Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

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4-Leaf Clover

The four leaf clover is the world most well recognized good luck symbol.

Here are 25 facts you may not know about the popular Four leaf clover:

1. A Four Leaf Clover is actually an mutation of the shamrock (a three-leaf clover), it can only happen in approximately 1 in 10,000 shamrocks.

2. Four leaf clover, rabbit’s foot, and horseshoes are the most common good luck charms of North America.

3. According to Irish legend, St. Patrick used the Shamrock’s three leaves to teach the pagans about Christianity. It symbolized the Holy Trinity with each leaf representing the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. When it’s found with the additonal fourth leaf represents God’s Grace.

4. The Largest Four Leaf Clover Collection is by George J. Kaminski (b. 1951) who has single-handily collected 72,927 Four Leaf Clovers since 1995. They were collected from fields within prison grounds in Pennsylvania, USA.

5. The new world record for the Most Four Leaf Clovers Found in the Fastest Time is May 20th, 2010 by John Christian Stokes, 10, who found three Four Leaf Clovers within 20 minutes while playing with his brother outside his home in Dickson. The world record was sponsored by USA Laboratories, Inc. Burns, TN.

6. The Guinness world record for the largest collection of Four Leaf Clovers belongs to Edward Martin Sr. from Cooper Landing, Alaska, USA, with 111,060 Four Leaf Clovers, as of May 2007, which he has been collecting since 1999.

7. On March 17th, 2010, Fox News reported “Irish Shamrock Shortage Has St. Patrick’s Day Celebrations on Shaky Ground”, and since there is only one Four Leaf Clover in every 10,000 shamrocks, this makes the Four Leaf Clover almost impossible to find.

8. Steve Colbert was quoted on March 17th, 2010, “That the shamrock represent the Holy Trinity, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit “That is why the Four Leaf Clover is so Lucky — You Get a Bonus Jesus”

9. “The world record for the most leaves on a clover stem is 18 and was discovered by Shigeo Obara of Hanamaki City, Iwate, Japan on May 25, 2002. ” Guinness World Records 2010

10. A 21-leaf clover discovered on June 3, 2008 by Iwate prefecture farmer Shigeo Obara and has shattered the Guinness world record for most leaves on a clover stem.

11. A shamrock is considered to be a young clover. Clovers are in the same family as peas.

12. “The Cloverleaf Interchange” is named for the resemblance of the leaves of a four leaf clover when viewed from air” – Wikipedia

13. The Four Leaf Clover has been successfully cultivated. There are clover with more than five leaflets, but they are extremely rare. It’s generally thought that more leafs; the luckier it is.

14. “A best friend is like a Four Leaf Clover: hard to find and lucky to have.” -Sarah Jessica Parker of popular TV show “sex in the city”.

15. Children in the Middle Ages believed that they could see fairies if they found a Four Leaf Clover.

16. It’s good luck to find a Four Leaf Clover. Clover protects human beings and animals from the spell of magicians and the wiles of fairies, and it brings good luck to those who keep it in the house.

17. It is believed that finding a Four Leaf Clover, it will bring you fame, health, wealth and a faithful relationship.

18. According to legend of western cultures, each of the four leafs represent hope, faith, love and luck.

19. The late US President, Abraham Lincoln, was said to have carried a Four Leaf Clover everyday except on the night of his infamous visit to Ford’s Theater the day he was assassinated.

20. The late French Emperor, Napoleon Bonaparte escaped assassination when he stooping down to pick up a “Lucky Four Leaf Clover“.

21. The Four Leaf Clover is one of the most popular tattoo themes for body art. It represent “good luck” or an Irish pride or ancestry. It is often interchangeable with shamrock.

22. Youth organization 4 H Club using a green four leaf clover with a white H on each leaf standing for Head, Heart, Hands, and Health. The white symbolizes purity and the green represents growth.

23. The French Lotto logo is a four leaf clover icon for good luck.

24. There are several popular song recorded with the titled – four leaf clover, Abra Moore – four leaf clover, Badly Drawn Boy-Four Leaf Clover, Touch a 4 leaf clover – Erykah Badu and Stryper – 4 Leaf Clover.

25. Metallica an American heavy metal band recorded “NO LEAF CLOVER” in 1999 as opposite the meaning of “Four Leaf Clover”, the song lyrics describe an unexpected change from good luck to bad.

