St. Patrick’s Day

With St. Patrick’s Day coming up this weekend, many parents are racking their
brains for fun and creative ways for their children to celebrate the holiday
through food. When we think of St. Patty’s Day, we may picture leprechauns,
shamrocks, rainbows and of course, gold! Here are some quick and easy ideas
to incorporate all of those things into your meals for the day:


For breakfast, serve your family lucky charms with and a glass of “leprechaun
milk” (just a glass of milk with green food coloring. So simple but so cute!)


Go over the rainbow for lunch with this colorful meal. Serve baby pickles,
purple grapes, wheat thins (or your children’s favorite cracker) with cheese
cut into shamrocks and strawberry slices. Finish it off with a few gold coins!


My favorite St. Patty’s snack is a fruit rainbow! I use strawberries, oranges,
pineapple, grapes and blueberries but you can substitute your favorite fruit
and arrange them in rainbow order. A fun, and delicious, way to finish this snack
off is by adding mini marshmallows to one side for clouds and Rolos to the other
for the pot of gold.


For dinner, you could go traditional St. Patrick’s Day and make Corned Beef
and Cabbage but if your children are as picky as some of the ones I know, that
isn’t going to fly. Try making green noodles simply by adding green food
coloring to the water before adding the noodles. Serve with chicken or beef
cooked how your family likes it.


And finally, the dessert! I love to make this super easy “Lucky You” Mint Pie from
Carnation Milk. It’s the perfect way to end any day and you can find the recipe by
following this link:

http://www.verybestbaking.com/recipes/144420/Lucky-You-Mint-Pie/detail.aspx?cmp=EM_VBB_2011-03_010

I hope your family has a wonderful St. Patrick’s Day and enjoys these recipes!

Author: Katy Parrish

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Spiked Apple Cider

When it starts to get cold everyone seems to turn to delicious hot drinks such
as apple cider. There are so many ways to kick it up a notch and make your apple
cider “party ready”. One great way is a “spiked” version of the traditional recipe
by Rachael Ray.

Makes: 8 Servings

Prep: 5 Minutes
Cook: 10 Minutes

Ingredients:

2 Quarts Apple Cider
1 Cup Apple Brandy
2 Teaspoons Ground Cinnamon
1 Teaspoon Ground Cardamom
1 Teaspoon Curry Powder

Directions:

In a large pot, combine all the ingredients over high heat and bring
to a simmer. Lower the heat and keep warm. To serve, strain through a
fine mesh sieve into a heatproof pitcher and pour into mugs.

This would be a great cocktail at any cold weather event!

If you more experienced in baking and are looking to really be adventurous
with your apple cider, try a yummy recipe such as the “Apple Cider and
Maple Cream Tart with Maple-Cranberry Compote”.

You can find the complete recipe and cooking tips here!

http://www.rachaelraymag.com/recipes/rachael-ray-magazine-recipe-search/drink-cocktail-recipes/spiked-apple-cider

http://blog.hwtm.com/2008/11/cute-drink-stirrers-spiked-apple-cider/

http://www.bonappetit.com/ideas/apple-cider-recipes/search

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PhotoBOOth Props

There are so many fun prop ideas for a photobooth at a Halloween party! Many are easy to make or you can buy these off of Etsy at “The Manic Moose” shop!

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Jamie and Carl’s Wedding

Jamie and Carl’s Wedding took place in September at Mt. Pisgah church in Apex, NC. A reception followed at Maggiano’s Little Italy in Durham. Beautiful details included florals by Victorian Seasons Florist and a detailed cake by Simply Cakes by Alison LLC. The favors were handmade by the mother of the bride and included Godiva chocolate truffles and a flower detail. The couple chose a blush pink theme with platinum accents and the tables were set to perfectly match the theme of their event. The dinner was family style and included Italian dishes sush as Bowtie Aglio, Baked Rigatoni & Meatballs, Chicken Parmesan, Beef Medallions Pizzaiola, Fresh Grilled Asparagus and more! The couple spent the night dancing to music mixed by “T” from Complete Music Video Photo.







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