Now that we have an extra hour of sunlight, I'm more than ready for spring. To get into the spirit of the season, I'm looking forward to making green milkshakes in honor of St. Patrick's Day. Any excuse for ice cream, right?

I had heard about McDonald's Shamrock shakes but I had no idea it had such a cult following. Being a proud do-it-yourself kind of gal, I have concocted my own version at home. Kellan can barely contain himself when I take out the blender. It usually means smoothies or milk shakes and that's very good reason to get excited!

I personally like using Haagen Daz mint ice cream and 2% milk for my homemade shakes. The ice cream isn't green, but it's easily fixed with a couple of drops of food dye. Another twist on the Shamrock shake is to use pistachio gelato. It is really tasty with little bits of shaved chocolate on top.

If you really want something closer to the original, you can blend your favorite vanilla ice cream, milk, green food coloring, and mint extract. It's a fun activity with your kids and the results are delicious.  Be sure to check out this delicious Lucky Smoothie recipe as well.