Don't Miss St Patrick's Day in Ireland!

That's right, it's Paddy's day on Sunday 17th March so I thought I would share with you some Irish goodness from five bloggers I have recently come to know.  This is the delight of the internet, connecting with interesting & inspiring people the world over.

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Excitement number one! Susan from Vibrant Ireland asked me to do a guest post (my first ever!) for St. Patrick's Day. Take a look here.  Susan has a lovely blog about all things Irish and we share at least one thing in common, we both live in a country other than the one we were born in! Susan came from the USA to Ireland, just as I came from the UK to Australia.

   Graiguenamanagh from Susan's blog

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Aoife writes the Daily Spud, so how could we potato lovers not follow that!  I thought you'd enjoy this amazing Potato Risotto ( Ristato!) recipe of hers which is pretty appropriate for St Patrick's day because of all the green, and of course the Guinness! Find the recipe here 

Irish Risotto with Potatoes,
 Mushrooms and Guinness 

And while we're on the subject of potatoes, you'll be fascinated by this post on the Daily Spud about Lumpers, the variety most widely grown in Ireland at the time of the Great Famine in 1845.

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Catherine writes a beautiful blog called Foxglove Lane and this recent post is a wonderfully evocative one of a Real Irish Pub that really hasn't changed at all.  The photos are fantastic and Catherine's personal recollections  bring it to life so that you can really taste that Guinness!

"Smoke from the fire and a kettle on the boil. The clock tick tocks. A lad sits at the counter. He dropped in "just for one" to his home away from home......"

Photo of Morrrissey's of Abbeyleix, County Laois from Foxglove Lane

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And for dessert how about this scrummy Potato Apple Tart from Caroline at bibliocook.com. A freelance journalist & broadcaster married to a Kiwi who makes beer in Ireland, Caroline has some tantalising recipes to share from both sides of the world. Potato Apple Tart I hear you say!  I know, but just take a look and you will be hooked! 

Potato Apple Tart

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I found Felicity, through my guest post with Susan.  Felicity lives between Bermondsey in London and rural Ireland, and writes a blog about these two disparate places.

Felicity is a professional writer whose book  "The House on an Irish Hill". looks to me like a fascinating read.

 'From the moment I crossed the mountain I fell in love. With the place, which was more beautiful than any place I'd ever seen. With the people I met there. And with a way of looking at life that was deeper, richer and wiser than any I'd known before. When I left I dreamt of clouds on the mountain. I kept going back.'

 Look out Amazon, here I come!

"When you know where you come from, you can see where you are going".

Take a look at this interview with Felicity about St. Patrick's Day for discoverireland.com.

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Thank you Susan, Aoife, Catherine, Caroline and Felicity for all graciously allowing me to share insights into your lives through this post.

According to the website timeanddate.com about 30 percent of Australians are believed to have some Irish ancestry today. And that is in no small way due to the Potato, and the emigration from Ireland in the mid 19th Century due to the Great Potato Famine.   So let's join hands across the oceans and say a very happy St.Patrick's Day, one and all!

How are you celebrating St. Patrick's Day?

  Here's hoping it involves a potato!  

Give Thanks!

It's Thanksgiving in the U.S. on Thursday 22nd November, and I thought there was no better time to take a look at the things we are thankful for.
Personally, I am very thankful for my wonderful family, who recently treated my husband and I to an anniversary dinner, bed and breakfast. Our luxurious room overlooked the Pacific Ocean at the beautiful Opal Cove Resort, in Coffs Harbour on the sunny mid north coast of New South Wales. Come sun up I leapt out onto our lovely balcony and sat enraptured as the scene unfolded before my eyes. This very obliging sea gull in the photo above flew into view just as I was clicking, so it was more good luck than good management!

Thanksgiving is celebrated every fourth Thursday in November over in the United States. According to Wikipedia  Thanksgiving Dinner centres usually around roast turkey, and  traditionally contains food native to the New World, as it is said the Pilgrims received these foods from the Native Americans.  

I understand that mashed potatoes are one of the main staples of the traditional Thanksgiving Dinner, and so I thought this was a great opportunity to share with you this scrummy recipe for very special mashed potatoes from one of our blogging friends, Dawn Yucuis  from  Words of Deliciousness.

Words Of Deliciousness: 

Parmesan Cheese Mashed Potatoes With Sour Cream And Chives

Dawn writes " We eat a lot of potatoes in our house; it's one of our favorite side dishes. When I was growing up it was that way in my parent's home too......"  And later... 
"So if you are looking for something besides plain potatoes give this a try. They are nice and simple to make and the flavor will leave wanting more."



I think the title of the recipe is enough to whet your appetite, so I will simply suggest you hop over to Dawn's blog, check out her recipe, and I am sure you will be giving it a go! And while you are there, pause a while and soak up the aromas of delicious foods and simple but exciting recipes which Dawn showcases.



But wait.......there's more!!

I thought I'd share with you a few of my recent photos of things around me that I am liable to take for granted like the birds, the flowers, the trees and nature itself.  It's good to stop sometimes, and remind yourself how lucky you are, and perhaps this is as good a time as any!

