I absolutely love entertaining, having and attending parties, and making appetizers. Eating the appetizers tops the list as well, of course!

I always go for cocktail parties because I love the idea of mingling and little bites of food. (I’m going to pretend that if we had a dining table that could fit a meal for four people I would still feel the same way). But whether you are serving a multi-course meal or wine with some simple snacks, here are small ways to make any get-together a little better.

 beverages

• champagne (makes everything more festive)
• signature cocktail (great signature cocktail ideas from Martha)
• a variety of wine and craft beers
• flavored water like cucumber slices or strawberry and orange slices (recently had this at a hotel and it was wonderful)
• something non-alcoholic (iced tea, juice spritzer, sparkling water, etc.)

St. Patrick’s Day is right around the corner, and you probably have your festivities planned. They might include corned beef. They probably include green beer, or at least a guinness. Hopefully they include some live Irish music, with corned beef AND green beer.

I’m not yet sure what Saturday will bring for me, but we celebrated a little early with some reubens the other night. Homemade reubens (sometimes even made with tofu) are a favorite of mine. Here are some great recipes to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day with!

(source)

Savory:

Corned Beef with Cabbage – via Epicurious

Ploughman’s Platter – via Vegetarian Times

Soda Bread Scones – via Vegetarian Times

Braised Lamb Shoulder Chops with Root Vegetables - via Epicurious

Classic Reuben Sandwich - via Epicurious

Shepherd’s Pie – via FoodNetwork

Irish Stew – via Food Network

Sweet:

Irish Car Bomb Cupcakes – via Will Cook for Friends

Guinness Brownies - via Heather Christo Cooks

Guinness Caramel Sauce – via Fresh Tart Steph

Chocolate Stout Cakes with Irish Cream Frosting – Avid Appetite

Do you celebrate St. Patrick’s Day? With beer, food or both?