The man behind the day:  St. Patrick

 

So who was St Patrick?

 There are many legends associated with Saint Patrick.  It is said that he drove all the venomous snakes out of Ireland and into the sea where they drowned.  This has now become fact even though no one knows if it’s actually true.  It is speculated this is a metaphor for converting all the pagans to Christianity because the pagan symbol was the snake.  

St. Patrick was born in the latter half of the fourth century to a wealthy family in England ; his father was a Roman in the British army.  His given name was Maewyn but he went by the name Patricius, which was later changed to Patrick.  He became the Patron Saint of Ireland because of all the work he did there as a missionary in the fifth century.  Sadly most of the facts about his life remain a mystery, but I will share a little of what we do know of his life and the legends associated with him.    Read the full article on hubpages

Nothing is more romantic than an Irish locket that keeps your precious loved one close to your heart.   

Made in Ireland by Boru these classic style lockets are available in several shapes and sizes.  Available  in 10K yellow gold or sterling silver each with an 18" chain and beautifully boxed.

·         2 pounds potatoes, such as russet, peeled and cubed

·         2 tablespoons sour cream or softened cream cheese

·         1 large egg yolk

·         1/2 cup cream, for a lighter version substitute vegetable or chicken broth

·         Salt and freshly ground black pepper

·         1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, 1 turn of the pan

·         1 3/4 pounds ground beef or ground lamb

·         1 carrot, peeled and chopped

·         1 onion, chopped

·         2 tablespoons butter

·         2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

·         1 cup beef stock or broth

·         2 teaspoons Worcestershire, eyeball it

·         1/2 cup frozen peas, a couple of handfuls

·         1 teaspoon sweet paprika

·         2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves

Directions

Boil potatoes in salted water until tender, about 12 minutes. Drain potatoes and pour them into a bowl. Combine sour cream, egg yolk and cream. Add the cream mixture into potatoes and mash until potatoes are almost smooth.

While potatoes boil, preheat a large skillet over medium high heat. Add oil to hot pan with beef or lamb. Season meat with salt and pepper. Brown and crumble meat for 3 or 4 minutes. If you are using lamb and the pan is fatty, spoon away some of the drippings. Add chopped carrot and onion to the meat. Cook veggies with meat 5 minutes, stirring frequently. In a second small skillet over medium heat cook butter and flour together 2 minutes. Whisk in broth and Worcestershire sauce. Thicken gravy 1 minute. Add gravy to meat and vegetables. Stir in peas.

Preheat broiler to high. Fill a small rectangular casserole with meat and vegetable mixture. Spoon potatoes over meat evenly. Top potatoes with paprika and broil 6 to 8 inches from the heat until potatoes are evenly browned. Top casserole dish with chopped parsley and serve.

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