Matthew, hon, just for those of us who aren't from the old country ( at
least not in the last 200 years), can you explain pieces of your recipe and
bring it into this century for us? Thanks...
Hugs and purrs,
Kathy P.
"Matthew" wrote in message
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"jmcquown" wrote in message
...
Matthew wrote:
"jmcquown" wrote in message
...
Matthew wrote:
I did not know your were Celtic Jill

LOL With a name like McQuown you have to ask? I think "Pagan" is
the word
you're looking for.


Every Christian is Pagan LOL.

I defy you to stand in front of a Baptist church and say that!


I tell every christian that when they start religious debates. The look
on their faces when you provide them facts that their religion is pagan
religion. They can agrue all they want when you put the information right
in their face


I know all about the festivals I grew up on a farm. We did what
ever it took to make the fields grow. We always put out a jug of
cream for the Grogoch to make sure the planting went well. The great
grand parents made sure they made food offerings to the little people
to keep them helping instead of being bad.

When my great grand parents were still alive we were not allowed to
celebrate Halloween. I grew up in the country so there was still a
lot of superstition. With Irish and Scottish back grounds you can
imagine what we had to go through

Having to put a cup of water out with any ivy leaf in it, Having the
bonfire. Eating that good awful Colcannon; Cabbage, raw onions and
boiled potatoes all unseasoned for dinner.

Oh, then you didn't have good Colcannon! The Scottish version uses kale
and
a swede (rutabega), potatoes, butter and salt & pepper. Cabbage is
sometimes substituted for the kale. Too bad yours was unseasoned!
Butter,
salt & pepper is essential! Bubble & Squeak is a wonderful Scottish
potato
& cabbage dish.

My great grandparents said it ruined the experience with the seasoning.
We always argued that you eat it than but back than you did as your elders
said. I still don't like cababge to this day

I always did enjoy
getting a silver piece in my potatoes. I do miss Barnbrack Cake. I
think I will have to make some.

Grandma Brown made delicious shortbread. Never, ever use margarine to
make
shortbread. Butter, always butter.

I love mountain cooking. I do many recipes from up there and people love
them. Specially my black skillet cornbread

BARNBRACK

8 ozs sultanas
4 ozs currants
2 ozs mixed peel
1 oz. fresh yeast
3 oz. caster sugar
½ tsp. salt
1 tsp. mixed spice
1 lb. strong white flour
1 beaten egg
10 fluid ozs tepid milk

Mix yeast with one teaspoon of sugar and milk, add the rest of the warm
milk, plus the egg. In another bowl, sieve flour, spice and salt together,
rub in butter and add the fruit. Stir the yeast mixture into this and mix
well. Turn this onto a floured surface and knead for ten minutes. Place in
a greased bowl, cover with an oiled plastic bag and leave for one hour in
a warm place. Divide the dough in half and knead for a few more minutes,
then place each in a loaf tin and return to the warm place for a further
hour. By this time the dough will be well risen. Bake for 35 minutes in an
oven pre-heated to 200º C. If you wish, a glaze can be applied to the warm
cake, by dissolving 2 tablespoons of sugar in 2 tablespoons of hot water.


I also like TEABACK
TEABRACK

8 ozs sultanas
8 oz. raisins
6 ozs brown sugar
2 tbsp. whiskey
10 fluid ozs strong black tea
2 beaten eggs
1 lb. self-raising flour
½ tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. mixed spice
½ tsp. nutmeg

Soak the spices in the tea and whiskey overnight. Next day simply add the
remaining ingredients and mix well. Bake in a pre-heated oven, 160ºC for
1½ hours



The carving of the pumpkins to make jack o lanterns was fun the whole
family made one each and every one got involved.

The one Halloween I remember when I was about 6 or 7 we had a kin
folk pass away. Man did they all go nuts putting rock salt on the
windows edge , on every entrance. They did many ritual such as
putting stones in the fire one for each of us with our names on it.
They put some type of flower all around the house and barn's
entrances. I think it was night shade or something like that.

Night Shade is poisonous. Hope they knew the pets should be kept away
from
it!


Back than the only cats we had were barn cats. They never came into the
house or around the house. I did not have a cat myself till i was about
10


They sat in a circle with rock salt all around them all the children
and would not let us move from that circle till dawn we were not
allowed to sleep. We kept awake telling stories about the family.
Than at dawn we had a feast to celebrate the life of our deceased
kinfolk. They told me later on that they did not want the dead
spirit to come back and haunt them as a Púca or a banshee ( correct
word is Bean Sidhe) or the worse a Taisé.

Puca's are big rabbits. Remember the film with Jimmy Stewart, 'Harvey'?
Harvey was a Puca LOL

Jill

A Púca is a little more than that. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/P%C3%BAca
I remember that movie but Harvey was a pooka a different term or version
of a Púca http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pooka

also one definition is The Púca, pronounced "Pookah" is the Irish word for
hobgoblin. One of the most feared spirits, according to legend, it can
take on a variety of shapes and sizes in order to wreak havoc and harm.
However, as the legend goes, it's now less dangerous thanks to the
legendary King, Brian Boru, who is said to have tamed it and ridden it
like a horse. In fact, (if one can use that word in the same sentence as
talking about the supernatural), it's said that the Púca often takes on
the form of a horse or calf, rushes between a victim's legs, and hoists
them away for a mad dash across the countryside.
Besides horses and cows, the Púca can also take on the shape of a bird or
bat and has been known to scratch the face of its quarry. Usually, this
ominous spirit lies in wait at suitably eerie places such as a crossroads,
fence or bridge