Despite my love for holidays (and a good whiskey on the rocks), I'm not a big St. Patrick's Day fan.  Never have been.  I will probably never make a wreath with shamrocks, throw a St. Patty's Shindig or imbibe my own weight in green beer.  A green river makes no sense to me, nor does "Kiss Me, I'm Irish" (shouldn't that read "Kiss Me, I'm Easy"?) and, by all accounts, leprechauns are basically unstable whackjobs. 

However, there are very few special occasions that I will not at least give a tip of the proverbial hat to.  You will still most likely find me wearing at least a little bit of green on the given day, gladly returning the wishes of happy-revelers, and using it as a good excuse to annoy my husband by saying "Hoi Ta Ta Toi!" at every opportunity (can't call me a spoilsport!). 

Last year, I acknowledged the day by making a super yummy Irish Coffee for my husband and
myself.  I'd be more than happy to do that again this year, however, I'm fairly certain it's a bad idea to pickle the little baby girl currently River Dancing in my tummy  (let's be honest: less "in my tummy" and more "directly on my already-shot-glass-sized bladder").

With something this good, who needs luck?

So this year for a special treat that doesn't involve alcohol or plastic beads, I'm going with something a little more traditional and a little more kid-friendly: Shamrock Marshmallow Treats! 

Delicious to share, easy-peasy to make, and adorable to give or present, this green gooey goodness beats the heck out of traditional corned beef and cabbage!

Ingredients: 
1 Tbsp Butter
1 1/2 Tbsp Coconut Oil (If you don't have any, just omit the oil and use 2 Tbsp butter)
2 Cups Mini Marshmallows
3 Cups Crisped Rice Cereal
Green Food Dye
Heart Shaped cookie cutter

1. Over medium low heat, melt the butter and coconut oil.
2. Add marshmallows, stirring constantly.
3. When marshmallows are mostly melted, add 4-5 drops of green food dye.  Stir til thoroughly incorporated.

Sadly, my husband will probably say this counts toward eating his greens...

 4.  Turn off burner and remove pan from heat.  Add rice cereal slowly, stirring to incorporate. 
5.  Without telling husband or children, use spoon to taste ooey-gooey mess.  (Hey, all good cooks taste their recipes in the process. It's the sign of a professional...I swear.) 
6.  Spray a square glass baking dish with cooking spray.  Unceremoniously dump warm goo into pan and use greased spatula to smooth. 

7.  Allow to cool.
8.  Once mixture is cool, flip green block of awesomeness onto a cutting board.


9.  Use greased heart-shaped cookie cutter to remove sections in threes. Arranging them with the points touching, press together into little shamrock shapes.  With a knife, cut any of the excess to create stems and attach.


 Additional Ideas: 
- Shamrock Lollipop Gifts: Use a small heart shaped cookie cutter to create your shamrocks. Instead of attaching a stem, push a lollipop stick into the bottom, wrap with a small cello bag and ribbon and attach a small tag saying "Lucky You!"
- Sweet Sentiment: Playing on the fact that the shamrock is made up of hearts, try packing one in a small pastry box, wrapped with green ribbon and a note that says "Because of you, I'm lucky in love." Present to your sweetheart. 

Lucky 4? A Little History:
While 4 leafed clovers might now be associated with the Luck of the Irish, the clover (or shamrock)
that Saint Patrick was famous for was actually 3-leaved.  As the bishop traveled across Ireland to teach the people about Christianity, he used the three leaves to illustrate and explain the idea of the Trinity (three persons in one God). 

Most historians believe that both the shamrock and the number three were already a large part of Irish customs and beliefs.   Like many of the people who managed to successfully introduce new belief systems to large areas, St. Patrick simply incorporated local ideas and Druid customs into his teachings, making them more familiar and comfortable. 

Plus, I heard he shared his green beer with everyone.  Who wouldn't like that guy?




For more reading on the history and holiday check out the links below.
Saint Patrick  
Saint Patrick's Day
Saint Patrick's Day Traditions