Scottish and Irish Christmas Dinner Recipes

Many people were asking for the recipes of the food we served for the Nov. 30 and Dec. 1, 2019 Christmas Dinner.  Here they are below.  Just click on each name and it will take you to the recipe.   

Colcannon Soup

Creamy Neeps

Dundee Cake

Irish Apple Cake

Oatcakes

Scottish Black Bun

Scottish Shortbread

Smoked Salmon on Tattie Scones

Traditional Irish Soda Bread

Scottish & Irish Christmas Dinner in the Museum Menu

There are 2 tickets available for our Christmas Dinner on Nov. 30th and 2 tickets for December 1st.  https://christmasdinner2019.eventbrite.com

Menu

Smoke Salmon on Tattie Scones
Oatcakes with Butter and Jam

Colcannon Soup

Irish Soda Bread, Haggis, Creamy Neeps, Skirlie and Turnips

Scottish Shortbread, Black Bun or Dundee Cake, and Irish Apple Cake

 

Seeking Descendants of 1809 Dunwich Settlers

We will be celebrating the 210th anniversary of the 1809 Irish settlers arriving in Dunwich Township.  The adults were given land grants along Lakeview Line, south of Wallacetown.  If you are a descendant, we are hoping you will join us June 22-23 at Backus-Page House Museum for the event, plus we are looking for the loan of artefacts, photographs, genealogy research and help with the Irish settler table in the genealogy building at the event.  Please contact Angela Bobier info@backuspagehouse.ca  519-762-3072

Original Irish Families of Dunwich Township arriving in 1809

13 settlers

1 Mary (Patterson) Storey 1758 – 1842   widow

                2 Walter Storey 1783 - 1831 married Mary Currie – no children

                3 Anne Storey 1791 – 1857 married Stephen Backus

                4 Sarah Storey 1792 - 1838 married Captain Benjamin Willson               

5 Leslie Patterson 1751 - 1852 married 6 Lydia Backus 1782 - 1870

                7 Joseph Patterson 1807 - 1882

                8 Walter Patterson 1808 - 1890

9 John Pearce 1777 - 1850 married 10 Frances Patterson 1774 - 1850

                11 William Pearce 1805 – 1890 married Anne Moorhouse

                12 Leslie Pearce 1807 – 1871 married Jane Donaldson Barber

                13 Catherine Pearce 1809 – 1850 married William Moorhouse

Fun Fact Friday #17 - Don't Forget to Carve Your Turnip! 🎃

      Now, this post is going to be less of a fun fact and more of a fun (fictional) tale about the history of jack-o-lanterns and how they got their name.  

      Many of the stories that surround the naming of the glowing pumpkin come from a man named Stingy Jack. Stingy Jack was a troublemaker to say the least. He would drink as much as he could and then play tricks on everybody, even the Devil himself. One day Jack tricked the Devil into climbing an old apple tree. After the Devil climbed the tree, Jack left crosses all around it's trunk. Of course, the Devil is unable to touch crosses, so he was not able to climb down. He did this so the Devil would promise to not take his soul when he died. The Devil promised, Jack took away the crosses, and the Devil climbed down. 

Stingy Jack and his turnip jack-o-lantern.

      When is was Jack's time to pass on he went up to Heaven and met Saint Peter. Jack was told that becasue he was mean and nasty during hi lifetime he was not allowed into Heaven and was sent down to the dark depths of the Devil's home. The Devil kept his promise, though, and would not let him in. Jack was lost somewhere in the middle, called the Netherworld. He asked the Devil how he could leave this lightless place, so the Devil showed him an ember to lead him back to the depths. 

      In this story, Jack always carried a turnip with him because it was one of his favourite foods. Jack hollowed out the turnip and stuck the ember inside. From that day forward, Jack wandered Earth, with no resting place, lighting his way with his "Jack-O-Lantern". 
      
      This story came from Ireland and it's ancient Celtic traditions on All Hallow's Eve. Because Ireland was lacking pumpkins, they would use turnips, rutabagas, gourds, potatoes, or beets. 

      The Tyrconnell area was once known as Little Ireland because of the amount of Irish people that lived there. It is possible that the settlers might have carved some sort of vegetable on All Hallow's Eve. 

Come for a tour at the oldest house in Little Ireland, the Backus-Page House Museum!
29424 Lakeview Line, Wallacetown, ON
(519) 762-3072