Our St. Patrick’s Day Tradition!
Equally easy for single, religious and married alike.

2c vanilla ice cream
1 ¼ c milk
¼ t mint extract
8 drops green food coloring

Blend until smooth.

Make another batch because the first will be gone before you can blink.

Note:
I have no idea where I got this recipe, but I did go looking for it on purpose because Mecandes remembered very fondly these St. Patrick’s Day treats as he used to get them from McDonald’s. Does anyone know if they still serve these up?

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From The Irish Heritage Cookbook

4 tablespoons butter
2 cups shredded cabbage
1 1/2 pounds boiling potatoes, peeled and cut into 1″ pieces
1 pound leeks (white and pale green parts only), washed and chopped
5 cups homemade chicken stock or canned low-salt chicken broth
salt and ground white pepper to taste
pinch of ground nutmeg
1 1/4 cups half and half
3 tablespoons minced fresh parsley, or 1 tablespoon dried

In a large saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Stir in the cabbage, potatoes, and leeks, cover, and cook over medium heat until slightly tender, 10 to 12 minutes.

Add the stock or broth and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to a simmer, and cook until the vegetables are soft, 15 to 20 minutes. Season with the salt, pepper and nutmeg. Transfer to a blender or food processor in batches and prcess until smooth. (To make ahead, cover and refrigerate for up to 12 hours.)

Return the puree to the same saucepan over medium heat and whisk in the half-and-half. Heat through over medium heat. Ladle soup into bowls and sprinkle with the parsley.

Notes:
Probably I’ll serve this with shredded old cheddar cheese as Mecandes loves it over any sort of potato soup. If today wasn’t a Friday in Lent, I’d also sprinkle some bacon bits over the top with the parsley.

Tonight I’m also trying these recipes I found on allrecipes.com - Irrestible Irish Soda Bread and Gooey Brownies with Shortbread Crust.

In case you’re in the market for a cookbook, Mecandes got me this one just after we got married. A gift right after he bought me The Joy of Cooking… Irish food is that high on the agenda. No recipe I’ve tried from this book has failed. They’re all delicious. The ingredients can sometimes be a tad on the gourmet side – most of the recipes are from famous chefs, doing their interpretation of classic recipes – but substitution has worked for me. I do my best with what is available and it hasn’t diminished our enjoyment of the food. The spirit of your cooking and your love is, after all, what’s most important.

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