St. Patrick's Day is upon us, and what a great excuse to have a party! Abandon the pub-crawl this year and make your house the Land of Luck!
Sham-ROCK da' house
Invitations
Unique paperless invitations are a great idea to keep your party “green”! My Punchbowl offers free, creative invites for the March holiday!
http://www.mypunchbowl.com/ecards/st-patrick
Décor
Green votives
Wheatgrass is a clean, fresh centerpiece idea for any table as well as an arrangement of succulents.
Blarney Stone
Find a big rock (or make one out of papier-mâché). Position the stone near the front door, perhaps on your entry table, so people can kiss it when they enter.
**Legend has it that kissing the Blarney Stone will give you the gift of eloquence and persuasion!
Food
Hot Spinach and Artichoke Dip
Throw together a delicious and easy spinach and artichoke dip! Cut up baby spinach; add artichokes and artichoke hearts that have been drained and throw in a few sundried tomatoes (if you like them). Mix the vegetables with mayonnaise and transfer to a nice baking dish or casserole dish that you could serve from the oven to your table. Add your favorite cheeses: mozzarella, swiss and cheddar work very well! Add some cheese on top and some Parmesan to the top to create a layer of cheese that will be a nice crust, when cooked. Bake it at 350 degrees for about 20-25 minutes or until the cheese has browned. (Cooking times will vary).
Irish Grilled Cheese
Mash 4 tablespoons softened butter with 2 tablespoons each of chopped parsley, scallions and chives. Spread the mixture on 4 slices white bread; top each piece of bread with sliced Irish cheddar cheese and bread-and-butter pickles. Cover with 4 more bread slices. Spread plain butter on the outside of the sandwiches and fry in a skillet until golden on both sides. Spread the remaining herb butter on the warm sandwiches. Slice into quarters, then press the cut sides in more chopped herbs for a nice presentation.
*Other traditional Patty’s Day food includes: Spinach and Pesto Ravioli, Corned Beef and Cabbage, and Shepherd’s Pie
Drinks
Beer – Guinness
Green Beer
- Choose a pale beer, like Harp, a pale Irish lager
- Add 6 drops of green food dye
- Stir
Mint Milkshake
- 2 scoops chocolate mint ice cream
- 1-1/2 cups milk
- 1 teaspoon peppermint extract
- 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon of chocolate chips
Irish Coffee
- 2 1/2 oz strong, hot coffee
- 1 1/2 oz Irish whiskey
- 1 tsp brown sugar
- 1 oz whipping cream
- Pour the coffee, Irish whiskey and brown sugar into an Irish Coffee Glass
Stout Float
- 2 pints super premium vanilla ice cream
- 6 tablespoons blackberry brandy
- 4 chilled 12-ounce bottles stout, such as oatmeal stout, chocolate-style beer, or Guinness