Did you know that marking the beginning of each new year on January 1st is a relatively new custom in Ireland? Believe it or not, this practice is less than 300 years old. Until recent years New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day celebrations were very subdued in Ireland. The Irish national folklore archive does […]
Archives for December 2016
A Candle In The Window – An Irish Christmas Tradition
Lighting a candle in the window is a Christmas Eve memory I cherish from my Irish childhood. Every Christmas Eve we placed a single red candle in the window. My mother always told me we were lighting the way for Mary and Joseph on their way to find the stable in Bethlehem. Our family candle […]
Sterling Silver Claddagh Necklace Giveaway Sponsored by ShanOre.
I know you love the Celtic Claddagh symbol as much as I do, and to celebrate Christmas this year, I have a very special Sterling Silver Claddagh necklace adorned with Swarovski® Crystals as a prize for one lucky reader to win. ShanOre, an Irish based jewelry company, graciously sponsored this prize for readers of Irish […]
Homemade Mincemeat
Mincemeat is a festive filling for baked goods that is very popular in Ireland and the United Kingdom during the Christmas Season. Don’t worry there’s not an ounce of meat in this concoction of mixed fruits, almonds, spices, and of course, a little booze. Many people take the easy peasy route at Christmas and opt […]
How To Sterilize Jars for Jams, Pickles and Preserves
Using clean, sterilized jars for storing homemade jams, festive mincemeat, chutneys or pickles is essential if you wish for your lovely produce to last and not spoil. Sterilizing and good hygiene methods for these jars is a key step in the preserving process. If you do not annihilate or kill all of the potential bacteria, yeasts, […]
An Ideal Farm Husband Book Giveaway
Lorna Sixsmith has written three books: Would You Marry A Farmer?, How To Be A Perfect Farm Wife and An Ideal Farm Husband. The latter was published in September and she won the Best Nonfiction Book in the Irish CAP Indie Awards with her second book. As you may remember, I reviewed her previous books […]
