Happy Saint Patrick’s Day!
Nope, I’m not Irish. Not even a smidge.
But my oldest, J-man, has been learning about St. Patrick this week at his pre-school (of course not mentioning the horrific, nightmare inducing part of the kidnapping of Patrick as a young boy). So I began to wonder how many people actually know why we celebrate Saint Patrick’s Day? And yes, I can celebrate, too, even though I’m not Irish. And here’s why…
St. Patrick wasn’t actually Irish. He was born to British aristocrats. (Hey, whaddya know, I’m part English!) While he was born into a Christian family, he wasn’t as focused on his religion. When he was 16 years of age, he was kidnapped by a group of Irish raiders, who were attacking his family’s estate. They brought him back to Ireland, where he remained in captivity for 6 years. During his time there, he worked as a shepherd, outdoors and away from people. His time in Ireland proved lonely and of course, he must have been scared. It was during that time, he turned to God, for comfort, and became a devout Christian. After 6 years of captivity, he heard what he believed was the voice of God, telling him it was time to leave Ireland. So he walked nearly 200 miles from where he was believed to be held captive, to the Irish coast.
After his escape to Britain, he reportedly had a second revelation, where an angel appeared to him in his dreams, and tells him to return to Ireland to spread the Word of God. Shortly after, he began religious training, that lasted more than 15 years. He was then ordained as a priest, and was sent on a mission to minister to Christians living in Ireland, and to begin to convert the Irish. He worked in Ireland, spreading Christianity for about 30 years, until his death (which is widely believed to be) on March 17, around 460 A.D.
Now that you’d gotten your learn-on for today, how about we dive into a yummy, (and green!) treat?!
I’m always looking for healthy snacks to keep around the house, and finding a way to sneak in some fruits and veggies is always a plus! So I thought I would take advantage of this “GREEN” holiday, and make a special treat for my kiddos.
J-man was really excited to help me with this dessert. And by excited, I mean, he stood on a chair next to me, and stacked spices the entire time. Not exactly helpful, but it kept him occupied and happy. Plus, he’s cute.
I found this recipe on Pinterest (shocker), over at Raia’s Recipes.
Coconut & Avacado Grasshopper Bars
MINT LAYER
- 1 avacado
- 1/4 cup local honey
- 6 tbls coconut oil – melted
- 1.5 cup shredded unsweetened coconut
- 3/8 tsp mint extract OR 4-6 drops high quality Peppermint essential oil (let’s face it, I like mint, so I did 9 drops)
- dash of salt
CHOCOLATE LAYER
- 1/4 cup coconut oil
- 2 tbls local honey
- 1/4 cup cocoa powder
- 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
- dash of salt (optional)
MINT LAYER INSTRUCTIONS
Step 1: Line an 8×8 baking dish with foil or parchment paper (foil actually works better for this)
Step 2: Place all ingredients in a blender or food processor and blend to desired consistency.
Step 3: Smooth mixture into prepared baking dish and stick in the freezer.
CHOCOLATE LAYER INSTRUCTIONS
Step 1: In a small saucepan over low heat, melt coconut oil and honey and stir to combine.
Step 2: Remove from heat and add cocoa powder, vanilla and salt.
Step 3: Pour over top of chilled mint layer. Send back to freezer for about 15 minutes, or until chocolate layer is hard.
Step 4: Cut up into small squares, place in airtight container and store in freezer.
***Note: after making these and tasting them, I’ve decided that for me, they need to be seriously pureed. I’m not a fan of the texture of coconut, so while the flavor of these is AMAZING, the texture doesn’t work for me. Looks like an immersion blender is in my near future. 😉
