I keep trying to figure out fruit in a cocktail that would still taste delicious and not like too much fruit in a cocktail. This one I started wondering about around St. Patrick’s Day because I was pretty sure it would turn out green - I was right! Not only is it green, but it’s delicious.

The tartness of the kiwi lends itself perfectly with the lime and tequila. It’s not too sweet, not too sour. It’s practically the perfect cocktail.

Kiwi Margarita

makes 2 cocktails

1 kiwi, skinned and chopped

1 lime, juiced

4 ounces anjeo tequila

1 ounce cointreau

lime wedges and kiwi for garnish

STEP 1

In a cocktail shaker or a pitcher, muddle together kiwi and lime juice until blended.

STEP 2

Pour in booze and fill with ice. Shake or stir until combined.

STEP 3

Strain into two cocktail glasses filled with ice.

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Every year I make an Irish soda bread for St. Patrick’s Day and EVERY year I forget it takes 40 minutes (or more!) to make. Then, a few years ago, I thought about making mini loaves and that train of thought quickly went to scones. Scones are basically mini bread loaves - and when you’re making bread that’s based in buttermilk and cold butter - you are LITERALLY making scones!

Scones are buttermilk or cream + cold butter + flour + your favorite fruit. It could not be simpler. And the recipe could not read more like an Irish Soda Bread recipe - they are so close to the same recipe.

It makes turning one into the other painfully simple.

Here are the secrets

• Use frozen butter and grate it on a cheese grater. You need tiny curls of butter

• Don’t let the dough warm up - either work fast or pop them in the fridge before baking

• Don’t overwork the dough. You’re going to knead it a few times and then let it go. They won’t be perfectly smooth and that’s ok.

Irish Soda Bread Scones

makes 8-12

1/2 cup buttermilk

1 egg

1 egg yolk

2 1/2 cups flour

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 tablespoon baking powder

1 teaspoon caraway seeds

1/2 cup frozen butter, grated

1/2 cup currants

1 tablespoon heavy cream (or an egg yolk) for brushing the top

STEP 1

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Mix together the buttermilk, egg and egg yolk and set aside.

STEP 2

Combine flour, sugar, baking power, and currants in the bowl of a stand mixer. Grate the butter into the flour. Turn on the mixer and combine until almost mixed but there will still be some flour in the bowl (about 1/2 cup should be remaining.

STEP 3

Turn out the dough and knead it 5-6 times until the flour is combined into the dough. Form the dough into a 12 inch circle. Slice into 8-12 triangles.

STEP 4

If the dough does not feel cold to the touch, pop the scones into the fridge and let them rest for 10-15 minutes. If they are still cool, then place the scones on a baking sheet lined with parchment and brush the top with cream.

STEP 5

Bake 20 minutes until brown on the edges. Serve warm with butter.

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Irish Cocoa

The perfect side to a perfectly Irish breakfast. And topped with Lucky Charms, it’s actually the cutest spiked cocoa you ever did see,

I recently went on a streak where I made cookies with a variety of cereals. I literally raided the cabinet in the kitchen and made cookies - the kids have been big on Lucky Charms this last week. So I made cookies with them! With the white chocolate, the vanilla, the crushed up cereal, and the marshmallows - these are epic. And they are so simple you can whip them up just in time for classroom parties, friends coming over, or just to be festive in your own house!

The big lesson I learned is that these are definitely a margarine cookie. I never make margarine cookies if I have the option. Occasionally I make them for my dairy free kid so I don’t feel guilty when he eats them. These cookies are best with margarine. Let’s not get high and mighty about ingredients on these - we’re putting Lucky Charms in there too - these aren’t health food. There is no fooling ourselves that these are anything other than a junk food treat. But a delightful one. These are amazing. And trust me - with butter instead of margarine, these turn out flat and weird.

