During the month of March in celebration of St. Patricks Day "shamrock plants" are sold everywhere we see them in the grocery store, the local Home Depot and at our favorite florist. This little green plant is so hard to resist by all of us to bring a bright green spot into our home after a long cold winter but did you know there really is no such thing as a shamrock plant.Shamrock is derived from the Irish word 'seamrog' and means 'little clover'. In Ireland, the plant most often referred to as the shamrock, is actually white clover.
Our association of the shamrock plant with St. Patricks Day comes from the Irish tale which tells of how Saint Patrick (who was also a teacher) used the three-leafed shamrock in his lectures to explain that the Trinity, (the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit) could all exist as separate elements of the same entity. His followers adopted the custom of wearing a shamrock on his feast day.
Here in the United States.most of the plants sold in supermarkets and garden centers around Saint Patrick's Day as 'shamrocks' are really Oxalis acetosella or Oxalis deppei. They may not be the real shamrock, but they are a great substitution. Oxalis acetosella has white flowers while Oxalis deppei has red blooms.
Oxalis like lots of light and prefere south or west exposure. High temperatures will cause them to go dormant and they like to be barely damp and should be fertilized monthly with an all purpose formula of fertilizer. While it is possible to grow oxalis for years without giving them a rest, they perform at their best with a period of dormancy. When the plant begins to look tired, stop all watering and fertilizing and store the plant in a dark, cool place. After a couple of months bring it out and start watering again. You'll be rewarded with fresh, new growth
So pick up one of an expensive "Shamrock Plant" at your local grocery and enjoy the tradition of St. Patricks Day
Showing posts with label st patricks day. Show all posts
Showing posts with label st patricks day. Show all posts
Monday, March 5, 2007
Friday, February 23, 2007
Corn Beef Dinner
Ingredients :
4 1/2 pounds corned beef brisket
5 black peppercorns
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 onion, peeled and left whole
2 bay leaves
1 pinch salt
1 small head cabbage, cored and cut into wedges
6 large potatoes, quartered
4 large carrots, peeled and sliced
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
2 tablespoons butter
Directions:
In a 6 quart Dutch oven, Place the beef brisket, peppercorns, garlic powder, onion, bay leaves and salt. Fill pan with water to cover everything plus one inch. Bring to a boil and cook for 20 minutes. Skim off any residue that floats to the top. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook for 2 to 3 hours, until meat can be pulled apart with a fork.
Once the meat is done, add the cabbage, potatoes and carrots, pressing them down into the liquid. Simmer for an additional 15 minutes or until the potatoes are tender. Skim off any oil that comes to the surface. Stir in the butter and parsley. Remove the pot from the heat.
Remove meat from the pot and place onto a serving dish and let rest for 15 minutes. Also remove vegetables to a bowl and keep warm. Slice meat on the diagonal against the grain. Serve meat on a platter
4 1/2 pounds corned beef brisket
5 black peppercorns
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 onion, peeled and left whole
2 bay leaves
1 pinch salt
1 small head cabbage, cored and cut into wedges
6 large potatoes, quartered
4 large carrots, peeled and sliced
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
2 tablespoons butter
Directions:
In a 6 quart Dutch oven, Place the beef brisket, peppercorns, garlic powder, onion, bay leaves and salt. Fill pan with water to cover everything plus one inch. Bring to a boil and cook for 20 minutes. Skim off any residue that floats to the top. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook for 2 to 3 hours, until meat can be pulled apart with a fork.
Once the meat is done, add the cabbage, potatoes and carrots, pressing them down into the liquid. Simmer for an additional 15 minutes or until the potatoes are tender. Skim off any oil that comes to the surface. Stir in the butter and parsley. Remove the pot from the heat.
Remove meat from the pot and place onto a serving dish and let rest for 15 minutes. Also remove vegetables to a bowl and keep warm. Slice meat on the diagonal against the grain. Serve meat on a platter
Wednesday, February 21, 2007
St Patrick Day Craft Ideas
I found these websites for some cute St. Patrick 's Day ideas and thought I would share and they are all free !
St. Patricks Candlestick
Lucky Leprechaun
Leprechaun Hat
St Patricks Day Magnets
St Patricks Day Graphics
St. Patricks Candlestick
Lucky Leprechaun
Leprechaun Hat
St Patricks Day Magnets
St Patricks Day Graphics
Tuesday, February 13, 2007
Irish Blessings and Sayings
These would be wonderful to embroidery on muslin as gifts or to sell
Erin Go Bragh(Ireland Forever)
Go mbeannai Dia duit(May God Bless You)
As you slide down the banister of life,
may the splinters never point in the wrong direction!
— Irish Blessing
May the road rise to meet you,May the wind be always at your back,
May the sun shine upon your face,
The rains fall soft upon your fields,
And, until we meet again,
May God hold you in the palm of His hand
— Irish Blessing
You never miss the water till the well has run dry. — Irish Proverb
Half a loaf of bread is better than no bread at all. — Irish Proverb
May you always haveWalls for the winds,
A roof for the rain,
Tea beside the fire,
Laughter to cheer you,
Those you love near you
,And all your heart might desire!
