Lucky Clovers & Rare Treasures

I have a special affinity for St. Patrick’s Day.  Perhaps it is my lineage, my mother used an Irish family surname, Kennedy, as my moniker, or maybe I just love the idea of finding a pot of gold at the end of a rainbow.  Whatever the reason, I find few holiday joys greater than celebrating all things Irish on March 17th. 

One of my oldest memories is sitting in the middle of a field looking for four-leaf clovers with my grandmother.  She was always surprised when I would yell, “I found another one!”  I think she found it rather unfair that I was far luckier at finding the treasured shamrocks than she.  For years, I carefully pressed and saved dozens of rare variations of clovers I found.  I was especially fascinated by the five, six, and even seven-leaf clovers that made their way to preservation in my Bible. 

It should have come as no surprise with my gift for finding rare and unique treasures that I would be so blessed to be the mom of a daughter with an extra chromosome, but here I am, still undone that I could ever be this fortunate.  To quote Shakespeare, she may be little, but my daughter is fierce, and she is my hero.  At just twelve years old, she is a champion for inclusion, and she proudly wears the scars from her hard-fought battle against childhood cancer.  She is our greatest gift and treasure, so today, we celebrate the beauty of Down syndrome and the good fortune in finding four-leaf clovers everywhere. 

With your purchase and support, we are working to conquer childhood cancer through our funding of St. Baldrick’s Foundation.  Read Loren’s honored kid story and learn how you can help support childhood cancer research and survivorship. 

St. Paddy’s Day Menu - Corned Beef & Cabbage

• 4 pounds corned beef with seasoning packet

• 4 cups beef broth

• 1 pound carrots

• 2 pounds red and gold potatoes

• 1 medium cabbage

1. Remove corned beef from packaging and place in slow cooker. Sprinkle seasoning packet over the top of the beef. Cover with beef broth. Cover and cook on low for 5 hours. Note: You can substitute the beef broth for water for a milder flavor. For a bolder flavor, substitute 1 cup beef broth for 1 cup stout beer. For a sweeter taste, add a teaspoon or two of sugar.

2. Add in carrots and potatoes, add a little salt and pepper to taste, cover and continue to cook on low for 3 additional hours.

3. To finish, add chopped cabbage, cover and cook for 30-45 minutes or until cabbage is tender.

4. Remove vegetables from the slow cooker and place on a serving platter. Let the beef rest for 5-10 minutes, then slice and serve.