Happy St. Patrick's Day: A Holiday Feast

Good morning, and Happy St. Patrick's Day! Before you start your day of activities and celebration, have you considered what you're going to make for dinner tonight? I've got an easy, slow cooker recipe that you can set and forget until you're ready to dig in. Just a few steps and you're on your way to a meal fit for the Irish!

Slow Cooker Corned Beef and Vegetables

2 carrots, peeled and chopped into bite size pieces

1 small onion, sliced

1 can whole white potatoes, drained

2 lbs corned beef, with spice packet

2 cups beef broth

6 oz beer

1/2 head cabbage, chopped*

Place all vegetables into the bottom of your slow cooker. Season with salt and pepper and add beef broth. Add corned beef and sprinkle with spice packet. Pour 6 oz. beer into the slow cooker and cover. Set to low for 8-9 hours. 

*If using cabbage, cook corned beef on low for 7 1/2 hours. Add the cabbage and cook for an additional hour.

So there you have it - an Irish feast for an Irish kind of day! Enjoy!

Cheers!

Mix(es) of the Month: St. Patrick's Day Edition

St. Patrick's Day has always been a holiday that brings out the Irish in all of us...or at least the part of us that likes to party like the Irish! I've known quite a few people who've taken a few days off of work during this time of year to head down to Savannah and participate in the St. Paddy's festivities, and I can't lie - I've attended at least one "Kegs and Eggs" event myself.

This month, in honor of the Irish, I'm giving you not one but two yummy drinks to sip on during your celebration. While both use Irish whiskey, their flavor profiles are very different; one is minty and sweet (Irish Eyes) and the other a splash of sour (The Green Dublin) to wake up those taste buds! Take your pick of either, or drink 'em both - just be sure you've assigned a designated driver to cart you around!

The Green Dublin

1 part Irish whiskey (such as Jameson)

1 part sour apple schnapps

2 parts white cranberry juice*

ice

Place all ingredients into a shaker and shake vigorously until frost forms on the outside of the container. Pour into glasses - any glass you like will work!

*I actually could not find white cranberry juice in my grocery store, so I substituted with white cranberry-peach juice cocktail.

Irish Eyes

1 part Irish whiskey (such as Jameson)

1/4 part green creme de menthe

2 parts cream

ice

Place the first three ingredients into a shaker and add ice. Shake vigorously until frost forms, and pour into glasses.

Of course, if you're not in the mood for either cocktail and just want a good old green beer, all you have to do is add a couple drops of green food coloring into a glass and pour. Lighter ales will really take on the green color, whereas you'll only see the green tint on the head of a stout like Guinness.

Have a safe and happy St. Patrick's Day!

Cheers!