St Brigid of Kildare and quorn and onion pie

Today is St Brigid’s Day in Ireland. St Brigid is apparently way up there with St Patrick and is highly revered. Imbolc, also known as the Feast of Brigid, on February 1 celebrates the arrival of longer, warmer days and the early signs of spring. It is one of the four major "fire" festivals (quarter days), referred to in Irish mythology from medieval Irish texts. The other three festivals on the old Irish calendar are Beltane, Lughnasadh and Samhain.The word Imbolc means literally "in the belly" in the Old Irish Neolithic language, referring to the pregnancy of ewes.

In ancient Irish mythology Brigid was a fire goddess. Nowadays her canonization is celebrated with a perpetual flame at her shrine in Kildare.St Brigid’s Day marks the beginning of spring, lambing, and lactation in cattle. The spring part is difficult for me to believe because its supposed to snow again tonight and for the rest of the week!

 

My mom-in-law made these St Brigid’s crosses, and took them to the Chapel today to be blessed. I still need to master this skill, its kinda complicated!

Today also marks the start of a new eating regime for Karl and I. We are trying to cut out red meat, not entirely, but we have been eating far too much of it. So we have opted for quorn. Quorn, according to Wikipedia, is a “mock meat” made from fungus (can someone say YUMMY!). Its a healthier, fat and calorie reduced, cholesterol-free source of enriched protein. You get quorn burgers, chicken pieces and mince. I made a beef and onion pie for dinner with it tonight. And although it doesn’t taste like meat, or smell like meat, it tastes pretty good, considering its a fungus!