An Irish Breakfast for St. Patrick’s Day
UPDATE: Photos from my climb up Slemish mountain today at the bottom of the post!
As I write this post, it is the day before St. Patrick’s Day and the sun is shining here in Ireland! What’s even better is that this good weather is going to last for two whole days. Yes, you heard me right, two dry March days in a row on the Emerald Isle!
As you all know on 17 March, the Irish and Irish-at-heart around the world celebrate St. Patrick’s Day in honour of Ireland’s most famous patron saint. This will be the first time in six years that I will actually be in Ireland to celebrate it, and I must admit that this is the first time I have ever been excited about it here in Ireland. It took five years of living in the U.S. to get into the swing of it all. It is true, St. Patrick’s Day is a much bigger show on the east side of the big pond.
Slemish Mountain on a beautiful sunny day (14 March 2011)
Little is known of St. Patrick himself, but legend has it that when he was a youth he tended sheep on Slemish mountain on the outskirts of a town called Ballymena in Co. Antrim. I am ashamed to admit that I have lived on-and-off in Ballymena for some 20 years and have never climbed Slemish mountain! So what better day to have my maiden climb of Slemish than St. Patricks Day. It is quite the tradition round these parts to walk up Slemish on 17 March, so it should be good ‘craic‘ as they say here in Northern Ireland. I promise to post some pics on our Facebook wall later today!
Alternate view of Slemish
Seeing as I am going to need some good sturdy food in me to climb up Slemish and seeing as it is the most Irish of days, there is only one food that meets the bill for me and that is Irish Oatmeal! Well, I could attempt an Ulster Fry which would comprise: fried bacon, fried egg, fried sausage, fried soda bread, fried potato bread and fried tomato, but with all that “fried” goodness, I may just decide to stay home and have a nap instead. Instead, let me introduce you to Northern Ireland’s very own White’s steel-cut oats. White’s is the only oat mill in Northern Ireland and sources its oats from local farmers. Their product is totally natural, free from additives and preservatives and not genetically modified in any way. I actually got my hands on a couple of their product items that are being exported to the U.S. and they look stunning. They only just started exporting to the U.S. so do keep an eye out for them especially if you live on the Eastern Seaboard or the Chicago area.
White's Oatmeal NA Import Packaging
By the way, if you feel you are being greeted with blank stairs by people in Ireland when you gush with delight about how you just love Irish oatmeal, it is because we call it porridge over here. I say this because this happened to me when I first landed on U.S shores back in 2004.
It will have to be the steel-cut oats!
I will then wash down my oatmeal with some delicious Irish Breakfast tea by Punjana and clover shaped Grace’s Irish shortbread (well it is a holiday after all). Interesting little tidbit about Punjana tea: the original Punjana factory lay in the shadow of Goliath, the great crane that dominates the Belfast skyline and was used in the building of the Titanic. For those of you who did not know, Titanic was built in Belfast.
Punjana has been exporting to the U.S. for over two years now and you can find them in some of the more mainstream stores. If you can’t find their tea in a store, you can buy them on their online store. Grace’s shortbread, I have to say, is top notch stuff which just melts in your mouth. I believe it may be a little harder to find in the U.S., but keep an eye out in gift/specialty stores.
Irish Breakfast Tea with some Grace's clover-shaped shortbread
Now you know what I will be doing on St. Paddy’s, tell what are your plans for the day. Any special food treats being prepared and green beer being brewed?
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UPDATE: So, it’s St.Paddy’s pm now and I did make it up and down Slemish!!! Wohoo! Sadly, the sun did not come out in the end, but it stayed dry. It was a lot of fun, and I know that I will be grimacing as I try walking down the stairs tomorrow morning. Going down was actually harder than going up!
Here are my pics:
Base camp at the bottom of Slemish
Proof of the Irishness of it all
View from the top of Slemish
It was pretty steep in places
They weren't bad actually
These two lads dressed up and climbed Slemish barefoot!
After that climb and descent - time for some chips/fries
oh yes!
Category: Europe, Featured Articles: Travel & Culture, Northern Ireland, Travel & Culture
My husband was in Cork on business yesterday and the day before, and he was remarking on the wonderful sunshine. He goes there a lot, but doesn’t often see the sun, let alone two days in a row! I loved your post, and your photographs. My Grandma was born in Belfast, and much of her family was employed in the shipyard where the Titanic was made – in fact, some of them helped build her. Happy St Patrick’s Day, and the very best of luck with your climb! It sure looks like you’ll see some gorgeous scenery!
Great post Kat! Like most mornings, got my oats (porridge) into me just before dawn today. ‘Fraid it was of the kind in the upper left of your photo, as I didn’t have time for the 40 minute steel-cut cook.
Enjoyed reading a post straight from Ireland!
Kat, what an excellent post! Good luck on your hike! Looking at the photo, it looks like a serious mountain to climb. No doubt, you will make it up there as you are extraordinarily fit (and put us…well, me, to shame!)
And the photos are superb!
And now I’m going to close my eyes and daydream about spending the day with you.
That looks like SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO much fun!!! You didn’t go barefoot?? The after party looks pretty awesome.
Loved this post. Made me levitate like an Irish Leprechaun!!! Danced me a jigg because it reminded me of so many of my wonderful Irish friends. Thank you so much for posting this… the green is greener like no other.
Hugs,
Pen
Looks like a fabulous day out Kat! We ventured out for a lovely sunny, if cold, walk today on the beach of Carlingford Lough. No Paddy connections I believe but we could hear the flute bands playing from the shore.
I’m also a huge fan of porridge (yup, was totally stared at blankly in the States when I asked were the porridge was in the supermarket!. Will have to check out that brand. And I’m ashamed to say I’d no idea that Punjana was a N.I. brand, let alone from Belfast! Thanks for the info
Oh and we had fish and chips after out walk too…heavenly!
Can’t wait to visit! I’m all for the Irish breakfast, although not sure hiking the mountain in the rain is my cuppa tea
Chips, definitely.
Just a few words of advice from a native for those who plan to try out the steel cut oatmeal which requires up to 40 minutes cooking time:
* Choose a non stick, heavy based saucepan
* Use 1/2 water and 1/2 milk. If you use all milk
it is more likely to stick to the pan
* Stir frequently with a wooden spoon to prevent
sticking
* Make the porridge the evening before
* Keep it a little ‘runny’, put the lid on as soon as
you turn off the heat and leave it to thicken
overnight
* Reheat the desired amount for breakfast and add
cold milk or cream
* As a daughter of Scotland I make my porridge with
salt but what you choose to add is up to you!
Happy St. Patty’s Day!
Wow that is some climb…these are such great photos, just beautiful!
When I saw Irish breakfast I was reminiscing about the eggs, bacon, blood sausage, and brown bread with preserves that I had at the B&Bs where we stayed on our visit. But, Irish porridge definitely provides the fuel you needed to stick with you during that climb up Slemish. What a view – thanks for sharing!