Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Today is St. Patrick's Day and we have been busy enjoying it! We have been listening to Irish music, watching the parade that is being held in New York, crafting and cooking! The corned beef is in the crock pot, the Shepherd's pie and the Colcannon have been made (the Colcannon was sampled and is out of this world!) We are looking forward to a wonderful dinner tonight! We are having, along with the corned beef, Shepherd's pie and Colcannon, Irish mussels in garlic butter, Irish cheeses and soda bread. We will watch The Quiet Man tonight since we watched Darby O'Gill and the Little People yesterday. I just love St. Patrick's Day! It is one of my favorite holidays!!

Coconut Cream Pie

INGREDIENTS
1 (9 inch) graham cracker pie shell
1 (5 ounce) package instant vanilla pudding mix
1 1/2 cups milk
1 1/2 cups flaked coconut
1 (8 ounce) container frozen whipped topping, thawed

DIRECTIONS
In a large bowl, combine the pudding mix and milk until the pudding mixture thickens. Fold 1 cup of coconut and half of the nondairy whipped topping into the pudding. Pour the combination into the prepared pie crust.
Spread the remainder of the nondairy whipped topping on top of the pie. Sprinkle with the remainder of the coconut. Refrigerate, and serve chilled.

St. Patrick's Day Dinner

Here are two recipes I am using tomorrow. I will make a couple of changes to the corned beef. I will not use Guiness but will use their lighter beer, Harp. I will also cook in my crock pot for 7 hours on low as suggested by several reviews. I paid $2.58 for my 3 pound corned beef. What a bargain!

These are from allrecipes.com


Diane's Colcannon
SUBMITTED BY: DianeF "While Colcannon seems to be associated with St. Patrick's Day, I love the combination of potatoes, cabbage, onion and bacon all through the cooler months of Fall and Winter! I attend an annual St. Patty's Day party and this is the dish I'm always asked to bring... and I'm happy to say that the bowl comes home empty every time!"

INGREDIENTS
2 1/2 pounds potatoes, peeled and cubed
4 slices bacon
1/2 small head cabbage, chopped
1 large onion, chopped
1/2 cup milk
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup butter, melted
DIRECTIONS
Place potatoes in a saucepan with enough water to cover. Bring to a boil, and cook for 15 to 20 minutes, until tender.
Place bacon in a large, deep skillet. Cook over medium high heat until evenly brown. Drain, reserving drippings, crumble and set aside. In the reserved drippings, saute the cabbage and onion until soft and translucent. Putting a lid on the pan helps the vegetables cook faster.
Drain the cooked potatoes, mash with milk and season with salt and pepper. Fold in the bacon, cabbage, and onions, then transfer the mixture to a large serving bowl. Make a well in the center, and pour in the melted butter. Serve immediately.

Guinness® Corned Beef

SUBMITTED BY: SHAMELESS PHOTO BY: Em "I discovered this tasty St. Patrick's day treat when I attended an Irish Rovers Concert. My family and friend insist that it is a staple at get togethers any time of the year. Roast this Corned Beef slowly at a low setting for a melt in your mouth delight. The aroma is fantastic!"

INGREDIENTS
4 pounds corned beef brisket
1 cup brown sugar
1 (12 fluid ounce) can or bottle Irish stout beer (e.g. Guinness®)

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C). Rinse the beef completely and pat dry.
Place the brisket on rack in a roasting pan or Dutch oven. Rub the brown sugar on the corned beef to coat entire beef, including the bottom. Pour the bottle of stout beer around, and gently over the beef to wet the sugar.
Cover, and place in preheated oven. Bake for 2 1/2 hours. Allow to rest 5 minutes before slicing.
Editor's NoteDuring the last hour, you may put vegetables in the roasting pan as well. Try a wedge of cabbage, new potatoes, onion, carrots, etc. You may need to add a little more beer with your vegetables.