I'm not Irish, I just play one on Saint Patrick's Day

There are hoards of pasty people descending on my city as we speak.  We are being invaded by the loud, red heads of the nation.  It's the only time of the year where neon green knee socks and freckles are in style.  The time I'm referring to is Saint Patrick's Day, and Boston my friend, takes this holiday very seriously.  Each year the bars in Faneuil Hall open up at 6AM with thousands of people already lined up around the block.  Also, there is an annual rumor that Boston runs out of Guinness   The ENTIRE city has no Guinness to speak of.  I have no idea if this rumor is true, but it sounds suspicious to me.  These days I don't venture out much on the high holy day.  Instead, I stay back in my neighborhood, quite immune to the Irish mafia, and marvel in how quiet the restaurants and bars are in my neck of the woods. I plead ignorance to bedlam that is happening only a few short miles away. 

This time of year also brings another tradition...one I have not taken part in until this morning, The Shamrock Shake.  Yes, I had a milkshake this morning.  And yes, my stomach is not happy with me.  I drove through the McDonalds in the rest area on Mass Pike and quietly asked for a shamrock shake.  "Hold on miss let me see if we are serving that" (silently mouthing 'Milkshake at 7AM? Really lady?').  I think some behind the scene coercing happened for them to make it but moments later I was served a neon lime ice cream cold concoction   First thought, this can't be food.  Nothing is that shade of green.  I took one sip and thought meh it's pretty good.  However, I don't know if I could finish the whole thing if I tried.  In fact half of it is sitting melting in my car as we speak.  I'm not the biggest fan of mint flavored ice cream, which is sacrilege in my family, with parents who swear by mint chocolate chip ice cream.  For all you shamrock shake believers, here is a recipe for you to have it all year long! (I would add some alcohol to it... perhaps some Bailey's but that's just me...) 

Enjoy your Saint Patty's Day weekend!  Remember this weekend we are all irish so break out that green and have a Guinness for me because they are totally going to run out in Boston AGAIN!          

Photo Credit- Boston Globe