St. Patrick's Day Blogging Carnival

I wanted to have the most amazing post about St. Patrick's Day since I signed up for the St. Patrick's Day blogging carnival.







But I forgot to take lots of pictures.









Again.







Until about a year ago I didn't even have a camera. I am not a picture person. I am really trying to get better so that the people who live with me that are picture people will have a few pictures. But since I got a camera for Christmas in 2007 I don't think I have printed any pictures off.

I have just blogged.

*SIGH*

But back to our big day. My bubble really burst when I found out from Jan that the "authentic Irish celebrating" that we do here is utterly American.

Did you know that rivers in Ireland are not green? Okay, I am kidding. But the wearing green to not get pinched, the leprechaun tricks, and the corned beef... All American.

Hurumphh!!! It makes me grouchy. I put a lot of effort into that stuff. Oh well.




Our day begins with the most Irish of breakfasts:

Well, I do have a can of that in my pantry and it is soooo yummy. But this is really what we (the kids) ate:

Did you know they are "mAgiCallYdEliCioUs?"





We made a very green dessert. It is called Chocolate Lime Dessert and it is one of my favorites.

Chocolate Lime Dessert

1 cup crushed chocolate cookie wafers or chocolate graham crackers

1/3 cup melted butter

1 box (4 serving size) lime jello

1 cup hot water

3/4 cup cold water

1 cup sugar

1/4 cup lemon juice

1 large can evaporated milk

Combine crumbs and butter and push into 9 by 13 pan to make crust. Save about 1/3 cup to sprinkle on top. Set can of milk in freezer until icy around edges. (about the same amount of time it takes for jello to partially set)Combine jello and hot water. Stir 1 minute. Add lemon juice and sugar. Stir 1 minute. Add cold water. Put in fridge until partially set. Whisk jello until frothy. Then whip milk until stiff peaks form. fold milk into jello carefully. Pour over crust, sprinkle with extra crumbs and refrigerate. I always double the crust ingredients, but you don't have to.

And now the Soda Bread. at least THIS is Irish!! Lucy made this and it was soooo yummy!!

Soda Bread

2 Cups unbleached flour

2 Cups whole wheat flour

1/2 cup sugar

2 tsp. soda

1 tsp salt

4 Tablespoons cold butter

1 1/2 cup buttermilk

combine flours, sugar, soda, salt. Cut in Butter. Stir in buttermilk. Knead 1 minute. Shape into disk and cut x into the top. Bake 45 to 50 minutes.

Look, I even did some lucky 4 leaf clover sewing. Aren't these cute? I still have 11 more cut out that need sewn. Maybe by next St. Patrick's Day!

We also played the traditional Irish game:

Guess the number of green M&Ms and win the whole jar.

So, how many do you think are in here? It is a pint jar.

Do you give up?

406!! Adrian won, but of course he shared with everyone.

Speaking of everyone, here they are. Why do I have 12 people for dinner, again? This is why every meal is an ordeal and our food bill is so big.

But I wouldn't trade it for anything!

As you can see we have a red head here, he must be Irish. And one of these kids is named Shawn. That sounds Irish.

The Tongan kid... He is Definitely NOT Irish! ha ha He is just hungry. ALL. THE. TIME. He can pack it away better than anyone I have ever met. He is a joy to cook for. One time the kids challenged him to eat a whole plate of cookies. And he just stuffed them in one after another. Boom. Boom. Boom. He ate so many so fast. He finished the plate and then goes, What where those? They were good.

He didn't even know what he was eating!! we have laughed and laughed about that!










This was after we had eaten the Corned Beef and cabbage and potatoes and carrots and onions and soda bread. I forgot to take a picture of dinner.

Sorry.

But I will tell you how I make a tasty Corned Beef.

Tasty Corned Beef

Put your Corned Beef Brisket in the crock pot. Then get about 5 cups Hot water and add about 1 Tablespoon Kosher salt, I tablespoon Peppercorns and 1 Tablespoon Pickling Spices. Mix it up and pour over beef. Cook on high about 4 or 5 hours. Then take the meat and put it on a warm plate, cover with foil and set in the oven. Pour the juice from the crock pot into a big pot on the stove, bring to a boil and add quartered potatoes and onions and carrots. Cook ten minutes and then add quarted cabbage. Cook until desired tenderness.

Tasty!






We also worked outside because it was in the 70's. Lucy even got the front porch power washed and the rest of the kids got the yard free of sticks and limbs. (no small task!! We have 12 acres, but only about 2 of it needs maintained like a yard)

And then the next morning enjoy the leftover soda bread toasted with blackberry jam!


And now I am going to go and check out everyone elses St. Patrick's Day Posts!!