Cooking Underwriter: Story of Saint Patrick plus Irish Soda Bread

Thursday, March 17, 2011

Story of Saint Patrick plus Irish Soda Bread

So today is Saint Patrick’s day! Do you have your green on? The legend of Saint Patrick is that he came back to Ireland and saved the people from snakes but this is not true. What happened with Saint Patrick was as a child he was sold as a slave. Yes you heard me correctly! Did you know the Irish people were the first slaves? Saint Patrick was a slave for 6 years then decades later he came back to Ireland and preached the faith of Christianity. He used the shamrock as a cross because of its shape and this way no body would know that they were worshiping a different God. There was a strong belief in Ireland prior to Saint Patrick coming to share Christianity that all kinds of gods, dating back to 3,500 B.C., the pre-Celtic peoples of Ireland worshiped the sun with shrines. In the ancient religion, wells and rivers were associated with goddesses. For example, the rivers Shannon and Boyne are named after goddesses and these are not Charlie Sheen's goddesses.

Saint Patrick’s day is celebrated all over the world, but today in Ireland all the banks and post offices are closed. Here in the United States we turn the Chicago River Green; The White House fountain is also died Green and we have parades and parties celebrating our Irish heritage. The saying goes even if your not Irish, today everyone is! So in honor of Saint Patrick I am going to share my families Irish Soda bread that my grandmother made for me as a child. However I am going to make it Gluten Free. Plus I am posting a quick and Easy way to make your Corned beef tonight.

Gluten Free Irish Soda Bread Ingredients:

2 ½ cups of All purpose Gluten Free Flour

1 cup Sorghum Flour

3/4 cup powder sugar

1 teaspoon Baking Soda

½ teaspoon Baking Powder

1/8 teaspoon Xanthium Gum

1 egg

2 tablespoons vinegar

3/4 cup milk

2 tablespoons melted butter

1 cup raisins

Decorative sugar I used green.