In just 15 minutes, you can have these Green Slimsicles in the freezer. Then, get ready for a 45-calorie treat, bright green for St. Patrick’s Day, spring, and beyond. The recipe was inspired by Disney-Pixar’s Monsters, Inc.. But you don’t need to be a kid or a parent to enjoy these sweet, healthful ice pops.

Bananas and pineapple deliver sweetness, and fresh green spinach provides the bright color.

Thanks to Dole for the recipe, which used Dole fresh spinach, bananas, and pineapple
 
 
RECIPE: GREEN SLIMESICLES ICE POPS

If you don’t have ice pop molds, pour into paper cups. Insert wooden sticks after an hour or so of freezing.
 
Ingredients For 6 Pops

 
Preparation

1. PURÉE the ingredients in a blender or food processor until smooth.

2. POUR into 6 one-third-cup ice pop molds. Freeze for 4 to 6 hours or until firm.
 
 
FOOD TRIVIA: Why do we call these ice pops and not popsicles? Because Popsicle®, plus Creamsicle®, Fudgsicle®, and Yosicle®, are registered trademarks of the Unilever Group of Companies and can only be used to identify the frozen confection products of Unilever.
 
 
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[1] Green Slimesicles: healthy ice pops (photo and recipe © Dole).

[2] If you’re a mint fan, a few fresh mint leaves will add flavor pizzazz and a bit more green color (photo © Good Eggs).

[1] Mulled wine sorbet (photo © Hannah Kaminsky | Bittersweet Blog).

[2] Mulling wine: warming wine with spices and fruits (photo © Good Eggs).

[3] Mulling spices. Follow this recipe to make your own blend, for yourself and for gifting (photo © Take Two Tapas).

[4] Mulled wine is typically served in a mug (photo © Spice Islands).

[5] Instead of a mug, a stemmed glass adds some pizzazz (photo © Edward Howell | Unsplash).

March 3rd is National Mulled Wine Day. There are related holidays: National Hot Toddy Day is January 11th, National Hot Buttered Rum Day is January 17th, and National Hot Mulled Cider Day is September 30th. There is no National Glogg Day, but glogg is the Swedish word for mulled wine.

These drinks are almost identical. A hot toddy can be made from any whiskey; the other drinks are the same concept made with cider, rum, and wine. If you like one, you’ll like them all (although perhaps some might hold the pat of butter in the hot buttered rum).

We have mulled wine recipes below.

But for a twist, how about some mulled wine sorbet? The recipe is below. But first…

> The difference between glögg, hot buttered run, mulled wine, toddy, and more.

> The history of mulled wine.
 
 
WHAT DOES “MULLED” MEAN?

According to Harvard University, the origin of the word “mull” to mean heated and spiced is shrouded in mystery.

Mulling spices can include allspice, cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, peppercorns, and/or star anise. A “mulled” drink is one that has been prepared with these spices.

The same spices used for mulled cider and wine can be added to the brewing process to make spiced beer.

The custom of flavoring wine and beer with spices is believed to have originated in northern Europe to extend the use of wine that had gone bad. The spices covered up the off-taste and aromas.

The expression “cup of good cheer” comes to us from Merrie Olde England, referring to hot mulled cider and wine.

The technique is to heat the liquids with the spices and then strain them out before serving.

Fruits were often added to the brew or as a garnish, including apples, oranges, and dried fruits, including raisins. In some countries, almonds and raisins are placed in the bottom of the mug or glass before the hot wine is added.

> Mulled wine history.
 
 
RECIPE: MULLED WINE SORBET

If you don’t own an ice cream maker, you can prepare this recipe as a granita. See the variation after Step 6.
 
Ingredients

 
Preparation

1. COMBINE the red wine, cinnamon sticks, anise seed, cloves, nutmeg, water, and sugar in a large saucepan over medium heat.

2. SLICE the lemons and orange in half. Juice the fruit over the wine mixture and add the rinds to the saucepan.

3. SLICE the vanilla bean lengthwise. Remove the seeds from the bean and add both the seeds and bean to the wine mixture. Bring the mixture to a boil and cook for about 10 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat and let cool.

