What a busy time it’s been! This last month, I’ve been working on another children’s book for 2019.
I just finished an illustration on page 11. When I get closer to getting it completed, I’ll reveal more soon.
I also have some more very exciting news to share with you. I’ll get to that after we salute this month of March 2019.
Let’s get started by celebrating in threes for 03/01/2019.
In this blog, you’ll find:
*3 Fun Facts about St. Patrick’s Day and March
*3 Fun Activities to Make
*3 Yummy Recipes
Okay, first with the facts.
Did you know?
The first St. Patrick’s Day Parade was not in Ireland.
The first St. Patrick’s Day parade “recorded” was not in Ireland but was held in New York City in 1762. In the mid19th century, there was a massive increase of Irish immigrants to the United States. This is when the March 17th celebration became widespread.
There’s No Corn in that Corned Beef.
Corned Beef and cabbage, is a traditional Saint Patrick’s Day staple. “Corned” Beef doesn’t have anything to do with the grain corn. Instead, it comes from “grains of salt” that are used to cure the meat. Corned Beef gets its name “corn” from an old English word for grain. Who knew?
March is National Craft Month.
If you have followed my blogs, you know I love all crafts! This month I’m looking forward to seeing fun projects to make for the spring and summer months.
Speaking of crafts, here are three crafts to make for St. Patrick’s Day.
Let’s start off by making this very easy card. Use card stock, paint, markers, or crayons to decorate.
I like tracing out two heart shapes and cutting to form a shamrock.
How about making a “Pot of Gold” filled with candy ?
Here are step by step instructions to make one. Adjust to the size of paper plates you use and to your liking.
Puppet Craft or Treat Bag
This was made from a brown paper bag. Cut green paper to fit for the shirt and hat. Add black strips for the hat and belt. Cut out two yellow squares. Fold, and cut out the middle of the squares. Add a strip of orange paper for the beard. Cut 1/2 inch strips, stopping at 1 inch of the top of your paper. (Before I glued it down, I curled the cut strips with a pencil.) Draw eyes, nose, and mouth. Cut two long thin strips and do accordion folds. Glue. Add hands.
I’m going to fill my Leprechaun Bag with cookies.
(See Cookie Recipe at the end of this post.)
Yummy Recipes for March
Corn beef and Corn beef Sandwiches are staple foods for St. Patrick’s Day.
Our favorite Corn beef sandwiches are made with Rye Bread. Some prefer theirs on Pumpernickel bread.
Everyone probably knows how to make these, but we found a little trick to ours.
Set it up like you are making a grilled cheese.
(Tip we learned: If you use mayonnaise, instead of butter on the outside of your bread, you will make a nice crusty sandwich. It’s the eggs and oil in the mayo that toasts it up to a golden brown.)
Add a layer Thousand Island dressing inside your bread.
Add Swiss cheese.
Add Sour Kraut, and Corned Beef. Grill your sandwich on med high until till toasty. Flip and brown the other side.
This next recipe isn’t necessarily a St. Patrick’s meal, but for some reason I always end up making this recipe in March. We have been known to be creatures of habit.
Ham Gravy and Biscuits.
(One could make this for breakfast, but we usually have it as a dinner meal served with a vegetable. ) It is soooo good!
Directions:
Make a batch of biscuits from a store bought biscuit mix. If you add a ½ cup of grated cheese to the mix, it makes for extra yummy cheesy biscuits.
For the gravy you’ll need:
¼ cup butter
3 T chopped green onion
6 T Flour
1-1/4 cups milk
1 Can of Cream of Celery Soup
2 cups chopped ham
1 T lemon juice
Directions:
Cover and melt ¼ cup butter in the microwave.
Add 3 T chopped green onion to the butter. Cover and cook in the microwave 3 minutes.
Stir in 6 T flour to the butter and stir to make a paste, removing lumps.
Slowly add 1-1/4 cups milk. Stir to mix.
Stir in 1 can of Cream of Celery Soup
Add 2 cups of chopped cooked ham
Add 1 T lemon Juice
Cover and cook 6- 8 minutes, stirring every 2 minutes until thickened.
Cut biscuits in half and serve gravy over biscuits.
For leftovers, I find it helpful to add a splash of milk to the gravy before reheating. It makes for an easier pour over the reheated biscuits.
Now for that Cookie Recipe.
I’m saving to make these to fill in my Leprechaun Bag for St. Patrick’s Day.
I found out the coolest thing last week when going through some old recipes.
Did you know, you can make ANY kind of cookies with a box of cake mix, 2 eggs, chopped nuts, (if you wish) and anywhere from a 1/2 cup of Crisco to 3/4 cups?The trick to remember is to use just enough Crisco to have the batter thick enough to roll into balls. (I’m going to start with a 1/2 of cup of Crisco and add as needed.)
Add all ingredients into a bowl, using enough Crisco to form a stiff dough. Mix by hand.
Form into little balls, place on a baking sheet 2 inches apart. Flatten the balls, and bake at 350°F for 8-10 minutes, till puffy, and just barely golden around the edges. (They do spread while baking).
As soon as they come out of the oven, add candy, such as M&Ms.
UPDATE: I made these on St. Patrick’s Day and they turned out awesome. I used a 1/2 cup Crisco and it was the perfect amount for this cake mix. Also, this recipe yielded 20 cookies.
I hope you enjoyed this March blog. Let us know what fun things you have planned for this month.
Okay, here is the very exciting news I wanted to share with you. Click on this link to read more from Cat Michaels here.
Happy Reading!
Rosie
In case you missed my February blog, click here.
Want to visit some other First Friday March Blogs?
Check out these awesome authors:
Author Julie Gorges and her exciting news! She is having her book launch today on her Facebook Page. Read more about her new book here.
Author and Illustrator, Carmela Dutra has her fun post on her recent school visits for “Read Across America” here.
Great post by writer James Milson.