Make a Shamrock Shake at Home!

It’s that time of year that you see commercials for the McDonald’s Shamrock Shake, and there’s a good chance you’ve been in the drive-thru recently to get one for yourself. They’re tasty, refreshing, and only around for a short amount of time. Because of that, people flock to the fast food giant to slurp down the tasty shake every year.

The shake has been around since 1970, and has a rich history. Fox News states:

According to McDonald’s, the Philadelphia Eagle’s tight end Fred Hill was looking for a way to help his 3-year old daughter get treatment for leukemia in 1974. His vision: the Ronald McDonald’s House for children and families to have a "home away from home" treatment. Hill, with the support of McDonald’s founder Ray Kroc and local McDonald’s managers, worked up a Shamrock Shake promotion with profits going toward the cause; the first-ever Ronald’s McDonald’s House opened near the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia in 1974.

But what do we do when it’s the middle of the summer and there are no Shamrock Shakes to be found? That’s when we build one ourselves. It’s a lot easier than you’d think.

Start with your basic vanilla milkshake. Put vanilla ice cream and milk into a blender and your base is set. Next add some peppermint extract. Remember that you can always add, but you can’t take away, and the extract goes a long way. Lastly, add your food coloring and you’re ready to go. The proportions recommended by Fox News are:

2 cups vanilla ice cream

¾ cup milk

¾ teaspoon peppermint extract

Easy, right? Just remember to increase those amounts when you have others in the house, otherwise they’ll be stealing your minty treat.