— Irish Proverb
Remember even if you loose all, keep your good name; for if you loose that you are worthless. — Irish Proverb
May you live as long as you want,
And never want as long as you live.
— Irish Proverb
These things I warmly wish to you
—Someone to love
Some work to doA bit o' sun
A bit o' cheer
And a guardian angel always near.
— An Irish Blessing
May your blessings outnumber the shamrocks that grow, and may trouble avoid you wherever you go. — Irish Blessing
'Tis better to buy a small bouquet
And give to your friend this very day,
Than a bushel of roses white and red
To lay on his coffin after he's dead.
— Irish Saying
May you have warm words on a cold evening,
A full moon on a dark night,
And the road downhill all the way to your door.
— Irish blessing
For each petal on the shamrock
This brings a wish your way
—Good health, good luck, and happiness
For today and every day.
— Irish Saying
Dance as if no one were watching,
Sing as if no one were listening,
And live every day as if it were your last.
— Irish Proverb
May the best day of your past
Be the worst day of your future
.— Irish blessing
May your pockets be heavy and your heart be light,
May good luck pursue you each morning and night,
— Irish Blessing
May you be inHeaven a half hour before theDevil knows you're dead!
— Irish Saying
May you have
A world of wishes at your command
God and His angels close at hand
Friends and family their love impart,
And Irish blessings in your heart.
— Irish Blessing
May you live to be a hundred yearsWith one extra year to repent.
— Irish Saying
A good laugh and a long sleep are the best cures in the doctor's book
— Irish proverb
May luck be our companion
May friends stand by our side
May history remind us all
Of Ireland's faith and pride.May God bless us with happiness
May love and faith abide.
— Irish Saying
The most beautiful music of all is the music of what happens.
— Irish proverb
May God grant you many years to live,
For sure He must be knowing
The earth has angels all too few
And Heaven is overflowing.
— Irish Blessing
You've got to do your own growing,no matter how tall your grandfather was. — Irish Proverb
To please himself only the cat purrs. — Irish Proverb
May those who love us, love us
And those who don't love us,
May God turn their hearts
And if He will not turn their hearts,
May He turn their ankles
So we will know them by their limping!
— Irish Saying
May your neighbors respect you,
Troubles neglect you,
The angels protect you,
And Heaven accept you.
— Irish Blessing
May you be poor in misfortune,
Rich in blessings,
Slow to make enemies, quick to make friends,
But rich or poor, quick or slow,
May you know nothing but happiness
From this day forward.
-Irish Blessing
Erin Go Bragh(Ireland Forever)
Go mbeannai Dia duit(May God Bless You)
As you slide down the banister of life,
may the splinters never point in the wrong direction!
— Irish Blessing
May the road rise to meet you,May the wind be always at your back,
May the sun shine upon your face,
The rains fall soft upon your fields,
And, until we meet again,
May God hold you in the palm of His hand
— Irish Blessing
You never miss the water till the well has run dry. — Irish Proverb
Half a loaf of bread is better than no bread at all. — Irish Proverb
May you always haveWalls for the winds,
A roof for the rain,
Tea beside the fire,
Laughter to cheer you,
Those you love near you
,And all your heart might desire!
— Irish Proverb
Remember even if you loose all, keep your good name; for if you loose that you are worthless. — Irish Proverb
May you live as long as you want,
And never want as long as you live.
— Irish Proverb
These things I warmly wish to you
—Someone to love
Some work to doA bit o' sun
A bit o' cheer
And a guardian angel always near.
— An Irish Blessing
May your blessings outnumber the shamrocks that grow, and may trouble avoid you wherever you go. — Irish Blessing
'Tis better to buy a small bouquet
And give to your friend this very day,
Than a bushel of roses white and red
To lay on his coffin after he's dead.
— Irish Saying
May you have warm words on a cold evening,
A full moon on a dark night,
And the road downhill all the way to your door.
— Irish blessing
For each petal on the shamrock
This brings a wish your way
—Good health, good luck, and happiness
For today and every day.
— Irish Saying
Dance as if no one were watching,
Sing as if no one were listening,
And live every day as if it were your last.
— Irish Proverb
May the best day of your past
Be the worst day of your future
.— Irish blessing
May your pockets be heavy and your heart be light,
May good luck pursue you each morning and night,
— Irish Blessing
May you be inHeaven a half hour before theDevil knows you're dead!
— Irish Saying
May you have
A world of wishes at your command
God and His angels close at hand
Friends and family their love impart,
And Irish blessings in your heart.
— Irish Blessing
May you live to be a hundred yearsWith one extra year to repent.
— Irish Saying
A good laugh and a long sleep are the best cures in the doctor's book
— Irish proverb
May luck be our companion
May friends stand by our side
May history remind us all
Of Ireland's faith and pride.May God bless us with happiness
May love and faith abide.
— Irish Saying
The most beautiful music of all is the music of what happens.
— Irish proverb
May God grant you many years to live,
For sure He must be knowing
The earth has angels all too few
And Heaven is overflowing.
