Recipe for Success...

This summer has been rather rainy so far. It's days like this that all you want to do
is curl up on the couch with a cup of tea, a good book and comfort food.  One of my
favorites that Mom used to make was Colcannon, a combination of mashed potatoes and
cabbage (along with generous amounts of cream, butter, salt and pepper).  Perhaps it's
the Irish bloodlines or a flashback to the famine, but everything always seemed better
when accompanied by a side order of potatoes (mashed, baked, fried, boiled ....you name
it).

Some Irish favorites still make their way to our tables, even if only a few times a
year.  What would St. Pat's be like without Corned Beef and Cabbage.  Irish Stew, Soda
bread and Boxty (potato pancakes) were some of the dishes passed on to our mothers
(although Mom's soda bread making left something to the imagination).

Food has always been an integral part of every culture. Kitchen traditions have been a
great way to teach your kids about their cultures and bring the family together.  Half
of our family gatherings end up with most of us in the kitchen, either eating, cooking
or just shooting the breeze.  Family picnics (if the sun ever comes out this summer)
are a great way to get together and get caught up.    Pull that barbecue out of the
garage and get the charcoal going.  A day in the sun with good food, family and friends
 can make the summer even more enjoyable.