You all know how I love ice cream… This is a St. Patrick’s Milk Shake for adults. Blend 1 pint of vanilla ice cream with 1/4 cup peppermint schnapps, 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract, and 4 drops green food coloring. Pour into 2 glasses and garnish with fresh mint sprigs. ENJOY!!
I’m not even a drop Irish but, back in 1995, I had the pleasure of visiting about a dozen beautiful cities in Ireland, and I adored the experience. Additionally, I happened to marry a man who has a thread of Irish heritage, a love of Celtic relics, and an addiction to corned beef, so we always have a family celebration on St. Patrick’s Day!
Every year at this time, I also remember a guy I knew when I was in college whose parents were strongly Irish. He sent me a funny greeting card one year that said, “You don’t have to be Irish to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day. After all, you can celebrate Halloween without being a pumpkin.” LOL.
Thinking about that always reminds me that we can—and do—have “adoptive” holidays, whether they were originally a part of our background or not. We can also have special days of celebration that might not make it onto the calendar as an “official” national or bank holiday, but we look forward to them and cherish their traditions nonetheless.
For those of us who inhabit Austen World, Jane’s birthday on December 16th springs immediately to mind. I have more fun planning little festivities in her honor than I do for my own birthday. (Plus, JA’s big day is my annual excuse to make English trifle…with a few extra splashes of sherry!) I know all of you here understand the fun of that mid-December holiday 🙂 .
I have personal celebrations during the year, too. Like every April 21st, which was the day in 2008 when I got “the call” that aspiring writers always dream about…the one where my agent told me that my debut novel, According to Jane (the story of a woman who has the ghost of Jane Austen in her head giving her dating advice), had just sold to Kensington. Seven years ago next month—lucky seven!—I know for sure that I’ll celebrate that milestone day at home with my family, if only with some tasty carryout and a little ice cream.
Or…you can have tea and some delicious St. Patrick’s Day cookies! Sandwich a dollop of mint-flavored cream (to make a batch, combine 1 cup powdered sugar, 1 tablespoon soft butter, 2 tablespoons whipping cream or enough to make it spreadable, 1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract, and green gel food coloring) between a couple of thin shortbread cookies…YUM.
But what about all of you? What special holidays do you or your family have during the year, aside from the major ones printed on the calendar? Any extra celebrations that you look forward to? I’d love to hear about them, and Happy St. Patrick’s Day, whether your family hails from Ireland or not. May the luck of the Irish be with you all!
By the way, for those of you who share in the Outlander fandom with me, you’ll understand my excitement about this: The Southern Kentucky Book Fest (SOKY) will be in Bowling Green, KY on Saturday, April 18th, and the fabulous Diana Gabaldon will be headlining the event!! (She speaks about all things Outlander from 9 – 9:50am Saturday.) I was fortunate to be invited to attend as an author and a panelist this year, so I’ll get to be at the authors’ reception with Diana and the other writers on Friday night, on the Contemporary Romance author panel the next morning (11 – 11:50am on Saturday the 18th, along with Elizabeth Bevarly, Toni Aleo, Pamela Hearon, CL Parker, and Kim Law — here’s the full presentation schedule), and a part of the conference book signing, too. The SOKY Book Fest is FREE to the public (!!), so if you are planning to attend, please stop by and say hello to me. I know it’ll be a fun-filled weekend for book lovers!
p.s. GIVEAWAY ALERT! I’ve got an ebook copy of The Road and Beyond up for grabs on “Brant Flakes” — open internationally — just go HERE to enter before the end of March 😀 .
~Marilyn
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I am so running to the store for cornned beef. I just googled “traditional Irish corner beef recipe” and it turns out that that is the exact way that I have always cooked it. Thanks for the dinner inspiration!
Excellent! Glad to help, Evie!!
I know I’ll be cooking corned beef tonight to make my husband happy, but I’m SO in the mood for one of those peppermint schnapps milk shakes for dessert… 😉
Happy St. Patrick’s Day!
Happy St Patrick’s Day to you, Marilyn. Other than family birthdays, parents’ wedding anniversary, Easter, Christmas and Lunar New Year, we don’t celebrate any special holidays together. But I love the online celebration of Jane’s birthday because none of my real-life friends understand my love and obsession for Austen’s works.
Thanks for the giveaway alert, Marilyn.
Thanks so much, Lúthien!
