Happy Saint Patrick's Day!

As the shamrock
is the traditional symbol
of Ireland...

The delicious,

mint-flavored, McDonald's

Shamrock Shake

symbolizes the

approach of

Saint Patrick's Day

in America!

From pirate's slave
to Irish saint...

  Saint Patrick

5th Century Bishop of Ireland

Prayer of Saint Patrick

God, my God, omnipotent King,
 I humbly adore thee.

 Thou art King of kings, Lord of lords.

 Thou art the Judge of every age. 

Thou art the Redeemer of souls.

 Thou art the Liberator 
of those who believe. 

Thou art the Hope 
of those who toil.

 Thou art the Comforter
 of those in sorrow.

 Thou art the Way 
to those who wander. 

Thou art Master
 to the nations.

 Thou art the Creator
 of all creatures.

 Thou art the Lover
 of all good.

 Thou art the Prince
 of all virtues.

 Thou art the joy
 of all Thy saints.

 Thou art life perpetual. 

Thou art joy in truth. 

Thou art the exultation 

 in the eternal fatherland. 

Thou art the Light of light. 

Thou art the
 Fountain of holiness.

 Thou art the glory of God

 the Father in the height.

 Thou art Savior of the world. 

Thou art the plenitude
 of the Holy Spirit.

 Thou sittest at 
the right hand of God 

the Father on the throne, 

 reigning forever.



Watch out for the wee folk!

"Oh, she is my dear, my darling one
Her eyes so sparkling full of fun
No other, no other can match the likes of her
Oh, she is my dear, my darling one
My smiling and beguiling one
I love the ground she walks upon
My darling Irish girl."

"Pretty Irish Girl"

from the Walt Disney movie,

"Darby O'Gill and the Little People"

(1959)

One of my favorite Walt Disney movies!



Some lively Irish folk music!

  The Unicorn
The Irish Rovers



Proud heritage and fiery Celtic temperament...

"To anyone with a drop of Irish blood in them
why the land they live on is like their mother."
-Gerald O'Hara
"Gone With The Wind"
(1939)

And a bit of Emerald Isle romance!

 One of my favorite scenes from

"The Quiet Man"

(1952)

From My Kitchen To Yours...

Traditional Irish Soda Bread

is made from the most

basic of ingredients-flour

baking powder or soda,

and buttermilk-

however, I like to add 

raisins to mine! 

According to Irish legend,

a cross cut into the top of

the loaf before baking is

said to protect the household

from the works of the devil.

Irish

Soda Bread

3 cups unbleached white flour

1/2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. baking soda or powder

1 cup raisins

  1 cup buttermilk

Preheat oven to 450.

In a mixing bowl,

sift together flour with

salt and baking powder

Add raisins.

Make a well in

the center and pour

in the buttermilk.

Stir to mix well.

Turn the dough out

onto a lightly floured board

and lightly pat into a

round loaf.

Score top of the loaf 

 with a knife

to make a cross.

Put the loaf into a

buttered cast iron skillet

and bake for 10 minutes, or

until bread has risen and is 

slightly brown.

Reduce oven heat to 350

and bake for an additional

25 minutes, or until done.

Makes 1 loaf.

Pammy's Irish Stew

2 lbs. boneless lamb,

cut into 1-inch cubes

(you may substitute beef

for the lamb)

 1 tsp. each of
salt, pepper, paprika,

garlic powder,

1 cup flour

3 tablespoons extra virgin
 olive oil or olive oil/sunflower oil

1 large Spanish onion, chopped

5 large potatoes peeled

and quartered

4 large carrots peeled, 

halved, and cut into 
bite-sized pieces.

1 can sweet peas

In a gallon-size

plastic slider bag,

toss meat pieces in

flour and spices

until meat is

well-coated.

(Save flour

to thicken stew).

Heat oil in a heavy skillet

and add meat to brown.

Remove meat and add onion.

Saute onion until soft,

return meat to the pan 

and add water to cover.

Simmer meat covered

for about 11/2 hours.

Add potatoes and

carrots to stew.

Cook for another 30

minutes until vegetables

are done.

Stir 2 tablespoons of

reserved flour into 1/2

cup of cold water

until dissolved and

stirring constantly,

add to simmering stew.

Cook another 5-6 minutes

or so until stew is

thickened.

Makes 4-6 Servings.

(This stew can also

be made in a crock pot.) 

For a little ethnic "fusion cooking",

serve this delicious stew

with some crusty Italian

or French bread! 


And now for some dessert...

Leprechaun Cookie Jar

The Little Peoples' Sugar Cookies

1 cup butter

1 cup sugar

1 egg

3 tsp. vanilla extract

3 cups unbleached flour

1/2 tsp. baking powder

Preheat oven to 350.  

Mix all ingredients well and roll

into balls (about the size of a walnut)

place cookies evenly on a

greased baking pan or sheet.

Using a fork dipped in water,

flattened cookies a bit

making criss-cross with

tins of fork.

(In honor of St, Patrick's Day

you might want to sprinkle

these cookies with some

green-tinted sugar

before baking.) 

Bake about 12-15 minutes or

until cookies are golden brown

on the bottom.

This recipe makes about

 5 dozen cookies.


Please watch your step...

Leprechaun Crossing
Sign in Ireland

 

"Little cow-boy what have you heard,

Up on the lovely rath's green mound?

Only the plaintive yellow bird

Sighing in the sultry fields round,

Chary, chary, chary, chee-ee!

Only the grasshopper and the bee?

Tip-Tap, rip-rap,

Tick-a-tack-too!

Scarlet leather, sewn together,

This will make a shoe.

Left, right, pull it tight;

Summer days are warm;

Underground in winter,

Laughing at the storm!

Lay your ear close to the hill.

Do you not catch the tiny clamour,

Busy click of an elfin hammer,

Voice of the leprechaun singing shrill

As he merrily plies his trade?

He's span and a quarter in height.

Get him and hold him tight,

And you're a made Man!

-From "The Leprechaun Companion"

By Niall MacNamara

Ireland
The Mystic Beauty...

 "The Road To Heaven"
Ireland
Where every two years
the stars align with the road.





The famous Rosa Moss Bridges
Ireland

Happy Saint Patrick's Day!