For St. Patrick's Day, I always throw a big party. It's a fun way to celebrate the day and also have a lot of fun. I always have a variety of dishes and drinks to please a crowd. Here are a few of the St. Patrick's Day recipes I make to celebrate the fun and festive day.

I always make an authentic Irish Soda bread to bring some authenticity to the celebration. It's a delicious bread that everyone loves. What's a meal without bread anyway?

Here's the authentic Irish Soda Bread Recipe.

Ingredients:

3 1/4 c. flour
1/3 cup plus 1 Tbsp. sugar, divided
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1 stick of cold butter
1 1/3 cups buttermilk
1/2 cup raisins

Instructions:

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Mix the flour, 1/3c. sugar, baking power, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl. Cut in the butter until it looks like coarse crumbs. Add the buttermilk and raisins and mix until just moistened.

Put the dough on a floured surface and knead 10 times. Shape the dough into a round loaf about 2 ½ inches thick. Place onto a greased baking sheet. Cut deep ½ inch "X"'s on the top of the dough. Sprinkle with the remaining sugar.

Bake for 1 hour or until it is golden brown. Make sure to cool completely on a wire rack. Cut into 16 wedges to serve.

Here is one "adult" drink recipe that I make every St. Patrick's Day for my party. This is one of my friends and family's favorite drinks, and it's very simple to make. It's easy to make and very delicious. It's alcoholic, so make sure children don't have access to it!

We call this the "Irish Kiss".

Ingredients:

3 oz Irish Whiskey
2 oz peach schnapps
4 oz orange juice
10 oz ginger ale

To make:

Add ingredients to a rocks glass filled with ice. If you like, add a lime for garnish.

I always am sure to make a kid-friendly drink recipe so that the children can participate in St. Patrick's Day along with the adults and not feel left out. This is a great recipe that I use for both the adults and children. Best of all, it's so easy to make with only two ingredients!

This is my St. Patty's Day Punch.

Ingredients:

1/2 gallon green sherbet

1 liter of 7-Up
1 liter of Sprite

To make:

Make sure to let the sherbet sit in the refrigerator for at least 1-2 hours before making this drink. Once it's softened, mix the sherbet, Sprite, and 7-up in a punch bowl with a hand mixer on low-medium speed until the mix is well blended. Make sure to serve right away or store in the refrigerator.

Besides the bread and the drinks, I also serve an Irish Stew (the Irish Bread goes great with this)! This is a delicious and wonderful Irish dish that everyone always loves and looks forward to.

Ingredients:

2 lbs. boneless lamb shoulder, cut into thick cubes

4 medium potatoes, sliced thick

2 medium onions, sliced thick

2 stalks celery, sliced into bite-sized pieces
4 medium carrots, sliced into bite-sized pieces
1 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. black pepper

1/2 tsp. Thyme

1 cup water

2 tbsp. chopped fresh parsley

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. In a large Dutch oven or covered casserole, layer the ingredients in the following order: lamb cubes, sliced potatoes, sliced onions, sliced celery, sliced carrots, sprinkling each layer with salt, pepper and thyme.

Add the water to the pot, cover, and slowly bring to a boil over medium-low heat.

Let simmer for 5 minutes, then transfer the pot to the oven and bake, without lifting the lid or stirring, for 2 to 2-1/2 hours or until the lamb is tender.

Sprinkle with chopped parsley, stir very gently to mix (the potatoes will be very soft) and serve hot.

Whatever you make for St. Patrick's Day, make it authentic and make it fun! It's always great when your party is remembered for the delicious food, the fun and the great St. Patrick's Day theme!

These were just a few of the great St. Patrick's Day recipes that I make every year.