Sweet & Sneaky St. Patrick's Day

St. Patrick's Day is notorious for anything green, including food and drink. It's also a day when (most) of us tend to overindulge and eat things that may not be the healthiest for us in the long run. It happens to the best of us sometimes. BUT what if there was an easy way to celebrate with green with an easy recipe that actually contains some hidden healthy greens too?

I received a drink recipe from Gimbals Fine Candies - it's easy, it's simple and it's definitely green. Since St. Patrick's Day is on a Friday, I foresee this being a great way to invite the new new neighbors over to enjoy the day together. Best of all, this drink recipe can be made for adults and children with a simple ingredient substitute. Be sure and see my "green" tip further along in the post.

St. Patrick's Day Spritzer (for adults)
1 Bottle of champagne, chilled
1 Bottle/can of pineapple juice
Green food dye*
Variety of green Gimbal's Gourmet Jelly Beans

photo courtesy of
Gimbal's Fine Candies

1. Pour champagne into a glass
2. Add a splash of pineapple juice as desired
3. Add 1-2 drops of green food dye
4. Stir lightly
5. Add your choice of green Gimbal's Gourmet Jelly Beans for a bit of sweetness

St. Patrick's Day Spritzer (for kids)
1 (2 liter) bottle of Sprite or lemon lime soda chilled**
1 Bottle/can of pineapple juice
Green food dye*
Variety of green Gimbal's Gourmet Jelly Beans for a bit of sweetness

1. First combine 6 oz. lemon lime soda & 2 oz. pineapple juice into a glass
2. Add 1-2 drops of green food dye
3. Stir lightly
4. Add your choice of green Gimbal's Gourmet Jelly Beans for a pop of color

* Prefer to use a truly green coloring? Make your own and become a mean, green health machine! Simply boil 1/4 cup spinach with 4 cups of water, then simmer & strain. Use the liquid to color.

** Need a soda-free substitute? Zevia offers a lemon lime variety without the added sugar or sweeteners. As always, check all labels to ensure your specific allergy needs are safe.

Keep Your Spritzer Fresh & Cool
I decided to add my own little twist to the recipe as well. Make additional amounts of the recipe and freeze them into ice cubes the night before. This is an easy way to keep your spritzer cold without getting watered down. It's also a fun idea for kids that don't usually like a lot of juice drinks. They can still get the flavors and fun by enjoying the spritzer cubes just as they are or adding some into their own beverage of choice. AND a way to get those picky eaters to have their veggies and not even realize it.

St. Patrick's Day Game
Why make simple ice cubes? Freeze some of them with some Gimbal's Gourmet Jelly Beans and some without then wait to see who gets the surprise. Although this is generally kid-friendly, I do believe there are many adults that would gladly partake in this game as well.

Rethink your foods and how to use them. Have fun with your foods. Share your foods (safely) but always make sure you don't let your foods control your life.

Food allergies do not limit our foods, just our knowledge on how to use them~

Happy St. Patrick's Day
How will YOU use your foods?

Have you seen what else can you do with Gimbals Fine Candies?