Best of British (and Irish) To You!

Through the incessant pleadings of my little girl, I got to watch Mr. Popper's Penguins over the weekend with her.  However this post is not the least (okay, a little) about that Jim Carrey film.  It was difficult not to enjoy it though what with the contortions, excellent timing and effortless charm.  Oh and Jim was good in it too (the penguins were perfect just like my CGI boyfriend).  However, I was, especially in the beginning, distracted having seen the trailer of the last Harry Potter film on the big screen for the first time.  I actually shed tears!  Could you believe it?  It was just the trailer and my eyes welled up as it would if the love of my life gave me a 25-carat diamond ring.  Blimey!  As Ron Weasley would have probable screamed if he had seen what a wimp I was.  

The good thing was the Boy wasn't with us in the theater as he was busy in the other side of the mall being a participant and exhibitor at the Toy Convention.  Otherwise, I would not have heard the end of it.  He likes to make fun of my crying bouts in films that when I'm watching some sappy film at home like say, Marley and Me, he sneaks around trying to take a photograph of me sobbing my eyes off.  Crazy boy.  Like I said, he has half my brain.

Anyway the expression "Best of British to You" supposedly means best of luck to you.  And I put Irish up there because for one thing, there is that "Luck of the Irish" too. Secondly (and truthfully), I cannot think of a proper side to this very Brit lunch which I made because I can nearly not wait for the showing of the Deathly Hallows.  I made a Steak and Mushroom Pie with some young Colby and mushrooms that I bought from my neighborhood Korean store. I topped the pie with store-bought puff pastry (so shoot me) which I hope will puff-up properly.

I couldn't think of a proper side because the Kid doesn't do salad.  So instead, I made Colcannon--the Irish version of mashed potatoes, which I think is a brilliant way of sneaking in some vegetables, specifically cabbage-- which he will otherwise not eat, in his lunch.  

I hope the combination doesn't make anybody scream "Bloody murder!"  Grubs up! :-)

p.s.  No problem was encountered with the launch of the puff pastry--a good alternative to the ones you can get at Santi's.  Also comes a bigger, rectangular shape.