March 11, 2009

St. Patrick's Day Party, anyone? I love St. Patrick's Day! I think it's because it's just another good excuse for me to have friends over for some party food and beverages. One of the best things about a party is that you can drink at home and don't need an ID to get into a bar. Although, you might need one of the best fake id cards you can find online to buy the alcohol in the first place. Still, it's better than spending all night in a crowded bar. Since St. Patrick's Day falls on a Tuesday this year, I'm undecided as to whether or not I'll have a party or just invite a couple of friends and neighbors over.

Are you hosting a party or maybe just serving up some great Irish food for a small group of family or friends? If so, hopefully you'll find something here that will help you plan your ‘get-together'.

I have a teensy bit of Irish in me, but SirHoney is half Irish, so I like to keep things festive for St. Patrick's Day.

I like doing just a few decorations, maybe some green and white balloons, cute cocktail napkins and plates, and a nice centerpiece. But, I really love having a selection of fun hats, tiaras, and boas for guests to choose from as they enter the party. I think it creates a fun mood, like at a New Year's Eve or Halloween Party. This year, I even considered having a fancy dress theme for my party. I found a cute yellow costume which would've been perfect, but I decided to stay with tradition and do my normal St Pat's day theme.

Here are a few sites that are loaded with ideas and party supplies.

• Party City has a good selection of St. Patrick's Day novelty items and decorations.

• Party411 has some fun St. Patrick's Day Party Games and Party Supplies.

• There are several party theme ideas here on Celebrations.com.

To get this party started, here are a few ideas for cocktails. How about this Glowing Gecko? I actually served this at a St. Patty's Day Party a few years ago and it was a big hit with those who like sweet drinks.

Fluorescent Green Gecko

If you're not a big fan of the sweet drinks, how about a green beer? You can actually brew your own green beer at home, but it takes two weeks, so there's not enough time to start that now. Supposedly, you can just add green food color to some light beer, but I don't think I want to drink green food coloring.

If you want to skip the green beer, just serve up some authentic Irish beer like Guinness Stout or Murphy's. If you'd still like a few more ideas for cocktails, check out this site for more St. Patrick's Day Drinks.

When it comes to the menu, it obviously depends on how many people you're having over and whether or not you just want to serve appetizers or have a sit down meal. I would normally prefer to serve more appetizers, but I'm trying to keep with the Irish theme and you can only eat so many potatoes! I don't want anything else too heavy.

I found this Potted Beer and Cheddar recipe in the same Irish cookbook as the Potato Pancakes, but I discovered that the recipe came from Cabot Cheese. I haven't made it yet, but it might be an option. It looks easy and it's festive since it has beer and cheese in it!

For my last St. Patrick's Day Party, I had about ten people and this was my menu.

• Ham and Potato Pancakes – This recipe was in a special little Irish cookbook I bought called Irish Food, Fun, and Crafts.

• Beer Potato Soup – This soup turned out so good! I found the recipe on Fabulous Foods, but it originated from Tapp's Brewpub and Steakhouse in Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada.

• Reuben Sandwiches – This recipe was on Food Network, but it originally came from Gourmet Magazine. I loved how these could be put together a little bit before the party so all you had to do is pop them in the oven as the guests arrive. I actually cut some into smaller pieces and served as an appetizers. (Of course, the ‘manly men' can eat a whole one.)

• Corned Beef and Cabbage – I didn't follow a recipe when I made mine, but I like Martha Stewart's recipe for classic Corned Beef and Cabbage.

Corned Beef and Cabbage

For dessert at my party, I think we just ended up have a little Bailey's Irish Cream (I'm not real good about remembering to include a dessert).

If you want to include a dessert, here are a few that look great!

Check out this Irish Cream Bundt Cake from The Recipe Girl. I'd really want to try this recipe!

Irish Cream Bundt Cake

For the kids, I like these Shamrock Ice Cream Sandwiches.

Shamrock Ice Cream Sandwiches

And these St. Patrick's Day Cupcakes from Taste of Home are simple but very cute.

St. Patrick's Day Cupcakes

I hope this helps to jump start your St. Patrick's Day Party Planning!

Oh, and don't forget; no St. Patrick's Day Party is complete without some great Irish music! And one last thing, you've got to have a great Irish toast when raising your glasses to friends on St. Patrick's Day. I love this one.

“May your neighbors respect you,

trouble neglect you,

the angels protect you,

and Heaven accept you.”

~LilSis