Scouts or something

Tonight my six-year-old daughter "bridged" from Daisies to Brownies in Girl Scouts. 

This was a pretty casual event that involved an "international dinner" and earning of their final flower petal for their tunics. (I made colcannon, recipe follows.) It was hosted at a member's home and everything took place outside in the scorching June Mid-Atlantic evening. Yay for SPF50. 

I was hiding from the sun (I really don't look almost 41 for a reason) and chatting with another mom from the group and had mentioned how my boss is very involved in Cub Scouts and therefore gets filled in on all my Girl Scouting adventures with my kid. The other mom jumps in and starts talking about how Boy Scouts is so much different than Girl Scouts because her son's troupe involves everyone in the family and they all get to go to every event and the Girl Scouts isn't the same. 

"But maybe it's the troupe leader." 

And that's when my internal monologue kicked into high gear because lets look at some well reported and known differences between the Girl and Boy Scouts. 

Girl Scouts... Pro-Choice, LGBTQ inclusive, non-dogmatic regarding "god" in their practice (whatever floats your boat counts). 

Boy Scouts... None of the above. 

I don't give a shit if I'm the only person in the family that goes to my kid's scouting events... If I end up partnered with a woman, I won't be prevented from volunteering (this is not out of the realm of possibility). If my kid ends up queer, they won't kick her out. If my child starts talking about Odin when the subject of God comes up, that's going to be okay. 

So fuck the family bbq with the Boy Scouts. I'll take my Girl Scouts every time. 

Colcannon Recipe: 
5lbs Potatoes (Any thin skinned good boiling potato works)
2 Small heads of cabbage 
3 Bunches Scallions (Green Onions)
3 Sticks Butter (Or Half Container Earth Balance) 
Milk (Or unflavored Soy Milk)
Salt and Pepper

• ​Peel and chunk potatoes, rinsing well in cold water. Place in large pot with cold water to one inch over potatoes, season water with salt and pepper, set on high burner to boil. 
• Shred cabbage, disposing of any dry or molded leaves and core. Use a steamer and steam with water seasoned with salt and pepper. 
• Clean and thinly slice scallions. 
• In small sauce pan head at least two sticks of butter and about 1 cup of water, add scallions and scald. (Bring to quick boil and take off heat.) 
• Drain potatoes when easily pierced with a fork, but not falling apart, it is hard to save overcooked potatoes. 
• Take cabbage off heat when tender but still green. 
• Mash potatoes with milk/butter/scallion mixture until well blended and add cabbage. 
• Season well with salt and pepper. Add more butter/milk if needed. Using warm butter or milk makes it blend easier and keeps food warm. 
• Serve immediately. Keeps for days in fridge. Can be frozen.

Cocannon is a traditional Irish dish that can be made as many ways as there are Irish families. This is the standard recipe for generations in my family. When it is all mixed together, it can be put in a buttered casserole and put in the oven to stay hot but that isn't necessary. I've made it vegan, and loaded with dairy, and it works either way. Don't let the cabbage freak you out. Cabbage is delicious.