Lucky Charm Cookies

makes 24 cookies

1 cup Crisco (1 stick)

1 1/2 cups sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 teaspoon cornstarch

1 teaspoon baking soda

2 cups flour

1 cup crushed Lucky Charms cereal (no marshmallows)

1 cup Lucky Charms marshmallows

1/2 cup white chocolate chips

STEP 1

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the margarine and sugar until smooth. The add eggs and vanilla. Whip until light in color.

STEP 2

Combine the dry ingredients and add them to the mixture. Do not add the marshmallows or the chocolate chips just yet. Blend the mixture until it’s just combined.

STEP 3

Remove the bowl from the mixer and use a spoon to stir in the chocolate chips.

STEP 4

Scoop onto a baking sheet and dot with at least three of the marshmallows. Bake 12-15 minutes, then remove from the oven. Let cool before serving. Store in an airtight container for up to a week.

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St. Patrick’s Day was made for girls like me. It’s a little bit goofy, has a fabulous theme, a color scheme, AND some built in menu items that are delicious! I can’t wait for it every year. Shopping for a few items that are thematic, but not cheesy is critical for me. Here are my picks for the year - click through and purchase them for yourselves.

Slainte!

Even a glass of milk looks festive when it’s in a green glass. Garnish with whip cream and sprinkles and you’re the mom of the year.

Throw in some green

Decorating for the holiday doesn’t have to look tacky. Pop this over your throw pillow - an easy upgrade for your sofa!

Pop it on a tray

Serve drinks on it, put it on the coffee table, serve charcuterie on it, how about cupcakes?

Swizzle it up

Glass swizzle sticks class up literally everything. Even green beer would look classy with one of these beautiful swizzles!

The good stuff

Just the marshmallows! These are perfect when you make Rice Krispie treats and add a little extra something.

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Dutch Baby or German Pancake is my families favorite breakfast. The kids love that it puffs up and love it more that it’s a decadent breakfast you can smother with syrup and whipped cream. For St Patrick’s Day I thought it would be fun to add a little green to the party - in the form of spinach instead of food coloring. If any breakfast is inherently not healthy, it’s a Dutch Baby - so why not add a little redeeming value?

When this comes out of the oven, you can smell the spinach. But I promise once you bite into it, you don’t taste the spinach which means your kids won’t reject it based on flavor!

Luck of the Irish Dutch Baby

3 eggs

3/4 cup milk

3/4 cup flour

1/4 cup melted butter

1 cup spinach

1 teaspoon vanilla

STEP 1

Preheat oven to 425 degrees and pop the pan into the oven. I recommend a 12” skillet.

STEP 2

In a blender, whip the eggs then add milk. Blend until frothy.

STEP 3

Add flour, 1/4 cup at a time, and blend until just incorporated. Add the spinach and vanilla and whip until frothy.

STEP 4

Pop the butter into the hot pan. Close the oven and let it melt. When it’s melted, pour in the batter. Bake 20 minutes until edges are browned and puffed up

Serve with whipped cream, syrup, fruit, Nutella, anything else you like!

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Tots are the absolute, hands down best. This St. Patrick’s Day I put them to the test. First cook the tots until they’re super crispy, pulling them early is super risky. Once they come out toasty and hot, top them quick and top them a lot - with pastrami, sauerkraut, and swiss. Then back on broil until they are *chef’s kiss.* While still warm, drizzle 1000 island on top. Eat with a fork until they’re gone - you can’t stop!

Reuben Tots

1 lb tater tots

1/4 lb sliced pastrami

4 slices swiss cheese

1/2 cup sauerkraut

1000 Island Dressing

STEP 1

Toast the tots until they are extra crispy. I cook them on 450 for at least 40 minutes. But don’t burn them!

STEP 2

Turn the oven onto broil and let it warm up. Pile the hot tots into the center of the pan and top with meat, cheese and sauerkraut. Pop in the broiler and watch it closely! Pull them out then the cheese is bubbly.

STEP 3

Top with 1000 Island Dressing and eat immediately! Chances are you’ll need a fork.

