Apartment Blog

 While ordering a cake the other day we were faced with a dilemma.  The cake specialist asked if we wanted a four leaf clover or a shamrock on our St. Patrick’s Day themed cake. Not understanding, we asked what the difference was. The specialist responded that the shamrock is the Irish symbol and the four leaf clover is the American version. She mentioned that in her experience some Irish people have gotten offended if the four leaf clover is used improperly. So for those of you who aren’t familiar with the differences between the two (besides the obvious additional leaf), here is an explanation.

The shamrock is a three-leaved clover; the plant was used by Saint Patrick to illustrate the doctrine of the Trinity. It has subsequently become a national symbol of Ireland. The word comes from seamróg, the Irish name for the plant.

 A four leaf clover refers to an aberration of a three leaf clover plant, “white clover.” The white clover is a deep green flowering vine with white blossoms. It is the original shamrock plant of Ireland and the unofficial state symbol. The shamrock already has powerful associations, and its occasional production of an extra leaf makes the rare four leaf clover especially lucky.

For more ideas about St. Patrick’s Day parties and crafts, please visit our Holidays section.

Along with having our community theater videos hosted on our website, ForRent.com also posts them to our video syndication network. This network includes sites like: YouTube, MySpace, Yahoo, Dailymotion and others. Why do we do this you ask? Because, we feel that the more sites we have our videos on, the more visible they are to you! Having our content readily available on sites you use daily, such as MySpace or Yahoo, will help to make the apartment search process easier.  We strive to provide renters with the best resources.

So take a look at our latest apartment videos…

Roberts Mill Apartments and Townhomes in Maple Shade, NJ

ForRent.com West Oaks Apartments For Rent in Tarpon Springs, FL

ForRent.com Moorestown Woods Apartments in Moorestown, NJ

ForRent.com The Colonials at Cherry Hill Apartments in Cherry Hill, NJ

ForRent.com Burnt Mill Apartments For Rent in Voorhees, NJ

ForRent.com Sherwood Crossing Apartments in Philadelphia, PA

ForRent.com Red Lion Manor Apartments For Rent in Philadelphia, PA

ForRent.com Fox Ridge Apartments in Somerdale, NJ

ForRent.com Highland Montgomery Apartments in Highland Park, NJ

Brookmont Apartments For Rent in Philadelphia, PA

Parktowne House Apartments in Highland Park, NJ

The Standard at Preston Gardens Apartments in Baltimore, MD

Laguna at Arrowhead Ranch Apartments in Glendale, AZ

Jefferson at Arvada Ridge Apartments in Arvada, CO

Pine Hills Lodge Apartments For Rent in Las Vegas, NV

Maple Pointe Apartments For Rent in Burien, WA

Alderwood Heights Apartments Lynnwood, WA

The Haven at Hill Country Apartments in San Antonio, TX

The Winsted at Sunset West Apartments For Rent in Rocklin, CA

The Montclaire Apartments in Sunnyvale, CA

The Grove Apartments For Rent in San Jose, CA

Regents Walk Apartments in Overland Park, KS

The Carlyle Apartments in Santa Clara, CA

ForRent.com Bella Vista Apartments For Rent in Santa Clara, CA

ForRent.com Jefferson at Berry Apartments in Saint Paul, MN

ForRent.com Crooked Creek Apartments For Rent in Kansas City, MO

ForRent.com Berkshires on Providence Apartments in Charlotte, NC

ForRent.com Pacific Woods Apartments For Rent in Fountain Valley, CA

ForRent.com Avalon Juanita Village Apartments in Kirkland, WA

ForRent.com Avalon Redmond Place Apartments in Redmond, WA

If you plan on celebrating Saint Patrick’s Day this year, make sure you do so with traditional Irish foods.  Here’s a great recipes for Corned Beef and Cabbage that you can make this holiday!

Corned Beef & Cabbage with Horseradish Sauce

Serving Size: 8               
Categories: Beef, Irish                            

Ingredients (Amount & Measure)
——–  ————  ——————————–
   1      Onion
   4      Cloves-whole
   4      pounds Corned beef
   2      Parsley sprigs
   8      Peppercorns-whole
   2      pounds of Cabbage
   1      cup Sour cream
   1      tablespoon Prepared horseradish

Work Time: 15 minutes   
Total Time: 3 hours 45 minutes

Directions:
Peel onion and stick with cloves.  Put corned beef, onion parsley and peppercorns in a large pot and cover with water.  Cover, bring to a simmer and cook gently until tender, 2-1/2 to 3 hours.  Cut cabbage into wedges and core. Add to the pot, cover and simmer until tender, about 30 minutes. Combine sour cream with horseradish.  Serve the meat and cabbage with some of the broth ladled over all and the horseradish on the side.

