Corned Beef and Cabbage

Corned beef is brisket, topside or silverside which has been pickled in brine. It is especially popular around Dublin. It is best to soak a joint of corned beef overnight to remove excess salt.

Ingredients:

• 5 lb/ 2 kg joint of corned beef
• 1 large cabbage
• Bay leaf
• 2 large onions
• Cold water to cover
• 2 large carrots
• Ground black pepper
• 4 potatoes

Preparation:

1. Quarter the cabbage and put aside.
2. Peel and slice the other vegetables.
3. Cover the meat with the water and bring to the boil.
4. Skim the surface, add the vegetables (except the cabbage), the bay leaf and the pepper and simmer gently for 20 minutes.
5. Add the cabbage and cook for a further 30 minutes.
6. Serve the meat surrounded by the vegetables with additional mashed potatoes.

Serves four to six people.

Irish Blackberry Sorbet

Blackberries, or brambles, are the fruits of a plant called Rubus fruticosa which is a perennial plant that thrives in Ireland. There are several traditional Irish recipes that use blackberries. Here is a unique blackberry recipe which is a must try for dessert lovers.

Ingredients:

• Fresh blackberries –2 cups
• Powdered sugar –1/2 cup
• Water –1/2 cup
• Egg whites –2

Preparation:

1. Wash the blackberries and remove stalks from the fruit.
2. Using a blender, make a puree of the blackberries and strain it through a sieve.
3. Now add the sugar in water and boil it for five minutes to make a thick syrup.
4. Now, add the blackberries to the sugar syrup and boil for another minute.
5. Allow this mixture to cool and then blend it into beaten egg whites.
6. Freeze it adequately until it forms a sorbet.
7. Serve chilled with fresh blackberries.

March 17, 2010

On March 4, 2010, Trainee Class 10-01 was sworn in as Recruits at the Portland Fire & Rescue's (PF&R) Training Center located off N.E. 122nd Avenue.  The Firefighter Trainees had little or no fire service experience before applying and being accepted into the Firefighter Trainee Program. The Firefighter Trainee Program is a "earn while you learn," comprehensive, paid, eight-week training program at PF&R's Training Center.

During the last two months, Firefighter Trainees worked a 40-hour work schedule and received hands-on experience with the tools of the trade.  Successful Firefighter Trainees completed the two month, were sworn in, and will now advance to the Firefighter Recruit Academy.

The Firefighter Trainees will be joined by six new Firefighter Recruits and two Firefighters from the Port of Portland. Firefighter Recruits were hired with fire experience or an education background in fire science and currently have a minimum of an Emergency Medical Technician - Basic (EMT-B) certification. Firefighters from the Port of Portland are considered traditional firefighters; however, their primary mission is aircraft firefighting.

The new Recruit Class, made up of the graduated Firefighter Trainees, Firefighter Recruits, and Port of Portland Firefighters, will be working together for the next four months earning certifications and learning firefighting skills.

This is a huge step in partnership for the Port of Portland and Portland Fire & Rescue. For the next four months, probationary Port of Portland and Portland Firefighters will train 40 hours every week together as one team.  At the end of four months, the Port Firefighters will return to the Airport as Oregon Department of Public Safety Standards and Training (DPSST) Fire Fighter 1's and begin their exciting careers.  The Portland Firefighters that successfully complete and pass the Firefighter Recruit Academy will continue their probation at Fire Station 2 where they start 24 weeks of shift work (24 hours on/48 hours off) and receive further training while responding to various emergency calls.

This new partnership in Training will open doorways to both organizations and lead the way in adding Gresham Fire Department's newly hired Firefighters into a future Training Academy.

March 18, 2010

Portland Fire & Rescue firefighters will be serving lunch (and dinner) to customers at Rock Bottom on Thursday, March 25^th, 2010.  According to the Portland Firefighters Association Local 43's website, the Rock Bottom Foundation will be donating a portion the day’s proceeds to the Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA). 

MDA is the nonprofit health agency dedicated to curing muscular dystrophy, ALS and related diseases by funding worldwide research. The Association also provides comprehensive health care and support services, advocacy and education.

Portland Firefighters will serve lunch between 11:00 am and 2:00 pm, and dinner from 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm.

This event is open to one and all - so plan ahead and treat yourself to lunch or dinner, OR BOTH!

March 18, 2010

In early March 2010, Portland Fire & Rescue (PF&R) invited you to participate in our strategic planning process by completing an online survey. 

Just a quick reminder --

The survey will close TOMORROW, Friday, March 19, 2010, at 5:00 pm.  If you haven't yet taken the survey, please click here to connect directly.

Remember, your response is confidential and your input will assist PF&R in developing our Strategic Plan for 2010-2015. 

Thanks in advance!

March 18, 2010

When disaster strikes, your family may not be together. 

It’s important to plan in advance how you will get in touch with each other, how you will get back together, and what you will do in different scenarios.

Getting Started

1. OUT OF TOWN CONTACT: Identify an out-of town contact.  An out-of-town contact can help communicate among separated family members.
2. IN CASE OF EMERGENCY CONTACT: Designate a local emergency contact or contacts. Be sure every member of your family knows the emergency contact’s phone number and has a cell phone, change, or a prepaid phone card to call the emergency contact. If you have a cell phone, program that person(s) as "ICE" (In Case of Emergency) in your phone. If you are in an accident, emergency personnel will often check your ICE listings in order to get a hold of someone you know. Make sure to tell your family and friends that you’ve listed them as emergency contacts.
3. LEARN HOW TO TEXT MESSAGE: Teach family members how to use text messaging (also knows as SMS or Short Message Service). Text messages can often get around network disruptions when a phone call might not be able to get through.

Stay or Evacuate

Depending on your circumstances and the nature of the emergency, the first important decision is whether you stay where you are or evacuate; plan for both possibilities. Use available information from the TV, radio, or internet to determine if there is an immediate danger and what the official instruction is. If you determine you are going to stay put or shelter in place, click here for further information.

Developing a Family Emergency Plan

Click here to create a Family Emergency Plan using a new online tool created by the Ready Campaign, a national public service advertising campaign designed to educate and empower Americans to prepare for and respond to emergencies including natural and man-made disasters.

Assemble a printable quick reference list of contact information for your family and a meeting place for emergency situations at http://ready.adcouncil.org/beprepared/quickshare.html.

Emergency Plans Outside the Home

Inquire about emergency plans at places where your family spends time including work, daycare and school. If no plans exist, think about volunteering to help create one. Talk to your neighbors about how you can work together in the event of an emergency.

Remember, preparedness is everyone's job.

March 18, 2010