Mini Shepherd’s Pies and Shamrock Ice Cream Tartlets

When March 17 comes around each year, we think of leprechauns, four-leaf clovers and green beer. As kids, it was all about spotting people who weren’t wearing green and giving them a pinch. I remember my own kids watching “The Luck of the Irish” movie a hundred times. In reality, Americans created most of what we associate with St. Patrick’s Day – Green beer, Shamrock Shakes and even corned beef and cabbage. As the saying goes, everybody's Irish on St. Paddy’s Day! I have a special affinity for green, having lived in the Seattle area, which has used "The Emerald City" as its official nickname since 1982; and born and raised in Eugene, Oregon, which is also referred to as the Emerald City. As such (and not a fan of corned beef) I couldn’t let the day pass without sharing recipes for Shepherd’s Pie and a mint chip ice cream dessert.