Nutritional Value:
Per serving: 553 calories, 36g protein, 40g fat, 2808 mg sodium, 11g carbohydrates, 135 mg cholesterol.

*Exported from MasterCook*

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Source: http://fp.enter.net

ForRent.com would like to bestow a wish on all our friends with the following Irish Blessing this Saint Patrick’s Day!

Always remember to forget
The things that made you sad.
But never forget to remember
The things that made you glad.

Always remember to forget
The friends that proved untrue.
But never forget to remember
Those that have stuck by you.

May your neighbors respect you,
Trouble neglect you,
The angels protect you,
And heaven accept you.

May you always have work for your hands to do.
May your pockets hold always a coin or two.
May the sun shine bright on your windowpane.
May the rainbow be certain to follow each rain.
May the hand of a friend always be near you.
And may God fill your heart with gladness to cheer you.

May the Irish hills caress you.
May her lakes and rivers bless you.
May the luck of the Irish enfold you.
May the blessings of Saint Patrick behold you.

Source: corsinet.com & ireland-information.com

St. Patrick’s Day Celebrations

In the United States there are many festivities to celebrate Saint Patrick’s Day. It goes back to the first celebration in Boston, Massachusetts in 1737 where the first Saint Patrick’s Day Parade took place on March 17th.

From the major cities like Boston or New York to your home town. Here is a brief list of some major festivals, parades and events happening in the U.S. Feel free to add your city’s celebrations to our list!

Savannah, Georgia
Savannah’s Saint Patrick’s Day parade usually takes place on March 17th, regardless if it’s during the work week. However for 2008, the parade will take place on Friday, March 14th to honor Holy week in the Catholic faith. The parade route changes each year but usually travels through Savannah’s Historic Park District and Bay Street. In additional to the parade, Savannah’s Waterfront Association has an annual celebration on Historic River Street which mimics Mardi Gras on Bourbon Street.

New York City, New York
According to Wikipedia, the New York parade has become the largest St. Patrick’s Day parade in the world with more than 150,000 marchers and close to 2 million spectators on the street! The parade marches up 5th Avenue in Manhattan and ends by the U.S. 69th Infantry Regiment.

Seattle, Washington
A unique fact I did not know is that Seattle and Galway, Ireland are sister cities given that Seattle has many Irish residents! The annual Irish Week Festival is enormous and includes activities such as Irish step dancing, food, historical and modern exhibitions and Gaelic lessons. It starts on March 14th and goes through the 17th.

Chicago, Illinois
The dyeing of the Chicago River has been a tradition for over 40 years. While many cities have tried to mimic it, none can get as true of a St. Patrick’s color as Chicago’s river can. This year the dyeing is to take place on March 15th. Chicago also has a St. Patrick’s Day parade that takes place on the same day.

San Francisco, California
On March 15th, San Francisco will have the 156th anniversary of its Saint Patrick’s Day parade. At the end of the race there will be a family festival with games, music and various other ‘green’ activities!

If you enjoy celebrating St. Patrick’s Day, there are many options to choose from! Regardless of where you are, cheers to you having a great time!

Source: Wikipedia.com

With St. Patrick’s Day approaching the theme of merchandise available in stores will be shamrocks. And when you see one this holiday season, you’re going to know why it’s the symbol for this holiday and what it means to the Irish people.

The shamrock is a symbol of Ireland and is also a registered trademark of the Republic of Ireland. Its shape is a three-leaf old white clover which is frequently used as a name and symbol for Irish pubs throughout the world. Many (especially those of non-Irish origin) confuse the four leaf clover with the Shamrock.  While the four leaf clover is a symbol of good luck, the three leaf shamrock is mainly an Irish Christian symbol of the Holy Trinity and has a much greater significance.  The Holly Trinity is taught by Christians to represent the “three persons in one God”, the Father, Son and the Holly Spirit.  Traditionally the shamrock was used for it’s medical properties as well as being a popular motif in Victorian times, but today it is commonly associated to represent St. Patrick’s Day in decorations, face paintings, signs, etc.

When you’re thinking of images to decorate your Saint Patrick’s Day party this year, definitely use the shamrock. Not only for good luck but also for it’s meaning & representation to the Irish.

Source: wikipedia.com