This March is one of those months where we are lucky enough to have TWO holidays – St. Patrick’s Day and Easter! That’s something to celebrate in itself.

Now that we’ve got St. Patrick’s Day covered, it’s time to focus on what we’re going to do for Easter.

And by “do” I mean what meal are we going to serve? (See how everything comes back to food for me?)

Easter dinner is meant to be a very special, elegant meal. So how about considering a rack of lamb? One thing I love about this meal is the beauty of the presentation. It’s absolutely gorgeous!

When guests sit down to this meal, they know they are in for something incredible.

We’ve got to plan out all the dishes that will go with the lamb so that we can get maximum enjoyment out of this beautiful dinner.

So what are some rack of lamb accompaniments to go along with this extraordinary Easter meal?

I love to serve delicious green beans with lamb. They’re light and complement the lamb perfectly without taking away from the main course. Mushrooms are a nice side to add to this lamb to bring out the earthy flavor of the meat. So a natural fit for this meal is a side of gourmet mashed potatoes with Porcini mushrooms.

Okay, my mouth is watering. But I’m not done…

Wine pairing is a wonderful way to enhance the flavor of your rack of lamb. Try a Chateau Rocher Corbin Montagne Saint-Emilion – a Merlot-based red. It’s designed to bring out the lamb’s natural flavor.

Or, serve a Meyer Family Cellars Syrah, Yorkville Highlands. This wine is delicious and earthy. Perfect.

There are so many ways to make your rack of lamb Easter dinner special. Explore them all and have an extraordinary Easter – starting with your meal!

Seems like there’s always a holiday coming up! Maybe because there’s at least one almost every month throughout the year.

And I love that. It’s a chance to celebrate and take a break from our everyday lives. What a blessing. So how do we take advantage of these special times? We can’t just let them pass without stopping and slowing down and ENJOYING. We all deserve that.

And food, to me, is what makes the holidays extra special – no matter WHAT holiday it is!

It’s Mid-March now, so that means St. Patrick’s Day is coming up. Luck o’ the Irish, everything green and lots of merriment. I can’t wait!

We all celebrate differently. Some people like to go very authentic – taking part in some very Irish traditions and customs. And that’s wonderful. I take a more casual approach to this holiday.

Many times, I like to cook up an amazing steak meal for a holiday – any holiday. But St. Patrick’s Day seems to call for a steakburger fiesta instead! Patties for Paddy’s, I say!

Want to do the same? Here are some great burger recipes to try for your St. Patrick’s Day celebration – no matter how you’re celebrating.

Start with this Alas Burger Marinade. It’s so tasty and full of fantastic flavor! It’ll make your burgers really pop. Don’t forget to add pickles and/or lettuce for a touch of green!

Then, there’s these fun Inside Out Burgers. With bleu cheese crumbles and delicious bacon, it’s a flavor sensation. You’ll cut those patties in half horizontally, and add the ingredients to two levels. Yum!

Finally, serve a Kobe Patty Melt using American Wagyu Kobe beef, rye bread and lots of deliciousness in between. They’ll love it!

So, let’s get started on planning our Patties for Paddy’s adventures. St. Patrick’s Day is coming up soon! Enjoy!

Mid-March is a busy time. If you have kids, spring break is around this time. School and spring activities are in full swing. Maybe work is really challenging right now.

Spring brings a lot of schedule adjustments in my house. And that can be stressful to me – and lots of people around me.

Because of that, I hate to mention one other calendar item, but a springtime holiday is coming up fast. You know the one.

Time to start planning Easter dinner.

What, you say? It’s way too early!

Never.

These things have a way of sneaking up on us and then we have to scramble. Trust me, I have a lot of experience with the scrambling. And holidays are not a time you want to scramble.

So, order your spiral ham now. And, if necessary, learn how to cook a spiral ham now. It’s pretty simple. But you don’t want to test the waters on Easter Sunday. Make sure you have all your ducks in a row beforehand.

See how that extra time might come in handy?

So now that we’ve all accepted that it’s coming up sooner than we think, let’s start to think about what’s on your Easter ham menu.

For your viewing pleasure, here’s a look at mine (I’m in love with it):

• Hickory Smoked Spiral Sliced Ham
• Cheddar Bacon Twice Baked Potatoes
• Carrots with Maple Glaze
• Green Beans in Mushroom Cream Sauce
• Carrot Cake

Doesn’t that sound divine?

I am drooling just thinking about this menu. And shouldn’t we aim to make holiday meals extra special? I mean, what other occasions deserve such loving attention to detail?

Planning ahead now will eliminate the stress that weekend. And then, you can just enjoy that time eating a beautiful meal and enjoying the people around you.

Now that’s a winner dinner!