Okay, I admit it.
I fix corned beef once a year. Have for the, oh, say, 25, give or take a couple. It’s a tradition; one my husband won’t let me forget. Brisket, potatoes, carrots, onion, and, of course, cabbage.
Corned Beef & Cabbage recipe
5 pounds corned brisket of beef
6 peppercorns, or packaged pickling spices
3 carrots, peeled and quartered
3 onions, peeled and quartered
1 medium-sized green cabbage, quartered or cut in wedges Melted butter (about 4 tablespoons)
Place the corned beef in water to cover with the peppercorns or mixed pickling spices (in supermarkets, these often come packaged with the corned beef). Cover the pot or kettle, bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer 5 hours or until tender, skimming occasionally. During the last hour, add the carrots and onions and cover again. During the last 15 minutes, add the cabbage. Transfer meat and vegetables to a platter and brush the vegetables with the melted butter. Serve with boiled parsley potatoes, cooked separately. (The stock can be saved to add to a pot roast or stew instead of other liquid.)
Every year I swear I’m not going to over-do. Just a few potatoes, not two dozen. Three carrots, like the recipe says instead of a Bugs Bunny theme park-full. A SMALL cabbage; not one that feeds sixty of your closest friends. No problem over-doing the size of the brisket. One of our favorite sandwiches is the Reuben! (Darn! I forget to get sauerkraut!)
Here’s what mine will look like, once it’s cooked! I swear, it will! (YUM!) 
What’s your tradition for St. Patrick’s Day? Guinness? A parade? Irish Dancing? Hunting for leprechauns or four-leaf clovers?
Me, I’m gonna stick to the corned beef. Just have to pick up some sauerkraut.
And rye bread! Darn! I forgot the rye bread. Gotta go.
Mary Cunningham, Author 