Great ideas. Some do drink during the social hour. I will look up how to make the green jell-o shots. The Irish Potato Candy looks great also. Green beer sound good. All the ideas are good. Thanks. One game we are going to use was one we did at my women's club Christmas party. Need two people..blindfold one and have them stand behind their partner who has their back to them. Give the blindfolded person a bowl of ice cream and a spoon. They have to feed the person in front of the all the ice cream....either reach around them or over their shoulders. It was lots of fun.

Thank you! The cookies are really good, soft and dense, with a very mild taste, and not too sweet, since I decreased the sugar. Something I noticed about the cooked buttercream icing is that it can be made ahead, refrigerated, then softened in the MW. After it softens, it can be whipped again to a smooth consistency, and a little milk added to thin it for piping. I've also used lime juice to thin it. As I mentioned, I used some left-over icing that had been refrigerated for a few days. Once the softened icing was colored, thinned, and piped on, it eventually became firm (I put the tray in the fridge for a short time), but not crunchy or gritty like royal icing, nor cloyingly sweet like powdered sugar buttercream. I couldn't stack the cookies, but the piped icing held it's shape, and covering with plastic wrap did not affect the designs. After a couple of days, the icing has stayed very smooth textured, although the colors have intensified slightly--it kind of has the consistency of a firm gel--maybe because it's made with a pudding base. I would imagine a thin layer could be spread on the cooky, allowed to become firm, then designs could be piped on top. Freshly made, it's delicious, light, and creamy--I can eat it by the spoonful, and I've decided I'm never again making powdered sugar buttercream, or royal icing. The following link has the recipe, and if you enjoy frosting cakes and cookies, read on about the author's testing of the different methods of making buttercream. Cooked Buttercream, and the Battle of the Buttercreams. Kids taste-testing different kinds of buttercreams--hilarious!

No corned beef here. No kitchen. However, I’ve so enjoyed looking (and drooling) over everyone’s photos! My goodness Annie, you really cooked! It all looks delicious – is that corned beef in your scalloped potatoes I see? If so, you are ‘so extra’! I love the back and forth you have with the Princess : ) Seagrass… corned beef hash with poached eggs? Can it get better than that? Nope : ) Dcarch, I have to repeat myself with you all the time! Unbelievably beautiful plating, but even better… that looks incredibly tasty! I have to ask as cindy_7 did: Are those broccoli florets, nipped? Love the way you prepared the carrots and cabbage, sliced thickly. Clever to fry the corned beef fat : ) Martha, yummy looking and your Guiness Brown Bread is beautiful! Artemis ma, I’ve never made Irish colcannon but I want to now! I know DH would love that… so would I : )

My favorite scone recipe from Bon Appetit Cranberry-Orange Scones 3 c. flour 1/3 c. sugar 2 1/2 tsp baking powder 1 tsp salt 1/2 tsp baking soda 1 Tbs grated orange peel 3/4 c. unsalted butter cut in 1/2" pieces 1 c. chilled buttermilk Preheat oven to 400°F. Line baking sheet with parchment paper. Sift flour, sugar, powder, soda and salt into large bowl. Mix in in orange peel. Add butter and rub in with fingertips until mix resembles coarse meal. Stir in dried cranberries. Gradually add buttermilk tossing with fork until moist clumps form. Turn dough out onto lightly floured surface. Knead briefly to bind the dough ... about 4 turns. Form into 1" thick round and cut into 8* wedges. Transfer wedges onto baking sheet spacing 2" apart. Bake until tops of scones are golden brown about 25 min. Let stand on baking sheet for 10 min. Serve warm or at room temp. ------------------- *I usually cut into 16 wedges as I like them smaller....8 will make giant scones.