St. Patrick’s Day Word Search from | Cook. Craft. Love.

Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day with this easy and fun St. Patrick’s Day word search.

St. Patrick's Day Word Search

Source: St. Patrick’s Day Word Search {free printable!} | Cook. Craft. Love.

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Corned Beef Quesadillas

Recipe by Sarah Caron for Betty Crocker™

corned beef quesadillas

Photo by Betty Crocker®

Ingredients:

  • 4 Old El Paso™ flour tortillas for burritos (8 inch; from 11-oz package)
  • 1 tablespoon butter, melted
  • 8 slices (about 1 oz each) Irish Swiss cheese
  • 1 cup chopped leftover corned beef
  • 1/2 cup well-drained sauerkraut
  • Thousand Island dressing, if desired

Directions:

  1. Heat nonstick griddle or large skillet over medium heat. Brush 1 side of each tortilla with melted butter; place tortillas, buttered side down, on griddle.
  2. Top each tortilla with 1 cheese slice, 1/4 cup corned beef, 2 tablespoons sauerkraut and another cheese slice. Fold tortilla in half over filling. Cook 3 to 5 minutes, turning once, until golden brown and cheese is melted.
  3. Cut each quesadilla into 4 wedges. Serve with Thousand Island dressing.

 

Tips:

  • Can’t find Irish Swiss? A domestic Swiss cheese can be substituted.
  • You can use chopped corned beef from the deli if you don’t have leftovers.

4-Leaf Clover

4 leaf clover

The four leaf clover is the world most well recognized good luck symbol.

Here are 25 facts you may not know about the popular Four leaf clover:

1. A Four Leaf Clover is actually an mutation of the shamrock (a three-leaf clover), it can only happen in approximately 1 in 10,000 shamrocks.

2. Four leaf clover, rabbit’s foot, and horseshoes are the most common good luck charms of North America.

3. According to Irish legend, St. Patrick used the Shamrock’s three leaves to teach the pagans about Christianity. It symbolized the Holy Trinity with each leaf representing the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. When it’s found with the additonal fourth leaf represents God’s Grace.

4. The Largest Four Leaf Clover Collection is by George J. Kaminski (b. 1951) who has single-handily collected 72,927 Four Leaf Clovers since 1995. They were collected from fields within prison grounds in Pennsylvania, USA.

5. The new world record for the Most Four Leaf Clovers Found in the Fastest Time is May 20th, 2010 by John Christian Stokes, 10, who found three Four Leaf Clovers within 20 minutes while playing with his brother outside his home in Dickson. The world record was sponsored by USA Laboratories, Inc. Burns, TN.

6. The Guinness world record for the largest collection of Four Leaf Clovers belongs to Edward Martin Sr. from Cooper Landing, Alaska, USA, with 111,060 Four Leaf Clovers, as of May 2007, which he has been collecting since 1999.

7. On March 17th, 2010, Fox News reported “Irish Shamrock Shortage Has St. Patrick’s Day Celebrations on Shaky Ground”, and since there is only one Four Leaf Clover in every 10,000 shamrocks, this makes the Four Leaf Clover almost impossible to find.

8. Steve Colbert was quoted on March 17th, 2010, “That the shamrock represent the Holy Trinity, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit “That is why the Four Leaf Clover is so Lucky — You Get a Bonus Jesus”

9. “The world record for the most leaves on a clover stem is 18 and was discovered by Shigeo Obara of Hanamaki City, Iwate, Japan on May 25, 2002. ” Guinness World Records 2010

10. A 21-leaf clover discovered on June 3, 2008 by Iwate prefecture farmer Shigeo Obara and has shattered the Guinness world record for most leaves on a clover stem.

11. A shamrock is considered to be a young clover. Clovers are in the same family as peas.

12. “The Cloverleaf Interchange” is named for the resemblance of the leaves of a four leaf clover when viewed from air” – Wikipedia

13. The Four Leaf Clover has been successfully cultivated. There are clover with more than five leaflets, but they are extremely rare. It’s generally thought that more leafs; the luckier it is.

14. “A best friend is like a Four Leaf Clover: hard to find and lucky to have.” -Sarah Jessica Parker of popular TV show “sex in the city”.