4. POUR the mixture into a fine-mesh sieve lined with cheesecloth and hung over a large bowl. Discard the solids and cheesecloth and let the liquid cool to room temperature. Refrigerate it for a minimum of 12 hours.

5. PROCESS the mixture in your ice cream maker, according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

6. SERVE immediately; or freeze as desired. If you want to serve the sorbet that day but want a thicker consistency, place the sorbet in the freezer until the desired consistency is reached.
 
 
Variation: Granita

After Step 4, place the mixture in a large glass baking dish (not metal). Place it on a level surface in the freezer.

Using a fork, stir the mixture often during the freezing process to ensure that large ice crystals do not form. The more frozen the sorbet becomes, the less stirring it will require.
 
 
MULLED WINE RECIPES

We have plenty of St. Patrick’s Day recipes, but here’s a new one to start your day: Green Pesto Cream Cheese & Bagels. Yes, some places will be selling plain green bagels for St. Patrick’s Day. But if want your favorite bagel topping—poppyseed, sesame, everything, whatever—it couldn’t be simpler to make a St. Pat’s bagel at home.

Just combine a jar of pesto with cream cheese (photo #1)!

You can also use the recipe as a spread with crackers, or make it less thick for a dip, by adding plain Greek yogurt.

If you want an easier way to create a St. Patrick’s Day bagel, just snip chives or green scallion tops on plain cream cheese or olive cream cheese (photo #1, photo #3).

Feel free to use low-fat cream cheese. The recipes also work with Greek yogurt.

And of course, make pesto cream cheese anytime you need something green.

> The history of bagels.

> The history of cream cheese.

> St. Patrick’s Day recipes for breakfast, lunch, dinner, drinks, snacks, and dessert.
 
 
RECIPE #1: GREEN PESTO CREAM CHEESE SPREAD

This recipe, from Colavita, also includes recipes for other occasions: a sundried tomato bagel spread and an artichoke spread.

Ingredients

 
Preparation

1. COMBINE the pesto sauce and cream cheese in a food processor or blender until smooth. Use immediately, serving with the chopped chives. Or refrigerate for later.

2. IF REFRIGERATED, allow softening on the counter for 5+ minutes before serving. Scatter with chives and serve.
 
 
RECIPE #2: SUNDRIED TOMATO CREAM CHEESE SPREAD

See top left corner of photo #1.

Ingredients

 
Preparation

1. COMBINE the sundried tomatoes and cream cheese in a food processor or blender until smooth. Use immediately or refrigerate.

2. IF REFRIGERATED, allow softening on the counter for 5+ minutes before serving.
 
 
RECIPE #3: ARTICHOKE CREAM CHEESE SPREAD

Ingredients

 
Preparation

1. COMBINE the artichokes and cream cheese in a food processor or blender until smooth. Use immediately or refrigerate.

2. IF REFRIGERATED, allow softening on the counter for 5+ minutes before serving.

[1] Make pesto cream cheese for St. Patrick’s Day bagels (photo © Colavita Recipes).

[2] It couldn’t be easier: Just mix a jar of pesto with cream cheese (photo © The Merchant’s Feast | Shopify [now closed]).

[3] The easiest bagel for St. Pat’s: Top plain cream cheese with finely-cut chives or scallion tops (photo © Karolina Grabowska | Pexels).

[1] Adagio’s limited-edition Irish Stout tea (all photos © Adagio Teas).

[2] Drink it hot or iced, black, with milk and sugar…and perhaps some whipped cream!

[3] Paper infuser bags for loose tea. Get them here.

The Irish now drink more tea per capita than any other nation in the world—between six and seven cups a day, says the Irish Times. That’s an estimated seven pounds of dry leaves tea leaves each year.

You may consider waking up on St. Patrick’s Day to a cup of Irish Breakfast tea. Or, celebrate the day with something even more special: Adagio’s limited-edition Irish Stout tea.

Irish Stout tea isn’t particularly a breakfast tea* like the well-known Irish breakfast.

