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Saturday, March 17, 2012

Break Out The Green Attire and Crock Pot -- it’s St. Patty’s Day

The day of green is upon us. It is time to go through one’s closet and support the tradition of the Irish. But as we sip on green beer and get out the green hair band, green beads, green hat, green shirt, green pants and green socks, do we really know what the celebration is about?

St. Patrick is one of Christianity’s most widely known figures. Born in Roman Britain, he was kidnapped and brought to Ireland as a slave at the age of 16. He eventually escaped and was credited with bringing Christianity to Ireland. He died on March 17, 461 AD and eventually this date became a day of celebration.


Interestingly, the first parade held to honor St. Patrick did not take place in Ireland. On March 17, 1862, Irish soldiers serving in the English military marched through New York City. The parade helped the soldiers reconnect with their Irish roots, as well as with other fellow Irishmen serving in the English army.


St. Patty’s Day is synonymous with corned beef, and crock pots are ideal for cooking the tough meat. Try to avoid putting cold or frozen food in the slow cooker. It simply takes too long to start the cooking process. Also, frozen foods cooked in a crock pot can yield an unusual texture.


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1 comment:

Anonymous said...

A few years ago, I was in a bar on St. Patrick's Day, and there were two very heavy-set women with very pronounced accents. I said,"Could you ladies perhaps be from Scotland". One said, "No Wales, you fookin idiot". I said,"Then could you whales be from Scotland".