Bless your little Irish heart

We went to a party today! It started off with Mass followed by outdoor Stations of the Cross. There is a new homeschooling group just starting up at the local parish where the children and I go for daily Mass. They decided last week to have a St. Patrick's Day Party and everybody pitched in to make it a big success. We dressed in ( a little) green and brought green food and broomsticks to give the older children a chance to try their hand at hurling. One mom who is from Ireland made authentic Irish soda bread using her mother's cousin's recipe. She admitted that it was her first time making it. Talent must be in the genes because it was amazing!

(aside): Nothing like the first time I tried making it. Husband and I were dating and I wanted to impress him with my culinary skills (ha!). I knew that his family all had Irish names so I made some authentic Irish soda bread from an old country Irish cookbook I bought when I was in Ireland. You know the kind of book I am talking about? Authentic. Country. No real unit of measurement! My bread tasted like a salt lick! And it was probably as hard as one too.

There were brownies and cookies with shamrocks on them, spinach nuggets and a spinach artichoke dip served in a bread bowl. The little guys made shamrock necklaces and St. Patrick shields. They read a story, watched a movie and generally had a good time. Some of the moms with little ones had to leave early because the timing wasn't great for the kiddos. Boy, do I remember those days! I was so proud of these moms for even trying at all. I didn't have that kind of courage when mine were smaller. Us moms got to meet face to face instead of communicating through email only and do what moms do best... talk! There was a lovely lady there that I didn't get to talk to except briefly before she drove away. I would love to get to know her better and hope to have that chance in the future.

Hurling was a hoot!

Our food contribution included this Pistachio Nut Bread with a lovely green glaze. No, not teal... I said green! Hey, no giggling!

And an Irish Flag veggie tray. This was not my idea so I can only take credit for the execution. Another family in the group emailed saying that they would bring one but then they had to cancel. I thought it was such a great idea that I offered to try it. It was fun, super easy and a healthy alternative.

This weekend is shaping up to be a very busy one so I wish all of you a wonderful Feast of Saint Patrick Day!

May God give you...
For every storm, a rainbow,
For every tear, a smile,
For every care, a promise,
And a blessing in each trial.
For every problem life sends,
A faithful friend to share,
For every sigh, a sweet song,
And an answer for each prayer.