— Irish Blessing
You've got to do your own growing,no matter how tall your grandfather was. — Irish Proverb
To please himself only the cat purrs. — Irish Proverb
May those who love us, love us
And those who don't love us,
May God turn their hearts
And if He will not turn their hearts,
May He turn their ankles
So we will know them by their limping!
— Irish Saying
May your neighbors respect you,
Troubles neglect you,
The angels protect you,
And Heaven accept you.
— Irish Blessing
May you be poor in misfortune,
Rich in blessings,
Slow to make enemies, quick to make friends,
But rich or poor, quick or slow,
May you know nothing but happiness
From this day forward.
-Irish Blessing
St Patricks Day Crafting
Ive been busy crafting for my website Two Old Crows most of today. This was so much fun to gather up the things. First I made some shamrocks out of homespun and muslin. These I embroidered with a buttonhole stitch around the edge and then on the muslin one embroidered Happy St Patricks Day. I had bought an old enamelware bowl at estate sale and thought the green and cream color were perfect for St Patricks Day to that I added an old green handle dough cutter and a vintage egg beater. The candlestick light with silicone bulb gives off a nice glow. These and more St Patrick Day items can be found on my website Two Old Crows so stop by and take a peek !
A Day Spent Crafting
Ive had this pattern for a Raggedy Ann shelf sitter for quite some time and just never got around to making it.....its from Prim Raggs and didnt it turn out cute. This morning I was looking through my fabric stash and saw just a bit of the St Patrick Day print (sure wish I had bought more). I only had an eighth of a yard dont know what I was thinking but decided to go ahead and try and see what I could do with it and all in all I think it came out kind of cute. Ive added these to my website Two Old Crows in the St. Patrick section that we just added.
St Patricks Day History
Saint Patrick is believed to have been born in the late fourth century, and is often confused with Palladius, a bishop who was sent by Pope Celestine in 431 to be the first bishop to the Irish believers in Christ.Saint Patrick was the patron saint and national apostle of Ireland who is credited with bringing christianity to Ireland. Most of what is known about him comes from his two works, the Confessio, a spiritual autobiography, and his Epistola, a denunciation of British mistreatment of Irish christians. Saint Patrick described himself as a "most humble-minded man, pouring forth a continuous paean of thanks to his Maker for having chosen him as the instrument whereby multitudes who had worshipped idols and unclean things had become the people of God."Saint Patrick is most known for driving the snakes from Ireland. It is true there are no snakes in Ireland, but there probably never have been - the island was separated from the rest of the continent at the end of the Ice Age. As in many old pagan religions, serpent symbols were common and often worshipped. Driving the snakes from Ireland was probably symbolic of putting an end to that pagan practice. While not the first to bring christianity to Ireland, it is Patrick who is said to have encountered the Druids at Tara and abolished their pagan rites. The story holds that he converted the warrior chiefs and princes, baptizing them and thousands of their subjects in the "Holy Wells" that still bear this name.There are several accounts of Saint Patrick's death. One says that Patrick died at Saul, Downpatrick, Ireland, on March 17, 460 A.D. His jawbone was preserved in a silver shrine and was often requested in times of childbirth, epileptic fits, and as a preservative against the "evil eye." Another account says that St. Patrick ended his days at Glastonbury, England and was buried there. The Chapel of St. Patrick still exists as part of Glastonbury Abbey. Today, many Catholic places of worship all around the world are named after St. Patrick, including cathedrals in New York and Dublin cityWhy Saint Patrick's Day?Saint Patrick's Day has come to be associated with everything Irish: anything green and gold, shamrocks and luck. Most importantly, to those who celebrate its intended meaning, St. Patrick's Day is a traditional day for spiritual renewal and offering prayers for missionaries worldwide.
So, why is it celebrated on March 17th? One theory is that that is the day that St. Patrick died. Since the holiday began in Ireland, it is believed that as the Irish spread out around the world, they took with them their history and celebrations. The biggest observance of all is, of course, in Ireland. With the exception of restaurants and pubs, almost all businesses close on March 17th. Being a religious holiday as well, many Irish attend mass, where March 17th is the traditional day for offering prayers for missionaries worldwide before the serious celebrating begins.
In American cities with a large Irish population, St. Patrick's Day is a very big deal. Big cities and small towns alike celebrate with parades, "wearing of the green," music and songs, Irish food and drink, and activities for kids such as crafts, coloring and games. Some communities even go so far as to dye rivers or streams green!
So, why is it celebrated on March 17th? One theory is that that is the day that St. Patrick died. Since the holiday began in Ireland, it is believed that as the Irish spread out around the world, they took with them their history and celebrations. The biggest observance of all is, of course, in Ireland. With the exception of restaurants and pubs, almost all businesses close on March 17th. Being a religious holiday as well, many Irish attend mass, where March 17th is the traditional day for offering prayers for missionaries worldwide before the serious celebrating begins.
In American cities with a large Irish population, St. Patrick's Day is a very big deal. Big cities and small towns alike celebrate with parades, "wearing of the green," music and songs, Irish food and drink, and activities for kids such as crafts, coloring and games. Some communities even go so far as to dye rivers or streams green!
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