Fun Things to Serve on St. Patrick's Day

It's that time of year again when green clovers spring forth in open show-case windows and fast food joints bring back their shamrock shakes. It's that time-honored tradition when you round up friends for another St. Paddy's celebration, needing no excuse to eat, to drink green beer or to be very merry!

However you opt to celebrate your eating and drinking o' the green, it's the Irish-inspired recipes that are the fun things to serve on St. Patrick's Day that will keep your wee leprechauns delightfully returning for more!

Each year I am inspired to start my day with some favorite classic Irish songs and glimpse a parade on tv while I relax over a fantastic St. Patrick's Day breakfast and a mugful of hot irish green tea.

My favorite fun thing to serve on St. Patrick's Day morning comes straight from Seussville: Green Eggs and Ham a la Sam-I-Am!

Copycat Shamrock Shake Recipe

Ingredients

2 cups vanilla ice cream

1-1/4 cups low fat milk

1/4 teaspoon mint extract

8 drops of green food coloring

Preparation

1. Combine all ingredients in blender and blend on high speed until smooth.

2. Serve in 12 ounce glasses with a straw.

Ingredients

1-2 tablespoons of butter or margarine

4 slices of ham

8 eggs

2 tablespoons of milk

1-2 drops of green food coloring

1/4 teaspoon of salt

1/4 teaspoon of pepper

Things You'll Need

large frying pan, medium size mixing bowl, spatula, knife, wire whisk or eggbeater, serving plates and aluminum foil

Preparation

1. Over medium heat melt a teaspoon of butter in a large frying pan. Add slices of ham and brown until the edges are slightly crisp. Remove the ham from the pan, cover with aluminum foil and set aside.

2. Combine the eggs, milk, salt, and pepper in the medium-size mixing bowl. Beat the mixture until frothy, then add 1-2 drops of green food coloring until reaching your desired shade of green.

3. In a large frying pan over medium heat, slowly heat a tablespoon of butter or margarine until it begins to sizzle. Then add the egg mixture into the pan.

4. Keep stirring the egg mixture with a spatula until the eggs are firm and not too runny.

5. After transferring the eggs to individual plates garnish each with a sprig of parsley and add a slice of ham that you prepared earlier.

Feeds 4. Serve with rainbow toast or irish soda bread. Recipes to follow.

Ingredients

8 Slices White Bread

1-2 cups of Milk

Food Coloring (Red, Yellow, Green and Blue)

Things You'll Need

4 Dixie Cups and Basting Brushes

Preparation

1.  Fill Dixie cups half way with milk

2.  Add a different food color to each cup

3.  Brush stripes of colored milk onto bread

4.  Toast Bread

Feeds 4. Two slices of toast/person. 

Rainbow Toast tastes even better with Leprechaun Butter (butter tinted with green food coloring)

Ingredients

2 Cups White Flour

1 Cup Whole Wheat Flour

2 Teaspoons Baking Soda

1/2 Teaspoon Salt

1/2 Cup White Sugar

2 Eggs

1 1/2 Cups Buttermilk

3/4 Cup Raisins

1 Tablespoon Caraway Seeds

Things You'll Need

2 Medium Size Mixing Bowls, Mixer, Large Spoon, Round Cake Pan, Knife

Preparation

1. In mixing bowl combine flours, baking soda, salt and sugar.

2. In separate bowl combine eggs and buttermilk. Pour into dry ingredients and blend slightly. You just want the dough moistened so don't over beat.

3. Stir in raisins and caraway seeds with a spoon.

4. On a floured surface knead dough several minutes.

5. Place kneaded dough in a round cake pan. With a knife slice an X on the top of the loaf.

6. Bake at 350o for 30-40 minutes until golden brown.

Eat Like an Irishman.  Everyone is a little bit Irish on St. Patrick's Day!

Irish coffee made with coffee, sugar, whipped cream, and whiskey.

Ingredients

* 2 teaspoons sugar, or to taste

* 2/3 cup hot brewed coffee

* 2 tablespoons Irish whiskey

* whipped cream, sweetened if desired

Preparation

Combine first 3 ingredients; top each cup with a generous dollop of whipped cream.

Jello Shots a.k.a. jello shooters are inexpensive, and easy to make. An alcoholic treat that is colorful and fun! Jello shots are great fun for celebrations and parties. (for adults only)

Ingredients

2 Cups Boiling Water

1 Large (6 oz.) package of Lime Jello (not sugar free)

6 oz. Cold Water

* 10 oz. Hard Liquor

Things You'll Need

Small plastic cups, large mixing bowl, and cooking spray

Preparation

1. Boil two cups of water. While the water is boiling, set out the plastic cups and spray a little bit of cooking spray into the bottom of each cup.

2. Open the box of jello and pour into a large mixing bowl.

3. Slowly add the boiling water while stirring to dissolve the jello. Once you have added all the water, continue stirring for another minute or so.

4. Add the cold water, followed by the alcohol. Stir.

5. Place the jello shot cups into the refrigerator for about two hours.

6. Take the jello shots out of the refrigerator. Enjoy and have fun!

* Tips: Vodka is the most popular liquor used for jello shots, but there are many other flavors that you can use. Experiment to see what works best for you! You can use any flavor of jello, so long as it's not sugar-free. I chose lime green jello for this recipe for St. Patrick's Day.

Warning: Please use with caution and do not take shots and drive. Be responsible.

Magical Leprechaun Pudding is a yummy snack for St. Patrick's Day and can also be used as a great little science experiment for the kids too!

Ingredients

white vanilla pudding

yellow and blue food coloring

green sugar crystals

Things You'll Need

ziploc baggies

bowl/cup

spoon

Preparation

Spoon some vanilla pudding into ziploc baggies. Add a few drops of yellow and a few drops of blue food coloring to the pudding. Zip the bag closed and let each kid gently squish the bag until the "magic" begins. The pudding will start to change from white/yellow/blue to green. After the pudding magically changes, cut a small hole in the corner of the baggie and squeeze the pudding into a cup or bowl. Add a dallop of whipped cream and sprinkle with green sugar crystals and enjoy!

Ingredients

1 tube jumbo biscuits

1 cup alfredo sauce

mozzarella cheese

cooked broccoli

bacon bits

cheddar cheese

parsley

green food coloring

Things you'll need

cookie sheet

spoon

Preparation

Remove biscuits from tube and flatten enough to fit 8 biscuits on a cookie sheet

Color 1 cup of alfredo sauce with a couple drops of green food coloring (til you get desired color)

Spoon colored alfredo sauce over each biscuit.

Cover the sauce with as much mozzarella cheese as you like.

Sprinkle bacon bits on the cheese.

Place a couple of broccoli pieces on top each biscuit.

Sprinkle with cheddar cheese and parsley.

Bake at 375o for 10 minutes or until biscuits are done.