St. Patrick's Day is coming up, and for many that means it's time to cook that quintessential Irish-American dish: corned beef and cabbage. Corned beef—usually a tough cut of meat like brisket or round—requires long, slow, cooking over relatively low heat to make it tender, so it's the perfect candidate for preparing in your slow cooker.

Start your corned beef in the slow cooker early in the day; there's a minimal amount of preparation involved. Some recipes call for adding most of the vegetables at the same time, but we think they turn out a bit overcooked. Instead, add them to the pot during the last two hours of cooking.

With the proliferation of vegetables cooked with the meat, there's something here for everyone in the family. Serve your corned beef accompanied by grainy Dijon mustard, horseradish sauce*, and a gravy** made from the cooking liquid. Also, when it comes to corned beef, bigger is better. Much of the weight of the meat is water, and it shrinks in size during cooking, so budget about one pound of meat per diner for a generous serving and leftovers (think corned beef sandwiches… mmm…). This recipe serves about 4 people, depending on how hungry everybody is.

One Potato, Two Potato by Cynthia DeFelice, illustrated by Andrea U'Ren (32 pages; Farrar, Straus and Giroux; 2006) isn't strictly a book about St. Patrick's Day, but it has enough Irish charm, humor, and magic to make it a fitting choice to read on and around the holiday.

This retelling of the old "magic pot" story centers on Mr. and Mrs. O'Grady, an unbelievably scrawny (they're so skinny they can sit side-by-side in their one chair) old Irish farm couple who are dirt poor but very happy with the little they have. When Mr. O'Grady digs up a large old pot in his potato field and drops their last potato in it, he finds that the pot doubles whatever is placed into it.

The O'Gradys exploit this magical discovery, but what do they do when Mrs. O'Grady falls in and two Mrs. O'Gradys come out?

One Potato, Two Potato is a delight, from its simple funny text that begs to be read aloud to U'Ren's evocative and humorous illustrations. It's a tale with themes of magic, generosity, contentment, and above all, love. My kids just love this book—I can't even begin to think how many times they've brought this home from the library.

With St. Patrick's Day coming up, my kids have been asking for Irish food for dinner. Since corned beef and cabbage is not exactly something you throw together after school, I've been making other appropriate dishes like this rib-sticking, easy-to-make, and kid-friendly shepherd's pie. It's essentially a beef-and-vegetable stew topped with mashed potatoes and baked in the oven until golden brown. I topped this version with a little grated Irish white cheddar cheese for a bit more authenticity.

This pub-grub favorite is more correctly known as "cottage pie", since it's made with ground beef instead of leftover roast lamb, but it's delicious regardless of what it's called. I always try to bulk up the stew part with extra vegetables to make it a one-dish meal. My kids love this and even my picky-eater daughter asks for a second helping. Feel free to substitute healthier ground turkey or leftover roast beef or lamb for the ground beef.

This recipe serves 6 to 8, so we usually get two dinners out of it, reheating the leftovers on a weeknight. It actually tastes better after sitting in the refrigerator for a day or two!

Last weekend, we visited one of our favorite outdoors spots in the Bay Area, Jack London State Historic Park. Located in the small Sonoma Valley town of Glen Ellen, it's about a 45-minute drive north from Marin.

The park is made up of land that was at one time the Beauty Ranch owned by renowned writer, social reformer, and rabble-rouser Jack London (1876–1916), author of classic adventure tales like The Sea Wolf, The Call of the Wild, and White Fang. This is always a destination for us in later winter and early spring—the wild mustard and other wildflowers are in bloom, the weather is cool and clear, and it's breathtakingly beautiful.

Nestled at the foot of Sonoma Mountain, Jack London State Historic Park is full of stunning scenery, historic buildings, and short easy hikes that are perfect for families. There are also longer treks available for those who don't have kids in tow.

It's almost as fun for kids to make their own snacks as it is for them to eat them! This pretzel recipe—adapted from one that my daughter brought home from school—is easy and perfect for small children to help with, and the results are pretty tasty, too. It's a great activity for rainy days and playgroups, too. Why not bake up a batch to eat during the big game this weekend?

