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Ireland Forever

3/17/2019

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My Irish Heritage

Growing up in Southern California I would love to sit on our front lawn and scour the grass for four-leaf clovers. I was sure that I would someday find one of these gems because Dad said I had the luck of the Irish. I never did find the four-leaf clover, but I did find a deep connection to my heritage in the eyes of my Dad. He was a second-generation Irishman who grew up in Boston. His Grandmother came from Ireland to the shores of Boston Massachusetts in July of 1872.

My great grandmother was from a remote region of Munster, Ireland’s southwestern province of Cork and Kerry and the boggy highlands of Limerick. Cork was considered “the rebel city” with many Irish outlaws who fought against their British rulers. They practiced Catholicism and aimed to preserve a distinct culture of Gaelic language, literature, song, and dance. My ancestors most likely were into potato farming and dairying. This must be where I get my strong bones.

I remember my mom making corned beef and cabbage every Saint Patrick’s Day for my Dad and at the dinner table he would educate us in the importance of Erin go Bragh. I never really understood what he meant until I traveled to Ireland and gathered my own allegiance to my heritage, the Celts and the powerful warrior woman of ancient times. 

On this day I remember and honor my Dad, his mother and my great grandmother Mary. I am blessed with Irish wisdom, a rebellious and tenacious nature and mystical abilities of my Celtic ancestors. With loyalty and affection, I want to express “Erin go Bragh” Ireland forever.
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St Patrick's Green Soup

3/17/2019

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Ingredients:
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 pounds asparagus (~2 bunches)
1 medium leek, white and light green parts only
1 small shallot
1 medium Yukon Gold potato
1 garlic clove
2 sprigs thyme
1 bay leaf
3 cups low-sodium vegetable stock
3 cups water
Juice of ½ lemon
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
DirectionsCombine the vegetable stock, water, thyme, and bay leaf in a medium saucepan and start to bring a boil. Grab one of the asparagus stalks and bend it until it snaps into two pieces. This is the natural breaking point and tells you where the fibrous stalk becomes tender. Trim the root ends from the remaining asparagus to roughly match one you snapped. Add all of the root ends to the stock, bring to a boil, and let simmer while you chop the remaining vegetables.
Cut the rest of the asparagus into one-inch pieces, leaving the tip ends intact. Trim the root off of the leek, cut it in half lengthwise, and rinse away any dirt. Roughly chop the leek, shallot, and potato into half-inch pieces. Mince the garlic.
Heat a large soup pot over medium heat for a couple minutes and then add the olive oil. When the oil is hot add the leek, shallot, and potato and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes, or until the alliums are translucent and the potato is softening. You can prevent browning by covering with a lid or turning the heat down slightly as needed.
Stir in the garlic and, once fragrant, strain the simmering stock into the pot with the vegetables. Discard the asparagus root ends, thyme, and bay leaf. Add the chopped asparagus to the pot and bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. If you want, remove a few asparagus tips after 3 minutes and reserve these for garnish. Turn off the heat after 5-7 minutes of total simmering time. Stir in the lemon juice, salt to taste, and a few grinds of black pepper.
Puree the soup in two batches using a blender, food mill, or food processor. Remember to remove the cap from the blender lid or the food pusher from the food processor when pureeing hot liquids. If you plan on serving the soup at a later time (it is good chilled, too!), chill the soup using an ice bath to help retain the vibrant green color.

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The Celtic Healer

3/17/2019

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Reclaiming the healer in me
The Celtic child that could see
The girl who could call
and calm the storm
The one who could talk to the thorns
I reclaim the healer in me
The knower of nature now has her wings
The earth gives me power
The sky feeds my spirit
I will not forget you
I will not reject you
The healer in me
My Celtic cross has been freed
I reclaim the Seer
With courage
Believe
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A Celtic Tradition

3/17/2019

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Ancestors come to me
I am here for you
You are me and I am you
The grace, the memory
The signs, the symptoms, the Eulogies
Ancestors come to me
I am here for you
You are me and I am you
Forbidden and ghostly
I am antiquity
Ancestors come to me
I am here for you
You are me and I am you
I am my mother, my father, my sisters, my brothers
I am the children, the babies
The unborn soldiers
I am the wisdom of the fallen ones, the heart that moved them The bugs that swallowed them
I am the kind words spoken of them; I am healing
Grandmother come to me, riddled in wonder tell me your reason
Grandfather come to me tell me your why
I am the fox as it sneaks up behind me
I am the minds that are locked up around me
I am everything
Ancestors come to me
I am here for you
You are me and I am you.
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    Author

    Karen Barbarick-Collins is a Certified Ayurvedic Technician and Wellness Coach, an Accredited Neuro Linguistic Programming Coach and a Registered Yoga Alliance Teacher. She is the founder of Bending Blade Healing Arts.
    ​

    It is my purpose and joy to share stories and remedies for healing. My intention is to inspire wisdom and light to individuals and encourage Full Self Expression as a basic requirement for well-being and happiness.

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