With St. Patrick's Day on the near horizon, I thought you would enjoy some popular Irish treats to share with your family. Irish Crockpot Potatoes are simple, delicious and everyone old and young alike will love them. They make the perfect accompaniment to a Corned Beef Casserole, cheesy stick-to-your-ribs satisfaction. Finally, crusty, dense Irish Brown Bread is as fun to make as it is delicious to eat.

Happy St. Patrick's Day and happy eating! Irish Crockpot Potatoes 5 lbs. red potatoes 1 Tbsp. minced garlic 2 cubes chicken bouillon 8 oz. container sour cream 8 oz. pkg. cream cheese, softened 1/2 cup butter, softened Salt and pepper to taste

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Peel and cut potatoes into chunks. Add potatoes, garlic and chicken bouillon cubes. Cook potatoes until tender but still firm, about 15 minutes. Drain, reserving a little of the cooking water. Mash potatoes with sour cream and cream cheese, adding reserved cooking water to reach desired consistency. Transfer to a 4 quart crockpot, cover, and cook on low for 2 to 3 hours. Just before serving, stir in butter and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Corned Beef & Cabbage Casserole 1 lb. cabbage 6 large potatoes 1 lb. carrots 1 large onion 1 can corned beef 1 can cream of mushroom soup 1 8-oz. pkg. shredded sharp Cheddar cheese

Peel potatoes and cut into 1- inch chunks. Place into the bottom of a lightly greased 3-quart casserole dish. Clean and peel carrots, then cut into 1-inch chunks. Place on top of potatoes. Peel and slice onion, then place half of the onions on top of carrots. Shred cabbage and layer on top of onion. Cover cabbage with corned beef, making sure to cover all cabbage. Whisk soup and pour over corned beef. Top with remaining onion. Cover dish with foil and bake at 375 degrees in a preheated oven. Cook until vegetables are tender (about 30 minutes). Remove from oven and sprinkle with cheese. Return to oven and bake just until cheese is melted and lightly browned.

Irish Brown Bread 2 ¼ C. whole wheat flour 2 ¼ C. all-purpose flour 1 ½ C. rolled oats 1 tsp. baking soda 1 tsp. salt 1 T. sugar 2 ½ C. buttermilk

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Combine all dry ingredients in a large bowl, mixing well. Make a well in the center of the mixture and pour in 1 ½ C of the buttermilk. Mix with hands, adding the remaining buttermilk as ingredients are combined. The dough will be very sticky. Dust hands with flour and shape the dough into a ball. Place on a lightly greased and floured cookie sheet. With a knife, cut a deep, wide X in the top of the ball. Bake the bread about 50 minutes or until golden brown. Transfer to a wire rack and let it cool for at least 10 minutes before slicing.