DIY Shamrock Wreath

 

I'm all about wreaths this year.  The front of our house is a bit plain and, especially in winter (which lasts around 6 months in Minnesota, haha), predominantly white.  So wreaths are a fun and simple way to add some color.

Last month I made a little heart wreath for Valentine's Day.  This month, it's a shamrock for St. Patrick's Day.  It's super simple, but will take a little bit of time.

You will need:

• Green felt in various shades (the amount will depend on the size of your wreath and how wide you cut your strips, but I used about three sheets of bright green, and two sheets each of the light and the dark green)
• Scissors
• Wire
• Wire cutters

Shape your wire into the three loops of your shamrock.  You'll use a loose piece of felt for the stem, so no need to include that in the wire length.  Snip the wire off with your wire cutters.

Then, cut strips and strips and strips of your felt, snipping little holes periodically down the center of each piece. 

Then simply thread the wire through the holes, two strips at a times.  This gives the wreath a little more dimension.

Fan the felt strips out, and shape the wreath as you go along.  Secure the ends by twisting the wire around itself.

Finally, take one last strip of felt and tie it to the center, letting the end hang down as the stem of the shamrock.

Ta da!

St. Patrick's Smoothie

Here is a green drink you can feel good about drinking!  I found the original recipe on With Style and Grace, but I've adapted it a little to fit what I had in the house.

You will need:

• 5-6 ice cubes
• 1 cup vanilla almond milk
• 1 pear, cubed
• 1/2 cup of kale leaves without their stems (I packed my 1/2 cup until it was overflowing!)
• 1 teaspoon of ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon
• a dash of nutmeg

Once you've assembled your ingredients, it's as easy as tossing them in the blender and pressing "liquify."  It's packed with nutrients and has just a bit of kick to it.  So refreshing!  Sláinte!

Irish Potato Cakes

Healthy?  Nope!  Delicious?  You bet!  This is like eating a fried loaded baked potato, and it has me hungry just thinking about it :)

This serves 2-3 people as a main course or 4-6 people as an appetizer (depending on how big your potatoes are)

You will need:

• 2 potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-2 inch cubes
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• a dash of milk
• 4 strips of bacon
• 1/4 - 1/2 yellow onion, chopped finely
• 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 tablespoon of a mixture of: thyme leaves, tarragon, and marjoram (you can use whatever seasonings you like, though!)
• Canola oil for frying the patties

For coating the patties:

• flour
• 1 large egg mixed with a dash of water
• bread crumbs

Cook the onion in a small pan with a drizzle of olive oil until they are soft.  When they are soft, remove them from the heat.  While the onions are cooking, cook the potatoes in boiling water until soft (about 15 minutes).

Drain the potatoes and return them to the pot.

 

Mash the potatoes and then stir in the butter and milk until smooth.

Stir in the nutmeg and seasoning mix, and let the mixture cool for about 5 minutes.

 

While the potato mixture is cooling, cook the bacon until it is crispy (I did ours in the microwave, but stove top works well, too!)  Mix the bacon and the onion into the potatoes, then form the mix into patties.

 

Dredge the patties in flour, then the egg/water mix, and then the bread crumbs.

 

Heat the oil in a large frying pan over medium high heat.  When the oil is hot, add the patties and cook for 3-5 minutes on each side until they are browned.

Serve on a bed of greens- it looks pretty and you can pretend it's healthier ;)