There's a lot of green in our house about this time of year. You see, my dear husband is three quarters Irish and it's a tradition that runs in his family for generations. Me? I have no Irish blood. So for March 17th I become the honorary Irish mother in our home. Our day begins with a breakfast of green milk, green orange juice, green eggs, green muffins, and green oatmeal (optional). The most unusual thing is that the leprechauns visit our house the night before and have a party. One year they threw Lego building blocks all over our living room...and there were even Legos in my children's snow boots by the front door. Another year there were piles of playing cards scattered around our house...with popcorn bowls overturned. My children will not soon forget the time folding chairs were tipped over and their toy shovels were hanging from the living room curtain rods. No matter how messy the little people leave our house, they do not forget to gift us with their special treats, emerald gems. These popular squares of shimmering green jigglers (aka green Knox Blox) are hidden in our refrigerator as a thank you for our hospitality. Ah, the luck of the Irish! We smile and remember St. Patrick who drove out the snakes and used shamrocks to explain the Trinity. At the end of our emerald day, we feast on Irish Stew made in the crock pot and homemade Irish Bread to dip. For dessert, there may even be a piece of Key Lime Pie to celebrate. No matter if we are Irish or not, there is a wee bit of the green in us all. I sigh and remember one of the Irish blessings (see below). I am Irish for a day!
| Irish Marriage Blessing |
May God be with you and bless you.
May you see your children's children.
May you be poor in misfortunes
and rich in blessings.
May you know nothing but happiness
from this day forward. |
| An Old Irish Blessing |
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May the road rise up to meet you.
May the wind always be at your back.
May the sun shine warm upon your face,
and rains fall soft upon your fields.
And until we meet again,
May God hold you in the palm of His hand.
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| A Wish for a Friend |
Wishing you a rainbow
For sunlight after showers—
Miles and miles of Irish smiles
For golden happy hours—
Shamrocks at your doorway
For luck and laughter too,
And a host of friends that never ends
Each day your whole life through! |
| An Irish Prayer |
May God give you...
For every storm, a rainbow,
For every tear, a smile,
For every care, a promise,
And a blessing in each trial.
For every problem life sends,
A faithful friend to share,
For every sigh, a sweet song,
And an answer for each prayer. |
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IRISH STEW recipe
Ingredients:
2 lbs. stewing beef
3 Tbsp. oil
2 Tbsp. flour
salt and freshly ground black pepper
pinch of cayenne pepper
2 large onions, coarsely chopped
1 garlic clove, crushed
2 Tbsp. tomato puree, dissolved in 4 Tbsp. water
2 c. largely diced carrots
Sprig of fresh thyme
1 1/4 c. chicken broth
chopped, parsley, for garnish
Directions: Trim the meat of any fat, and cut into 20inch cubes. Toss beef with 1 Tbsp. of the oil. In a small bowl, season the flour with salt, pepper, and cayenne. Toss meat with seasoned flour. Heat remaining 2 Tbsp. oil in a large skillet over high heat. Brown the meat on all sides. Reduce the heat, add the onions, crushed garlic and tomato puree to the skillet, cover, and cook gently for 5 minutes. Transfer the contents of the skillet to a crock pot and pour chicken broth over meat. Add carrots and thyme. Stir and adjust seasonings. Cover and simmer over low heat (or in a 300 degree F. oven) until the meat is tender, 2-3 hours. Garnish the beef with parsley and serve with Irish Soda Bread.
IRISH SODA BREAD recipe
Ingredients:
3-1/4 c. flour
1/3 c. plus 1 Tbsp. sugar, divided
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1/2 c. (1 stick) cold butter
1-1/3 c. buttermilk
1/2 c. currants or raisins (optional)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Mix flour, 1/3 c. sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in large bowl. Cut in butter with pastry blender or 2 knives until mexture resembles course crumbs. Add buttermilk and currants; mix just until moistens. Place dough on floured surface; knead 10 times. Shape into round loaf, 2-1/2 inches thick. Place on greased baking sheet. Cut deep 1/2-inch "X" in top of dough. Sprinkle with remaining 1 Tbsp. sugar. Bake 1 hour or until golden brown. Cool completely on wire rack. Cut into 16 wedges to serve.
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• Apr. 3, 2009 - Untitled Comment
Dawn, Ind.
simpleblessings@frontiernet.net