips. Cook 30 minutes longer. Add peas and onions and continue cooking until peas are tender, about 10-15 minutes.

Fadge

2 lb. unpeeled "old" potatoes (cured)

1 egg, beaten

1/2 stick (4 T.) butter

3 T. flour

1-1/2 T. chopped parsley

1-1/2 T. chopped chives

1-1/2 T. chopped lemon thyme (these three herbs mixed, opt)

Creamy milk

Salt

Freshly ground pepper

Seasoned flour

Bacon fat or butter for frying

Boil the potatoes in their jackets, pull off the skins and mash straight away. Add the egg, butter, flour and herbs (if using) and mix well. Season with plenty of salt and pepper, adding a few drops of creamy milk (whole milk) if the mixture is too stiff.

Shape into a 1" round and then cut into eight pieces. Dip in seasoned flour. Bake on a griddle over an open fire or fry in bacon fat or melted butter on a gentle heat. Cook the fadge until crusty and golden on one side, then flip over and cook on the other side (about 4-5 minutes on each side). Serve on its own on hot plates with a blob of butter melting on top

Colcannon

4 cups mashed potatoes (Real Irish spuds only please)

1-1/2 cups cabbage, cooked and chopped fine

1/2 cup butter (real butter is best)

1/2 c. evaporated milk or cream

3/4 cup leeks or onion, chopped very fine

Few strips bacon/or bacon grease

1/4 teaspoons salt

1/8 teaspoon white pepper

A thimble

A button

A ring

A coin

In large cooking pan, fry bacon; add onion and sauté. Discard bacon and grease. Add all of the above ingredients, except the cabbage and play pretties, and cook over low heat while blending together. Turn the heat to medium and add the chopped cabbage. The mixture will have a pale green cast. Stir occasionally until the mixture is warm enough to eat. Put in the pretties and eat very cautiously. Serves about 6 healthy eaters.

Baileys Irish Cream Cheesecake

250g (8-3/4 oz.) choc-chip biscuits (cookies)

75g (2-2/3 oz.) butter, melted

3 t. (1 T.) gelatine (gelatin)

1/4 c. (60ml) water

2 x 250g (2 8-oz. pkg.) packets cream cheese

3/4 c. (165g) caster sugar

300ml (10-1/2 oz.) thickened cream

1/3 cup (80ml) Baileys Irish Cream liqueur

2 egg whites

Blend or process biscuits until they resemble fine breadcrumbs. Transfer to a large bowl; add butter, stir to combine. Press biscuit mixture evenly over the base of a 24cm springform tin (inside top measurement 23cm); refrigerate for 30 minutes or until firm.

Sprinkle gelatine over the water in a small heatproof jug; stand the jug in small saucepan of simmering water. Stir until the gelatine dissolves; cool for 5 minutes.

Beat cream cheese and sugar in a medium bowl with an electric mixer until smooth. Add the cream; beat until thick. Stir in gelatine mixture and liqueur. Beat egg whites in a clean small bowl with an electric mixer until soft peaks form; fold into cheese mixture. Pour mixture over base in the prepared tin. Cover, refrigerate for about 4 hours or until set. Serve cheesecake with chocolate sauce.

Chocolate Sauce

200g (7 oz.) dark chocolate, chopped

1 cup (250ml) thickened cream

2 T. Irish Cream liqueur

Combine the chocolate and cream in a small heavy-based saucepan; stir over low heat until smooth. Stir in the liqueur.

*********

A little Irish trivia for your amusement:

Questions:

1. Where is it claimed that leprechauns bury their pots of gold?

2. Where did the faeries keep kidnapped brides and babies?

3. In St. Patrick’s time, who ranked as high as kings?

4. What was St. Patrick rumored to have removed from Ireland?

5. St. Patrick’s Day was first celebrated in what American city?

6. What two rivers are dyed green every year on St. Patrick’s Day in the United States?

7. A popular Irish dish of shredded cabbage, minced onions and melted butter is known as?

8. What is an Irish shillegah?

9. What was the birth name of St. Patrick?

10. How long did St. Patrick serve as a missionary?

11. Who began the custom of pinching those who don’t wear green on St. Patrick’s Day?

12. Is it true or false that all lent restrictions are dropped on St. Patrick’s Day?

13. How did St. Patrick drive all the snakes out of Ireland?

14. Was it really snakes that St. Patrick drove from Ireland?

15. Where was St. Patrick born?

16. Which city’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade garners the largest viewing audience?

17. What did St. Patrick consider himself to be at the age of 16?

18. St. Patrick was canonized by which pope?

19. Which group established the St. Patrick’s Festival?

20. Which service for fairies are leprechauns said to perform?

21. What was St. Patrick’s Latin name?

22. What was St. Patrick’s father’s occupation?

23. Why is St. Patrick’s Day celebrated on March 17th?

24. In what year did St. Patrick’s Day become a public holiday in Ireland?

25. What color, other than green, was once associated with St. Patrick’s Day?

26. The longest-running Saint Patrick's Day parade in Canada occurs in which city each year?

27. The largest St. Patrick’s Day parade in the UK is held in which city?

28. In what year did New York City celebrate its first St. Patrick’s Day parade?

29. What symbol is most commonly associated with St. Patrick’s Day celebrations?

30. The circle in the middle of a Celtic Cross represents what?

Answers:

1. At the end of the rainbow

2. In fairy mounds for up to 100 years. Some farmers still will not disturb small lumpy hills on their land because they believe spirits are in them.

3. Poets. St. Patrick was so taken with Irish poet Caoilte that he declared all Irish tales be told “where every third word have melody.”

4. Snakes

5. Boston in 1737

6. The Chicago River and the San Antonio River

7. Colcannon

8. A big walking stick.

9. Maewyn Succat

10. 30 years

11. Children

12. True

13. By pounding on drums

14. Snakes are not indigenous to Ireland and it is commonly believed that serpents were likely a metaphor for druidic religions which steadily disappeared from Ireland in the centuries after St. Patrick planted the seeds of Christianity on the island.

15. Wales

16. New York

17. A pagan

18. None. He was never formally canonized

19. The Irish Government

20. Making their shoes

21. Patricius

22. He was an alderman

23. It is the day St. Patrick was said to have died

24. 1903

25. Blue

26. Montreal

27. Birmingham, England

28. 1762. The first St. Patrick's Day parade took place not in Ireland but in the United States. Irish soldiers serving in the English military marched through New York City on March 17, 1762. In 1848, several Irish Aid societies united to form one gigantic NYC St. Paddy’s parade. With 150,000 participants, it holds the distinction of being the largest civilian parade in the USA. Nearly 3,000,000 watchers line a 1.5-mile route to watch the procession that takes more than five hours to pass by.

29. Shamrocks

30. The sun

Time flying...

If you want see time physically passing in front of your eyes, trying going out at the same time early each morning. On my recent forays to watch Little Bit the past few weeks, I could literally see the changes happening.

Week before last, it was dark as pitch when I left at 6:30 a.m. and still dark when I reached my destination 45-50 minutes later. Last week, I could see soft pink and purple tendrils of light barely creeping over the horizon when I headed out to my car.

Two days later, vibrant electric pink clouds were already piercing the entire lower part of the sky as I headed east. In less than ten minutes, the sun was peeking over the treetops and in five more minutes, I was lowering the visor and reaching for my sunglasses.

Time is fleeting…

My opinion

Saying the recent exit of several politicians from Washington is a “brain drain” assumes there have actually been brains at work there in the past decade or so. It’s more like rats deserting a ship that they’ve helped sink!