St. Patricks Day Meal Plan

St. Patricks Day Meal Plan, Mom and Kid Approved, Fruit Rainbows, Shamrock Shakes, Mostly Gluten Free, Irish Nachos, Potato Cakes, and Green Puppy Chow - Yes, Please..

This post just has me hungry looking at it…

Since, my oneword365 this year is “home”  as in all things “home”; HOMEcooking, HOMEmaking, HOMEsteading, & HOMEschooling…I will be sharing some of My Happy Homestead Meal Plans with you all. Now, I only shop once a month {and, an occasional and I do mean occasional stop at the local grocer only if I seem to have forgotten something}. So, planning ahead is key to my sanity. Last year, I did not do such a great job planning and while I didn’t need to go to the store more often…the dinner ‘witching hour’ has been a bit stressful to say the least.

So, new year – new season and feeling a bit more adjusted in our new{ish} home – can you believe we have been here a year?

Back at the Meal Planning Grind – lets work together; work smarter and not harder.

Check out what I have up my sleeve for our St. Patricks Day Meal Plan {confession; I may not make all of this but, certainly hope to make at least some…need a reminder that “life happens” and sometimes are best of intentions just don’t come to fruition.}



What’s for breakfast?

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I think my kids are going to love these potato cakes from Tomato Tart . With some some raw cheddar cheese from Trader Joe’s and a dollop of sour cream …can you say, yum?

fruit rainbow with words

Every kid loves fruit! Well, ok maybe not every kid – but, most! However, there is certainly something about making food into fun designs and shapes that does makes it that much more enticing, right? {FYI yes, my kids are like yours and will likely eat the chocolate and marshmallows first – it’s ok mom’s they will be fine, I promise.} I am really liking Neighbor Julia’s rainbow of colors and design she has here.




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Ok., so my kids eat literally all day – I’m pretty sure I did that too. A day would not be ‘a day’ if we didn’t have 100 snacks – so, for St. Patricks Day I think a batch of minty puppy chow should do the trick. Gal on a Mission adds essential oils to hers – while, I know some do – we will not be doing so. Yes, we use oils. Yes, we love oils. We do not consume ours at this time {another day/ another post}. We will also be using natural decorating colors like these. (afflink) Also, here are the mint chips we will be using in our St. Patricks Day Puppy Chow.

Lunch Time!! Did we not just eat all morning?





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I seriously can’t wait to make these Irish Nachos from Baking Beauty  – mouth watering crispy potatoes, melted cheese, Baking Beauty adds bacon {I may do that too} but, I was thinking some thinly sliced/diced corned beef would be super delicious for a twist {by the way this may end up being served at dinner with the soup as I’m pretty sure daddy-bee is going to want to be home for this number}.

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Ok., while this stew from Three Beans on a String does sound super delicious. I will likely end up changing a lot of it because, that is just what I do and, confession there are veggies in here like; rutabaga and turnips that I; 1) have never cooked with and 2) will likely not have on hand when the time comes. I will most likely add more carrots, add potatoes, and probably some kale to add a bit more “green” flare.

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Mom always said don’t play with your food – well, holidays don’t count in my book. Thanks Eye’s Like Food for sharing her beautiful big and cut cucumber display. I will need to make 3 of these because the kids will devour it in 5 seconds flat.

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And, what St. Patricks Day Meal Plan would be complete without an after dinner Shamrock Shake Treat, right? This recipe from Dessert Now- Dinner Later sounds like the perfect wrap up to our day. Again we will be using natural food dyes  and sprinkles.

I hope you found our St. Patricks Day  meal plan helpful and I would love to hear from you if you do in fact make any of these recipes. You can share your pics on our Facebook page... also, if you’re wondering why we will using natural dyes – here are 5 Reasons Your Family Should Avoid Artificial Dyes too.

Lastly, before you go – Don’t forget to “pin” this meal plan to Pinterest so you have it when you need it!

St. Patricks DayMeal Plan

Homemade Dairy and Gluten Free Ice Cream

Gluten and Dairy Free Ice Cream, Dessert, Sweets, Treats, Kids, Recipe, Printable

When we first discovered that our kids had a dairy sensitivity it didn’t seem like a big deal- I mean heck, how hard could it possibly be to ‘just‘ stay away from cheese? Ha, boy was I wrong- I will take our family’s gluten issues over dairy any day. Most dairy alternatives are just plain nasty and full of artificial highly processed ingredients.

However, somethings really do taste great dairy free- and this homemade dairy free ice cream is certainly one of those things. There are no artificial ingredients and in our home the end result is a happy child that gets to be just like all the rest.

(For your convenience affiliate links are included-if a purchase is made through these direct links it does help support this blog – no pressure to do so but if you do we thank you!)

Homemade Dairy and Gluten Free Ice Cream

Ingredients;
3 C. Dairy free milk of your choosing (I use 2 c. coconut and 1 c. almond)
1 T. Vanilla
3/4 C.Sugar (this can be adjusted depending on how sweet you want it)
1/2 tsp.  Salt

You will also need; 
An ice cream maker (it is worth its weight in gold for how much you will be saving in the long run on those super pricy little cartons of dairy-free ice cream)

Gluten and Dairy Free Ice Cream, Dessert, Sweets, Treats, Kids, Recipe, PrintableDirections; 
Add milk, vanilla, sugar, and salt in a large bowl. Whisk or using an electric mixer blend until sugar is dissolved and all ingredients are thoroughly combined.

Carefully pour blended mixture into the ice cream bucket and churn until it has reached its desired thickness (ours takes about 20 minutes)

Place in a lid covered container and store for later use. I typically make a batch and let it sit in the freezer for a bit before serving to let it thicken/harden as the immediate product is typically quite soft. 

Top with your favorite toppings; chocolate, berry sauce, dye free sprinkles, or fresh berries. Serve and enjoy!
Printable Recipe

Homestead Berry Sauce Recipe

food, dairy free, dye free, gluten free, organic, garden, berries


If you have never made your own berry sauce you are missing out. Making your own berry sauce takes only minutes and has countless uses- be sure to let me know if you try it. I love hearing from you. 

(For your convenience affiliate links are included-if a purchase is made through these direct links it does help support this blog – no pressure to do so but if you do we thank you!)

Berry Sauce

Ingredients;

3/4 cup of berries
1/4 cup of water (if berries are frozen I add less)
2 T. of honey (may add more or less..depends on your desired sweetness )
food, dairy free, dye free, gluten free, organic, garden, berries, myhappyhomesteadDirections; 
Combine berries and water over a low medium heat. 
Simmer 5-10 minutes until berries are soft. If your berries are frozen like mine usually are it may take a bit longer to heat through.  
Add desired amount of honey to prepared berries. Purée using an immersion blender or blender. 
Add berry sauce to your morning pancakes, waffles, or snow cones. Place remaining syrup in a sealed container or mason jar for later use- refrigerate.

Printable Recipe