Why DO We Drink Green Beer on St. Patrick's Day?

Let's start off with just who is Saint Patrick. Patrick was actually born in Britain to pretty wealthy parents. He was kidnapped by Irish raiders and taken to Ireland when he was around 16. Poor fella, scared half to death and left to work with sheep in the fields – he turned to his religion to get through it all. His father was a deacon, though not particularly religious. Young Patrick was held captive 6 years and finally escaped. He made his way back to Britain, studied and returned to Ireland to spread the word of Christianity.

Now the Irish in 400 A.D. Didn't have many Christians among them. Most celebrated Pagan holidays which included a lot of bonfires. Saint Patrick got them to celebrate Easter with a bonfire! He also added a sun to the cross – now it's the familiar Celtic Cross.

Saint Patrick's Day is celebrated March 17^th – the day Patrick died (somewhere around 460 A.D.). So why do we celebrate Saint Patrick's Day at all? Surely you've heard of the story of Saint Paddy chasing all the snakes out of Ireland? Supposedly he stood on a hilltop (Croagh Patrick is the name now) with a wooden staff and banished all the snakes. Not true. There were never any snakes to begin with. The story is a great metaphor for the eradication of pagan celebrations and holidays and the triumph of Christianity. 200 years after Patrick returned, Ireland was completely Christianized.

In 1962 the city of Chicago died the Chicago River green. Not because it was St. Paddy's day – they were trying to find polluters! Then the city workers got the brilliant idea to dye the river green on St. Patrick's day!

Now why do we drink green beer on Saint Patrick's day? Certainly not because we are Irish. Green is not even a favorite color and some consider it bad luck. And who would spoil a good Guiness by making it green?

Let's talk about Guiness. It has only four ingredients: malted barley, hops, yeast and water. It's got fewer calories than a pint of orange juice or skim milk. The roasting of the barley gives Guinness it's color and flavor and removes fermentable sugar from the malt. The closest genetic relative to the hops plant is cannabis. Hey – maybe that's where the green comes in!

Frankly, I can't find a single good reason why we drink green beer – at least from the consumer stand point. Now, having been a bartender in my youth – green beer was not only fun to make, but fun to watch the idiots drink! You'd buy the cheapest kegs available and sell the green beer at a ridiculous price and laugh all the way to the bank.

Jerome Holst, songwriter, states the following lyrics about green beer. It's the best reason I could find for green beer (though not the best for drinking it):

Now you may wonder how green beer
Got its fancy hue
Well once upon in Ireland
A leprechaun needed to
Relieve himself and so he pissed
Into a nearby stream
That just by chance was passing by
The local brewery...(magically delicious!) 

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picture courtesy of creative commons at flickr.com 

What's Up In The Garden

What’s Up in the Garden, by Jackie Dohlman, Franklin County Master Gardener

Tips on Starting Eggplant Seeds, Soil Mix for Raised Beds, Pruning Blueberry Plants, and Black Knot Fungus

When should I sow eggplant seeds indoors?

Eggplant seedlings should be planted in the garden after the danger of frost is past. Eggplant can be planted outdoors in mid-May in central Iowa. Gardeners in southern Iowa can plant aboutone week earlier, while those in northern counties should waitone additional week. The last practical planting date is June 20. When starting plants indoors, sow seeds six to eight weeks prior to the anticipated outdoor planting date.

What would be a good soil mix for a raised bed?

An excellent soil mix can be prepared by mixing equal parts topsoil, organic matter (compost, well-rotted manure, or peat) and coarse sand.

Before filling a raised bed, work up the existing soil with a rototiller or spade. Add a few inches of the soil mix, then incorporate it into the existing soil. Continue to add and incorporate additional soil mix until the raised bed is filled. Incorporating the soil mix into the existing soil prevents the formation of distinct layers in the raised bed. Distinct layers of soil may impede water movement and discourage root growth.

What is the proper way to prune blueberries?

Blueberry plants are small to medium-sized shrubs. Blueberry yields and fruit quality decline when blueberry shoots (stems) reach five years of age. In late winter/early spring, prune out any dead or diseased stems. Also, prune out stems that are five years old and older. Allow one to two new shoots to develop each year.

There are black growths on the branches of my chokecherry. What should I do?

The black growths are probably black knot. Black knot is a fungal disease that occurs on chokecherry, European birdcherry, and several other wild and cultivated cherries and plums. The black swellings can vary from a few inches to a foot or more in length.

Black knot is caused by the fungus Apiosporina morbosa. Fungal spores produced on one-year-old and older galls initiate new infections. The knots are soft when newly formed and later become hard and black with age.

Black knot is difficult to control. If only a few galls are present, prune out the infected branches in late winter. When pruning, make the cut at least three to four inches below the gall. The pruned material should be removed from the area and destroyed. Several fungicide applications may help prevent future infections.

The fungicide applications should begin just before bud break and continue until after fruit set. Attempts to control black knot in badly infested trees are not likely to be successful. When dealing with severe black knot infections, the best options are to do nothing or remove the tree and replace it with a black knot resistant cherry or plum.

