Sunday, February 05, 2012
   
Text Size

Search iSurf:
  • Get Organized for a Carefree Holiday

    With the stress and busy schedules of the holiday season quickly approaching you may find yourself looking around your home in despair. In a few short weeks guests will begin arriving and your home is a cluttered mess. Have no fear - with a few easy-to-follow tips your home will be guest ready whenever they decide to appear on your doorstep!

    Read more...

Feel like throwing a St. Patrick’s Day soiree? We have provided some food, beverage, and decoration ideas that will make your guests green with envy. Here is everything you may need to host a St. Paddy’s Day celebration, except the pot of gold.

Forego the cheesy St. Patrick’s decorations that you’ve seen in grade school, instead stick with green flowers, green foliage, or my favorite and reusable decoration, limes. Practice your stacking skills by layering up the limes on a white cake platter. (You can use these limes for Coronas or vodka tonics later.) Another attractive table centerpiece would be to take different sized glass cylinders and stack limes half way up from the bottom, then place white flowers or green elephant palm leaves in the vase and fill with water. You can also use the same concept with glass bowls, but instead of flowers use floating candles.
 
For your table setting, stick with a white table cloth and a green placemat. Roll your white napkin with a smaller green cocktail napkin over it and adorn them with a decorative napkin ring. Keep the plates white and add a pop of green color with a small salad plate or bowl. 
 
You have a chic St. Paddy’s Day table, now what to serve your guests? Here is a fool-proof corned beef and cabbage recipe that will keep your guests full and happy!
 
Ingredients
  • 3 pounds corned beef brisket with spice packet
  • 10 small red potatoes
  • 5 carrots, peeled and julienned
  • 1 large head cabbage, cut into small wedges
Directions
  1. Place corned beef in large pot or Dutch oven and cover with water. Add the spice packet that came with the corned beef. Cover pot and bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Simmer approximately 50 minutes per pound or until tender.
  2. Add whole potatoes and carrots, and cook until the vegetables are almost tender. Add cabbage and cook for 15 more minutes. Remove meat and let rest 15 minutes.
  3. Place vegetables in a bowl and cover. Add as much broth (cooking liquid reserved in the Dutch oven or large pot) as you want. Slice meat across the grain.
Tis’ the season for drinking so don’t let your guests go thirsty! Here are a couple of green cocktail and green beer recipes to keep things festive:
 
Green Beer: Simply pour a pint of your favorite lager beer and add one drop of green food coloring at a time until you reach your desired shade of green. The only downfall with using green food coloring to make green drinks, is that your mouth often ends up the same shade of shamrock. On the up side, drink a green beer, and no one can give you a St. Patrick's day pinch for not wearing green.
 
 
Emerald Forest Cocktail: Combine 1 and 1/2 oz. of gin, 1/4 oz. of green creme de menthe and 1/4 oz. of white creme de menthe in an ice filled shaker. Shake well and serve this festive St. Patrick's Day drink in a martini glass.
 
Now that you have your dinner and drink menu planned, get those invitations out! Enjoy a fun-filled and safe St. Patrick’s Day!
 
By Darcy Davidson
 
 
 
 

 

 

Community Calendar


 

 

 

AOL MailGMailMSN Mail

Drag This Icon To Your Home Page Button to make iSurfWC your Home Page!TwitteriSurfFranklinMySpace

© 2009 Homepage, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Sign In/Out