February came and went and the Publisher’s Clearing House Sweepstakes people did not come with flowers and a check for $5,000 a week for life. Oh well, it probably was a good thing because I was late getting up, had to take a shower and I was wearing mismatched pjs. It sure would not have been a good photo op situation. There is another one coming up for $7,000 a week for life, which will be given away at the end of April so there are still dreams to be had. I don’t know if wearing matching pjs would improve the chances of winning!

If you have been outside looking to see if any lambs are walking past or if the lions are roaring around the country side, you may have noticed that the snow is kind of going away. Some of the country dirt roads were turning into the spring mud classification status. In some places it turned into extra slippery ice. My hilly driveway was an excellent sliding place for a short time. At least the car slid good; I did not try my body or skates. I lost track of how many times I promised the car a good wash and inside clean. Then I keep thinking it would be almost the same as before the clean with the present road conditions.

March is also known as the “Green Month”. In Minnesota, March is not showing green grass and trees or much of anything else. St. Patrick’s Day is the big main event that makes people think GREEN. Being of Irish decent is not required.

Corned beef and cabbage is the first thing that pops into a lot of people’s mind when you mention food for St. Patty’s Day. I consider that a “supper” dish so I looked up other food items for breakfast and lunch to have on that day. One of the first suggestions was to make pancakes in the shape of a shamrock. You can use your new French toast skills and have some Bailey’s mixed in the sweetened condensed milk as a syrup. Another yummy for either the pancakes or the toast would be a whisky caramel sauce. (Google for that recipe). If you want to go full monty, you can add the green food coloring to the pancake batter. Green oatmeal was another hot tip for a hardy breakfast. If you want to go full Irish for breakfast, you can have fried eggs, thick bacon, black pudding, sausages, tomatoes, mushrooms, beans and hash browns.

Lunch time may be time for Irish Nachos. The Irish style is finely sliced baked potatoes, corned beef strips, cheese and sauerkraut. I myself would add some thousand island dressing to make it kind of a Reuben. Also for lunch, you could do Irish Deviled Eggs. The yolks are blended with finely sliced cabbage, mayo, and diced corn beef. The finished eggs are topped with parsley and dill weed. I think a bit of pickle relish would also add a nice touch.

Traditionally, dinner or supper time would be the corned beef and cabbage. The Instant Pot makes this a lot easier these days and there are a lot of easy recipes available. Shepherd’s Pie is another choice and it sure is a good comfort food for any cool weather day. It originally was made with lamb but most of today’s recipes call for beef.

DESSERT TIME: Here you can go on your own and Google away like crazy. A few of my favorites are Shamrock Cookies, Shamrock Shakes…..McDonald’s or make your own with Baileys, and Grasshopper Pie.

The liquid part is still probably the main reason the day is looked forward from the time it ends one year until it comes back 364 days later. Irish coffee does have a following but I think its the beer, and most likely green beer, that is the jewel of the party. Combine all the above together and it no wonder they have to toss in a parade or two to use up some calories. ONWARD TO MARCH 17.