St. Paddy’s Day Floats

Reading the title of this post you might have been expecting something people could ride on in a March 17th celebration parade in Boston.  We have other tastier sorts of floats in mind:)You don’t need to be Irish to guess that the #1 St. Patrick’s Day celebration and parade in this country takes place annually in Boston.  But I’ll bet you’ll never guess where the 2nd largest St. Paddy’s Day parade and celebration is.  If you said Chicago or New York your guess is wrong.

No matter where you live or where you will be when you raise a glass to Ole St. Patrick this year we have a fun drink for you to put in that glass.  Well really  2 fun drinks!  So no matter how old the person who is doing the celebrating is they can have a good time and celebrate in style.

For the kids or those who are kids at heart, we have a Green Homemade Root Beer Float.  It is fun to drink of course, but really fun to make as well for all ages.  And for those more mature party goers (or givers) we have a Guinness Ice Cream Float.  Both are delicious and guaranteed to put a smile on the face of the person enjoying them.  Anyone having either of these special drinks will be sure they have fallen into some of that “luck of the Irish” 🙂

When you raise your glass in celebration, here is a sampling of good Irish toasts and blessings:

May your mornings bring joy
and your evenings bring peace…
May your troubles grow less
as your blessings increase!

May your pockets be heavy—
Your heart be light,
And may good luck pursue you
Each morning and night.

May you have the hindsight to know where you’ve been,
The foresight to know where you are going,
And the insight to know when you have gone too far.

Always remember to forget
The troubles that passed away.
But never forget to remember
The blessings that come each day.

May the roof above you never fall in,
And those gathered beneath it never fall out.

And here is one for all of you, our dear “chums”:

 May your home always be too small to hold all your friends.

Whatever toast or blessing you offer up, always be sure to toast to more love, more joy and much, much more abundant living!

P.S.  BTW – that 2nd largest St. Patrick’s Day  parade and celebration takes place in none other than Savannah, Georgia!  Who knew?

Green Homemade Root Beer Float

1 gallon carbonated water
2 1/2 cups sugar
2 teaspoons root beer concentrate (I found it at Walmart)
1 lb. dry ice
Green food coloring
Vanilla ice cream

Stir the sugar and water together until sugar is dissolved.  Add root beer concentrate.  Add in 6-8 drops of food coloring until the green is the color you want.  Mix well.

Add in dry ice being careful not to touch it with your bare hands.  Break up the dry ice into chunks and allow it to sit for about 15 minutes.  This will be really fun for the children in your group to watch the mixture bubble away with all that “Irish mist” coming off of it as the dry ice dissolves.

Scoop the ice cream into a glass…

and ladle the green root beer over it….

When you taste this, you won’t need a four- leaf clover to feel lucky!…Enjoy:)

Guinness Ice Cream Float

Enhanced ice cream:
1 pint good vanilla ice cream (I recommend Haagen Daz)
1 ounce Baileys Irish Cream
1 ounce Irish whiskey

Fold Baileys Irish Cream and whiskey into softened vanilla ice cream and re-freeze until firm.

To make  the float:

Dash of chocolate bitters
2 ounces Guinness stout
Enhanced Ice  cream

For each float, put a scoop of the ice cream in a glass. Add the chocolate bitters and top with the Guinness.

Now let this be the excuse to offer a good Irish toast or blessing to all your friends and family:)