St Brigid Day Celebrations 2013

Our celebrations of St Brigid Day this year went fairly smoothly even though I had a fair bit of running around to do.

Vellvin read Saint Brigid and the Cows and Brigid's Cloak to the younger children while they coloured in their colouring pictures and did the word search that we prepared earlier for them.
Eden prepared a back drop for our display of St Brigid with her cows coming along behind her.

I really love how this turned out with our Schleich figures

We enjoyed this year again the making of paper dolls of St Brigid. I am so blessed to have such arty children as these were Rogan's creations. I really love these drawing of St Brigid.

He actually made these ones first but they were a little too small for the children to make the cloak for based on the Brigid's Cloak  book

The fun part of making these paper dolls is the making of the cloak.
We used light blue tissue paper this year and then put the sticker stars from the school supply section on the them. Then close in front with another star.

Just a couple of the St Brigid dolls

As St Brigid is the patron saint of Dairy Maids we usually have a few dairy items on our menu. Arwen had a lovely time stretching some of the dough as I made our Soaked Buttermilk Date Scones.

Can I mention these are great for breakfast, Lunch or snacks or sweets, oh well they are great anytime.

I mentioned in my planning post this year  we were trying a new Irish Soda bread that was also soaked in buttermilk overnight. This recipe looked good but we decided to go with this one instead .
I am sure we will make this again as we did really like it
Here is the recipe we used to suit our preferences~

Ingredients:
5 1/2 cups spelt or Kumut flour ( we used Kumut time- it is more like a wholemeal flour compared to the white spelt we usually use)
2 cups  buttermilk
Port
1 cup dried currants and soak in Port
1 tsp bicarb soda

Method:
Put five and one-half cups spelt or Kumut flour in a bowl, then stir two cups fresh buttermilk into the flour. Combine the flour and buttermilk well until the two are thoroughly mixed together to form a soft, shaggy dough.
Cover well and tightly, allowing the dough to sit at room temperature overnight or up to eighteen hours – a process referred to as “soaking.”
In a separate bowl or small container, pour out 2 cups dried currants then pour enough port over the currants and or sultanas to cover them. If you do not have whiskey on hand, or do not wish to use it, cover the currants with filtered water brought to room temperature.
Allow the currants and or sultanas to soak in the port for the same amount of time you allow the flour to soak in buttermilk – overnight to eighteen hours.
The next day, after the dough and currants have sufficiently soaked overnight or up to eighteen hours, strain the currants from the whiskey reserving the whiskey for another use as you see fit. Preheat your oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.
While the oven preheats, turn the dough out onto a floured surface and gently knead one tablespoon caraway seeds, the whiskey-soaked currants, one teaspoon baking soda and one teaspoon unrefined sea salt into the dough. Flour your hands, as needed, and shape the dough into a nice, full and round ball.
Cut a deep cross into the top of the dough. When the oven has reached a temperature of 425 degrees Fahrenheit, place the dough in the oven and bake for twenty-five to thirty minutes.
After the soda bread has baked at 425 degrees for twenty-five to thirty minutes, reduce the heat of the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and continue to bake for another fifteen to twenty minutes.
Remove the bread from the oven and allow it to cool thoroughly before serving.

Dinner was a meatless meal is it was Friday. So we had Potato Bake and steamed vegetables with a drink of milk.

We never got around to making our crosses this year. So sad but next year we will get to it again.

However we had a lovely day and pray you enjoyed your own celebration of this favourite saint!

Prayer to Saint Brigid Saint Brigid:
You were a woman of peace.
You brought harmony where there was conflict.
You brought light to the darkness.
You brought hope to the downcast.
 May the mantle of your peace cover those who are troubled and anxious, and may peace be firmly rooted in our hearts and in our world.
Inspire us to act justly and to reverence all God has made.
Brigid you were a voice for the wounded and the weary.
Strengthen what is weak within us.
Calm us into a quietness that heals and listens.
May we grow each day into greater wholeness in mind, body and spirit.
Amen

ST BRIGID PRAY FOR US!!!! 

Blessings to you and your homes,