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I realized a few years ago that if you shake a martini with basil leaves in the shaker, it dyes the whole thing green. It’s like the perfect St. Patrick’s Day cocktail. Why? Because it’s green, it’s not going to cause beer-bloat, and it’s SO DELICIOUS. I can’t even. If basil isn’t your favorite then we probably aren’t friends.

You should probably mix one of these up tonight just to make sure you’re ready for next week.

I love corned beef. But I never love corned beef more than when you put it between two slices of rye bread smeared with thousand island dressing, oozing with cheese and piled high with sliced corned beef. A reuben sandwich is my favorite. Take me to a dive bar that serves a greasy reuben and I’m in heaven. It’s literally the best thing ever.

This time of year, a reuben sandwich is the perfect way to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day, but also not feel stressed out by the cooking portion of eating. Deli sliced corned beef is perfect - unless you make a giant slab of corned beef and you have leftovers, then leftovers are dreamy here.

Reuben Sandwich

Serves 4

1 lb sliced pastrami 

8 slices rye bread

2 tbs butter

2 tbs Dijon mustard

1 cup Sauerkraut

8 slices Swiss cheese

½ cup mayonnaise

¼ cup ketchup

2 tbs lemon juice

STEP 1

Combine together mayonnaise, ketchup, and lemon juice.  Let rest.

STEP 2

Butter one side of each piece of bread.  Spread the other side with Dijon mustard.  

STEP 3

Layer a slice of cheese on top of four slices of bread (on top of the Dijon).  Add pastrami equally divided amongst sandwiches.

STEP 4

Top pastrami with sauerkraut and another slice of cheese.  

STEP 5

Top cheese with remaining slices of bread and toast the sandwiches over medium heat in a skillet.  

STEP 6

Slice and serve with homemade Thousand Island dipping sauce.

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Rainbows and St. Patrick’s Day go hand in hand. Usually this time of year I make sugar cookie cut outs of shamrocks (don’t worry, I still will) but I thought it would be fun to mix it up. I don’t think anything is better than those fluffy soft cookies that stay soft and fluffy even when they’ve been out of the oven for more than an hour. These stay fluffy for a whole week. It’s like they’re fresh out of the oven even when they aren’t.

I’m addicted to these. And there’s nothing stopping you from having rainbow cookies all the time.

SOFT RAINBOW COOKIES

makes 3 dozen cookies

1 cup butter (at room temperature)

1 cup sugar

1 cup brown sugar

2 teaspoon vanilla

2 egg

2 1/2 cup flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon cream of tartar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup sprinkles

STEP 1

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream together butter and sugar until fluffy.

STEP 2

Add egg and vanilla to the sugars and beat until combined.

STEP 3

Add flour, baking powder, cream of tartar, and salt. Mix to combine. Then add sprinkles and just combine. Don’t over mix!

STEP 4

Scoop out cookie dough and bake 12 minutes until just set. Let rest 5 more minutes on the baking sheet once the cookies are out of the oven. Store up to one week in an airtight container.

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I had the most amazing realization this week - if I muddle some green things together it will turn the drink a lovely shade of green! Which means it’s perfect for St. Patrick’s Day without being dyed green or filled with something gross.

This isn’t just a St. Patrick’s Day drink that’s not gross - this is your new favorite spring cocktail. It’s light and refreshing, it’s made with all that mint growing in your yard, and it has a vegetable in it - healthy! I cannot wait for you to drink this. Tonight is the perfect night for it - or tomorrow - or the next day.

BUBBLY CUCUMBER MINT

makes 2 drinks

6 slices of cucumber

10-12 mint leaves

4 ounces Hendricks Gin

Sparkling water

In a cocktail shaker, muddle together mint and cucumber using a muddler or the back of a wooden spoon. Add ice and gin. Shake well. Strain into two glasses and top with bubbly water (try Too Chico if you haven’t already)

Garnish with cucumber wheels and mint leaves.

Cheers!