The #MoviesandMunchies Leap Year Round-Up + A Hang Sangwidge

First, I need to sincerely apologize to all of the Movies & Munchies bloggers. I suggested we all watch "Leap Year" for our event in March. Then, the month came and went and I completely missed posting and worse! - my round-up of the participants is woefully tardy. But I am bound and determined to get this up today. Six days late.

The Round-Up

As I am so late with this, I am just going to start with the other participants' posts.

Wendy of A Day in the Life on the Farm shared her Irish Minestrone Soup.

Wendy writes: "This movie follows Anna (Amy Adams) as she follows her cardiologist boyfriend of 4 years to Ireland, where she intends to propose to him, since it is Leap Day and Irish folklore holds that on February 29th, the woman does the proposing. 

In a very predictable but fun and lighthearted script, Anna runs into a plethora of problems while trying to reach her boyfriend in Dublin.   When she finally gets to Ireland, she ends up in a tavern owned by Declan (Matthew Goode), whom she hires to get her to Dublin.

It is a comedy of errors as they travel through Ireland and, of course, the sparks between them ignite into full-blown flames. "

I can't wait to try this soup that she explains as differing from Italian minestrone soup in that it doesn't include any beans and does have bacon. Sounds delicious!

Debra of Eliot's Eats baked her version of Guinness Chocolate Cake à la Nigella Lawson.

Debra comments, "It’s a cute film and I did laugh out loud during the crashed wedding scenes, both at Anna and Declan’s entrance and the bride’s injury during the reception." I can also always count on Debra for a detailed list of the food in the movie. She reports...

• Shots, pints, whiskey, Champagne, vodka, coffee, tea, Guinness

• Premade cookie rolls (that Anna suggests be baked in one of her staged homes)

• Hang Sandwich (an Irish ham sandwich)

• Lucky Charms leprechaun

• Apple

• Tripe

• Coq au Vin

• Breakfast tea with jams and scones

• Quiche

• Pot Pie

• Leek and potato soup 

Since I am a goner for all things Guinness, I know I would love this cake.

My Leap Year Thoughts

Meet Anna (played by Amy Adams) and her cardiologist boyfriend, Jeremy (played by Adam Scott). Anna is an über-organized, high-functioning stager - someone who makes houses look good for realtors - and thinks that Jeremy is going to propose before he leaves for a medical conference in Ireland. He doesn't. And she decides to take matters into her own hands and rely on an Irish tradition that allows women to pop the question on February 29th.

So, she flies to Ireland, but ends up diverted to Wales after extreme turbulence. Then, via tugboat and choppy waters, she ends up in Dingle where she hauls her suitcase into a local pub and meets Declan (played by Matthew Goode). He is a brusque pub owner, barkeep, cook, taxi driver, and hotel proprietor all rolled into one. You can pretty much guess what is going to happen, right?

Set against the gorgeous bucolic backdrop of the Emerald Isle, Anna and Declan embark on a journey to Dublin so Anna can propose to Jeremy. The road is blocked by cows; his Renault 4 rolls down a hill and lands in a bog; they are forced to lie about being married to stay in a bed and breakfast run by a couple who has been married for more than four decades; and they crash a wedding where Anna knocks the bride in the head with her shoe and spills a drink on the wedding dress. Oh, and she throws up on Declan's shoes. Oye.

Through all of this, as you can imagine, his scruffiness falls away and her rigidity softens. Don't get me wrong: this is a full bore, PG-rated, sweet little romantic comedy. But it masterfully takes us through all of the requisite ups and downs of a rom-com relationship before ending with a marriage proposal on a stunning Irish cliff. Whoops. Sorry for the spoiler. Still you knew it was coming, but that shouldn't stop you from watching it.

Hang Sangwidge

On the first night that Anna and Declan meet, she is spending the evening above his pub and he offers to bring her 'a hang'. A what?! I did some digging and realized that a 'hang sangwidge' is the Irish name (or pronunciation!?) for a ham sandwich.

There were several different versions, but the one that interested me the most: bread, butter, ham, cheese, and thinly sliced tomatoes. It's really that simple and doesn't actually require a recipe. But, if you wanted to recreate a hang for yourself, I used rye bread, ham, Irish cheddar, and heirloom tomatoes.

I also made gluten-free version of Jake. I served our sangwidges with both chip (what Americans call 'fries') and crisps (what Americans call 'chips.') And, of course, we poured a few pints of Guinness for this pub-inspired dinner.

That's it: my tardy Leap Year post. Apologies, again, Wendy and Debra. The group is back this month with posts inspired by I Don't Know How She Does It. That is a completely new one for me. I can't wait to watch it. Stay tuned!