Failte!

I'm excited to share my adventures with all of you! I want your first taste of my life in Ireland to be this poem that I wrote very late one night when I was a Junior in College. Its meaning seems eerily prophetic now. More than anything, I've created this blog to make the actualization of this life-long dream of mine visible to those I love: my friends who are my foundation, my endlessly supportive family, my mentors and co-workers who inspire me, and my former students who have given me enough satisfaction and fulfillment to last two lifetimes... Have the courage to believe that your wildest dreams can come true.

Is fhearr fheuchainn na bhith san duil, (It is better to try than to hope)

e
Mourn (A Seaside Peak in Southern Ireland)

The dark, earthen sod saturates her fair feet,
but briefly since she frolics fast in knee high
blades of greenest grass that blow dizzily in the Celtic-sea air.

Her wool skirt, stiffened by ware of evenings past
is splashed by cresting waves that break
against a beach blacker than her hair.
Those once stiffer fibers were loosed by nights upon nights
of hanging perfectly on his line before being wildly blown dry
by the crisp Hibernian salt air.

The pair sits to rest a while instead of dodging
breakers or skipping paler stones.

"Indian summer's here," he says softly,
but all of summer here feels like the edge
of autumn to her, even though she grins in agreement
as she dangles her pale, soft feet off Achilles' peak,
where Erin's vermillion-gold sky meets
an ocean that is grey with years.

She sleeps with her eyes closed tight most nights.
He asks her if she believes in Tier-Nan-Og,
and she asks him if he believes in anything eternal.
Outside the tide is rising, or it's receding—
She never can tell but for the strengthened smell of
salty freshness strained through his light, lace curtains.
She thinks to herself that he is like trying to hold the sea 
and she imagines the water running between her fingers--
clenched so tight.

And so, the night calls her out of her sleeping,
like daytime chides her into dreaming.
She slips her white fingers through the holes of an old loose scarf
that affords her more company than warmth
on these newborn autumn evenings. She is off-- 
Night clouds reflect emerald from land to sea,
And the tara that she never eyes from long hours of
staring too far into star blanketed skies,
feels cool against the thickening pads of her pallid feet.

Elisabeth Lewis (2005)

22 October 2011

"Maybe It's All We've Got, But You're All I Need"

So the grind is on, which is why I'm blogging less. In 12.5 days I leave for AMERICA! But between now and then I have a HUGE fieldwork submission on Tuesday, a presentation on Thursday, a portfolio the NEXT week, and a 1500 word reflection on my presentation. Though I have another presentation, a 3000 word essay, and a 7500 word paper due when I get back in November, my time in the US will be a much needed period of joy and rejuvenation.  Candace and I are so happy here in Ireland-- we've each made a few friends at school, and stay busy with school and work, but spend most of our down time together. I'm so glad to have her back, things were getting quite lonely for the week she was gone! Mat Kearney aptly puts the feeling into words in the song quoted in the title of this entry.

Today, Candace and I are keeping warm and cozy inside our apartment, making sweet potato gnocchi. (In truth, I'm crunching away at numbers for my fieldwork submission, playing DJ, and taking pictures of Candace while she cooks for me). Of everything we've made this fall, this is the recipe to try! When Liz "Jelly" Wills made this for me in her Mouse House in Eastern market last year, I felt like crying it was so delicious. Enjoy! And please send a picture that I can post if you end up trying this delicious recipe :)



Sweet Potato Gnocchi with Butter Sage Sauce

2 lbs. red skinned sweet potato
12 oz. container ricotta cheese, drained
1 cup grated parmesan cheese
2 Tablespoons golden brown sugar
2 tablesspoons + 2 teasoons salt
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg 
2 3/4 cups all purpose flour
2 sticks butter
6 tablespoons chopped fresh sage 

1. Microwave Sweet potatoes on high until tender, cut in half and cool.
2. Scrape sweet potato flesh into a bowl and mash
3. Add Ricotta cheese, blend well
4. Add parmesan, nutmeg, brown sugar, 2 teaspoons salt and mash to blend
5. Mix in flour half cup at a time until dough forms.
Steps 6-9

6. Turn dough onto floured surface and divide into 6 equal balls
7. form each piece into a 20 inch long rope by rolling out with hands (sprinkle with flour if it get's sticky!
8. Cut each rope into 20 pieces
9. Roll each piece over tines of fork to score/indent and transfer to baking sheet

10. Bring a large pot of water to boil, add 2 tablespoons salt
11. Boil gnocchi in batches for 5-6 minutes, transfer back to baking sheet and let cool
12. Preheat oven to 300

13. Melt butter in a large saucepan, cook until it is brown with a toasty aroma, swirling pan occasionally! (This should take about 5 minutes on medium-high)
14. Add chopped sage and season generously with salt and pepper, turning off heat.
Steps 13 +14

15. Now add your gnocchi and sage to a skillet to saute until the gnocchi are heated through (about 6 minutes), Do this in batches and place in oven to keep warm while completing all batches!

Enjoy this delicious Autumn meal!!


Also, this obsession as of late:
I love him for the man he wants to be, and I love him for the man he ALMOST is. I love him Laurel. I. Love. Him.
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