May Your Day be Touched with a Bit of Irish Luck...

A Little Irish History...

My Wish for You...

Little Leprechaun Hat Craft

 

My son made this Little Leprechaun Hat today at a play date. It is so cute and simple and he really enjoyed making it.

 

 

He is really enjoying wearing it too!

Legend of the Leprechauns

This St. Patrick's Day, let your child in on a well-guarded secret and start a new family tradition in the process! I started this 3 years ago with my boys and they look forward to it every St. Patrick's Day.
 

The fun begins with the legend of the leprechauns and leads to a treasure box filled with goodies and gifts. It is simple and so much fun!

 On the day before the holiday, read aloud the following tale:
 

LEGEND OF THE LEPRECHAUNS

Full of magic and trickery, the leprechauns remain in their hidden world until the night before St. Patrick's Day. On that one night of the year they appear throughout the world to dance and sing and frolic.

Disguising themselves as leaves and grass, and sounding like the wind and the crickets, they come and go unnoticed.

However, it is said that if a decorated treasure box is left empty under the moon, the leprechauns must fill the box with gold or jewels or gifts. But then they will hide the filled box in the most unlikely of places.

If the box is found on St. Patrick's Day, the treasure remains in our world. If not, the leprechauns may retrieve what is rightfully theirs. And though the leprechauns are very clever, it is not impossible to find the treasure because, unknowingly, leprechauns often leave a trail of greenery behind them.

 

MAKING THE TREASURE BOX

Now, have your child decorate an empty shoe box or tissue box with paints, glitter glue or stickers. If he tries to bargain for a bigger box, explain that leprechauns are tiny and if they can't reach the top of the box, it will remain empty. Just before bed, your child should place the finished box on a windowsill where the moon will shine on it.

Once he's sound asleep, the resident leprechauns can fill the box with small treasures, such as foil-covered chocolate coins, costume jewelry or some fun goodies, and then hide it in a special place. All that's left to do is lay a trail of green leaves or paper shamrocks from the windowsill to the box. An older child may even enjoy the challenge of several trails to follow, some with dead ends (you know, trickery of the leprechauns!).

 

 

Pot of Gold Craft

My son made this adorable pot of gold craft today.

He enjoyed using his glue stick to glue on the "golden coins" and decorating the black pot with St. Patrick's Day stickers.

This was a quick and easy craft to throw together with some construction paper--

perfect for a rainy day!

What's Your Leprechaun Name?

 

 

What's your Leprechaun name?

Mine is Sprinkles O'Rainbow. LOL

 

The Best Irish Soda Bread Recipe!

I've never been much of a fan of Irish Soda Bread, I always felt it was much too dry. A few years ago, I made this recipe with a friend and I was floored! This Irish Soda Bread is awesome! It is very moist and it tastes amazing! I made this yesterday for my St. Patrick's Day play date and it was a hit. You have to try it out for yourself!
 

Look at the top of the loaf!
It looks (and tastes) amazing with the sugar sprinkled on top.

 

Irish Soda Bread

Ingredients:

4 Cups Flour
2 Teaspoons Baking Powder
1 Teaspoon Baking Soda
1 Teaspoon Salt
1/2 Cup Sugar
4 Tablespoons of butter, softened
2 Cups of Buttermilk
1 Egg, beaten
1 Cup Raisins
1-2 Tablespoons Sugar, to top if desired

Directions:
Combine dry ingredients in a bowl. Add butter. If you have a Kitchen Aid mixer, mix it using the bread/dough hook, if not, knead it with your hands for a few minutes until combined. Add the egg and buttermilk and knead again until combined. Mix in the raisins. Place in a greased loaf/bread pan and sprinkle the top with sugar if desired. Bake at 325 degrees for about 80 minutes or until a knife comes out clean. Serve warm or at room temperature with or without butter. Enjoy!