It’s A Green Thing

Next week most of us will be celebrating St. Patrick’s Day. But why? We’re not all Irish, are we?

Or, is it because we like a good reason to gather with friends and family.

So what about the folks in Ireland, do they celebrate like we do?

Here’s what Wikipedia has to say:

In Ireland, Saint Patrick's Day, or the Feast of Saint Patrick, is a cultural and religious celebration held on 17 March, the traditional death date of Saint Patrick, the foremost patron saint of Ireland.

Significance: Feast Day of Saint Patrick, commemoration of the arrival of Christianity in Ireland.

Date: Friday, March 17, 2023

Celebrations: Attending parades and a céilí; Wearing green and shamrocks; Drinking Irish beer and Irish whiskey.

Irish whisky is enjoyed on St Patrick’s Day in Ireland.

I’m pretty sure that’s true in the US as well.

Okay, this is how they celebrate in Ireland, but what about here.

From History.com

Every March 17, the United States becomes an emerald country for a day. Americans wear green clothes and drink green beer. Green milkshakes, bagels and grits appear on menus. In a leprechaun-worthy shenanigan, Chicago even dyes its river green.

City of Chicago dyes their river green for St. Patrick’s Day That’s a lot of dye!

Revelers from coast to coast celebrate all things Irish by hoisting pints of Guinness and cheering bagpipers, step dancers and marching bands parading through city streets. These familiar annual traditions weren’t imported from Ireland, however. They were made in America.

Cheers to green beer and celebrating St. Paddy’s

Getting together with friends and family is always cause for celebration.

So, it looks like we adopted St. Paddy’s for the fun and for the social aspect.

We enjoy the social aspect of the celebration.

And saying we’re Irish for the day may even get us kissed!

And that’s OK don’t you think. I say anything that brings us all together for food and frivolity, is a good thing.

It’s a day that we have a little fun with each other. Maybe put a little green food coloring in the milk or scrambled eggs,  like my mom did when I was a kid.

How do you celebrate?

Do you bake green cupcakes or dye your cider green? Hopefully you’ll be sipping green . . .

Read on.

Do you go all out? Plan a dinner with corned beef and cabbage? I follow a wonderfully talented chef named Lisa Hatfield from DeliciousTable.com  She has a blog and a YouTube channel. She posted a fabulous recipe for corned beef and cabbage dinner that I am planning on trying. Check out her site . . .

https://www.delicioustable.com/

But wait! Don’t leave yet. Please scroll back up and click the link when you’re done here. I don’t want you to miss anything.

When you visit Lisa’s site, scroll down to St Patrick’s Day recipes. Enjoy! If you want to follow her on Instagram it’s delicious.table

She posts great videos there as well.

On to some frivoli-tea. . .

Will you be sippin’ the green (Tea)?

Frivoli-Tea: An event, gathering or celebration where there is tea served.

Since St. Paddy’s official color, here in the US anyway, is green.  Let’s talk about sipping the green. No, not green beer.

Green teas.

They are good for you.

Green tea is loaded with antioxidants. Among its benefits, it may help support brain function and fat loss, help reduce the chance of developing heart disease, and offer some protection against cancer.

Green tea is touted to be one of the healthiest beverages on the planet that may have many potential health benefits. Here are 10 reasons why:

1.       Contains healthy bioactive compounds. Green tea is loaded with polyphenol antioxidants, including a catechin called EGCG. These antioxidants can have various beneficial effects on health.

2.       May improve brain function. Green tea contains less caffeine than coffee but enough to produce an effect. It also contains the amino acid L-theanine, which can work synergistically with caffeine to improve brain function.

3.       Increases fat burning. Green tea may boost metabolic rate and increase fat burning in the short term, although not all studies agree.

4.       Antioxidants may lower the risk of some cancers. Green tea has powerful antioxidants that may protect against cancer. Multiple studies show that green tea drinkers have a lower risk of various types of cancer.

5.       May protect the brain from aging. The bioactive compounds in green tea can have various protective effects on the brain. They may reduce the risk of dementia, a common neurodegenerative disorder in older adults.

6.       May reduce bad breath. The catechins in green tea may inhibit the growth of bacteria in the mouth, reducing the risk of bad breath.

7.       May help prevent type 2 diabetes. Some controlled studies show that green tea may cause mild reductions in blood sugar levels. It may also lower the risk of type 2 diabetes.

8.       May help prevent cardiovascular disease. Green tea may lower total and LDL (bad) cholesterol, as well as protect the LDL particles from oxidation. Studies show that people who drink green tea have a lower risk of cardiovascular disease.

9.       May help you lose weight. Some studies show that green tea may lead to increased weight loss. It may be particularly effective at reducing the dangerous abdominal fat.

10.   May help you live longer. Studies show that people who drink green tea may live longer than those who don’t.

Green tea has a range of possible health benefits.

To help you feel better, lose weight, and lower your risk of chronic diseases, you may want to consider making green tea a regular part of your life.

Besides all that, green tea is delicious. We’ve got some great ones, full of flavor.

Shamrock shaped tea bags for your Frivoli-Tea

Yes, you guessed it, they have green tea in them plus orange blossoms and almonds.

Shamrock Shaped Tea Bags

Trèfle (clover) tea bags filled with Orange Blossom and Almonds Green Tea. Made in France. Five handmade tea bags in a box

Heart shaped tea bags.

Green tea & jasmine

Heart Shaped Tea Bags in Box

Green Tea with Jasmine in heart shaped, handmade tea bags made in France from Tea Heritage. Box contains 15 tea bags.

Caffeine free green rooibos

Feel free to enjoy this tea in the evening with some fresh fruit for a guilt-free snack. Or add a little coconut-white chocolate mousse under the fruit. St. Patrick’s is only one day.

Blue Coast Green Rooibos Tea

Organic green rooibos, lemon peel, papaya (papaya sugar), pineapple (pineapple sugar), rose petals and marigold flowers.

Green Tea with Summer fruits

With rose petals, peach and mango, this is amazing cold or hot.

The des Sables Green Tea

Green tea, rose petals, peach, and mango. 4oz loose tea in tin.

Green Tea with cherry and orange blossoms

So fragrant and tasty too. You should try it with cupcakes, just saying.

Cherry Blossom Green Tea

Green tea sencha with cherries and orange blossom petals. 4oz loose tea in tin.

Green Tea with healthy fruits

Apple, pineapple and strawberry! This is seriously good.

Le 1670 Marquise de Sable Green Tea Fruits of Passion

Green tea, white tea, apple pieces, natural flavoring, freeze-dried pineapple flakes, rose petals, and free-dried strawberries pieces. 50g. Imported from France.

In keeping with the green theme, all tea is compostable and all the tea bags featured today are as well.

Don’t forget to use your discount code through the month of March. It’s disappears like magic on April 1.

USE MARCHHARE2023 AT CHECKOUT. NO CODE, NO DISCOUNT.

That’s all for now. I’ll see you next week. Have a blessed St. Patrick’s Day.

An Irish blessing.

Merci. A bientot

Cheryl

May March showers bring new hope.