MAKE IT CUTE

OK, so everyone knows it’s tradition to don green on St. Patty’s Day – either out of good ol’ Irish spirit or just fear of getting pinched by everyone you see if you don’t. But what if you don’t own any green attire ’cause green just isn’t your ‘color’? Or maybe you just want to do something NON-traditional. Clothing and accessories aren’t the only way to add a little green to your day. Check out these yummy and spectacularly simple alternatives for showing some St. Patty’s spirit!

Lemon-Lime Cake
A recipe passed down through my family and perfected by my grandmother, this super easy cake is sweet and refreshing – and bright green!

What You Need:
1 box of lemon cake mix (and any ingredients it requires – usually eggs, water and vegetable oil)
1 small (8 oz) box of lime gelatin mix
A couple tablespoons of powdered sugar (to sprinkle on top of cake)
A Bundt cake pan (you could even get one with a cool design!)

What You Do:
• Preheat your oven to the temperature specified on your box of cake mix, and grease and flour the inside of your pan (so the cake doesn’t stick when you try to get it out)

• Follow the directions on your cake mix box to make the cake batter, adding the lime gelatin powder mix to the cake powder mix

• Pour the batter into the Bundt pan and bake as directed on the cake box

• When the cake is done (test this by inserting a toothpick – if it comes out clean, it’s done), let cool for no more than 5 minutes so it doesn’t stick, then run a knife around the sides of the pan to loosen the sides of the cake from the pan. Put a cooling rack (or even a big plate) on top of the pan and, holding firmly on top and bottom (use oven mitts!), flip it so the pan is upside down on top of the rack or plate. Tap it a couple times if you need to, then lift the pan and let the cake slide out onto the rack. Let cool completely.

• Sprinkle powdered sugar on top to decorate and enjoy!

Green Ice Cubes
Spruce up your iced tea with some fun green ice cubes!

What You Need:
Lemonade (either made from a mix or already made)
Green food coloring
Ice cube trays
Fresh Mint leaves (Optional)

What You Do:
• Put a drops of green food coloring into your lemonade until you reach your desired hue of green

• Pour your (now green) lemonade into the ice cube trays

• *Optional step: if you have some fresh – not dried – mint leaves, bruise the leaves (just smash each one lightly with the back of a spoon or a mallet so the juices are released) and put one or two in each ice cube compartment with the lemonade*

• Put into freezer and allow the liquid to freeze completely

• Pop a few of the ice cubes into your iced tea! As they melt, you’ll get a little hint of lemon in your tea – and it’ll likely turn green (you’ll literally have GREEN tea!).

Mint Chocolate Chip Shake
It’s usually already green – so why not!?

What You Need:
A blender
Mint chocolate chip ice cream (the green kind – Dreyer’s, Friendly’s, etc.)
Milk

What You Do:
• Put 2 or 3 scoops of ice cream into your blender

• Add milk, little by little, and blend until you get your desired thickness (less milk if you like your milkshakes thick and more milk if you like them softer)

• Pour into a glass and enjoy! (You could even add some whipped cream and a cherry on top!)

By Jessie Merryman

3/17/2008 11:27:11 AM