On March 17th, Everyone is Irish!

In case you haven't been keeping count, it has been 3 months, almost exactly, since my last big holiday bash. To keep the withdrawal symptoms at bay I organized a great green fest to celebrate the luck o' the Irish.

I was so excited that I planned it weeks in advance and decorated my house way early, ensuring that we were properly prepared to usher in the Celtic celebrations.

Here are some of my decorations:







As you should now know, my parties revolve around great company and good food and I take an immense amount of pleasure in being able to create a relaxing, enjoyable experience for my friends. My first big rule when I host a "formal" party (meaning I printed invitations) is that no one is asked to bring food. Please understand that it's not because I think I'm the best cook (because I know I'm not!) but because I don't want anyone to feel any stress or burden by coming. It also helps that I love cooking for my friends. With all of this in mind, I geared up for a fun Irish and green themed meal to serve.



First on the docket: Irish Country Stew. This is chock-full of yummy veggies and flavor. I wanted it to be authentically Irish, so my ingredient list included: cabbage, leeks, parsnips, carrots, onions and bacon. I was quite pleased with the results :)



I also whipped up a couple of loafs of Irish Soda Bread, using a recipe provided by an Irish grandmother. Holy cow! This was by far the most popular dish of the night with everyone requesting to take some home. :) Here is the link to the recipe on my foodie blog: Gourmet Gossips



I was excited to find this lovely imported Irish Cheddar in our grocery store. I served it with British Melba Toast and it was also gone before the end of the night.

Other green themed foods included:

Green Trifle, made with green angel food cake, white chocolate pudding, blackberries and lime flavored whipped cream

White Chocolate popcorn, dyed green, of course

Spinach Dip (a party mainstay) served with Wheat Thins



To round it all out, I made homemade root beer (our teetotalers' replacement for Guinness). I carbonated it with dry ice and it was a major hit. I sort of felt like we were a bunch of kids when everyone gathered around the kitchen to watch me put the ice in the root beer. :) Luckily, not only did it look fun but it also tasted great!



There was no need of silly games or gimmicks because we had such great company. I turned on some Celtic music in the background and everyone chatted away for hours. I have to admit that I had an absolute blast and was grateful for that so many friends came! Sadly, my brain didn't think to remind me to take pictures of everyone dressed in their green duds, but I assure you that they looked great!

After the festivities had died down, Alexander and I decided that this definitely needs to be an annual tradition, so plan for it now friends; I'm thinking March 16, 2013 sounds like a great day for a party!