I hated St. Patrick's day as a kid because I didn't like the color green in my clothes so I never had anything green to wear. I spent the day avoiding other kids that were trying to pinch me because I didn't have any green on. I still don't like green nor do I have clothes with green on them, but at least I don't have to avoid others trying to pinch me.
I don't wear it, either. The original color for St Patrick's Day was blue. I think they changed it because of the whole shamrock thing but I'm probably making that up.
Three of my wife's grandparents were off the boat from Ireland. The fourth, whose parents were off the boat, was called "The American". My wife has a soda bread recipe from her non-American grandmother, who was a cook in a household in Boston before she married. It has no egg-wash and no food processor, but is cooked in a cast-iron skillet. It also has caraway seeds AND raisins.
Well, now you did! I'm back knee-deep in research before the morning tea! Boston had a huge population of Irish from the 17th century onward and it's first St Pat's celebration was in 1737. Seems they were Irish soldiers conscripted in the British Army so maybe many the households who could afford a cook already had the recipe? Pure speculation. What was the nationality of your wife's fourth grandparent?
She was Irish, too. Both families (mother-in-law and father-in-law) came from county Cork and lived across the street from each other in Queens. When describing herself, my wife likes to say that she has one of those "map of Ireland" faces. And, actually, now that I look at the recipe, it's not raisins, but "black currents". My wife substitutes raisins.
An early version of the story used "map of Ireland" face. That's usually the way the family describes us. I forget why I changed. In any case, I just ran out of raisins but have some old currents. My mom would have advised to soak them in whiskey
I hated St. Patrick's day as a kid because I didn't like the color green in my clothes so I never had anything green to wear. I spent the day avoiding other kids that were trying to pinch me because I didn't have any green on. I still don't like green nor do I have clothes with green on them, but at least I don't have to avoid others trying to pinch me.
I don't wear it, either. The original color for St Patrick's Day was blue. I think they changed it because of the whole shamrock thing but I'm probably making that up.
Up Donegal! ☘️
You said it sister!
Three of my wife's grandparents were off the boat from Ireland. The fourth, whose parents were off the boat, was called "The American". My wife has a soda bread recipe from her non-American grandmother, who was a cook in a household in Boston before she married. It has no egg-wash and no food processor, but is cooked in a cast-iron skillet. It also has caraway seeds AND raisins.
Well, now you did! I'm back knee-deep in research before the morning tea! Boston had a huge population of Irish from the 17th century onward and it's first St Pat's celebration was in 1737. Seems they were Irish soldiers conscripted in the British Army so maybe many the households who could afford a cook already had the recipe? Pure speculation. What was the nationality of your wife's fourth grandparent?
She was Irish, too. Both families (mother-in-law and father-in-law) came from county Cork and lived across the street from each other in Queens. When describing herself, my wife likes to say that she has one of those "map of Ireland" faces. And, actually, now that I look at the recipe, it's not raisins, but "black currents". My wife substitutes raisins.
An early version of the story used "map of Ireland" face. That's usually the way the family describes us. I forget why I changed. In any case, I just ran out of raisins but have some old currents. My mom would have advised to soak them in whiskey