Happy St. Paddy's Day (1 day late)!

So I know I'm belated in writing about St. Patrick's Day - but I was drunk with corned beef and cabbage! My mom's corned beef and cabbage to be exact. It was wonderful that St. Patrick's Day fell on a weekend so that we could go to my parents' house for dinner.

Now, yes there is the celebration of the life of Patrick and all he did to bring christianity to the pagan country of Ireland. He really was a remarkable man when you think about it. He was kidnapped from him home, taken to Ireland and sold into slavery. For 6 years he was treated cruely, and forced to take care of pigs. Many people would harbor a grudge against the people who treated them so poorly. But not Patrick. He heard the voice of God and listened to it. He went back to Ireland to bring God to the people there. What an amazing man - a good lesson to try and remember when someone treats you wrong.


So, now that we have the Catholic perspective on St. Patrick's Day taken care of, let's get back to the food! My mother makes the best corned beef and cabbage around. She puts the corned beef into the crockpot the night before - a full 24 hours of slow cooking ensures an incredibly moist, tender, melt-in-your-mouth delight! I've heard of people making corned beef in the oven like it's a roast. I'm sure that's fine, but the shredded deliciousness that my mother creates every year is something that just can't be beat. And of course, don't forget the homemade oatmeal bread. Nothing better than a little tender cabbage and corned beef piled high on a slice of oatmeal bread - an open faced slice of heaven!

A dear friend of mine pondered why we only have corned beef and cabbage one day a year. I guarantee that this will not be the last time I have this meal this year.