They won't look like the dark brown store-bought pretzels, though; that color is achieved by dipping the unbaked pretzels in a lye solution, which is way too dangerous for kids—and adults, for that matter. Here we brush the tops with an egg wash, but if that's a problem you could use milk or even a little olive oil.

To make the pretzels you'll need:

Kids get a hands-on experience with a variety of animals with the Marin Humane Society's 2013 Animal Care Summer Camps. These popular camps teach children important skills in animal handling, care, and welfare.

Children from grades 1 through 6 can attend Junior Animal Camp, Animal Care Camp, and Senior Animal Care Camp, where activities include animal-centered arts and crafts, games and activities, an introduction to careers involving animals, and the MHS's Animal Ambassadors. Older children in grades 7 through 12 can attend Advanced Animal Care Camp where teens will experience the daily work at an animal shelter. They will learn about animal related careers, animal care and behavior, and animal welfare. Daily hands-on experience with shelter and volunteer animals.

Junior Animal Camp (entering grades 1 or 2 in fall 2013) has two one-week sessions starting June 24 and July 22. Camp hours are 9 am to 1 pm and registration is $200.  Animal Care Camp (entering grades 3 or 4 in fall 2013) has four sessions starting June 17, July 8, July 29 and August 12 and runs from 9 am to 3 pm; registration fee is $285. Senior Animal Care Camp (entering grades 5 or 6 in fall 2013) has two sessions starting July 15 and August 5, and runs 9 am to 3 pm; registration is $285.

If you're trying to make a decision on the perfect summer camp for your kids, don't miss this Saturday's Marin Camp Fair, which takes place March 9 from 11 am-2 pm at Conlan Center Gymnasium at the Dominican University of California in San Rafael. There will be pizza, snacks, and a bounce house for the kids while parents visit representatives from over 100 local summer camps.

If you want to explore a variety of camps in one location, this is your best bet. I attended last year and it was fantastic. I brought my kids and they got a chance to discover some new camps and talk with camp representatives.

Nearly every local day camp for preschool, elementary, middle, and high school students will be represented, as well as several of the most popular sleep-away camps throughout California. The Marin Camp Fair is a community event managed by the Dominican University athletic department and Camp Doodles.

The fair is a free event and takes place from 11 am to 2 pm. Conlan Center Gymnasium is located at 1475 Grand Avenue. For more information, visit www.MarinCampFair.com.

Don’t miss the 2013 Novato Mothers Club Rummage Sale! It takes place this Saturday, March 9, from 9 am to 3 pm. You can literally get everything you need for your family: cribs, strollers, children’s clothing, maternity wear, toys, shoes, nursing items, and more.

Rummage sale items are half off starting at 2 pm (doors are closed from 1:30–2 pm), and there will also be a bake sale for goodies to munch while you shop. Admission and parking are free.

The NMC Rummage Sale will take place at the Novato Teen Center at 950 Seventh Street off of Grant Avenue in downtown Novato (attached to the Novato Gymnastics Center). This event is free and open to the public. Cash only.

In previous years, I volunteered for this event and always came home with a bunch of great toys and clothes for the kids. It’s really a great sale that offers bargain prices on a lot of things (many of them barely used). To get the best picks, try to get there when they first open on Saturday, because the good stuff goes quickly. For more info, visit their website.

Marin Mommies presents this week's guest recipe from Nicole Cibellis, Marin mom and author of the blog A Family that Eats Together, where she shares meal plans and recipes that will please foodies and children alike. Nicole is also the creator of the new Little Froglet line of children's activewear. Here's Nicole's meal plan for this week.

This recipe is adapted from a clay-pot chicken recipe. I love clay-pot chicken but I don’t have a clay pot to cook the chicken in so this is my translation of the recipe using a Dutch oven. The first time I had clay-pot chicken was at the Slanted Door in San Francisco. It is so warming and delicious. Charles Phan the owner and executive chef makes his clay-pot chicken with a Vietnamese slant. My recipe it is more Chinese-inspired.

Servings: 4
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 30 minutes