The mySupermarket.co.uk Blog

If you’ve got any Irish blood in your family, St. Patrick’s Day is one day in the year you’re likely to want to celebrate it! If you haven’t, you can still join in this fun annual celebration of all things Irish and green – today, the holiday is celebrated all around the world in places as far away as Japan and Russia.

St. Patrick is the patron saint of Ireland, and has been as far back as the eighth century. St. Patrick’s Day is celebrated every year on March 17^th, the anniversary of the saint’s death and his religious feast day. Although originally a religious occasion, more recently it has become associated with the celebration of Irish culture and history.

 

Naturally, one of the important aspects of the holiday is the food. There are all sorts of ways you can include an Irish element into your meal.

 

One popular trend is to make some – or all! – of the food green. You can have mint sauce on meat, vegetables like lettuce, spinach or courgettes, and shamrock-shaped cakes or biscuits frosted with green icing. You can even add green dye to food which you wouldn’t normally expect to be green, like mashed potatoes or pie – after all, the city of Chicago dyes its river green in honour of the day!

 

There are also a variety of recipes or foods traditionally associated with St. Patrick’s Day. Corned beef, alone or in pies or other dishes, came to be included because Irish immigrants in America preferred it as a cheaper meat option, and it is often eaten with cabbage, which has been thought of as an Irish food for far longer.

 

If you’re not keen on corned beef, Irish stew, with lamb and vegetables, can be a delicious alternative – especially when the weather isn’t cooperating with the spring-time mood of the festival. (Shamrocks were originally a symbol of the coming spring.)

 

Potatoes, which have been a staple of Irish diet for a long time, are also a traditional component of the meal – roasted, boiled or fried as chips, they can be a dish in themselves, or you can include them as part of something like shepherd’s pie. And of course, you can round the meal off with a cool glass of Guinness!

 

You can also decorate the table with greenery or use green plates, napkins or tablecloths to add an extra festive element to the meal.

 

Of course, we love our mothers every day of the year, but there’s one day in the year which is set aside to help us remember to show them how much we appreciate them.

 

This year, Mother’s Day, also called Mothering Sunday, is on the 14^th March. Mother’s Day always falls on the fourth Sunday in Lent, exactly three weeks before Easter Sunday. Although in many parts of the world including the US Mother’s Day is a relatively recent holiday, it has existed in the UK for centuries.

 

Although the origins of Mother’s Day aren’t entirely clear, it’s traditionally a time when families get together and try, in all sorts of ways, to show the mother of the family how much she is appreciated.

 

Naturally, many of the ways we show affection revolve around food. Mothers all over the country will be receiving breakfast in bed this Sunday – with easy options like fruit juice, toast, cereal, bacon and eggs and pancakes available, children from seven to seventy can prepare this treat without trouble.

 

One Mother’s Day tradition is to bake a special cake, with letters on it in icing to show that it’s for Mother’s Day – and sometimes with other little signs decorating it that represent family in-jokes to make it more memorable and personal. Although it used to be something that children made for their mother, it can also be an activity that mothers share with their children – something that is itself an example of how wonderful mums are!

 

There are also bound to be a variety of special treats known to be Mum’s favourite in each family. It might be a particular box of chocolates, or an indulgent bottle of bubble bath, or a lovely bunch of spring flowers – the important thing is the thought behind it.

 

Mother’s Day can also be a good opportunity to spend time together as a family, and for children to do little things throughout the day to show they care, from helping to wash the dishes to bringing Mum a nice cup of tea.

 

Simple things, like arranging the table with extra care or adding a couple of unusual extras to the meal, can also contribute to making the day a special one. Children have even been known to dress up as ‘waiters’ for the evening and let their parents enjoy a candlelit evening while they take care of the work.

 

Mothers should also remember that there is no rule against arranging a treat or two for themselves. If there’s a film you’ve been wanting to see or a restaurant you’ve been dying to try, let your partner know that this just might be the excuse you’ve been waiting for. You can also give out not-so-subtle hints about which type of chocolates you like best, or what type of wine you think would be most appropriate!

 

However you celebrate Mother’s Day this year, remember that by shopping with mySupermarket you can spoil Mum and save money at the same time.

 

 

Do you include fish in your weekly diet? Fish is one of those foods that tastes great and is good for you as well. It’s an excellent source of omega 3, which helps to prevent heart disease and which is valuable for women who are pregnant or breastfeeding because it helps build up a baby’s nervous system.

 

There are lots of delicious ways of cooking it, too – boiling, roasting, grilling and of course frying and eating with chips! You can eat it plain, with olive oil, in a sauce, with lemon, or add herbs like dill, parsley or coriander to flavour the dish.

 

There are three main different types of fish, and if possible it’s a good idea to get a range in your regular diet. White fish, such as haddock, plaice and cod, are very low in fat because the fish stores its fat in the liver, which we don’t usually eat. It’s this type of fish that you’ll generally use if you’re making fish and chips.

 

Oily fish, such as salmon, mackerel and trout, are the best source of omega 3, and they also contain Vitamin A and D (Watch out for this if you also take vitamin tablets, though; too much Vitamin A can have negative consequences for your health).

 

Last but not least, there’s shellfish, which includes things like prawns, mussels and shrimp. These are also generally low in fat, and can be useful sources of zinc, iodine and copper, all of which we need to stay healthy.

 

Different kinds of fish go with all sorts of foods – from sardines on toast to salmon and new potatoes, and from trout with fresh vegetables to smoked mackerel as part of a picnic lunch, there are all kinds of ways to incorporate fish into your menus. Try out new recipes and work out what you and your family like the most.

 

 

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