Happy Saint Patrick's Day!
As a Chicago transplant, I’ve now only truly been able to celebrate and partake in the craziness that is Saint Patty’s in the city for one of my three years. Feeling jipped, I wanted to create my own Saint Patty’s Day celebration that might mirror the fun usually had in the city, unfortunately without the green river. If you are not living in a city where Saint Patrick's Day is anything more than a casual holiday we don’t get off of school, maybe this will inspire you to create a holiday out of your Wednesday and bring some Irish luck into your week.
The Irish did a lot of things right; we’ve got great pride in what we do, revolutionary drinking skills, and an unmatched love for potatoes. However, corned beef and hash is not something you’d feed to people you love -- unless you actually like it, in which case I’m worried about your tastebuds and wellbeing. So I made a bunch of festive snacks that are both delicious and pair great with a cocktail.
As always, I started with a themed snack board. Including all of the green fruits and veggies, yummy cheese and meat pairings, and of course some green sweet treats. Unfortunately, I couldn't get my hands on any brie, but if you're able, get some and cut it into the shape of a four leaf clover. To make up for my lack of a centerpiece, I used some white roses and grapes. I used candies and cookies, dipped in green frosting to make them match my theme, to add some sweetness to the board. I chose to leave dips off of the board, but I generally go for fig jam and either spinach artichoke dip or hummus.
In addition to the snack board we picked up some Krispy Kreme donuts and festive dipped strawberries, and served shareables like pizza bites and mini corn dogs.
For drinks, as pictured, I made sweet and sour punch. I poured two cups of Lime Smirnoff, two cups of lemonade, and 3 cups of Sprite into a large serving bowl and dipped glasses in frosting.
Happy Saint Patrick's! Have a yourself a mid-week weekend and celebrate like your actually Irish!