What do you think this Kookaburra is saying to his mate?

Lewin's Honeyeater enjoying breakfast!

Tea Tree blossoms

Fiery gum leaves stand out from the crowd 

Red cedar tree in it's delicious Spring attire

Jacaranda and Flame Tree are just made for each other.
Sharing this photo with Mandarin Orange Monday.

If you'd like to share something that you are thankful for, I would just love to hear about it!  If not, that's OK, take a quiet moment and enjoy it yourself:)  Bye for now and if you are in the US enjoy your Thanksgiving on Thursday!

Dry Stone Walls

I am sharing with you here,

 some photos of the wonderful stone walls in Cumbria, UK.

  I love the tradition and craftsmanship involved in the making of these walls, 

and the beautiful colours and textures

 that the moss and lichen add to the stone.

According to the Dry Stone Walling Association, "dry stone walling in Britain stretches back at least three and a half millennia, to the village of Skara Brae in the Orkneys, and the Iron Age brochs of northern and western Scotland. 

Dry stone walls are found in Britain, and elsewhere, where large quantities of rock and stone are found above the soil, and especially where trees and hedges do not grow easily because of the climate, elevation, strong winds or thin soils.  This is why dry stone walls are most prominent in northern and western Britain, and often at the higher altitudes." 

 You wonder about the people who made these walls so long ago.

 A lone crow surveys his world.

They reach way up the mountainsides, 

and along once narrow tracks which are now well used roads.  

Beware meeting a tourist bus when you are just inches from these walls!

These last two photos show a wall which has long stones

 set into the wall to make steps.

They stretch right through the wall as you can see from this photo taken from above including my foot!  Do you notice the tremble?  

I did not feel too steady!!

• What is the traditional form of hedging/fencing/ walling in your area?
• And what do you love about it? 
• There are so many different types aren't there? 
• Would love you to leave a comment and let us know. 

And by the way, if you love these walls take a look at the work of 

Andy Goldsworthy who works with nature to sculpt beautiful walls like these with the addition of large amounts of creative flair.  Thanks to Julie Gibbons from Tractor Girl for alerting me to Mr. Goldsworthy's incredible artworks.  He has written a book called Wall, which shows walls using similar traditional techniques as those above, and really looks a fascinating read.

Sun dried potatoes

Well, before I show you some really cool photos I just want to let you know that I am heading off to the UK to stay with my Mum for the month of July, so if things are a bit intermittent on the blog front you will understand why:)  

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Here for this weeks offering are some wonderful photos from Claire at Unifly.  She sells fabulously stylish travel accessories and has done a lot of travelling herself, so really knows her stuff.

These photos are taken in Peru, home of the spud, (notice the potatoes in the foreground?) and show a lively market place, and then some potatoes laid out to dry, for use later on.

Claire has got more great photos from Peru on her blog , and travel tips as well, so hop over and take a look and don't forget to check out those travel accessories while you're there. And thanks so much for letting me share these photos with my readers, Claire.

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Well speaking of dried potatoes, what better time to show you a couple of pieces of my jewellery which, of course, are also made from dried potato!

This one was called King Parrot Caught in a Rain Shower,
so you can see that the "rain drop"  is intentional!

Anyway, everyone, look forward to keeping in touch when I can, and just leave a message in the comments, or email me at earthapplejewellery@gmail.com if you want to get in touch.  I may not answer instantly as Mum and I could be having some Mother Daughter time, but don't worry, I will get back as soon as possible and be back on track again in August.
Cant wait to share some UK photos too!

Tradition Says Plant Your Potatoes on Good Friday

Have you heard people say you should plant your potatoes on Good Friday?  An old wives tale perhaps, or an old tradition.  Where did it come from?  I have read that cottagers were working so hard that Good Friday was the only day between New Year and Easter that  they had free to get into their garden to start planting. 

One of Vincent Van Gogh's Cottagers

Farmers Planting Potatoes, by Vincent Van Gogh

However, an older tradition says that after the potato's introduction to Europe in the 16th Century from the Peruvian  Andes, Protestants in the UK and Ireland would not plant potatoes because they were not mentioned in the Bible.  The Catholics though, were OK about it as long as the seed potatoes were sprinkled with Holy Water, and planted on Good Friday, so that they were baptised.

Photo:Potato planting in Chawaytiri,Peru 2010, from the National Museum of the American Indian

I have been reading gardeners thoughts, and it seems that the Good Friday tradition is not always practical, especially if you are in an area where snow is still on the ground, but others swear by it. 

Have you heard of this tradition, and where do you stand? 
Is there some merit in having a special day to plant our potatoes, being that the potato itself is so special?
Or is it simply up to timing and the weather, and what is ready when?


I really would love to hear your thoughts on this one.

Australia Day 2012

Here is something interesting about spuds that you may not have heard. 


In the olden days, potatoes carried in a pocket were widely thought a cure for rheumatism, especially if the taters had been stolen. As the spud dries and hardens, it supposedly draws from the sufferer uric acid from the body which is the root of the pain.


So for all of us who are feeling a few aches and pains, perhaps it is worth putting a spud in our pocket......?