Forget the Green Dye

St Patrick's Day is right around the corner. The day everyone is Irish. I mean, bloody heck, who doesn't want to be Irish? Pseudo- Irish pubs fill their parking lots and bars with frat boys and people attempting to relive their college days doing what real Irish folks do, drinking green beer while putting on their "best" Irish accent.

In reality this is scene is making St. Patrick turn in his grave.

I have never been real big on "green" colored foods and drinks (except for Shamrock Shakes). This year in an attempt to not make a mockery of St. Patrick's Day I'm doing something other than Irish Car Bombs. I'm going to make this year the right balance of green foods (yes, foods that are actually green) and Irish fare.

For breakfast I'm trying out a Spirulina & Cashew Bar from Raw Revolution. This little green bar contains both fruit and protein components for MyPate. Spirulina is a type of blue-green algae that counts as a food supplement not a vegetable. In addition to this I'll be having green veggies and to round of out my meal I'll be relying more on green food packaging than actual green foods.



Lunch is going to involve a reuben and for dinner I'll be experimenting with a recipe I revamped for Bangers and Mash. Truth be told, neither of these dishes are truly Irish. The most Irish part of the reuben is the corned beef. According to Wikipedia this sandwich originated in either Omaha or New York. If the legend of the New York reuben didn't pre-date the start of it Omaha by 15 years, I'd give credit to Omaha out of pity for the lack of things they can take pride in. As for the Bangers and Mash, this dish originated in England. Like many English things however, this pub grub found it's way across the Celtic Sea and into Irish Pubs.

As for drinks I have something green and something Irish. (This is starting to sound like a woman getting married "Something old, something blue, etc.") For the green I have a Multi- Green Kombucha Tea that attributes it's color once again to Spirulina. Truth be told, tomorrow is the first time I will be consuming spirulina, fingers crossed it is at least palatable. My Irish is the Snake Chaser Irish Style Stout from Lakefront Brewery. Being in Oklahoma I'd like to be able to tie my Milwaukee roots in with my longing to be Irish, at least for one day.

Go forth and be green lads and lasses! Slainte!