Irish Festival

Last Saturday Lizzy and I donned our green and headed out to St. Charles for the Missouri River Irish Festival. I love being Irish! Strangely the Irish fest was held at the same time in the same vicinity as the Mosaic festival. I was a little confused. We finally found the right place and it was lots of fun. The vendors were not expecting people to show up for another 2 hrs even though the fest started at 10. So we were able to peruse at our leisure. Lizzy liked the dancers, but wanted to go on stage and show off her stuff too. I have to say that I am spoiled. I have been to many an Irish fest in the past, and this one was mediocre at best. But we had a good time. The best part was the Irish civil war reenactors. I love reenactors, they make history come to life. I learned about their division that was based here in St. Louis and about the Sanitation commission in St. Louis. They were amazing.

From 2010-09-18 Irish fest

Pumpkin Famine

Since the Great Pumpkin Famine of 2009, my diet has been sorely lacking of the glorious orange squash. I have often wandered the empty baking aisle of Schnuks in hopes of a can of pureed goodness. I have asked the workers over and over again, "When will there be more pumpkin?" to no avail. The most distressing part of this whole saga is the fact that the rest of the country was unaware of the Great Pumpkin Famine. Why in other states you could enter a shopping center and purchase canned pumpkin... of the shelf...in say, July if you wanted. But no, I live next to the pumpkin capital of the USA: Illinois. So we are unjustly plagued by the lack of pumpkin, while no one else suffers. Is this fair, I ask you? But I digress. This week the Famine was called off. The pumpkin is back on the shelves, and more importantly, in my kitchen, I nearly bought out the store in my excitement. I went home and promptly made Pumpkin Cheesecake, which I sampled hot in my haste to consume the decadent dessert. Ahh sweet pumpkin! Nectar of the Gods I tell you! I went to bed with a burned tongue and a contented heart. What shall I make tomorrow? Hmmm.