15. Children in the Middle Ages believed that they could see fairies if they found a Four Leaf Clover.

16. It’s good luck to find a Four Leaf Clover. Clover protects human beings and animals from the spell of magicians and the wiles of fairies, and it brings good luck to those who keep it in the house.

17. It is believed that finding a Four Leaf Clover, it will bring you fame, health, wealth and a faithful relationship.

18. According to legend of western cultures, each of the four leafs represent hope, faith, love and luck.

19. The late US President, Abraham Lincoln, was said to have carried a Four Leaf Clover everyday except on the night of his infamous visit to Ford’s Theater the day he was assassinated.

20. The late French Emperor, Napoleon Bonaparte escaped assassination when he stooping down to pick up a “Lucky Four Leaf Clover“.

21. The Four Leaf Clover is one of the most popular tattoo themes for body art. It represent “good luck” or an Irish pride or ancestry. It is often interchangeable with shamrock.

22. Youth organization 4 H Club using a green four leaf clover with a white H on each leaf standing for Head, Heart, Hands, and Health. The white symbolizes purity and the green represents growth.

23. The French Lotto logo is a four leaf clover icon for good luck.

24. There are several popular song recorded with the titled – four leaf clover, Abra Moore – four leaf clover, Badly Drawn Boy-Four Leaf Clover, Touch a 4 leaf clover – Erykah Badu and Stryper – 4 Leaf Clover.

25. Metallica an American heavy metal band recorded “NO LEAF CLOVER” in 1999 as opposite the meaning of “Four Leaf Clover”, the song lyrics describe an unexpected change from good luck to bad.

Guinness Corned Beef and Cabbage Slow-Cook Recipe

Yield: 9 Servings

Guinness Corned Beef and Cabbage

Photo by Taste of Home©

Ingredients:

  • 2 pounds red potatoes, quartered
  • 1 pound carrots, cut into 3-inch pieces
  • 2 celery ribs, cut into 3-inch pieces
  • 1 small onion, quartered
  • 1 corned beef brisket with spice packet (3 to 3-1/2 pounds)
  • 8 whole cloves
  • 6 whole peppercorns
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 bottle (12 ounces) Guinness stout or reduced-sodium beef broth
  • 1/2 small head cabbage, thinly sliced
  • Prepared horseradish

 

Directions:

  1. In a 6-qt. slow cooker, combine potatoes, carrots, celery and onion. Add corned beef (discard spice packet or save for another use).
  2. Place cloves, peppercorns and bay leaf on a double thickness of cheesecloth. Gather corners of cloth to enclose seasonings; tie securely with string. Place in slow cooker. Pour stout over top.
  3. Cook, covered, on low 8-10 hours or until meat and vegetables are tender, adding cabbage during the last hour of cooking. Discard spice bag.
  4. Cut beef diagonally across the grain into thin slices. Serve beef with vegetables and horseradish.

 

 

Originally published as Guinness Corned Beef and Cabbage in Taste of Home Everyday Slow Cooker & One Dish Recipes Annual 2013, p19

Shamrock Shake at Home Recipe

By Sarah Karnasiewicz

 

IMG_58011-652x869

Photo by Williams-Sonoma.  For another mint milkshake recipe, click here

Our homemade take on the fast food favorite keeps the minty flavor (and awesome color!)  you love—but ditches the corn syrup and food coloring.

But before you go crying into your cup, take heart. We headed to the kitchen for some experimentation. The happy results? A homemade version that keeps the cool color and flavor, with just six ingredients.

DIY Shamrock Shake

The addition of heavy cream might seem indulgent here, but it has a practical purpose. Just as beating cream with a whisk will result in whipped cream, whirring some in your blender along with the rest of your ingredients will lend the finished drink a decadently rich, mousse-like texture.

 

Yield: 2 shakes

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups vanilla ice cream
  • ¾ cup milk
  • ½ cup heavy cream
  • 1 cup fresh mint leaves
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ½ teaspoon peppermint extract

Directions:

Place the ice cream, milk, cream, mint, vanilla extract, and peppermint extract in a blender.
Blend until smooth and frothy.
And if you really want to live it up…. Adults ONLY!

Boozy Shamrock Shake

This twist on the classic gets a little pep in its step from the addition of a shot of Branca Menta, an Italian amaro with a complex minty, herbal edge. But if you can’t find it in your local store, classic creme de menthe will also do in a pinch!

