Dyeing to Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day

By: Trever McKenzie ~Copy Editor~ Chicago is a city with many famous tourist attractions and a large cultural background, but one tradition may go unnoticed by unfamiliar tourists: The annual dyeing of the Chicago River for St. Patrick’s Day. Each year two boats carrying members of the Chicago Journeymen Plumbers Union (CJPC) rocket across the Chicago river. The first boat drops in an environmentally-friendly vegetable dye, an orange powder that becomes a deep, vivid green when it hits the water. More than 40 pounds of powder are dumped into the river. The second boat follows up and makes sure the … Continue reading Dyeing to Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day

St. Patty’s Day

How to make Irish Soda Bread with Raisins: You Need: Nonstick vegetable oil spray 2 cups all purpose flour 5 tablespoons sugar, divided 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder 1 teaspoon salt 3/4 teaspoon baking soda 3 tablespoons butter, chilled, cut into cubes 1 cup buttermilk 2/3 cup raisins *Option to add 1/2 cup of sour cream* Fun Facts: There are 34.7 million U.S. residents with Irish ancestry. New York City and Boston have the largest celebrations in the United States. The first parade took place in 1762 when Irish soldiers marched through NYC. There are approximately 144,588 people in America … Continue reading St. Patty’s Day