St. Patrick's Day in Adel
St. Patrick's Day Celebration, Wednesday, March 17
Saint Patrick's Day is Wednesday, March 17. To get our reader's ready for the festivities we have compiled a list of Fun Facts and traditional Irish recipes.
Keep reading and find suggestions for enjoying the night at home and around Adel!
Fun Facts
♣ St. Patrick was born in 385 AD somewhere along the west coast of Britain. At age 16, he was captured and sold into slavery. He escaped at age 22 and spent the next 12 years in a monastery. In his 30s he returned to Ireland as a missionary. He died at Saul in 461 AD and is buried at Downpatrick.
♣ In Ireland on St. Patrick's Day, people traditionally wear a small bunch of shamrocks on their jackets or caps. In the custom known as "drowning the shamrock", the shamrock that has been worn is then put in the last drink of the evening.
♣ Popular Irish toasts on St Patrick's Day include: "May the roof above us never fall in, and may we friends beneath it never fall out!", "May the sound of happy music, and the lilt of Irish laughter, fill your heart with gladness, that stays forever after!"
♣ Legend says that each leaf of the clover means something: the first is for hope, the second for faith, the third for love and the fourth for luck.
Traditional Irish Recipes
Last year we shared our family's recipe for Corned Beef and Hot Crossed Buns. This year we've gathered some tasty, traditional Irish recipes to try at home! These and other Irish recipes can be found at www.yourirish.com
Irish Skink
Skink is an old Irish word for broth. Irish Skink is a delicate soup made with summer vegetables, enriched with a liaison of cream and egg yolk.
3 sticks of celery, trimmed and finely diced
6 cos-type lettuce leaves, rinsed and chopped
4oz green peas
4 spring onions, trimmed and chopped
1 dessertspoon fresh chopped chives
1 ½ to 2 pints chicken stock
3 fluid oz double cream
1 egg yolk
4 sprigs parsley, 1 sprig thyme and a bay leaf tied together
Chopped parsley to garnish
Salt and pepper
Place the vegetables, herbs, seasoning and stock into a saucepan. Bring to the boil. Cover and simmer for ½ hour or until the vegetables are tender. Remove the bouquet garnish. Blend the cream and egg yolk and add to the soup. Heat without boiling. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve with a light sprinkling of parsley.
Irish Potato Bread
In Ireland, potato bread is also known as potato farl. No Irish breakfast would ever be complete without a piece or two of potato bread!
3 oz plain flour
½ teaspoon baking powder
Pinch of salt
1 oz butter
8oz mashed potatoes
2 tablespoons milk
Butter to serve
Mix together the flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl, rub in the butter using the fingertips until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Stir in the mashed potato and enough milk to make soft but not loose dough. Roll out onto a floured board into a round approx ½ inch thick and mark into quarters without cutting through the bread. Place on a greased baking tray and bake in the oven at 200 degrees for about 20 minutes. Serve hot with plenty of butter.
Family Friendly Ideas:
Saint Patrick's Day doesn't have to be centered on green beer. Try these "Non Alcoholic" alternatives!
♣ Spend the night at home enjoying movies with an Irish theme or actors. (The Quiet Man, The Secret of Roan Inish, Finian's Rainbow, Darby O'Gill and the Little People, Riverdance)
♣ Watch a Parade on TV. (If you have little ones, dress up in green costumes and celebrate from the comforts of a warm house rather the cold street!)
♣ Have a game night with "Irish" prizes you find at Sugar's Super Valu and the Family Dollar Store such as green necklaces, shamrock toys, and gold coins!
♣ Want to get out of the house? Try Dinner and Bowling!
First, try out one of Adel's great local restaurants: Breadeaux Pizza, China Village, Godfather's Pizza, Italian Villages - corned beef and cabbage, and Patrick's. Then head over to the Adel Family Fun Center. Be sure to dress up in green and enjoy the night bowling with friends and family members!
Great Place to 'Partake" on Saint Patrick's Day:
Even St. Patrick believed in having a "shot of the hard stuff." When planning your night on the town, consider Adel's local taverns.
Remember to appoint a Designated Driver - Friends Don't Let Friends Drive Drunk!
Corner Tap - 921 Main St
Keasey's Hideaway - 911 Court St.
Kinnick's Tavern - 807 Main St (Now serving Food!)
Rendezvous Lounge - 909 Main St
Another Alternative is to throw your own St Patrick's Day party! Stock up on drinks and snacks of all kinds from our local shops!
Sugar's Super Valu
Casey's General Store
Fuller Standard Service
Kum and Go
Family Dollar Store
Have a fun and safe Saint Patrick's Day from DiscoverAdel!