Rather, it can be drunk at any time of the day, hot or iced. And the chocolate and mint notes make it a contender for hot or cold dessert coffee, with a crown of whipped cream.

We found it to have subtle notes of chocolate and mint and it was no surprise when we looked at the ingredients: Assam Melody, Ceylon Sonata, Chicory, Cocoa Nibs, Natural Chocolate Flavor, Natural Creme Flavor, and sprinkles (the little shamrocks in the photo).
 
 
< GET YOUR IRISH STOUT TEA HERE.
 
 
More Irish Breakfast Teas: Irish breakfast is such a popular blend, that Adagio has dozens of flavored versions, including Caramel Irish Breakfast Tea, Citrus Irish Breakfast Tea, Irish Breakfast Chocolate Chai, and Irish Cream Breakfast Tea,
 
 
HOW TO BREW LOOSE TEA

If you don’t have an infuser spoon or infuser basket for loose tea leaves, you can use a spice ball.

Or, purchase paper tea filter bags to brew the loose leaves.

Whether loose tea or a teabag, here’s how to brew your cup of tea.

*Irish breakfast tea is a hearty blend of black teas, most often a combination of strong, malty Assam tea and the softer Ceylon tea (with more weight to Assam). All breakfast teas are commonly served with milk, but may also be consumed black, or with sugar or honey. Breakfast teas, always hearty black tea blends, are intended as part of a hearty morning meal.

– Irish breakfast tea has a robust taste, and is reddish in color from the Assam, which also contributes higher caffeine levels.

– English breakfast tea, full-bodied and rich, was originally a China black tea but now often includes a strong Ceylon element. It can also include teas from Assam, Africa, and/or Indonesia.

–Scottish breakfast tea is typically the strongest of the three. It may include teas from China, Assam, Ceylon, Africa, and/or Indonesia.

It’s important to note that there never has been a standard formula for any of these blends. Each tea seller makes its own blend [source].

While the Cheddar producer calls these Grilled Cheese Pancakes, they aren’t “grilled cheese.” Rather, they are two conventional pancakes cooked (“grilled”) in a pan with a layer of melted, grated cheese between them.

You can substitute any grating cheese that you like, including pepper jack or a chile-infused Cheddar.

And you can enjoy them for breakfast, brunch, lunch, even dinner.

> The history of pancakes.

> The different types of pancakes. How many have you had?

> More savory pancake recipes.

> Make pancakes with your ice cream scoop.

RECIPE: GRILLED CHEESE PANCAKE STACK

Ingredients For 3 Servings, 2 Pancakes Each

• 3/4 cup + 1 tablespoon (200g) all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
• 1 cup (250ml) whole milk
• 1 large egg
• 3 tablespoons melted butter, plus more for the pan, cooled slightly
• Grated cheddar
• Garnish: chorizo, diced

Preparation

1. COMBINE the flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar in a large bowl.

2. WHISK together in a medium bowl the milk, egg, and melted butter. Fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until well combined.

3. FRY the chorizo or bacon. Cover to keep warm and set aside.

4. MELT in a large pan over medium heat, 1/2 tablespoon butter. Pour 2 scoops of batter into the pan to make 2 pancakes. When bubbles appear (around 3-4 minutes)…

5. FLIP one pancake, top with the cheese mix. Flip the other pancake until cooked and then top the other. Repeat until the mix is used.

6. TOP each pancake duo with chorizo or bacon and serve.

*National Pancake Day is celebrated on multiple dates. The same holiday can be declared by different governments (federal, state, city) or by other authorities, e.g. a trade association or a marketing group. You can currently find citations for the second Tuesday in February. February 21st, February 28th, and September 26th. The original date seems to have been Shrove Tuesday, also known as Pancake Tuesday or Pancake Day in the U.K. Shrove Tuesday is the day before Ash Wednesday, observed in many Christian countries. Tradition indicates that celebrants eat pancakes and sweets before the beginning of Lent.

[3] Artisan chorizo (photo © Lola & Miguel).