And I agree with you — it’s really, really nice to know that other Austen friends online understand how wonderful JA’s work is, even when some friends or family nearby might not quite get it! I’m so glad that her birthday is a holiday that you and I and everyone who shares our love of Jane can celebrate together 🙂 .
I so understand your statement about how “none of my real-life friends understand my love and obsession for JA’s works”. I am now buying some children’s JA versions for my granddaughter in hopes I can influence her.
I think that’s the way to go with it, Sheila…
We’ve got to hook them on JA when they’re young!
Anniversaries are big in our family and the Schnapps brings to mind….Oktoberfest”
I grew up in Wisconsin, Deborah, and we had a lot of German friends and neighbors, so Oktoberfest was always a big thing, too!! What fun 🙂 .
Jane Austen had her own ‘Irish connection’ in Tom Lefroy and was a fan of Irish music-I can’t help thinking she’d approve of our celebrations, Marilyn. I have never been to Ireland so I’m very envious of your trips!
Jane, I’m so glad you mentioned Tom Lefroy! I should have thought to include him in my post… Yes, JA would always think of him I’m sure. 🙂 And I didn’t know she was a fan of Irish music! Thanks for sharing that with me!! xo
Ooooh! Peppermint schnapps! I don’t think I’ve ever had it, but sounds heavenly combined with ice cream!
Thank you from bringing a bit o’ the Irish to Austen Variations!
Monica, if you like mint-flavored things, I think you’ll enjoy peppermint schnapps 😀 .
In college, I was introduced to it as a wonderful winter drink: Hot cocoa + a dash of peppermint schnapps + whipped cream on top, so it has multiple beverage uses, LOL.
I don’t do St. Patrick’s Day…simply because I never have I think. DH says he’s Scottish so it doesn’t apply. LOL I’ve had peppermint schnapps but no one wants that story. It tastes like mouthwash that will land you on your tailfeathers… 😉 We celebrate every March 22 because that’s the day we decided to meet outside of the computer (DH and I met online) so there’s a mandatory date night every year (16 years now). Other than that, I think we just celebrate all the usual ones. I do make a special meal on the first day of spring and the first day of summer to celebrate the warmer (or soon to be warmer) weather. I am longing for warm days and fresh veggies! Happy St. Patrick’s Day Marilyn!
Oh, Stephanie!
Someday…when we meet in person…you’ll have to tell me your peppermint schnapps story! 😀
And CONGRATS on 16 years with your hubby!! I consider you two trailblazers, meeting online like that in the late ’90s. I’m not sure my DH even knew how to use a computer search engine back then, LOL. And I hear you about the desire to celebrate the warmer weather. I can’t tell you how glad I am, too, that spring is almost here!!
xox
You’ve Got Mail (with Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan) had already come out and I felt so very much tied to the movie while DH were emailing back and forth because I would dash home to log into AOL (cue the dialing sounds) and wait to hear “You’ve Got Mail”. =D I still watch that movie with fondness because it reminds me of when we were dating. LOL
I *love* that movie, Stephanie!!
It’s been ages since I’ve seen it…sigh. Must watch it again soon.
And LOL about those dial-up sounds! Yeah, I remember those, too 😀 .
I saw a PBS on the gardens of Ireland and would LOVE to go. Gosh, you can even sign up for weekend cooking lessons at some of the gardens and that would be right up my alley. The pics look sooooo yummy! Great fun! ~Jen Red~
Jen, ohhh, yes!
If you love gardens, you will love Ireland 😉 . We were there in summer, and it was so gorgeous and lush. I love that they have cooking lessons at some of the gardens — didn’t know about that!! How incredibly fun that would be. Hope you’ll get to do that sometime and then tell us all about it! <3
I know it sounds strange, but Holy Week is my favorite holyday. I love the solemnity of Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and Holy Saturday, then the utter joy of Easter morning! 🙂 The Anglican Triduum services I attend are simply amazing and are probably much like the ones that Jane herself attended.
My favorite part (which would not have happened during Jane’s time!) is an ecumenical Stations of the Cross on Good Friday when Catholics, Protestants, and even Evangelical Protestants walk the 14 Stations together, listening to Scripture and sing a hymn at each cross with the scent of orange groves in bloom wafting over us. Then we leave in contemplative silence after the fourteenth cross. It’s amazing–words can’t describe the depth and breadth of feeling there.
Not very holiday-ish, but it is my favorite time of year. Wishing all a happy remembrance of Saint Patrick! 🙂
Warmly,
Susanne, with corned beef in her crock pot…. 😉
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Susanne,
How was the corned beef in your crock pot??!
