First of all, a very warm welcome to all my new readers! Please feel free to de-lurk and leave me comments! I love them!
As a little kid, I used to get really annoyed when people would misspell or mispronounce my first or last name. Like, REALLY annoyed. I never understood why my first name would be mispronounced. M-A-R-A is not THAT hard to say! When I got older, I understood why people would pronounce it with “air” in the middle, like Sarah instead of with “are” in the middle (the correct way), but still don’t understand the Myra, Moira, Marla, Maria, and even Mario (once). My last name though, I understood.
For privacy reasons, I don’t think I’ll give you my full maiden name here… but let’s just say it started with an “O” and ended with a “sky” and was almost always mispronounced. Often, it was misspelled with an apostrophe after the “O” like in “O’Connor” or “O’Malley”. It wasn’t until I took a job in the heart of Chicago’s Irish community that I got the joke. Sure, my family tree had deep roots in Russia and Poland (hence the “sky” at the end), but the O tended to throw people off, and the joke became that I was from the Irish part of Eastern Europe! I have fairly fair skin, freckles, a natural hair color with a tinge of red, and sure do love my potatoes… so now I’m in on it, and joke that I am, indeed, from the Irish part of Eastern Europe. Ok, maybe it’s not that funny.
I wanted to make something special for St. Patrick’s Day today, and was really undecided as to what I wanted to make. Then, I happened to look at one of my very favorite drool-worthy blogs, Eat a Duck I Must. I met Alice and Jared at the FoodBuzz Community Table event, and have loved their blog ever since. They posted a recipe for an updated Corned Beef and Cabbage that I decided right then and there I absolutely HAD to make.
So, from Alice and Jared, to me, to you… a fantastic and simple procedure for the best corned beef I’ve had since my mom made it for my 10th birthday!
Just look at my pictures before you look at theirs. Mine are not nearly as gorgeous!
http://eataduckimust.blogspot.com/2010/03/dressing-up-st-patricks-day-guinness.html”>procedure.
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That looks really yummy – I haven’t had corned beef in years. I’d love to make it.
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Happy St. Patrick’s Day! That looks delicious!
Meghan@traveleatlove´s last blog ..Restaurant Week at Rialto
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My maiden name was a real Irish one too! O’Neil! Haha, I went from straight Irish to full Russian! Gotta love the mix of cultures.
Glad you celebrated your roots with a traditional dinner.
Happy St. Pattys Day hun!
Lauren´s last blog ..These Roids are Giving me Superpowers!
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Happy St. Paddy’s, from a “Heinz 57″ gal who’s got enough Irish in the mix to be going home to corned beef and cabbage cooked up by my husband of German-Polish ancestry. (At least our ancestral cultures have beer in common!) Love the looks of yours, with Brussels sprouts!
Pubsgal´s last blog ..Weekly Update, 3/10/10
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Looks fantastic Mara! I made New England boiled dinner last night and it made TONS. Enough for last night, tonight, and I put THREE Glad containers in the freezer for the future. We figured about 10 bowls worth! Not bad for a 3.5 lb. brisket!
Yours looks so deliciously roasted! Mmm
Christina´s last blog ..Irish Soda Bread
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mmm that looks really yummy
People STILL mispronounce my last name. It irritates me!
Jocelyn´s last blog ..Same bowl – Different meal
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Mario?! Ha
Runeatrepeat´s last blog ..Running with a Smile
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life is too short for guilt. though, i’d like to think that a giant hearty salad tomorrow will do the trick =P btw, photos look great!!
alice´s last blog ..Our Urban Victory Garden: The Rain Barrel Saga
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Mara @ What's For Dinner? Reply:
March 17th, 2010 at 8:58 pm
Salad. Yes.
Thank you my dear! Means a lot that YOU think the photos are good!
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I feel you on the name thing! You know my name and, let’s just say, I’m only surprised if people get it right these days. Haha I expect for it to be mutilated when it’s pronounced
Hope you had a great St. Patty’s Day!
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Hi Mara! This is my first time on your blog and since you said you like comments so much, here it is! haha
Love the potatoes! Your pictures are good too! Just a tip, natural lighting does wonders!
- Christina
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No one knows how to say or spell my last name, which is so odd to me. I LOVED my husband’s last name when we met…now, not so much. I don’t even say it anymore, I just start spelling.
Your meal is gorgeous, even if not my thang!
Mama Pea´s last blog ..Blimey! Now That’s Some Bread!
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Your corned beef dish looks delicious!
I feel kind of bad now, I thought your name was pronounced like m-AIR-a!!
I’m mostly Italian and the traditional way to pronounce Mario actually is m-AIR-io and it drives me crazy when some people pronounce it m-ARE-io lol. Though some with the name pronounce it that way, too. Tomato, tomAHto thing I guess. 
Jenn
Jenn (www.j3nn.net)´s last blog ..Flapjack Flop
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wooo… this meal looks amazing.. I’m kind of crave some meat now and that would be perfecT!
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i totally feel your pain on the name pronunciation…99% of people who read my name say elsie. i dont get it AT ALL. and im not joking about the percentage either…i am shocked when people say my name right. so annoying bc i really dislike the name elsie, and happen to love my name.
anyways, hope you had a happy st. pattys mara!
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I’m almost 100% irish (there’s some italian in there somewhere!) and no one ever thinks I look irish because I have brown hair. So they always say I’m from the Italian part of Ireland. ha.
That recipe looks delicious. I’ve never make corned beef myself. I want to try though. Mostly so I can make reubens later!
Amanda (Two Boos Who Eat)´s last blog ..Save the best for last
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i love that lotion too. great meal!! um, i am SO with you on the name thing, but that goes w/o saying!!
janetha´s last blog ..the start of something new.
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Mara @ What's For Dinner? Reply:
March 18th, 2010 at 11:26 am
It must be an “unusual name” thing… I saw your name and immediately said “Oh, Janeeeetha”. I’m sure you get Janehtha all the time though
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LOL! I don’t think your last name is that hard to pronounce! Maybe i’m just smarter than everyone else. Yes, that’s probably it.
Your photos are absolutely STUNNING. You make me want one of those darn cameras so bad I can TASTE it!
Miss you!
Jenny´s last blog ..I’ll tell you what I want, what I really really want.
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Mario… I love it! Irish Eastern Europe sounds like a fun place to be, hehehe.
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Yum! That looks so juicy!!! My maiden name was…so generic. My married last name no one can spell and it drives me bananas!
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Are you kidding me?!
Those pics look AH-MAZING to me
Have a great Friday, girl!
Gabriela (froyolover)´s last blog ..YMIAJ
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Haha – I’m sure you can imagine that my name has been mispronounced one or two times
For some reason, people are afraid to pronounce it as the “bird” (for lack of a better way to describe it without saying it!) that it is and pronounce it was an “oo” sound. I don’t know if it’s their way of being polite and not wanting to assume it’s a wacky name or what 
Maybe it’s a Polish curse?
In terms of my first name, I’ve also gotten Jean before…or Jill. Where the heck do you get Jill?
I think your pictures look wonderful! Delicious!
Jenn (eating bender)´s last blog ..Eating Bender Turns Two
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Oh man Mara, I can so relate to the name thing. I think you and I have discussed this before, because I think our names rhyme? Hehe. People always butcher “Lara,” too!
I made corned beef and cabbage for the first time on Wednesday, I thought you would be so proud
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