HSPD

HSPD to you! 

My St. Patrick's Day in Joburg started off at a party with the American Society of South Africa at Giles Pub in Craighall Park. Guinness on tap, green Springbok shots and lucky charms cupcakes.

I was the one dressed as a rare green rhino. Did you know that black and white rhinos turn green on St. Patrick's Day? 'Tis true. And they frolic with leprechauns at the end of double rainbows here too!

Sláinte!

Kathleen supplied these lucky charm cupcakes which were magically delicious

Ryan awards me my prize

... and Giles Pub declared me Best Dressed for St. Patrick's Day! My prize, six Pilsner glasses.

photo by Marguerite Slavik

We were served these little green monsters called Springbok shooters or Springbokkies.  (Thanks Heather!) Aside from being appropriately attired for St. Patrick's Day, a Springbock shooter is a very patriotic drink.  Not only because a Sprinkbokkie reflects the gold-and-green of South Africa’s national rugby team, but also because it uses Amarula, the world’s second best selling cream liqueur (Bailey's Irish Cream being the first).

Recipe for Springbok shots:     

1 Measure De Kuyper Crème De Menthe

1 Measure Amarula Cream

Pour Crème De Menthe into the bottom half of each shot glass. Drip Amarula Cream into the top half of the shot glasses. If you add the Amarula slowly it will not mix with the mint liqueur layer, resulting in the perfect Springbokkie.

corned beef and cabbage

Back home to Valley Lodge to watch The Quiet Man and The Commitments on DVD and eat some corned beef & cabbage and fadge in front of the telly.

fadge and Guinness

Vince leading Christmas carols in the drawing room at Ballymaloe House

There was a two page spread last weekend in the Sunday Times featuring recipes from Darina Allen. Darina is the chef and proprietress at the Ballymaloe House in Shanagarry, Ireland. She also runs a world famous Cookery School there. Vince and I had the pleasure of staying and eating and studying with Darina when we visited Ireland during the Christmas season one year.

recipe reprinted from the Sunday Times (March 15, 2015)

The recipes in the Sunday Times included this recipe for fadge which I made to go along with my corned beef & cabbage. So lucky the Times printed this timely article as I left all of my cookbooks - including Darina's own bread cookbook - back in storage in the US.




Green rhinos and Springbokkies. This is how we do on St. Patrick's Day in South Africa!