I had to get offline to go grocery shopping/errand running and make dinner here, too, but it was fun having a little St. Patrick’s Day feast tonight 😉 .
And I think it’s wonderful that you love Holy Week so much! My mom’s absolute favorite holiday is Easter, so there are special little traditions from her childhood that she still incorporates into our family’s celebration every year. Hope you’ll have a lovely one — it’s coming up fast!!
I enjoyed reading about the dates you celebrate in your family–we don’t really celebrate dates in our house other than birthdays, anniversaries, and national holidays, but we do acknowledge certain dates. For example, every January 20th my husband and I say to each other, “Hey, we got engaged on this day back in 1995!” and on July 31st, we always say, “Remember? This is the day we bough the house in 1997.” Not celebrations, but remembrances, I guess.
By the way, I visited Ireland for the first time last summer and can’t wait to go back! It was so GREEN! And we’ll be having corned beef to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day this evening, but it will be in a Reuben with Swiss cheese made in Ireland.
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Amy,
My husband will want to go over to your house for that Reuben!! (Though we had corned beef here, too, it wasn’t with Swiss cheese, which he also loves. 😉 ) And I know what you mean about Ireland being so green!! Wasn’t it gorgeous?
As for days of remembrance, we do that a lot as well. I think that’s one of the gifts that come from living with someone over the decades…all of those accumulated special moments we share. It’s nice to have a bunch of happy dates to look back on together!
Ooh, how lucky to get to go to SOKY! Getting to meet Diana Gabaldon isn’t bad either! Have fun!
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Oh, Jessica, thank you so much!
It’ll be my first time at SOKY, so I’m really looking forward to being part of the book fest. As for Diana G…well, I’m excited about her talk & hoping she’ll have some good Sam Heughan stories to tell us, too! 😀
For me…substitue Baily’s for the Peppermint Snapps. My son created that little thing for his mom. For his mother he knew to make it a little stronger than normal. He left the resturant where he first made it but they still have it on the menu. Have a wonderful time at SOKY. I have seen numerous panels and interviews with Diana G. Not only is she a great writer but she seems like she would be a lot of fun. We will all be thinking of you and and will try not to be too jealous while you are there.
Maggie,
Baily’s — YUM!! That *is* good. And what a brilliant son you have to create a special drink just for you 😀 .
Thanks for the good wishes for SOKY. I cannot wait to go (!!), but I will bring back as many stories to share as I can and will try to pass along the fun virtually. xox
I so wish I lived close enough to Bowling Green KY to attend that event…JA and Outlander – my favorites! My husband and I did a B&B in Ireland from Dublin south and west up to Shannon. I did the Ring of Kerry bus tour (amazing history and scenery) alone while my husband golfed at Killeen. Bought 2 sweaters while visiting Blarney. Visited the port at which the Titanic docked, toured the Waterford glass factory, etc.
We eat corned beef on more than just St. Patrick’s Day and since we had leftovers from such last week I didn’t cook it again. It is such an easy meal with all in one pot. I did have a Reuben sandwich yesterday which was delicious! We don’t celebrate any unusual day. Susanne, I have to agree – that (as a member of the choir in the past) the Lenten week was always special with the washing of the feet and the Stations of the Cross.
Sheila,
I wished you lived closer to Bowling Green, too — I would love to get to meet you in person!
For me, it’s going to be a bit of a road trip (I’m way up in northern IL, so it’ll be a 7 or 8 hour drive), but worth it this year 😉 .
Loved reading about your visit to Ireland — you and your husband got to do a lot! We visited several of the sites you mentioned, but did not do any golfing. I think my hubby would have liked that!! Hopefully, someday, we’ll get to go back…
Yes, I do wish I could meet and HUG so many of the people I have met on these sites. They really are my coffee klatch buddies. Smiles!
XOXOX!!!
Sending you a few virtual hugs, Sheila, until I can give you a real one! 🙂
Great post, Marilyn – the recipes made my mouth water.
I haven’t an ounce of Irish blood in me so don’t celebrate St Patrick’s Day, although I have visited Ireland and found it a beautiful country.
My son is at college in the USA and manages to celebrate St Patrick’s Day every year – but that may be more to do with looking for distractions from studying …
Juliet,
So glad you enjoyed the recipes!!
And LOL about your son’s St. Pat’s celebrations! I suspect there are a great many college students who find themselves adding new holidays to their roster of celebrations just to have a good reason for a study break 😀 .