chometssylvain: Host a St. Patrick's Day Party in Your Apartment

Chocolate Stout cupcakes with Bailey?s Irish Cream frosting. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

St. Patrick?s Day is the perfect day for a party. The food, the drinks, and the first hint of spring in the air puts everyone in a good mood. If you?ve decided to host a get-together in your apartment for St. Patrick?s Day this year, get ready to have a great time (without a lot of effort!).

After you send out your invites, start planning the menu. Start off with some veggies and this Irish Cheddar and Stout Fondue. A great fondue is not only a fun way to eat but it also provides the ideal gathering spot for guests. Consider making Irish Stew, Corned Beef and Cabbage, or Shepherd?s Pie for the main course. You?ll want a nice soda bread to go along with your meal, and consider wrapping things up with these Chocolate Stout Cupcakes.

Next, plan the space. If your apartment is small, you might want to rearrange furniture so that you have a large, open space for people to gather. If you need more table space, consider using a card table, a folding table, TV trays, or even a door placed between two short bookcases, chairs, or end tables to form a long ?table.? Place unnecessary furniture in another room so it will be out of the way, and be sure to remove clutter from surfaces so your guests will have plenty of space to set down plates of food or drinks. You?ll want places for people to sit, but arrange chairs in small groups around the room to encourage your guests to mingle.

Decorating for a St. Pat?s Day party is easy ? just think green: green streamers, green balloons, shamrocks, and gold foil-wrapped chocolate coins are all inexpensive ways to dress up your space. Find pictures of Ireland (or leprechauns or shamrocks) on the computer, enlarge them, and print them out to set (or hang) around your apartment. Find a rock to be your blarney stone and set it in a prominent location.

Next, plan your drinks. Guinness, of course, is the St. Patrick?s Day drink du jour, but you can also consider adding some mixed drinks, some Irish coffee, or serve a non-alcoholic green punch ? just mix together ginger ale, lime sherbet, frozen lemon, and frozen lime juice in a large punch bowl. Add a drop or two of green food coloring to make the color a little more vibrant (if you want), and be sure to buy extra of everything ? this punch goes fast and you will probably have to make at least one more batch. If you want to serve green beer, add a few drops of food coloring to each ?pint? before serving.

Finally, plan your entertainment. Your playlist could include some of these Irish tunes. Challenge guests to an Irish step dancing contest and award prizes to the best dancers. Hide some ?gold? (gold-wrapped chocolate coins) and drop hints throughout the evening as to the location. The guest who finds the gold gets to keep it. Have a limerick-writing contest, or hold a ?green? contest ? with the prize going to the guest who shows up at your party dressed in the most creative ?green? outfit. If you?d rather take the party outside, plan a pub crawl after dinner if there are pubs within walking distance from your apartment.

No matter what your plans are for St. Patrick?s Day, stay safe. Make sure your guests have a designated driver if there will be alcohol at your party. Also, be sure to tell guests where they are allowed to park since many apartment communities have designated areas for non-residents. Keep your party fun, but be considerate of the residents who live around you.

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