Hearty recipes for celebrating from the comfort of home
(Family Features) While some St. Patrick’s Day celebrations call for green beer and large gatherings, you may instead opt for a cozy evening at home with comforting foods and close friends. Whether your shamrock spirit leads you out for a local parade or you’re more of a stay-at-home leprechaun, there is one tradition all can agree on: delicious Irish food.
If a quieter night cooking at home is up your alley, you’re in luck. You can put a meal worthy of gold on the table with these festive Irish favorites from “Cookin’ Savvy.”
A hearty home-cooked meal loaded with flavor and sure to fill you with cheer, Irish Beef and Beer Pot Pie is made piping hot to warm up any St. Patrick’s Day party. Full of hashbrowns, carrots, peas and beef, it’s a twist on tradition served with puff pastry topping the tasty stew. A cup of your favorite stout beer, of course, will come in handy for deglazing the skillet to ensure you enjoy every bit of beefy flavor.
Perfect for serving as a sweet complement to coffee or tea, or all on its own as a nightcap nibble, Irish Sweet Soda Bread comes together in a snap so you can let it bake while enjoying the main course. Offering an easy way to participate in the festivities, it might just become a household favorite to be savored year-round.
Make your home a St. Patrick’s Day haven with these hearty recipes then discover more celebratory meal ideas from “Cookin’ Savvy” by visiting Culinary.net.
Irish Beef and Beer Pot Pie
Recipe courtesy of “Cookin’ Savvy” Servings: 4-6
1 pound ground beef
1 cup stout beer
3 tablespoons flour
1 can (15 ounces) tomato puree
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 cup beef broth
1 bag (28 ounces) hashbrowns with peppers and onions
1 can (14 ounces) carrots, drained
1 can (14 ounces) peas, drained
salt, to taste
pepper, to taste
1 sheet puff pastry, thawed
1 egg
Heat oven to 400 F.
In large skillet or Dutch oven, brown ground beef; drain and set aside.
Over medium heat, deglaze skillet with beer and whisk in flour. After thickening, whisk in tomato puree and add Worcestershire sauce. Mix in ground beef, garlic powder and beef broth. Add hashbrowns, carrots and peas. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Simmer 20-25 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Place puff pastry sheet on cookie sheet. Beat egg and brush over pastry. Bake 10 minutes. Place hot puff pastry on top of beef mixture and serve.
Irish Sweet Soda Bread
Recipe courtesy of “Cookin’ Savvy” Servings: 4-6
4 tablespoons butter, melted
1 cup sugar
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
4 cups self-rising flour
1 cup currants
2 tablespoons sanding sugar (optional)
coffee or tea, for serving (optional)
Heat oven to 375 F.
Mix melted butter and sugar then add buttermilk. Mix in flour and currants.
Flour hands and counter. Add sanding sugar to dough, if desired, and knead into ball.
Grease small Dutch oven or pie plate and bake 40 minutes. Serve with coffee or tea, if desired, or as a dessert.
Substitutions: Raisins can be used in place of currants.
5 expert ways to make the most of seasonal gatherings
(Family Features) From summer holidays and pool parties to spontaneous backyard barbecues with friends and neighbors, the hottest season of the year brings people together. When it’s your turn to host, make the most of the occasion by setting up your space to maximize the fun while showing off your festive side.
“Summer is hands down my favorite time to host,” said Kristina Zias, lifestyle, beauty and fashion expert and mom. “I love any excuse to bring people together and – let’s be real – I’m always looking for a reason to throw a party. The key is keeping things low stress for the host and making sure guests feel comfortable the second they walk in.”
This season, Zias and Glade are teaming up to share some of her favorite summer entertaining tips, which are simple, low-effort ways to make every gathering feel special. Whether you’re planning a full-blown backyard bash or hosting a few friends for drinks, Zias’ go-to ideas are all about setting the mood and enjoying the moment.
1. Set the Scene Without the Stress
To achieve a beautiful scene and make cleanup a breeze, try using disposable plates, utensils, napkins and cups in red, white and blue. A self-serve drink station with strawberry-infused water and a table of colorful fruit skewers adds charm without requiring much prep.
2. Tap Into Nostalgia Through Scent
Scent can instantly transport guests back to cherished summer memories, making it a powerful way to set the tone and spark conversation. Zias suggests using home fragrances to do just that. The new Glade Americana collection, available exclusively in stores and online at Walmart, features three limited-edition scents inspired by nostalgic summer traditions like beach trips, ice pops and garden-fresh fruit. Masterfully crafted to help bring summer to every room of your home, they’re designed to evoke warm-weather traditions.
Berries & Cream: Scents of a classic American summer treat spring to life in a picnic-perfect blend of apple, red berries, apricot, vanilla and sweet cream.
Summer Pops: Reminisce on childhood memories of a cool ice pop on a warm summer day with bright notes of Brazilian orange, pineapple, strawberry, white peach and sandalwood.
