MInt Candy-Filled Cookies Tickle Your Fancy?

Once again we're going to tap into minty Irishman and give you a fancy recipe that is in fact a cinch to make... You can't go wrong with faux hard work.

Insane Video Alert: Whose Line Is It Anyway Drinking Songs

So another big part of Irish heritage is of course the drinking. You can't think Ireland and not think of some sort of alcohol-related incident. I'm a big fan of Whose Line Is It Anyway? and one of the most popular skits they repeat is Irish Drinking Song so I thought I would show off a clip that has some of the best versions... Enjoy!

Show Your Love For The Potato

Since we can't just have sweets in the 'betty crocker vs. rachel ray' category and we are also on an Irish theme this week, we should touch base on an important part of Ireland's history. The Irish Potato Famine, as most out-of-country folk call it, was a period of mass starvation between the years of 1845 and 1851. The proximate cause of famine was a potato disease commonly known as potato blight. Although blight ravaged potato crops throughout Europe during the 1840s, the impact and human cost in Ireland – where one-third of the population was entirely dependent on the potato for food – was exacerbated by a host of political, social and economic factors which remain the subject of historical debate. Its hard to believe that we, as Americans, could ever have a shortage of potatoes when every town has a restaurant/food chain that goes through bags and bags of frozen potatoes each day. So as a bit of respect for those who lost their lives, and the ones that suffered those six years without a delicious potato, ABMS is giving you some recipes for four great potato dishes from the AllRecipes.com database...

Capture A Rainbow In A Jar!

Sticking with the "Luck of the Irish" Theme we have going on here this week, I thought why not give a rainbow to someone as a gift. I had never personally heard of cooked cakes in a jar before I found this recipe, just the gift jars with all the dry ingredients in them. I personally can see any of my teenaged brothers taking one of these and eating the whole jar in a single sitting. I'm not recommending it, by any means, but I can picture it. And apparently, they have quite the vast majority of cakes-in-a-jar.

Cakes baked in jars can be topped with traditional metal canning lids and stored in the fridge for up to five days.  They make a great treat to ship to someone, so long as you can ensure delivery to it’s final destination within 3 days. Of course, you don’t have to do anything special with your cake-in-a-jar. There’s something lively & different about serving personal-sized batched of cake in glass mason jars.  They make for great dinner party conversations and ever better after-school surprises for your kiddos. Especially this one. Because, who doesn’t love the idea of catching their own rainbow?

St. Patricks Day - Kid Style

Many schools have Sta. Patrick's Day parties, or parties for each holiday in general. This year, St. Patrick's Day falls on a Saturday so I'd recommend a party with your kids and whatever cousins or neighborhood kids you can round up. Need another snack idea besides green-sprinkled whipped cream over lemon-lime Jello? How about a game to play or crafts to do? ABMS has assembled some of the finest ideas to occupy this Saturday's afternoon.

Ultra-Easy Fudge Mint Cookie Bars

 I'm not sure what it is with St. Patrick's Day that makes us associate it with mint... Its an Irish holiday, Irish are typically associated with either potatoes (the Irish Potato Famine) or with beer. Neither of which smells like mint. But alas, this is the month that gets mint association. So I figured, to follow this trend I'd share this delightful recipe sent to me. These puppies could sell themselves. They are extra easy because they are, according to Sandra Lee, "semi-homemade", however the recipe came from Betty Crocker so that's why they're specific on some things.

Insane Video Alert: Crazy Paper Thing

This is just crazy... Its super simple instructions too, so you can build it. And if you're anything like my brothers, keep yourself entertained for hours, if not days! Check it out!

Garden Problem or Garden Solution?

When digging up soil for that budding aspiration of a garden you have in your head you may find all sorts of rocks. Well, ABMS found a craft that may help you put them to good use, and be helpful all at the same time. You can chose to do this craft on your own or if you have some crafty kids, by goodness put them to work! Besides this project is way more fun than pulling weeds.

Snickerdoodle Muffins

In our family we make snickerdoodles very rarely. I'm not sure why... They aren't a hard thing to make but I was stoked to find a snickerdoodle muffin recipe! I love cinnamon sugar, I don't eat it much (cinnamon=heartburn in babyville) but when I worked at the bullseye I ate their cinnamon sugar muffins EVERYDAY. I can't wait to try these puppies out. If anyone gets them made before me give me your review!

Creating Memories: The Day You Were Born

I'm actually really interested in doing this for Alexander. I think its a really neat idea. We all love reading about the day we were born. The more dramatic the better. Children especially love to hear stories about their real birthdays: The night of the terrible ice storm! That look on Grandma's face! Take a free evening and sort your memorabilia -- and memories -- into a collection of themed boxes: the birth story, the pregnancy, the news of the day, and so on. You can make it as big or as small as you like, depending on how many themes you want to include, then decorate with anything from simple stamps and photos to drawings and collages. And the oversize box easily accommodates mementos of almost any shape or size. We like to think of it as a sort of interactive baby album your child can help create. Sure, he may roll his eyes as you press that tiny baby bootie to your cheek -- but maybe one day he'll know exactly how you feel.