Monthly Archives: March 2018
17 Fun Facts about St. Patrick’s Day
It’s almost St. Patrick’s Day!
I’m sure you’ve heard the story about St. Patrick driving the snakes out of Ireland…or maybe you think St. Patty’s Day is just an excuse for the entire world to claim their 1% Irish heritage and drink themselves into submission.
Whether you embrace the wearing of the green or just take St. Patrick’s Day as an excuse to wear those dumb shirts that tell people how Irish you are (I kid, I kid!), here are 17 MORE reasons to do what you do…so have a beer, toast up a slice of Irish soda bread (MY LITERAL FAVORITE), and feel yourself getting a little more Irish with this collection of 17 fun facts!
17 Fun Facts about St. Patrick’s Day
While green seems to be synonymous with St. Patrick’s Day, Saint Patrick’s color was actually blue. The color green only became associated with St. Patrick’s Day after it was linked to the Irish independence movement in the late 18th century.
Ironically St. Patrick was not Irish. He was born to Roman parents in Scotland or Wales in the late fourth century.
Saint Patrick made his mark in Ireland by introducing Christianity to Ireland.
Nevertheless, the Irish take St. Patty’s day VERY SERIOUSLY. It’s declared a national holiday in Ireland and Northern Ireland.
The New York Saint Patrick’s Day Parade is one of the world’s largest parades. It’s been a major attraction since 1762!
Here in Chicago, we have our own nasty tradition of dying the Chicago River green. It takes nearly 40 tons of dye to color the river.
For most of the 20th century, St. Patrick’s Day was considered a religious holiday in Ireland, which meant that the pubs were closed for business. In 1970, the day was converted to a national holiday and the drinks began a’flowin.
According to legend, St. Patrick used the three-leaf shamrock as a metaphor for the Holy Trinity when he was first introducing Christianity to Ireland.
Though St. Patrick gets all the credit for driving the snakes out of Ireland, modern scientists have actually discovered that Ireland has never been home to any snakes. The cold weather was too harsh to host any reptiles and the surrounding seas have staved off snakes ever since. It’s now believed that the snakes in his lore were likely metaphorical.
Not including tips, a 2012 estimate pegged the total amount spend on beer for St. Patrick’s Day around the world was around $245 million. At about $5.00 a glass, that’s a LOT of beer!
Guinness, the go-to drink of several Irish beer drinkers, sees a consumption of about 13 million pints on St. Patty’s Day alone. Even the Queen partakes…
Saint Patrick was actually born Maewyn Succat, but changed his name to Patricius after becoming a priest.
According to Irish folk tales, there is no such thing as a lady leprechaun. Hmm…sounds familiar…
I mean there has to be AT LEAST one 😉
There are more people with Irish ancestry in the United States than in Ireland.
Wanna test your luck? The odds of finding a four-leaf clover are about 1 in 10,000.
March 17th is actually the day St. Patrick died.
Traditionally, the Irish leader hands a crystal bowl full of shamrocks to the US President. The shamrocks, grown in Kerry, Ireland, is immediately destroyed by the Secret Service after the exchange.
Sometimes you just need a little fun in your life! Check back every week for a new “Just Bee-cause” post, where I discuss everything from celebrity news to favorite videos and websites!
Filed under fun facts, st. patricks day
8 Free St. Patrick’s Day Printables
The luck of the Irish is on everyone’s side today! It may not be gold at the end of the rainbow, but these adorable printables are all coming at you for FREE! How magical is that?!
8 Free St. Patrick’s Day Printables
Celebrate creativity every Wednesday with a “Creativi-bee” post, where I share easy craft tutorials, project ideas, and craft collections.
Filed under st. patricks day
Your Mind is a Palace
You might be poor,
Your shoes might be broken,
But your mind is a palace.
—Angela’s Ashes
Come back every Tuesday for “The Bees Knees”, where I post the best quotes from my favorite movies, TV shows, songs, and books.
Filed under quotes
7 Creative Pancake Upgrades
Upgrade your morning routine with these 7 pancake recipes. From sweet cookies and cream pancakes to mermaid pancakes with kiwi and blueberries, these morning flap jacks are sure to shake up your traditional breakfast lineup!
7 Creative Pancake Upgrades
- Cookies and Cream Pancakes
- Mermaid Blueberry Pancakes
- Gluten-Free Spinach Pancakes
- Pink Pancakes with Chia Pudding
- Banana Bread Pancakes
- Butternut Squash Pancakes
- Strawberry Lemon Poppyseed Pancakes
Every Monday is a “Reci-bee” post, where I share my favorite recipes, recipe collections, and cooking and baking hints and tips.
Filed under breakfast recipes
The Snow Child Book Review
I love books that come to life as I’m reading them…books that paint a visual landscape with simple, yet stunning vocabulary. I love books that make me want to jump within the pages, no matter what the story, to fully immerse myself in the landscape…The Snow Child was one of those books.
