Shamrock-ish Shake

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I'm not above taking my kids to the Happy Meal Place now and again, or indulging them in a Shamrock Shake. I am, however, above taking them for a lot of Shamrock Shakes. We whipped up this homemade version using fresh mint for natural flavoring. We even threw in a bunch of spinach, knowing full well that a dose of leafy greens doesn't magically make this healthy. It does, however, help us feel a little better about it.

You can forgo the spinach, if you wish, but it's a fun way to play with veggies. For the record, I don't advocate hiding healthy stuff in kids' food, though I understand and appreciate why some parents do it. If your kid is open to experimentation, let her toss the leaves into the blender and taste the results. My older son, for example, hates spinach, but he loves making Brainy Brownies precisely because of the spinach and blueberry puree -- he thinks it's neat those ingredients can disappear so completely.

Shamrock-ish Shake

Feel free to green this up with a bit of food coloring. If you're short on time, skip the steeping part -- but add more mint leaves to the blender.

2 cups low-fat milk, or 1 1/2 cups milk and 1/2 cup half-and-half
1 bunch fresh mint, divided
2-3 cups vanilla ice cream
1 generous handful of baby spinach

Warm milk (and half-and-half, if using) in a saucepan over medium heat, stirring, until mixture begins to steam. Remove from heat, stir in half of mint, and let steep in refrigerator at least two hours or up to overnight.

Pour milk-and-mint mixture through a fine-meshed strainer into a blender. Add 2 cups ice cream, spinach, and a handful of mint leaves and blend to combine. Add more ice cream if mixture is too thin. Taste and add more mint if desired. Makes 2 to 3 drinks.