Do you celebrate St Patrick’s Day?

It is on 17th March and was originally a Christian feast day, celebrating the life of St. Patrick, who spread Christianity to Ireland. Saint Patrick is the patron saint of Ireland, and the national apostle.

Today it is a day of revelry and a celebration of all things Irish. Don’t forget to get out your best green clothes! We’ll be celebrating on our social media, check us out here

Eight fun facts about St Patrick’s Day

1. St Patrick wasn’t Irish, or Patrick! He was born Maewyn Succat, and not even religious. He became a priest after being kidnapped at the age of 16, taken to Ireland where he was enslaved, and on his escape and return to England, became ordained as priest. He returned to Ireland to convert the pagan Irish.
2. Originally, March 17th was remembered as a quiet religious observance of the death of St. Patrick, until the first large public celebration in Boston, USA in 1737.
3. St. Patrick’s Day parade was first celebrated in New York City in 1762.
4. Originally, blue was the colour associated with St. Patrick, but in modern times, revellers wear green, eat and drink green foods, and dye anything green that they can.
5. St. Patrick’s Day is the traditional day for planting peas.
6. Cabbage seeds are also often planted on this day, and in the past, farmers believed to help them grow, you had to plant them while wearing your nightclothes.
7. There is a legend that St. Patrick drove all the snakes out of Ireland, but it is only that.. a legend. There have never been any snakes in Ireland.
8. America has more Irish than Ireland. In the 2003 US census, more than 34 million Americans had Irish ancestry. Ireland only has a population of 4.9 million.
9. Food and drink has always been a big part of St. Patrick’s Day celebrations, so we thought we’d find some ways to celebrate St Patrick’s Day at Creative Nature.

Here are a few ideas…

Green St Patrick’s Day smoothie bowl 

Ingredients:

• 1 large frozen banana
• A handful of frozen mango chunks
• A handful of spinach
• 25g Protein powder/Organic barley grass powder
• 100ml Plant-based milk
• 5 ice cubes

Method:

1. Blend all ingredients together until smooth
2. Pour contents of the blender into a serving bowl
3. Decorate with hearts, cut out of fresh apple, creating a shamrock shape.

Super Green Pea and Mint Soup -Warming lunch for St. Patrick’s Day

Ingredients:

• ¼ bag spinach, washed
• 1 chopped onion
• Garlic
• 2 medium potatoes peeled and cut
• 800ml – 1L vegan stock (adjust for desired thickness)
• Handful of mint (adjust to taste)
• 400g peas
• Black pepper
• 30g Creative Nature Raw Super Greens Powder

Method:

1. Gently fry the onion and garlic in vegetable oil in a thick bottomed saucepan until soft.
2. Add the stock and potato and cook them until soft.
3. Add in the peas, spinach, mint and super greens powder, then turn off the heat after 2 – 3 minutes, once the spinach has wilted.
4. Blend all the ingredients together and add black pepper to taste.
5. Spoon into your soup bowl and enjoy.

St. Patrick’s Day Chocolate chip Muffins with Green Barley Grass Icing

Prepare and bake the Chocolate Chip Muffins Baking mix, following the vegan recipe:

• 100g Dairy free spread
• 2 large bananas (or 3 flax eggs)
• Splash of vanilla (optional)

Green Frosted Icing

Ingredients:

• 100g margarine/diary free butter
• 100g icing sugar
• Approx. 4 drops green food colouring (adjust to desired colour)
• How much green barley grass powder? (you missed it off the instructions)

Method:

1. Beat together all your ingredients until smooth.
2. Gradually add your drops of food colouring until the icing reaches your desired colour
3. Each portion of icing will contain 1 serving of barley grass powder (How much is that?)
4. Once your muffins are cooled, decorate with your icing and any toppings.

Have a wonderful St. Patrick’s Day celebration.