Broken by the fact they are unable to have a child, Jack and Mabel move to a secluded home in Alaska. The brutal environment makes it difficult for the couple to live, let alone communicate. Drifting apart and breaking under the weight of the work of the farm, they are both struggling, in their own way, with loneliness and despair.
During the season’s first snowfall, Jack and Mabel have a moment of levity and decide to build a child out of snow. This small moment of joy brings the couple closer together and the next morning when they look out to see their creation, the snow-child is gone, replaced by a young, blonde-haired girl running through the trees.
A nymph of the forest with a fox by her side, this child somehow survives alone in the 1920 Alaskan wilderness. As Jack and Mabel try to learn more about this girl, they begin to care for her as one of their own…and her presence begins to change their relationship in ways they never could have imagined.
This book was beautiful in all the right ways. Not unlike a fairy tale in its telling and ending, The Snow Child comes to life with amazing imagery and plot. While this book didn’t end like I wanted it to, it ended as it should have – with a bittersweet conclusion reminiscent of most fairy tales…leaving the reader feeling happy, sad and hopeful all at the same time.
Looking for a new book to read? Check in every Friday for a “Bee Happy” post, where I share reviews of books I’ve read or other book-themed lists.
Filed under book reviews
15 Fun Facts about The Rugrats
A few days ago, I was feeling a bit nostalgic for some of those old, classic Nicktoon Saturday mornings, so I decided to re-watch some old Rugrats episodes…
YOU GUYS…
Man, so much of the comedy of this show went straight over my head when I was a kid. Jokes about porn, sex, even religious humor was so lost on our generation (but it’s so much better when you re-watch it!).
OMG!!!
So that got me to thinking…what else don’t I remember about this amazing show?
Strap on those nappies, guys…
15 Fun Facts about The Rugrats
The Rugrats creators Arlene Klasky and Gabor Csupo married and started the animation studio Klasky Csupo. Before working on Rugrats, they also worked on The Simpsons, contributing to the family’s iconic yellow skin and Marge’s blue hair.
After their eventual divorce, Klasky and Csupo maintained their work relationship and produced a slew of other iconic cartoons, including Aaahh!!! Real Monsters, The Wild Thornberrys, and Rocket Power.
All of the babies in The Rugrats were voiced by women, including Charlie, who was voiced by Christine Cavanaugh for more than a decade. She was also the voice of Dexter in Dexter’s Laboratory until she passed away in 2014.
Elizabeth Daily, who voiced Tommy Pickles, once recorded a show while she was in labor.
Rugrats is the second-longest running Nicktoon of all time. SpongeBob SquarePants takes the lead on that one.
Rugrats is the only Nickelodeon show to have a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. The babies are also the proud owners of four Daytime Emmy Awards, seven Kids’ Choice Awards and five Emmys.
The Pickle’s home address, 1258 North Highland Ave. in Los Angeles, is actually the original home of the Klasky Csupo production office.
There is a terrifying fan theory that the babies are all just a figment of Angelica’s imagination. According to the theory, Chuckie died along with his mother and Tommy was stillborn. When the DeVilles had an abortion, Angelica didn’t know the baby’s gender, so she imagined them as twins.
It has since been debunked.
Rugrats was the first Nicktoon to release a movie. It featured voices from a host of celebrities, including David Spade, Whoopi Goldberg, Margaret Cho and Busta Rhymes. It also introduces Tommy’s brother, Dil.
Rugrats: The Movie was also the first non-Disney animated movie to gross more than $100 million at the box office.
The 1997 episode “Mother’s Day” tells viewers that Chuckie’s mom died, though early episodes imply that she was still alive. Show creators and writers did this so that children watching the show who had also dealt with the death of a parent would have someone with whom to identify.
In terms of age, all the kids are very close in numbers. Angelica is the oldest at 3 years old, followed by Susie, who was 2 going on 3, Chuckie who was 2, Kimi who was 1 going on 2, then Lil and Phil, followed by Tommy and Dil who were both 1 and younger. Of course all of them would be well into their 20’s now…so there’s that.
Chuckie’s distinct look was based on Mark Mothersbaugh, who composed the music for the series. Tommy was based on Csupo and Klasky’s son, Brendon.
Rugrats premiered on August 11, 1991. It was followed by the premier of two other shows, Doug, and the Ren and Stimpy Show. Quite the day for Nickelodeon!
The dinosaur Reptar bared a striking resemblance to another popular prehistoric monster: Godzilla. Apparently Godzilla owners, Toho, sued Nickelodeon for infringement. Though the results of the legal battle are unknown, Reptar made less and less of an appearance on the show and was rarely seen in the last few episodes of Rugrats.
Sometimes you just need a little fun in your life! Check back every week for a new “Just Bee-cause” post, where I discuss everything from celebrity news to favorite videos and websites!
Filed under fun facts
10 Crochet Bunny Patterns
It may be hard to believe here in the Midwest, but spring is coming!
To help get ready for blooming flowers, pastel colors and an abundance of delicious chocolate candies, here are 10 absolutely too-cute-for-words bunny crochet patterns that you can make during these dark and dreary last days of winter.