 

Yield: Makes 2 shakes
Ingredients:

  • 2 cups vanilla ice cream
  • ½ cup milk
  • ½ cup heavy cream
  • 2 oz Branca Menta liqueur
  • 1 cup fresh mint leaves
  • 1½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

  1. Place the ice cream, milk, cream, mint, Branca Menta, mint, and vanilla extract in a blender.
  2. Blend until smooth and frothy.

Vegan Irish Soda Bread

Vegan Irish Soda Bread

Photo by Claryn

Ingredients:

  • 1½ c unsweetened soy milk
  • 1½ Tbsp lemon juice
  • 2 c white flour
  • 2 c whole wheat flour
  • ½ c sugar
  • 2 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 4 Tbsp vegan margarine
  • 1 c currants or raisins
  • 1 tsp caraway seeds, optional

 

Instructions:

  1. Preheat oven to 350°.
  2. Lightly grease a baking sheet.
  3. In a small bowl, combine soy milk and lemon juice. Set aside.
  4. In a large bowl, sift together flours, sugar, soda, and salt.
  5. With a pastry blender or two knives, cut butter into dry mixture.
  6. Create a well and pour in soy milk mixture and currants.
  7. On a lightly floured surface, gently knead just until the dough comes together, 10 or 12 turns. Do not overwork or you’ll end up with a tough mess!
  8. Shape into a disc about 1½” in height.
  9. Cut an “X” into the top with a serrated knife and bake on prepared sheet for 40-45 minutes.

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See more on the vegan recipe blog.

Floating 4-Leaf Clovers Recipe

Instead of using regular ice cubes in your party punch, stay in the spirit of St. Patrick’s Day and prepare these cute clover cubes. They’re made with soda so they won’t dilute your beverage. They can be made weeks in advance and stored in the freezer. —Taste of Home Test Kitchen

Four-Leaf Clovers

Photo by Taste of Home©

Yield: 12 clover cubes

Ingredients:

  • 4 cups plus 2 tablespoons chilled lemon-lime soda, divided
  • 12 lime slices
  • Lime peel (about 6 inches)

Directions:

  1. Pour 1/4 cup lemon-lime soda into 12 muffin cups; freeze until solid. On a work surface, cut lime slices into quarters. Rotate each quarter slice clockwise until one end of outer edge touches the center; place over frozen soda.
  2. To make a stem, cut the lime peel into 1/2-in. pieces. Place at one corner of clover. Freeze for 20 minutes.
  3. Slowly pour remaining soda into cups until lime is almost covered. Freeze until solid.

Originally published as Floating Four-Leaf Clovers in Taste of Home’s Holiday & Celebrations Cookbook Annual 2003, p187

Easy Shepherd’s Pie from Real Simple©

Yield: 4 Servings
By Diana Hyle , October, 2007

Easy Shepherd's Pie

Feast on this great dish from Real Simple.

Ingredients:

  • 1 pound ground beef
  • 1/3 cup ketchup
  • 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 8 ounces frozen mixed vegetables (such as carrots, peas, and corn), thawed
  • 1/4 cup (1 ounce) shredded Cheddar (optional)
  • 1 16-ounce package mashed potatoes, refrigerated or frozen and thawed

Directions:

  1. Heat oven to 400° F.
  2. Place the beef in a large skillet and cook over medium-high heat until no trace of pink remains, about 5 minutes.
  3. Spoon off and discard any fat. Stir in the ketchup and Worcestershire. Add the vegetables and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Spoon into a baking dish.
  4. Mix the cheese (if desired) with the potatoes in a bowl. Spread over the beef and bake until heated through, 10 minutes. Divide among plates.


Irish Coffee in 4 Steps

While this classic warmer gets top billing around St. Patrick’s Day, it’s a welcome after-dinner treat on almost any occasion. Because the recipe is so elemental, it pays to use the best coffee and cream you can find—you will be able to taste the difference. Whip the cream softly so it sits in the glass in soft peaks. And as for that shot of whiskey? Any blended Irish whiskey—like Tullamore DEW, Redbreast, or the classic, Jameson—should do the trick nicely.

 

how-to-make-irish-coffee

Discover more at Real Simple.com