Page 9 - Clear Lake Mirror Reporter E-Edition 3-16-2016

Clear Lake Mirror-Reporter
Slow Cooker Corned Beef
and Cabbage
Use your slow cooker to simmer this
traditional one-pot Irish meal during the
day. You and your family will be sitting
down to perfectly cooked corned beef and
cabbage for dinner.
8 small red potatoes
2 cups baby carrots
1 small onion, quartered
1 corned beef brisket, rinsed and
trimmed (4 pounds)
2 tablespoons McCormick® Mixed
Pickling Spice
1 teaspoon Garlic, Minced
1/2 head cabbage, cored and cut into
wedges
Place potatoes, carrots and onion
in 6-quart slow cooker. Place corned
beef brisket over vegetables. Sprinkle
with pickling spice and minced garlic.
Add enough water (about 8 cups) to
just cover meat. Cover.
Cook 7 hours on HIGH. Add
cabbage. Cover. Cook 1 to 2 hours on
HIGH or until cabbage is tender-crisp.
Remove corned beef brisket to
serving platter. Slice thinly across the
grain. Serve with vegetables.
Cinnamon Raisin Irish
Soda Bread
This sweet Irish-American verison of
soda bread is rich with cinnamon, raisins Divide among 24 greased
and sour cream.
5 cups flour
1 cup sugar
4 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons Caraway Seed
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1 tsp. Cinnamon,
Ground
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
3/4 cup raisins
3 eggs
1 cup buttermilk
1 c up sour cream
1 teaspoon Vanilla
Extract
Preheat oven to
3 5 0 ° F. Mi x f l o u r,
sugar, baking powder,
caraway seed, cinnamon, baking soda
and salt in large bowl. Stir in raisins. Set cakes on wire rack.
aside. Beat eggs in medium bowl. Stir
in buttermilk, sour cream and vanilla.
Add to dry ingredients; stir until well
blended.
Divide dough in half. Shape each
portion into a ball. Place on lightly
greased baking sheet. Make a deep
X on top of each loaf with a small
knife. Sprinkle with additional sugar,
if desired.
Bake 45 to 50 minutes or until
toothpick inserted in center comes out
clean and top is golden brown. Transfer
loaves to wire rack; cool
completely.
Cooking tip
Cinnamon Raisin
Irish Soda Bread Muffins:
Prepare dough as directed.
muffin cups. Bake 20 to 25
minutes or until toothpick
inserted in center comes
out clean and top is golden
brown.
Green Ombre Cake
A showstopper for St. Patrick’s Day
celebrations – a layer cake in multiple
hues of green inspired by fashion’s color
fade craze.
Cake:
1 package (2-layer size) white cake
mix
2 teaspoons Vanilla Extract
McCormick® Green Food Color
Frosting:
1 cup (2 sticks) butter,
softened
2 teaspoons Vanilla
Extract
1 package (16 ounces)
confectioners’ sugar
2 tablespoons milk
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March 16, 2015 • Page 9
St. Patrick’s Day fun for the wee little ones
St. Patrick’s Day revelry might be most associated with adhere black crepe paper to it. Attach to the posterboard.
adults who enjoy hoisting a few pints and listening to music 3. Stick gold foil circles to form the “gold coins” that
at Irish pubs, but that does not mean kids can’t also enjoy will be filling the pot of gold.
this beloved holiday. The following are a handful of ways to 4. Cut out pieces of crepe paper from the rainbow
infuse kids with the spirit of St. Patrick’s Day. colors and attach to the posterboard to form the rainbow.
Let the pieces end right near the pot of gold.
Prepare cake mix as directed Music 5. Allow kids to embellish further with glitter and
on package, using whole eggs. Stir St. Patrick’s Day and Irish culture in particular any other things they may have on hand.
in vanilla. Divide batter evenly into is synonymous with music, and there may be no Display the leprechaun with a pot of gold at the end
3 bowls. Stir 50 drops (about 1/2 better way to stoke kids’ enthusiasm for St. Patrick’s of the rainbow in a prime spot during your St. Patrick’s
teaspoon) food color into one of the Day than to introduce them to Irish music. Check Day celebration.
bowls, tinting batter dark green. Stir out local entertainment venues to see if there are Plan a Party
15 drops food color into another of the any Irish-inspired concerts on tap. If possible, find St. Patrick’s Day is a time of year when everyone
bowls, tinting batter medium green. shows geared toward youngsters that encourage gets to celebrate Irish heritage. Although once celebrated
Stir 2 drops food color into last of the them to participate by singing along or dancing as primarily by those people of Irish descent, St. Patrick’s
bowls, tinting batter light green. the musicians play. Kids who seem especially inspired Day is now celebrated by people of various ethnic
Pour each bowl of batter into a can even be encouraged to learn an instrument associated backgrounds. Many of the festivities surrounding St.
