Get Your St. Patrick's Day On In The Kitchen

Between my freckles, green eyes and superstitious nature, I’m as Irish as they come and so predictably, St. Patrick’s Day might possibly be my favorite holiday. I love the sea of green, the playful pinches, and most of all, I LOVE the food. Is there a better excuse than St. Patrick’s Day to indulge in some delicious soda bread, corned beef, cabbage, and maybe even a boozy dessert or two? Whether you're spending St. Patrick's Day with your servicemember or with friends, here are some of my favorite recipes to get you in the spirit: Corned Beef and Cabbage

It isn’t St. Patrick’s Day in my book without a little corned beef and cabbage. There are a lot of ways to prepare this iconic dish but it doesn’t get easier than this great slow cooker recipe, which just calls for some veggies, corned beef and your favorite Irish beer. Ingredients 1 bag baby carrots 1 small bag red potatoes, chopped 1 cup celery, chopped into medium pieces 15 pearl onions 4 cups water 1 (3-4 pound) corned beef brisket with spice packet 6 ounces of your favorite beer 1 small head of cabbage Directions Chop the carrots, potatoes and celery into medium pieces. Rub the spices from the packet into the corned beef. Place the vegetables into the bottom of the slow cooker, pour in the water and place the corned beef on top. Pour 6 ounces, (sometimes more depending on how much it takes to cover the brisket), of your favorite beer over the corned beef until it’s covered. Place the carrots, potatoes, and onion into the bottom of a slow cooker, pour in the water, and place the brisket on top of the vegetables. Set the slow cooker on high for 6-7 hours, or until the corned beef is starting to fall apart. Stir in the chopped cabbage and cook for 1-2 more hours. Serve immediately. Irish Brownies

Because the only thing better than booze and chocolate on St. Patrick’s Day is combining the two! Ingredients 1 boxes of your favorite brownie fix (I love Ghirardelli’s milk chocolate or fudge brownies) 1 cup Bailey’s 2/3 cup vegetable oil 2 eggs 1 cup unsalted butter, softened 5 tablespoons Bailey’s 4 cups powdered sugar Directions Preheat oven to 350 degrees Beat brownie mix, 1 cup Bailey’s, vegetable oil, and eggs in a bowl until combined. Pour into brownie pan. Bake brownies in the oven until toothpick comes almost clean, and remove before overbaked. Set out to cool. While brownies cool, beat butter in a mixer until smooth. Add in 5 tablespoons of Bailey’s. Add powdered sugar, 1 cup at a time, until frosting is desired thickness. Spread frosting on brownies once cool and serve immediately. Irish Soda Bread

(Adapted from Allrecipes)

It’s not St. Patrick’s without this special once a year treat! Ingredients 3 cups all-purpose flour 1 cup whole wheat flour 4 tablespoons white sugar 1 teaspoon baking soda 1 tablespoon baking powder 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 cup butter, softened 1 cup buttermilk 1 egg 1 cup raisins 1/4 cup butter, melted 1/4 cup buttermilk Directions Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a large baking sheet. In a large bowl, mix together flour, sugar, raisins, baking soda, baking powder, salt and butter. Stir in 1 cup of buttermilk and egg. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead slightly. Form dough into a round and place on prepared baking sheet. In a small bowl, combine melted butter with 1/4 cup buttermilk; brush loaf with this mixture. Use a sharp knife to cut an 'X' into the top of the loaf. Bake in preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean, 45 to 60 minutes. Check for doneness after 40 minutes. You may continue to brush the loaf with the butter mixture while it bakes. Last, but certainly not least, it's not St. Patrick's Day without a cocktail! Here's my favorite Irish treat if you'd like to indulge. Whiskey Sour

Ingredients .75 ounce lemon juice .75 ounce Simple Syrup 1.5 ounce Bourbon Directions Add all ingredients in a shaker and fill with ice. Shake for 30 seconds and strain into a cocktail glass filled with ice. Garnish with a lemon wedge or a lime wedge for some green. Happy St. Patrick's Day! Connect with us on Facebook!