Celebrate St. Patty’s Day with a Little Irish Luck and Lots of Traditions

Hey YOU…. Did you know Saturday is St. Patrick’s Day? Well in case you missed the memo it is! I had hoped to have a St. Patty’s theme week for this week, full of some fun green recipes and but of course time got away from me and here we are the week of St. Patrick’s Day and I only have two day’s worth of things to share. Yesterday’s recipe for Sweet Potato and Turkey Shepherd’s Pie and today’s article all about Irish food that I wrote for meal planning and recipe site.
So here’s to green eats and a little Irish luck. By the way if you need more St. Patty’s Day recipe ideas or fun ideas check the bottom of this article or check out my St. Patty’s Pinterest page (are you following??)!

With the fun parades, cute symbols, and tasty food; everyone loves to be Irish on St. Patrick’s Day! But the origin of this popular Irish holiday dates back one thousand years and is to honor the death of St. Patrick, Ireland’s patron saint. This religious holiday is celebrated on March 17 in Ireland and countries around the world; with traditional festivities including Irish mass and celebrations of Irish culture.

Since St. Patrick’s Day celebrations center around feasting, take time to explore some traditional Irish foods. Most of these foods are made with simple ingredients and are easy to cook.

• Corned Beef and Cabbage is a popular meal enjoyed by many. Cabbage has long been a staple in Irish diets but this dish was traditionally served with Irish bacon and not corned beef. It was not until the turn of the century, when Irish immigrants fled to America, that they learned to use corned beef as an inexpensive substitute.

• Shepherd’s Pie is a historical Irish casserole that is traditionally made of lamb meat or mutton and topped with mashed potatoes. Depending on the region, this dish is also known as Hunters Pie or Cottage Pie.

• Irish Soda Bread is simple table bread that came about in the 1800’s. It gave people the opportunity to make bread at home in a cast-iron pot cooked directly on coals. Soda bread uses baking soda to make the dough rise, instead of yeast; which was popular because it is inexpensive and nonperishable. Today many American versions contain raisins, nuts, and seeds; but traditional Irish versions are plain and simply adorned with a cross like shape. This shape is to help during the baking process as well as represent a religious cross in this predominately Catholic country.

• Irish Beer and St. Patrick’s Day go together like milk and cereal! The Irish are known for their rich, flavorful beers and brew three main types: lagers, ales, and stouts. Lagers are lighter and crisper; ales tend to be darker and slightly richer; and stouts are luscious, smoky, and malty in flavor.

To celebrate St. Patrick’s Day and honor Irish traditions, make one of these Irish foods today!

Guinness Shepherds Pie (Kitchen Concoctions)
Chocolate Stout Cupcakes with Baileys Cream Cheese Frosting (Skinny Taste)
Sweet Potato and Turkey Shepherd’s Pie (Kitchen Concoctions)
Irish Soda Bread (Bluebonnets and Brownies)
Crescent Cristo Sandwich Loaf (Kitchen Concoctions)
Green Velvet Cheesecake Shamrocks (The Novice Chef)
Honey Marmalade Mustard Glazed Corned Beef (Good Life Eats)