Saint Patrick's Day

 Don’t miss out – let’s eat, drink & be lucky!

It said that, "Everyone is Irish on St. Patrick's Day", which falls today this year. But, some of us may be a little bit more Irish than others, due to actual ancestry. That could include me. I'm really not sure how much Irish is in my family tree, if any. 

Family lore maintained that we had Irish heritage. The belief is that my maternal great-grandfather, Newton Isaac Collins was biracial. His mother was a slave and his father was her master, an Irishman. However, my DNA analysis indicates that he may have been more Scotch than Irish. 

However, I do like to observe this day by eating soda bread, and perhaps having a sip of whiskey or Irish Stout.

 

Éirinn go Brách!

Note:

I tend to take much of DNA analysis with a grain of salt. Is someone with whom I share just 0.42% of DNA really a relative, or is it merely statistical noise?

But, 23andMe says that I have a great-grandparent who was 100% French. This totally jibes with another of my family's stories. So, there is that. And, it is a good excuse to go all out on Bastille Day.

All writing and images ©Cliff Hutson unless expressly noted. Do not use without permission.

British Pie Week

British Pie Week

 

Beef and Ale Pie: photo by Cliff Hutson

British Pie Week takes place every year on the first full week of March. It was founded by Jus-Rol, a company that crafts ready-to-bake pastries and doughs for any occasion, back in 2007.  

I post about this Untied Kingdom observance because I happen to like my photo of a Steak and Ale pie (from 2014) which according to research conducted by hungryhouse.co.uk, is the UK's highest rated pie. It is also a small way of of getting in touch with my 31.0% British and Irish ancestry - as assigned by 23andMe.

Motto: photo by Cliff Hutson

By the way, this pie pairs really well with a stout, in my humble opinion.

Hockey Jersey (detail): photo by Cliff Hutson