Celebrate St. Patrick's Day

"May the road rise to meet you,
May the wind be always at your back,
May the sun shine warm upon your face,
The rains fall soft upon your fields and,
Until we meet again,
May God hold you in the palm of His hand."
   – From the writings of St. Patrick

Irish Soda Bread
This hearty quick bread is so tasty, you'd never guess the recipe was born of necessity: yeast won't leaven the soft wheat grown in Ireland. Serve it warm or toasted with tea.

2 cups flour
2 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons butter (chilled)
1 cup raisins
1 1/2 cups buttermilk or plain yogurt

Heat oven to 350°. In a bowl, combine dry ingredients. Cut in the butter until it is pea size. Stir in the raisins and buttermilk or yogurt. Turn the dough onto a floured surface, knead one minute, and shape into a disk. Cut an X in the top and bake on a greased baking sheet for 45 to 50 minutes. Makes one 8-inch-wide loaf. (Recipe from FamilyFun Magazine, March 2000)

A Little Bit Of Heaven
Sure, a little bit o' Heaven fell from out of the sky one day,
And nestled on the ocean in a spot so far away;
And the angels found it, sure it looked so sweet and fair.
They said suppose we leave it, for it looks so peaceful there!
So they sprinkled it with star dust just to make the shamrocks grow;
'Tis the only place you'll find them,
No matter where you go;
Then they dotted it with silver
To make its lakes so grand,
And when they had it finished
Sure they called it IRELAND!

This is just one of the wonderful Irish Folk songs with their lyrics that can be found here.