greased and floured 8-inch round cake with Irish music, such as the banjo, tin whistle or violin. Patrick’s Day are geared toward adults. However, any
pan. Dance celebration can be customized to include enjoyable
Bake as directed on package. Cool Another way to get kids excited about St. Patrick’s Day is activities for younger celebrants.
to arrange for them to learn any of the traditional Irish dance Here are some ideas:
For the Frosting, beat butter and forms. Parents can even enroll alongside their youngsters, •Children are more well behaved when they have
vanilla in large bowl until light and making this a fun way for families to enjoy some quality something to keep them occupied, so organize games
fluffy. Gradually add confectioners’ time together. and activities to keep their attention. Instead of an “egg
sugar, beating well after each addition Crafts hunt,” which would be an Easter activity, borrow from the
and scraping sides and bottom of bowl Many families decorate their homes for St. Patrick’s Day. theme and hide leprechaun treasures around the house.
frequently. Add milk; beat until light While such decorations are rarely as extensive as Christmas Send children on a scavenger hunt to find chocolate gold
and fluffy. Place dark green cake layer decorations, parents can encourage their kids’ creative sides coins or other treats.
on serving plate. Spread with 1/3 cup of by organizing crafts projects for youngsters and their friends. •Enlist the help of children with refreshments.
frosting. Top with medium green cake Design projects where kids can create some of the symbols They can help whip up a batch of Irish soda bread or a
layer. Spread with 1/3 cup of frosting. of St. Patrick’s Day that appear in popular culture, such as green-frosted cake. Purchase M&M(R) candies and have
Top with light green cake layer. Frost four-leaf clovers or leprechauns. children sort out the yellow and green ones for festive
top and sides of cake with remaining With a few simple supplies, children can create a variety candy dishes.
frosting. of festive items to share their enthusiasm. •Create a specialized beverage that children will
An idea to get them started is to construct a rainbow enjoy. It’s easy to make a bowl of punch with a few
and pot of gold complete with leprechaun. ingredients. Mix seltzer water with a green- or yellow-
To do so gather the following supplies: hued fruit punch. Float spoonfuls of lime sherbet on top,
•poster board which will gradually melt into the punch. Spoon into
•clean, empty gallon milk container green plastic cups.
•crepe paper in rainbow colors and in black •Children enjoy pinatas because they get to break
•gold foil circles them open and find the treasure inside. Purchase a
•construction paper treasure chest, shamrock or another pinata shape that
•glue will tie into your theme. Fill with stickers, gold coins,
•scissors candy, and other St. Patrick’s Day items.
•glitter, if desired •Be sure to have foods on hand that children will
1. Draw and enjoy. Anything can be turned festive with a hint of green
cut out a leprechaun food coloring. Tint macaroni and cheese green and serve
using various shades of in little bowls. Color biscuit dough and wrap around mini
construction paper. Glue frankfurters for clever “pigs in a blanket.” Serve chicken
it to the posterboard. strips with green-hued mashed potatoes. Cut sandwiches
2. Cut out half of into four-leaf clovers with the appropriate cookie cutter.
the milk container to Think creatively to put smiles on the faces of children.
form a “pot.” Use glue to Even adults may appreciate the creativity put into food
and beverages.
Why does the world celebrate St. Patrick’s Day?
March 17 is a special day for people of Irish heritage and other later became a bishop. Under Pope Celestine I, he was commissioned to
celebrants across the globe. Each year, millions of people pay homage to become an apostle to Ireland and spread the news of God and Christianity.
St. Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland, with parades, parties and religious St. Patrick spent many years evangelizing in the northern half of
services. Celebrations occur even though many celebrants may know little Ireland and converted thousands of people from paganism to Christianity.
about this legendary saint. According to legend, St. Patrick used the three-leaf clover to explain the
Although St. Patrick’s Day has evolved into a festivity filled with Holy Trinity to the Irish. Patrick’s efforts to drive out the pagans became
clovers, frosty mugs of beer, green clothing, and lively music, the day was an allegory in which he drove “snakes” out of Ireland.
once a religious feast day honoring the man many credit with bringing Although green has become the primary color of St. Patrick’s Day
Christianity to Ireland. celebrations, and green remains widely associated with Ireland, during
St. Patrick was born in Britain circa AD 387. Many are surprised to the 18th century, the Order of St. Patrick, an Anglo-Irish chivalric order,
learn he was not Irish. In fact, St. Patrick first spent time in Ireland when adopted blue as it’s official color. That led to blue being associated with St.
he was captured by Irish pagans as a teen and taken to their country as Patrick. However, “wearing of the green” eventually fell back into favor,
a slave. After six years working as a shepherd, Patrick became familiar and the color green and an association with St. Patrick’s Day grew during
with the customs and spirit of the Irish and “found God.” He was able to the 19th and 20th centuries.
eventually escape his imprisonment, vowing to one day return to Ireland Although St. Patrick’s Day originated as a religious celebration in
as a free man. honor of a man who brought Christianity to Ireland, it has since become
Patrick was schooled at monasteries and was ordained a priest and a larger representation of Irish pride and culture.
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