St. Patrick's Day Feast...$ave some green

Everyday we hear about it on the news, read about it in the paper, see evidence of it all around...times are tough. However, we still need to be able to take a break and relax. But these days we'll be smarter about how we spend our money to accomplish that! Eating in is a great way to save money and bring your family together. So, this St. Patrick's Day, grab a lager and enjoy this hearty meal at home!
Corned Beef and Vegetables

Ingredients:

• 3 carrots, sliced
• 3 potatoes, cut in 2-inch chunks
• 1 (1.75pound) corned beef,* cut to fit if necessary
• 1 onion, chunked
• 1 cup water
• 1/2 head cabbage, cut into wedges
• 1 bunch asparagus
  
• salt and pepper to taste

Preparation:
In a 4-quart slow cooker, combine all ingredients except cabbage and asparagus. Cover and cook 2 hours on high. Layer cabbage, then asparagus, sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper, cook about 2 more hours on high. Remove asparagus and place on a platter, remove the corned beef and remaining vegetables and place on a separate platter, or serve directly from the slow cooker. Serves 3-4.

*The corned beef is already seasoned, so additional seasonings are not necessary.

Fun for the kids:
Green up the day! Add a touch green to everything!

• Make pistachio pudding or vanilla pudding with a couple drops of green food coloring
• Make green jello
• Add green food coloring to milk
• Treat the kids with mint chocolate chip ice cream or green milk shakes
• Give the above fun names such as: Leprechaun Pudding, Shamrock Jello, Lucky Milk, Blarney Stone Ice Cream/Shakes
• Add naturally green veggies to your meal such as: asparagus, broccoli, leafy green salad, avacado...the list goes on and on!

These are just a few ideas to make the day a little bit more memorable! FYI: a small amount of food coloring can go a long way.