Ponderings Along the Pathway...WEARIN' THE GREEN

Hello folks! I know it has been a while since we had an edition of Ponderings Along the Pathway, an exclusive feature over here on the Path of Positivity but Pat's writing muse is with her this month so we're in luck. The purpose of this column is to continue with the goal of this blog which is to create a space "designed to inspire, nurture and provide support for the soul by creating a positive path to follow, one project or post at a time". Providing some motivational introspection, is one way of achieving this goal.

This month, PAT is here to share her thoughts on the subject: WEARIN' THE GREEN…

It’s that time of the year again where my Irish roots take over. I start wearing green, quoting Irish blessings and looking for rainbows (you never know…). Now that Ancestry and DNA companies can give one a better understanding of where your ancestors came from, I’ve discovered that I am a wee bit more Irish than what my father described as “your big toe is Irish” (meaning not much).

I’ve discovered names in my family tree like Foley, Fogerty and O’Halloran, with records dating back to 1805 from Kerry County, Ireland. The Internet surely does make the world a smaller place.

In celebration of my discovery and the upcoming holiday of St. Patrick’s Day, I wanted to offer a little fun. First off, here is a link in which you can sign up for email newsletters from Ireland on what’s going on there, fun facts and even learn a little Gaelic: http://www.ireland-information.com/irishphrases.html I’ve already learned that...

Maidin mhaith means Good morning

(and yes, it does give you the correct pronunciation)

If you’re not up to learning a new language, you can use this cheat sheet found at Irish American Mom that clues you into Irish slang.

At Irish Central you can look up tons of family names. I found out my husband’s name, Martin, is one of the 50^th most popular surnames in Ireland (and it’s sure to be the same in the U.S.). And at Irish Surnames, you can find the history of your Irish name and your family crest (and purchase items to proudly show off your ancestry).

According to The Irish Jewelry Company, it was considered Bad luck for a new bride to be congratulated first by a woman. For Good Luck she used to carry a horseshoe (ends up) until after the ceremony, when the groom would take it and hang it in their home, again ends up, so that the good luck wouldn’t spill out.

The best part of my Irish roots is in the recipes handed down through the family. My Irish Soda Bread has only 4 ingredients, but comes out perfectly every time. You can find a similar one at Let’s Dish Recipes. Yummers! 

Interestingly enough, our family has a favorite dish that has crossed the borders of Ireland, Italy and America! We call it Irish Spaghetti and here is my family’s most secret recipe (it’s best served the next day after warming it in a frying pan. Just saying)

Pat’s Irish Spaghetti

(full on)

1# Bacon, cut into small pieces and cooked

   (set aside bacon, save drippings)

1 green pepper, chopped

1 onion, chopped

1/3 cup celery, chopped

2 14 ounce cans chopped tomatoes w/its juices

1# cooked spaghetti pasta

(heart healthy)

1# Turkey Bacon, cut into small pcs & cooked

 (set aside 1 TBSP bacon drippings)

1 TBSP Olive Oil

1 green pepper, chopped

1 onion, chopped

1/3 cup celery, chopped

2 14 oz cans chopped tomatoes w/its juices

1# cooked whole wheat spaghetti pasta

Cook pepper, onion and celery in olive oil in large pan until tender.

Add pre-cooked spaghetti and bacon to pan. Mix well.

Add tomatoes and its juices and again mix well. (For heart healthy recipe, you can add the 1 TBSP of drippings if you wish).

Warm in pan over low to medium heat. Serves four. Here’s where we deviate from the handed-down recipe. We may or may not eat it the first night. The second night we re-heat it in the frying pan and because the pasta has had a chance to soak up the juices of the tomatoes, the flavor is out of this world. You could try it both ways of course and choose for yourself…

I bet you’re wondering what this all has to do with the Path of Positivity. Just think of it. Families passing down their recipes and traditions, making them living legacies of the past. Lucky horseshoes, four-leaf clovers and other superstitions that have stood the test of time, creating continuous memories throughout the generations.

This may not be a straightforward pondering about a specific theme, but it sure makes me happy to know I’m following in the path of my ancestors when I gather my family around the table and serve up Irish Spaghetti or Hungarian Pancakes. I’m happy when we tell stories our parents and grandparents told us as kids about when they were kids. It’s like they’re somehow with us on the Path, you know?

And who knows, maybe this month your path might lead you to the end of a rainbow. What will you find there? I hope you’re lucky!!

Regardless of our heritage if we follow along the Path of our ancestors and incorporate their various traditions into our own lives, then we are honouring those that came before us. By sharing stories about our ancestors lives and how they've impacted us, we're helping to keep those people alive in our own memories and introducing them to the next generation. Family, friendship and heritage are all 'stops' on the Path of our lives--important stops that we should never forget.