Got gardening questions? Contact the Hortline at (515) 294-3108 (Monday - Friday; 10 a.m. -12 noonand 1 - 4:30 p.m.) or send an e-mail to hortline@iastate.edu. For more gardening information visit us at Yard and Garden Online at www.yardandgarden.extension.iastate.edu

Picture courtesy of audreyjm529 over at flickr.com  See what's going on in Hampton! 

Psssst....Saint Paddy's Day Sale!

We have a new sponsor here at Hampton Today. Michelle Hartman sent me an email, and well, she's probably going to kill me but ... SHE'S HAVING A SALE! This posting will only be here through March 18^th. Take advantage. Her contact information is over on the left of this page. Here are the details!

Michelle is SPRING CLEANING & has many EXTRA NEW TUPPERWARE pieces FOR SALE at...
17% OFF plus NO SHIPPING COST or TAX (So actually it is 34% off)!!!! WOW What a deal!!

AND I CAN DELIVERY THEM TO YOU BY THE END OF THE WEEK!!!

PLEASE FEEL FREE TO SHARE THIS WITH YOUR FRIENDS!! Buy more than one item & I will throw in a VERY SPECIAL EXTRA GIFT for you!!!

Here is a list of what I have in stock & their SALE PRICES!!!
I have several of each of these items for sale!!!
Thasta Bowl - $17.85
Mega Thasta Bowl - $22.41
Cold Cut Keeper (9x13) - $22.41
Mix & Stor Pitcher - $16.60
Spatula - $14.53
Chip-n-Dip Bowl- $32.79 (clear & teal color)
Spring Fruit Tumblers Set of 4- $20.34
2qt Impressions Pitcher - $14.11
1 Gallon Impressions Pitcher - $16.60
Pastry Sheet - $19.09
Microwable Cereal Bowls - $14.94
Dora Kids Meal & Snack Set - $14.11
Disness Princess Canister Set - $12.45
Snack Cup Set - $9.13
Small (11 oz) Impression Tumblers Set of 4- $20.33
Large Ice Prism Bowl - $23.24
Ice Prisms Pitcher - $35.69
Can Opener - $26.56
Fridgesmart Large Round -$17.85
Wonderlier 3pc Bowl Set - $24.49
Fridge Stackables Set - $14.53
Large Stuffables Bowl Set - $37.77
Flatout 4cup Bowl Set - $14.11
Flatout 8cup Bowl - $14.11
Forget Me Not Set - $14.11
Modular Mate Rectangle #3 (Blue Seal) - $19.92
Large Crystalwave Divided Dish - $12.45
Large Radiance Serving Bowl - $28.64
Medium Radiance Serving Bowl - $20.34

Obituaries in the News

Ron Silver

NEW YORK (AP) — Actor Ron Silver, who won a Tony Award as a take-no-prisoners Hollywood producer in David Mamet's "Speed-the-Plow" and did a political about-face from loyal Democrat to Republican activist after the Sept. 11 attacks, has died. He was 62.

Silver died Sunday after a two-year battle with esophageal cancer, said Robin Bronk, executive director of The Creative Coalition, which Silver co-founded as an advocacy group for entertainers.

Silver, an Emmy nominee for a recurring role as a slick political strategist on "The West Wing," had a long history of balancing acting with left-leaning social and political causes. He help establish the Creative Coalition.

But after the 2001 terrorist attacks, longtime Democrat Silver turned heads in Hollywood with outspoken support of President George W. Bush over the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

His big-screen credits included "Ali," ''Reversal of Fortune," ''Enemies: A Love Story," ''Silkwood" and "Semi-Tough."

Besides "The West Wing," Silver was a regular or had recurring roles on such TV shows as "Veronica's Closet," ''Chicago Hope" and "Wiseguy." He directed and co-starred in the 1993 TV movie "Lifepod," a science-fiction update of Alfred Hitchcock's "Lifeboat."

Silver's Tony for "Speed-the-Plow" came in 1988, a year after he earned his first Emmy nomination, for the murder thriller "Billionaire Boys Club."

Joanne Gore Davis

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Altovise Joanne Gore Davis, a dancer and actress and the widow of Sammy Davis Jr., has died. She was 65.

Davis died Saturday at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center after suffering a stroke, said Amy Malone, a publicist for her family.

Davis worked her way to the Broadway stage where she met the legendary entertainer when they performed together in the musical "Golden Boy" in 1967.

She became his third wife when they wed in 1970 (Davis was previously married to dancer Loray White and Swedish actress Mai Britt). They adopted a son and remained together until Davis died of throat cancer in 1990 at the age of 64.

After his death, she was left to sort through his multimillion IRS tax debt and oversee his troubled estate. Last year, she sued two former business partners in federal court, claiming they tricked her into signing away the rights to the estate. The suit is pending.

 

many thanks to the Globe Gazette!