St. PATRICK'S DAY 2025~Val's 4Patriots Irish Potato Soup; Kingman-AZ

My Irish DNA (I have Dutch, Welsh, English, Irish, German, Hebrew = Sephardi & Ashkenazi, Lakota, Hungarian, French & Latina DNA; basically, I'm a mutt 🤔 - but today, I am Irish 🤝) woke up this morning wanting Corned Beef Brisket with a side dish of Colcannon (creamy potatoes mashed with cabbage), for Supper tonight … but we aren't living large anymore (meaning my kitchen space is very small now; and cooking space very limited) - 

So, my brain went to work. What it came up with, was a potato soup with brussels sprouts: and that sounded good to me, since brussels sprouts are basically tiny cabbages 😉

Between morning coffee and Supper prep, we touched base with Aunt Gaye, & kept updated on weather reports concerning the areas we hope to visit before leaving AZ … and the regions we want be hunkering down in for a week or so, before aiming towards OR

Text from Aunt Gaye; we'll be leaving AZ following this appt.

Holland had planned wonderful Daytrips around the upper end of AZ before we pull stakes, but those are still up in the air since this late season storm blew in: snow in higher elevations, wind storms, flooding, and landslides in the lower end. It's a seasonal mess all around us - but we are thanking the Lord that we are not dealing with what is happening in Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska, California, Oregon, and West Virginia. We both have friends and family in theses states, and pray daily for them - but we area also thankful we are here, instead of there.

Windy; and noisy here, today.

All day long - laying dirt to cover ruts that got muddy Monday's rain storm; now laying & smoothing a gravel top cover.

Holland doesn't do the holiday stuff - but listening to my wistful remembrances of meals I used to cook (even as  solo lobo, I did Holiday fare - scaled back, but done); he suggested corned beef sandwiches for lunch. That was doable. It was only Budding sandwich slices, but it was fine. And it was a thoughtful thing my husband came up with 😘

Tonight's "creamy potato" Supper is also a change, and that's okay, too. Instead of Colcannon, we will be enjoying an substitute soup utilizing the last 4Patriots Potato Soup Package.

New Life.

New Husband.

New Holiday traditions: we are both willing to meet each other in the middle - Holland doesn't want a lot of holiday fuss, but he is indulging me; and I am gratefully & graciously keeping holiday observances low key ❤️

Maybe next year, we'll have Irish Soda Bread, too … I didn't make a loaf this year because I didn't want to overwhelm his senses; marriage, new experiences, new foods, and holidays to observe - I've got to bring my loving laddie along, gently 😊

Val's 4Patriots Irish Potato Soup Recipe ~serves 4 (or 8 smaller servings)

1 med. Yellow Onion, sliced * 2 cloves Garlic, peeled & sliced crosswise * 1 cup cooked Ham, julienned * 3 med. Yukon Gold Potatoes, pre-cooked & cubed * 1 & 1/2 c. Brussels Sprouts, steamed & quartered * 1 pkg. 4Patriots Creamy Potato Soup pkg. * 5 c. Water * 5 c. Chicken Broth * 1/8 tsp. grnd. Sage * 1/8 tsp. dried Thyme * 1/8 tsp. Mace * 1 tsp. Parsley * 1 Bay Leaf * 2 TBSP. Butter * Salt & Pepper to taste * Lrg Soup Pot * Cooking Spray

Soup Ingredients.

4Patriots Creamy Potato Soup.

1) Liberally spray the bottom of your soup pot with cooking spray. Over medium-high heat, add veggies and sauté until onions are tender.

Onions, Garlic, Celery, Potatoes …

2) When you are satisfied with the outcome of the onions, add the ham pieces; cook about 10 minutes :

3) Open the 4Patriots Creamy Potato Soup Packet - add to soup pan along with 2 cups water: stir to blend.

Blend dry mixture & water into veggie-ham mixture.

4) Add remaining water and spices; blend thoroughly.

5) Stir in brussels sprouts and carefully stir to combine all ingredients; bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium - carefully stirring frequently to avoid scorching. Cook 20 minutes.

6) When soup has thickened, turn heat off. Ladle into bowls or soup mugs & enjoy.

We liked it - and I hope you will, too 👍

I also hope you had an enjoyable St. Patrick's Day 😁

REGAL PARTNERSHIP

I can (and have) "take care of business" on my own … but … it's nice to have giant back up 🙂

I remember the time I took the VCR Player back to Montgomery Ward to be fixed under Contract - the shrimpy big mouth jerk behind the counter sized my 5'2" (much thinner self) up … and started giving me a ration of shit. After about 20 minutes of back and forth, I finally said, "Ok; you can deal with my husband. Let me give him a call." I had taken the VCR into Longview because Bob had a hard work week and I was letting him rest easy. We lived in Cathlamet-WA at the time, and the drive back and forth was about an hour - hour and half drive. Bob listened when I described what was going on. He said he'd "be right there." He was not happy. The Contract was sound. The VCR was still brand new. He knew I could handle business on my own - so, if I was calling him for back up, a fight was on. I waited: the puffed up, chest-thumping shrimpy jerk, and me - a little banty hen with ruffled feathers, sharing glares. When Bob finally walked through the door, I struggled hard not to burst out laughing while watching that stuffy jerk literally shrink before my eyes: he took one look at Bob's 6'2" size. Then his unhappy face. The way he touched my shoulder in passing - signifying, "I'm here and I have you". The jerk started stammering and groveling; there was no snippy smart-ass remarks coming out of his mouth, then. The situation was handled without blood on the floor - it was a near miss. But Bob was a peacenik. His size threw people, but he was always a cool head as opposed to my red-head temperament.

Husband back up.

Then, there was the incident last year in Parker-AZ.  Over Bell Peppers, of all things! Minding my own business, doing wifey business; and 2 crazies decided to get in my face. The woman started hip-bumping me … and her stupid husband got mouthy with me: 2 black marks against them right off the get-go. But I stayed cool; I was a newlywed and wanted to wait a while before my new husband got a full example of me 😉 I set my jaw and coolly went about my business. The whole thing was ridiculous. I just wanted to grab some Bell Peppers for Supper and move along. The woman was showing her dumb ass, and her husband would soon learn that though she may buckle and cave into his bellowing … I would not. I'd had enough - as he stepped closer (still shouting at me), I prepared for a physical altercation; I set my gathered peppers aside, and was turning to return blow for blow … when I heard a calm - but strongly firm voice - say, "That enough, now". Holland, too, had heard the change in tone and seen the threatening move towards me. Maybe he saw the fire in my eyes too. At any rate, no blood was spilled: the ridiculous couple snapped their heads around to see who dared to intervene in their  bully tactics. Taking a look at my husband's 6'4" size, and the "you better stop the bullshit" look on his face … the hip bumping woman quickly scooted away from me, and the mouthy man, quickly zipped his lip and jumped backwards. I gathered my peppers and walked past them like a queen. Wall*Mart is an unlikely place for my King to hold court, but I was glad for his cool head and calming "I'm here; I have you" presence.

My January 12th, 2024 Post~AISLE TUSSLE; Shabbat Eve/Quartzsite-AZ: https://roadgypsiesvalandholland.blogspot.com/2024/01/aisle-tussle-shabbat-evequartzsite-az.html

There's a lot to be said for flying solo lobo.

There is also a lot to be said for walking through Life with a Partner who has your back 😘