Happy Wednesday! We hope you are enjoying the down time of Parent Conferences this week. Have you checked out the St Patrick’s Day display in The Den? As well as our St Patrick’s Day Holiday Resources in the Parent Portal, The Den has a wide range of books for this saints day. As start Trimester 3 next week, it is also a good time to order your books and find any new Must Reads for your family.
Our St Patrick’s Day packet is also available for purchase from Wisdom Wonder Project. For a sneak peak of some of the resources, please see:
St Patrick’s Day for younger children by National Geographic
Irish Dancing by Riverdance – You Tube
For centuries the clover (or shamrock) has been an emblem of Ireland. Part of an old Irish song gives St. Patrick the credit for bringing the plant to Ireland:
There’s a dear little plant
that grows in our Isle
’Twas St. Patrick himself
sure that set it.
And the sun on his labor
with pleasure did smile,
And with dew from his eye
oft-times wet it.
It grows through the bog,
through the brake,
through the mire land,
And he called it the dear
little shamrock of Ireland.
Here is an easy little shamrock barrette craft from Paper & Ink.
Finally, here is an Irish recipe to make tonight (that’s not corned beef and hash or green!) and is as close as possible to one made by an Irish friend.
Shepherd’s Pie
Ingredients:
1/4 c. sour cream
- Preheat oven to 400°. Make mashed potatoes: In a large pot, cover potatoes with water and add a generous pinch of salt. Bring to a boil and cook until totally soft, 16 to 18 minutes. Drain and return to pot.
- Use a potato masher to mash potatoes until smooth. Add melted butter, milk, and sour cream. Mash together until fully incorporated, then season to taste with salt and pepper. Set aside.
- Make beef/lamb mixture: In a large, ovenproof skillet over medium heat, heat oil. Add onion, carrots, garlic, and thyme and cook until fragrant and softened, 5 minutes. Add ground beef/lamb, season generously with salt and pepper, and cook until no longer pink, 5 minutes more. Drain fat.
- Stir in frozen peas and corn and cook until warmed through, 3 minutes more.
- Top beef mixture with an even layer of mashed potatoes and bake until there is very little liquid visible and mashed potatoes are golden, about 20 minutes. Broil if desired.