10 Crochet Bunny Patterns
- Snuggle Bunny Pillows
- Crochet Bunny Slippers
- Crochet Baby Chick and Bunny
- Crochet Rabbits
- Bunny Ornament
- Newborn Bunny Hat
- Toddler Bunny Hat
- Bunny Ear Headband
- Crochet Stuffed Bunny
- Crochet Bunny Garland
Celebrate creativity every Wednesday with a “Creativi-bee” post, where I share easy craft tutorials, project ideas, and craft collections.
Filed under crocheted tutorials
When You’re Right for Someone
“You know you’re right for someone when they force you to be the best version of yourself.”
–The Mindy Project
Come back every Tuesday for “The Bees Knees”, where I post the best quotes from my favorite movies, TV shows, songs, and books.
Filed under quotes
The Difference Between Popular Flours
Let me paint a scene for you…you run into Target for a bag of flour so you can satisfy that late-night craving for chocolate chip cookies or chocolate cake and you find yourself overwhelmed, no, BOMBARDED with 8 billion types of flours…what’s a amateur baker to do?!
Between rows of almond flour and buckwheat flour you search the shelves for just simple all-purpose flour…then feel like a shlumb for not even having the courage to just give whole wheat flour a try like the yoga-pants-wearing mom that just threw 3 bags of it in her cart…
Well, worry no more! Today I’m breaking down the 11 most popular types of flour…what makes them work, what they can be used for, and what makes them different from their other cousins on the shelf.
The main difference between most wheat flours is the amount of proteins they contain, which directly correlates to the ability of the flour to produce gluten. The higher the protein, the more gluten it can produce. So higher protein flours, like bread flour, are great for dense baked goods, like breads and pizza crusts…while low protein flours, like cake flour and pastry flour, are great for light-as-air muffins, cookies, cakes and pastries.
Several flours can be mixed together for different flavors and to add nutritional value to whatever you’re making. So next time you make a run to the grocery store to stock up on flour, take a chance and give whole wheat flour a try! After reading this, you’ll have the “flour power” to be creative in the kitchen!
The Differences Between Popular Flours
Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
This is the workhorse of all the flours. You can use it for pretty much anything and everything, unless your recipe tells you otherwise.
Bleached All-Purpose Flour
In essence, bleached flour is the same as unbleached, but it’s chemically altered with bleaching agents (benzoyl peroxide or chlorine dioxide) to whiten flour and speed up production. Due to the processing, bleached flour often has less protein than unbleached, making it good for flaky pastries.
Bread Flour
Bread flour is high in protein, which allows for more gluten development when combined with water. Gluten allows dough to expand so, naturally, bread flour is great for making bread (go figure!). You can also use bread flour to make pizza dough, puff pastry, and even some cookies.
Whole Wheat Flour
Since whole wheat flour is made by milling the entire wheat kernel, whole wheat flour can be slightly darker, nuttier and higher in nutritional content than all-purpose flour. The bran in this flour makes it difficult to produce gluten, though…so whole wheat flour is often used in combination with another flour to make bread or other baked goods. It’s versatile and can be used for most recipes to add nutrition to whatever you’re making…just make sure to adjust the water amounts as necessary.
Cake Flour
Cake flour is milled from low protein wheat strains, yielding minimal gluten development. This makes cake flour amazing for baked goods like angel food cake, sponge cakes, biscuits, and muffins.
Self-Rising Flour
Self-rising flour is pastry flour that also contains baking powder and salt. This flour is great for flaky and tender biscuits, muffins, pancakes, and some cakes. Most recipes that require self-rising flour will call it out as such. If your recipe calls for self-rising flour, you can also make your own by combining 1 cup pastry flour with 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder and 1/4 teaspoon salt.
Pastry Flour
Pastry flour sits comfortably between all-purpose flour and cake flour in the protein spectrum. It strikes the ideal balance between flakiness and tenderness, making it perfect for pies, tarts and many cookies. You can also make your own pastry flour by mixing all-purpose flour with cake flour.
Spelt Flour
Though spelt is technically a form of wheat, it’s often an alternative to wheat flour because it’s easier to digest. It has a mild nuttiness, natural sweetness and can be used for most breads, pizza crusts, or cookies.
Buckwheat Flour
Buckwheat flour is naturally gluten-free and it absorbs a LOT of moisture, making this flour great for pancakes, noodles and dense cakes.
Rice Flour
Rice flour has a granular, coarse texture and is also naturally gluten-free. It can be combined with other flours for a more workable dough. It’s great to use for sponge cakes, noodles, and light fry doughs, like fritters or tempura batters.
Nut Flours
Simply made from pulverized nuts, nut flours are very powdery and naturally contain no gluten. Of all the nut flours, almond is probably the most popular. These can be combined with other flours if desired for added flavor. Their flavor and texture make nut flours great for cookies and tart crusts.
Every Monday is a “Reci-bee” post, where I share my favorite recipes, recipe collections, and cooking and baking hints and tips.
Filed under every day tips and tricks
The Hob-bee Hive 