So,
another holiday is coming up: St. Patrick’s Day. It’s a day to
celebrate the most commonly recognized patron saint of Ireland. When
I was growing up, I always assumed that only people of Irish descent
celebrated it, but people who aren’t Irish celebrate it as well.
It’s a great excuse to make a corned beef dinner, eh? ;)
My
children happen to be Irish, through their father, but we’ve never
made a huge deal out of the day. However, I was thinking of some
special little things I could do for them and of course, food came to
mind. ;) Here are three little recipes you can make for your family:
Mint Chocolate Chip Shakes for the kidlets; Crème de Menthe Parfaits
for the grown ups; and a simple dish for the whole family based on a
recipe I found on Pinterest, easy and a great recipe to involve the
kids with: White Chocolate Mint Leprechaun Pudding.
So,
let’s get cooking!
For
the shakes: Measure out the ice cream and place in a blender with the
milk; add the green food coloring if the ice cream is white. Blend
well. Pour into 2 cups and top with whipped cream and green sugar.
Mint Chocolate Chip Shake
(makes 2 servings)
2 c mint chocolate chip ice cream
1 c milk
2-3 drops green food coloring
(if using white ice cream)
Whipped cream
Green sugar
For
the parfaits: Pour out a little crème de menthe into the parfait
glass, about 2 Tbl. Place a nice heaping scoop or 2 of the vanilla
bean ice cream in the glass. Pour on top more of the crème de menthe
so it dribbles down the sides of the ice cream. Add another 1 or 2
scoops ice cream and a little more crème de menthe. Top with whipped
cream. Sprinkle with some green sugar and add a sprig of mint leaves.
Crème de Menthe Parfait
Real vanilla bean ice cream
Crème de menthe liqueur
Whipped cream
Sprig of mint leaves
Green sugar
For
the pudding: Pour the milk into a bowl and add the pudding mix. Beat
with a wire whisk until smooth and thickened, about 2 minutes. Add
the mint extract and green food coloring and blend in thoroughly.
Layer the pudding into the cups, bowls, or whatever you’ve chosen,
adding a handful of Lucky Charms cereal, then another layer in the
same manner. Top with whipped cream and green sugar.
White
Chocolate Mint Leprechaun Pudding
(makes
about 3 servings)
1
box white chocolate instant pudding mix
1
¾ c milk
½
tsp pure mint extract
2-3
drops green food coloring
Approx.
1 ½ c Lucky Charms
Whipped
cream
Green
sugar
Enjoy! ~TMMF