Vegan Irish Soda Bread

Photo by Claryn

Ingredients:

• 1½ c unsweetened soy milk
• 1½ Tbsp lemon juice
• 2 c white flour
• 2 c whole wheat flour
• ½ c sugar
• 2 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp salt
• 4 Tbsp vegan margarine
• 1 c currants or raisins
• 1 tsp caraway seeds, optional

 

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°.
2. Lightly grease a baking sheet.
3. In a small bowl, combine soy milk and lemon juice. Set aside.
4. In a large bowl, sift together flours, sugar, soda, and salt.
5. With a pastry blender or two knives, cut butter into dry mixture.
6. Create a well and pour in soy milk mixture and currants.
7. On a lightly floured surface, gently knead just until the dough comes together, 10 or 12 turns. Do not overwork or you’ll end up with a tough mess!
8. Shape into a disc about 1½” in height.
9. Cut an “X” into the top with a serrated knife and bake on prepared sheet for 40-45 minutes.

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See more on the vegan recipe blog.

Floating 4-Leaf Clovers Recipe

Instead of using regular ice cubes in your party punch, stay in the spirit of St. Patrick’s Day and prepare these cute clover cubes. They’re made with soda so they won’t dilute your beverage. They can be made weeks in advance and stored in the freezer. —Taste of Home Test Kitchen

Photo by Taste of Home©

Yield: 12 clover cubes

Ingredients:

• 4 cups plus 2 tablespoons chilled lemon-lime soda, divided
• 12 lime slices
• Lime peel (about 6 inches)

Directions:

1. Pour 1/4 cup lemon-lime soda into 12 muffin cups; freeze until solid. On a work surface, cut lime slices into quarters. Rotate each quarter slice clockwise until one end of outer edge touches the center; place over frozen soda.
2. To make a stem, cut the lime peel into 1/2-in. pieces. Place at one corner of clover. Freeze for 20 minutes.
3. Slowly pour remaining soda into cups until lime is almost covered. Freeze until solid.

Originally published as Floating Four-Leaf Clovers in Taste of Home’s Holiday & Celebrations Cookbook Annual 2003, p187

Easy Shepherd’s Pie from Real Simple©

Yield: 4 Servings
By Diana Hyle , October, 2007

Feast on this great dish from Real Simple.

Ingredients:

• 1 pound ground beef
• 1/3 cup ketchup
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 8 ounces frozen mixed vegetables (such as carrots, peas, and corn), thawed
• 1/4 cup (1 ounce) shredded Cheddar (optional)
• 1 16-ounce package mashed potatoes, refrigerated or frozen and thawed

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 400° F.
2. Place the beef in a large skillet and cook over medium-high heat until no trace of pink remains, about 5 minutes.
3. Spoon off and discard any fat. Stir in the ketchup and Worcestershire. Add the vegetables and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Spoon into a baking dish.
4. Mix the cheese (if desired) with the potatoes in a bowl. Spread over the beef and bake until heated through, 10 minutes. Divide among plates.

Irish Coffee in 4 Steps

While this classic warmer gets top billing around St. Patrick’s Day, it’s a welcome after-dinner treat on almost any occasion. Because the recipe is so elemental, it pays to use the best coffee and cream you can find—you will be able to taste the difference. Whip the cream softly so it sits in the glass in soft peaks. And as for that shot of whiskey? Any blended Irish whiskey—like Tullamore DEW, Redbreast, or the classic, Jameson—should do the trick nicely.

 

Discover more at Real Simple.com

 

Basil Beer Bread

Yield: 1 Loaf
Calories: 336

Get the Basil Beer Bread recipe on the Real Simple website.

Ingredients:

• Olive oil for the baking sheet
• 3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/4-ounce package active dry yeast
• 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 3/4 cup (3 ounces) grated Parmesan
• 1 12-ounce bottle beer, preferably ale
• flour for the work surface
• 1 cup chopped or torn fresh basil

Directions:
1. Heat oven to 400° F. Oil a baking sheet. In the bowl of a standing mixer on low, or in a large bowl using a spoon, combine the flour, yeast, salt, pepper, and Parmesan.

2. Add the beer and mix just until the dough comes together. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface. Sprinkle with the basil and knead gently just until incorporated. Shape the dough into a round loaf and transfer to the prepared sheet.

3. Bake until the loaf is lightly browned and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 40 to 45 minutes. Turn the loaf onto a wire rack. Let cool for at least 10 minutes before slicing.

Tip: You can also toast this dense, hearty bread and drizzle it with olive oil.

Nutritional Information:
Calories From Fat 8%; Fat 3g; Sat Fat 2g; Cholesterol 3mg; Sodium 977mg; Carbohydrate 63g; Fiber 3g; Sugar 0g; Protein 12g