Beach Life: Transport yourself to a favorite summer vacation spot by the ocean with a breezy mix of sea salt, driftwood, white moss and white peony.
“These seasonal scents can help you evoke nostalgic memories and bring that summer energy into any room of your home,” Zias said. “They make everything feel a little more special and, honestly, they just make me happy.”
3. Keep It Simple and Guest-Friendly
Part of summer’s appeal is its easygoing vibe, so there’s no need to overdo it with complicated snacks or overwhelming decor. Lean into the simplicity of the season with ready-to-serve bites that can please guests of all ages, like berries, sliced or cubed watermelon, meat and cheese trays, sliders or chips and light dips. A separate kids station with games and snacks can keep little ones entertained.
4. Create Comfortable Hangout Spots
The hot summer sun and cool indoor air means guests will likely filter in and out of the house, so help them feel welcome and comfortable wherever they may be. Consider flexible seating guests can move around on the patio or in the yard, like bag chairs or foldable lawn chairs. Complement your festive indoor drink station with beverage-filled coolers to keep guests refreshed and designate an area for essentials like sunscreen and bug spray.
5. Have a Backup Plan
The best-laid plans can go awry when summer storms pop up. Before inviting the entire town for a barbecue, make sure you have enough indoor space and seating in case of rain or extreme heat. For grilling plans, Zias recommends prepping an alternate cooking method to avoid last-minute stress. A little backup planning can help keep the good vibes going, rain or shine.
For more summer entertaining ideas, visit Glade.com.
Photo courtesy of Shutterstock (group of friends eating)
Photo courtesy of Glade (candles)
SOURCE:Glade
(Family Features) Some summertime dishes are just too good to be true. This Easy Pasta Salad is simple enough to become a favorite side and filling enough to serve as a light main course. Enjoy more warm weather recipes by visiting Culinary.net.
Cook pasta according to package instructions. Drain and place in large bowl. Add peas, carrots, ham, bacon pieces and cheese cubes.
In separate bowl, mix mayonnaise, sugar, pickle juice, vinegar and mustard. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Pour mixture over pasta and mix well.
Concerns that ingredients used by food manufacturers can contribute to chronic illness first emerged in the 1970s and 1980s, when research began linking processed food consumption to increasing rates of obesity, type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. The term “ultraprocessed food” dates back to the 1980s and was used to describe convenience foods and snacks that contained high amounts of additives and had low nutritional value.
As research on the health effects of ultraprocessed foods began to build, experts in public health and the food industry have debated the meaning of the term. Increasingly, researchers are settling on defining ultraprocessed foods based on a
framework called the Nova Food Classification System, created in 2009 by nutrition researchers in Brazil. The framework assigns foods to one of four groups based on the level of processing they undergo:
Group 1 – Unprocessed or minimally processed foods: This category includes raw fruits, vegetables and meats that may be cleaned, frozen or fermented but remain close to their natural state.
Group 2 – Processed culinary ingredients: Think salt, sugar, oils and other ingredients extracted from nature and used to cook and flavor foods.
Group 3 – Processed foods: Foods in this category are made by adding ingredients like salt or sugar to Group 1 items — for example, canned vegetables or cheese.
Group 4 – Ultraprocessed foods: These are mostly foods that contain ingredients not found in a typical kitchen, such as hydrogenated oils, modified starches, flavor enhancers, color additives and preservatives. Examples include chips, sodas, candy bars and many frozen meals, which are designed to be hyper-palatable and often nutrient-poor.
What does research say about ultraprocessed foods?
How does the MAHA report fit with current dietary guidelines?
The report echoes key themes of the 2020–2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, a document jointly published by the Departments of Agriculture and Health and Human Services every five years.
Both the MAHA report and the federal guidelines encourage the consumption of nutrient-dense, whole foods.
One critical difference between them is that the 2020-2025 dietary guidelines make no mention of ultraprocessed foods. Some public health experts have noted that this omission may reflect food industry influence.
What happens next?
Kennedy has stated that a follow-up report outlining a strategy and potential policy reforms for addressing childhood chronic illness will be released in mid-August 2025.
However, change is unlikely to be straightforward. Ultraprocessed foods represent a significant industry, and policies that challenge their prominence may encounter resistance from influential commercial interests. For decades, U.S. agricultural subsidies, food policy and consumers have supported the mass production and consumption of ultraprocessed foods. Reversing their overconsumption will require structural shifts in how food is produced, distributed and consumed in the U.S.Paul Dawson, Professor of Food Science, Clemson University
This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
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2. Tap Into Nostalgia Through Scent
Scent can instantly transport guests back to cherished summer memories, making it a powerful way to set the tone and spark conversation. Zias suggests using home fragrances to do just that. The new Glade Americana collection, available exclusively in stores and online at 
(Family Features) Some summertime dishes are just too good to be true. This Easy Pasta Salad is simple enough to become a favorite side and filling enough to serve as a light main course. Enjoy more warm weather recipes by visiting 
Paul Dawson, Professor of Food Science, Clemson University
This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
