Sunday, February 21, 2010

Give Aways!

My good friend Sara (of the previously noted Saremy) is having a give away onlotion her blog http://saralovescooking.blogspot.com/2010/02/review-giveaway-derby-pie.html She’s giving away some amazing hand lotion perfect for our dry Arizona weather.
I am going to have a give away soon too so be sure to come back and check the blog soon for your chance to win!

It’s That Time of Year… Again.

Well, it’s almost March and do you know what that means? It means I’m that much closer to being another year older. On St. Patrick’s Day, March 17th, I will turn 27.
I have updated the background of my blog to celebrate this wonderful Irish holiday.
You may remember last year, Jake ordered a cake from a friend of ours named Jenna. She has a wonderful talent for making cakes. You can see some of here cakes at http://www.cakesbyjenna.com/ Jake ordered a birthday cake for me and it was a pot of gold with a rainbow coming out of it. You can see a picture of it here in my collage/slide show to the right ----->
Well, this year is no different. Jake has already put in an order and we have no idea what it will look like, I just know it will be delicious! I can’t wait to see what she comes up with.
Did you know…
The shamrock, which was also called the "seamroy" by the Celts, was a sacred plant in ancient Ireland because it symbolized the rebirth of spring?
Each year, thousands of Irish Americans gather with their loved ones on St. Patrick's Day to share a "traditional" meal of corned beef and cabbage.
Though cabbage has long been an Irish food, corned beef only began to be associated with St. Patrick's Day at the turn of the century.
Irish immigrants living on New York City's Lower East Side substituted corned beef for their traditional dish of Irish bacon to save money. They learned about the cheaper alternative from their Jewish neighbors.
leprechaun The original Irish name for these figures of folklore is "lobaircin," meaning "small-bodied fellow."
Belief in leprechauns probably stems from Celtic belief in fairies, tiny men and women who could use their magical powers to serve good or evil. In Celtic folktales, leprechauns were cranky souls, responsible for mending the shoes of the other fairies. Though only minor figures in Celtic folklore, leprechauns were known for their trickery, which they often used to protect their much-fabled treasure.
Leprechauns had nothing to do with St. Patrick or the celebration of St. Patrick's Day, a Catholic holy day. In 1959, Walt Disney released a film called Darby O'Gill & the Little People, which introduced America to a very different sort of leprechaun than the cantankerous little man of Irish folklore. This cheerful, friendly leprechaun is a purely American invention, but has quickly evolved into an easily recognizable symbol of both St. Patrick's Day and Ireland in general.
Kinda interesting.