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Snacks – There are any number of fun snacks you could have for the kids to munch on while dinner is being fixed. Green jello squares can be a quick and easy snack, that’s not too filling. They can even be cut with cookie cutters into shamrocks.

Shamrock biscuits are a nice snack, and something the kids can help make. Take two refrigerated biscuits, or sugar cookies, and cut them in half. Put the three sections together to make the shamrock and shape the fourth piece into a stem. They can either sprinkle green sprinkles on them, or “paint” them with water with green food coloring added and then bake.

Side Dishes and Appetizers – Soups are a great side dish or appetizer for a traditional Irish dinner. A cabbage and lamb stew would be very fitting. Or you could add potatoes, carrots and other vegetables to the lamb. Another soup would be Beer Potato Soup, which is based on a chicken stock with cream added, in addition to the beer and potatoes. Add a little onion, celery, sugar and salt and pepper to taste, and you have a hearty, tradition soup.

Main Dishes – Corned beef and cabbage, also known as Bubble and Squeak because the cabbage bubbles and squeaks while it cooks, is probably one of the most popular Irish dinners for St. Patrick’s Day and it is fairly simple to make. Combine some onion, whole peppercorn, cloves, parsley and the corned beef in a pot of water. Cover it and let it simmer until the meat is tender. Then add the cabbage that has been cut into sections, and let simmer again until it is also tender. Add some horseradish to sour cream to serve with it.

Shepherd’s Pie is another traditional dish to serve for St. Patrick’s Day. You can use either lamb or beef in this dish. There are several ways to prepare it, but it is still fairly easy. Cook some onions in either butter or oil; add some other vegetables like carrots, peas or other favorites. Stir in some flour and cook until it’s browned a little and add some beef stock. Boil it for about five minutes, and then add the meat, which has been finely chopped, and boil again. Spread the mixture into the bottom of a baking dish. Cover it with mashed potatoes and then bake at 350 for about a half hour. You can add shredded cheese to it when there is about ten minutes left.

Breads – There are many different types of bread that can be served at a traditional St. Patrick’s Day dinner. Scones are a nice, light option. You can also make Irish bread that has baking powder and soda instead of yeast. Many people like to add raisins or currants to the bread. Irish Brown Soda bread is a whole wheat bread that also uses baking soda, instead of yeast. It also has rolled oats and buttermilk, giving it a heavier texture.

Desserts – What would a holiday meal be without desserts? A green velvet cake with white frosting is a sweet end to the meal. Shamrock shaped cookies are also a fun thing to have. A Killarney Cake can be made with a chocolate fudge cake mix, with crme de menthe or peppermint extract instead of water. Stir in chopped green cherries. Top with whipped cream and more chopped green cherries. It can be put together as a layer cake, with a layer of whipped cream between each layer.

Traditional Irish foods are the perfect addition to any St. Patrick’s Day celebration. Even if you aren’t Irish, you may soon find some of them to be new family favorites you might even fix all year round.

If you are not a fan of “green food”, don’t worry, people do expect to see rainbow colors during this time mainly due to the leprechauns pot o gold at the end of the rainbow. So, feel free to use any color for desserts. These ideas of St. Patrick’s Day desserts may help you find desserts everyone will love without fear of their teeth turning green!

JELLO – Colored gelatin can make a great St. Patrick’s Day dessert. Create a gelatin rainbow in a bowl. Make several flavors and colors of gelatin, then cut them up into small squares. Or, if you wish, you can just stick with green jello. Place them in a glass bowl so their colors can be seen and top the dessert with whipped cream. Children will love this idea.

CUPCAKES – these are normally a hit for dessert. Make regular cupcakes but add some St. Patrick’s Day fun. Stir in candy shamrocks and bake. Frost with orange or yellow frosting. You can also make shamrock-shaped cupcakes by placing small balls of aluminum foil between the side of the baking dish and baking cup before pouring batter into the cup. When the cupcakes are finished, they will come out with the shape of a shamrock if you placed the aluminum balls correctly.

COOKIES – Now, who doesn’t love home-made cookies? Find cookie cutters in the shape of shamrocks, leprechaun hats, pots of gold, Celtic crosses, or any other Irish icon. Let the children join the fun making the cookies and then decorating them. You can also make cookies and then fill them with green icing.

Adults often have a sweet tooth, too, so why not try this Toffee Shortbread cookie bar? You’ll need the following ingredients for the shortbread:

* 3/4 cup softened butter
* 3/4 cup sugar
* 2 cups all-purpose flour

For the toffee, you will need:

* 1/2 cup butter
* 1/2 cup brown sugar
* 1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
* 2 tablespoons light corn syrup
* 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the topping, you will need the following:

* 1 6-ounce bag of chocolate chips
* Chopped nuts (optional)

Start with the shortbread by preheating the oven to 350 degrees. Cream together the butter and sugar in a bowl. Stir in the flour until it is mixed well and then press that into a 9-inch square pan. Bake this for 25-30 minutes or until the edges are golden brown. Allow the cookie to cool.

For the toffee, melt the butter in a heavy saucepan over medium heat. Add the remaining ingredients except vanilla and bring this to a boil. Continue cooking this for 5 minutes, stirring constantly, to ensure the mixture doesn’t burn. Remove from the heat and then add the vanilla. Pour the toffee mixture over the cookie which is still in the pan. Allow this to cool completely.

The topping is made by melting the chocolate chips in the microwave or in a double boiler. Stir the chocolate until smooth, then add chopped nuts if desired, and pour it over the cooled toffee and cookie.

These are but a few St. Patrick’s Day dessert ideas you can choose from. If your family enjoys a particular dessert but you don’t consider it Irish enough, add green food coloring and it’ll work just fine!

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Plan Ahead

Don’t wait until the last minute to make spring break plans because it can blow up in your face. While you might find a great last-minute deal on your travel or accommodations, it’s also possible that you won’t. So if your family has its heart set on going to a particular place, it’s much better to make plans in advance.

Try Alternative Destinations

The beach can be extremely crowded (and rowdy) during spring break. Other destinations might be a better choice for families. Amusement parks are popular among kids, and while there will probably be more people there than most other parts of spring, they still shouldn’t be terribly crowded.

Nature activities are also great for spring break. Spring is a beautiful time of year to go hiking or boating. Road trips are also nice but it’s important to make frequent stops, especially if you have younger children.

Look for for Discounts and Reviews

By planning ahead, you give yourself more time to find good deals. Just because you’re not snatching up cancellations doesn’t mean you won’t be able to get a good price. Doing some searching online and off could get you a great price on your trip.

When you do find a great deal, it’s wise to look up reviews on the carrier or hotel if you’re not familiar with it. Sometimes it’s true that you get what you pay for. Travel websites have reviews of lots of hotels and transportation providers that you can learn from.

Pack Smart

Instead of waiting until the night before you leave to pack, start a few days ahead of time. Clothes can be packed a few days ahead of time without causing any shortages. Then when it gets closer to time to leave, all you’ll have left to pack is toiletries and personal supplies.

Making a list of the things you need to take ahead of time will help ensure that no essentials get left behind. It will also come in handy when it’s time to gather things up and come back home. Encouraging the kids to make their own lists will take some of the burden off of you.

Spring break is a great time for families to take trips together. By being prepared, you can make the most of this opportunity for family fun.

PS – Looking for ideas on how to make Spring Break enjoyable for the kids? Download this free – Spring Break Guide.