Easter is coming up soon and although you may no longer be­lieve in Peter Cottontail, baskets are still a fun way to celebrate the holiday. But, if you are tired of the traditional milk chocolate eggs and marshmallow Peeps, you may want to think about way to rein­vent the Easter basket. Here are a few tips on how to revamp this holiday tradition.

Fill your basket with candy-less snacks such as popcorn, chips and cookies. You can make quick and easy sugar cookies and even shape them into bunnies and Eas­ter eggs. They will be fun to dec­orate and eat.

Chocolate-dipped pretzels are a twist to a sweet treat and can solve your salty and sweet crav­ings. Stick them into a Styro­foam block and create a bouquet that can be placed into a deco­rated f lower pot or plastic cup.

You can also make your own candy with three ingredients: Oreos, cream cheese, and melt­ed chocolate. Crush a package of Oreos, mix it together with a package of cream cheese and roll them into balls. Then, dip them in chocolate and add sprinkles and you have your own choco­late truffles that are ready to eat. Stick them inside plaster Easter eggs and scatter them throughout. You can finish off this food-filled basket with K-cups for a Keurig or a gift card to a favorite coffee shop.

Sophomore communication major Danielle Trentin enjoys the thought of putting a twist on tradition. “I love coffee, make­up, and clothes. I would love to receive any of them in my bas­ket,” she said.

It’s the spring season, which means it is almost time to start slap­ping some all-beef patties on an open flame, melting some cheddar cheese on top, and smothering it in ketchup. Now imagine grilling that burger in 105-degree weather with 90 percent humidity. What if you couldn’t have one without the other? What does eat­ing a hamburger have to do with the weather?

It may not be the actual burger it­self, but the production of the cattle that has to do with the effect on the environment. Health studies profes­sor Christopher Hirschler said, “The United Nations came out with a report in 2006 that stated that animal agri­culture attributes more greenhouse gases than does transportation. That’s largely because of cows and the meth­ane that they produce.” Hirschler continued. “The vast majority of sci­entists, 95-98 percent, feel that it (the earth) is warming and it is man-made, at least in part. It is a result of all the fossil fuels and all the gas we’re pro­ducing.”

According to PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals), one-third of the fossil fuels in the United States are put toward raising animals for food.

According to Hirschler, cattle in the United States are fed corn that he said is not naturally what cows eat. He said, “It takes oil and gasoline to get ready to grow corn. You need water to grow the corn. So you spend all this energy and water to produce the corn and then you give it to the cow. So that in and of itself is not environmentally sound.”

According to Heidi Estes, Eng­lish professor and environmental enthusiast, the consumption of meat raises carbon dioxide emis­sions in the atmosphere. She said, “By the amount of gas that the cow emits, it is a significant contributor to climate prob­lems.”

In America’s view, St. Patrick’s Day is typically filled with drink­ing and dressing in green accom­panied by a party or attending a parade. Though the focus of the holiday differs from Ireland, there are still traditional Irish foods you can incorporate into your celebra­tion. Whether you are looking to cook an Irish meal on the holiday for your family or offer your pals some Irish treats, there are plenty of ways to celebrate by eating.

If you want to hold a tradition­al dinner, there are a number of foods available. For starters, you can make Irish potato and leek soup, two vegetables often eaten in the Emerald Isle. This soup requires two leeks, one pound of potatoes, half a teaspoon of white pepper, an ounce of butter, two thyme sprigs, half a cup of heavy whipped cream, half an onion, and vegetable broth.

Begin by dicing the potatoes, chopping the onions, and chopping the leeks much like you would cel­ery. Use butter instead of spray in a pot and turn on the stove. Then combine the potatoes, onions, and leeks into the pot. Let this cook for around 15 minutes while stirring every three minutes.

Once the 15 minutes is finished, add the broth to the pot along with the white pepper and thyme. Let the pot sit while stirring occasion­ally until the soup begins to sim­mer. At this point, let the soup cook for another ten minutes, then puree the soup using a blender. Fi­nally, mix in the whipped cream and your soup will be complete.

If you are looking for a heavier meal, Shepard’s Pie is a baked dish that only takes about 30 minutes. This pie is layered with meat, gravy and mashed potatoes. Typically lamb is in the meal, but it can be substituted for ground beef. Recipes for this meal vary depending on your unique tastes. For example, some include sour cream while others do not.

Corned beef and cabbage is also a well-known Irish meal, which takes a little longer to prepare than the Shepard’s pie but is worth the wait according to sophomore busi­ness major Kyle O’Grady.

“Corned beef is one of the most delicious dishes my mom makes. My family is starting our first an­nual O’Grady St. Patrick’s party this year, so we will be serving it,” O’ Grady shares.

Tyler McCue, a senior criminal justice major, agrees. “Corned beef is my absolute favorite.”

Unlike O’Grady and McCue, Communication Professor Mary Harris prefers the cabbage side of the dish. “My favorite Irish food is cabbage because it is delicious, simple, and healthy,” Harris said.

After the dinner platters, if you want to serve some sweets this is possible as well. Soda bread is es­sential when discussing Irish tra­ditions and can be made in many different ways. To be considered old-fashioned, it is made with only flour, baking soda, salt, and soured milk (or buttermilk) ac­cording to sodabread.info.

Saint Patrick’s Day is a unique day when people nationwide all of the sudden finds their Irish roots. Unlike the traditional holidays, there may not be much gift giv­ing but instead there is still a need to celebrate. Every year, March 17 marks the day when America gets painted green. Practically every­where one turns, they can spot Irish flags, green attire, lepre­chaun accessories and numerous “Kiss Me I’m Irish” t-shirts run­ning around the town.

Junior communication major, Mike Migliaro, reveals that he will celebrate St. Patrick’s Day by “being Irish for the day with my fraternity brothers.” In his opinion, college students “can still celebrate the holiday while on a budget by staying close to home.”

If you are planning to go out on the town to honor the day, it is almost certain you are bound to find an event celebrating this March holiday. Both local and major cities plan events beginning in the early weeks of March to the end of the month to honor and cel­ebrate this day.

Depending on who you are, you may view St. Patrick’s Day fall­ing right in the beginning of our spring break lucky. This coinci­dence makes a great opportunity to explore different St. Patrick Day events happening in the tri-state area.

One of the most famed St. Pat­rick’s Day Parade happens an hour north in New York City. The city will be entering its 251st year of hosting a St. Patrick’s Day Parade making it the oldest city in the na­tion to do so. Saturday, March 16 marks the date NYC will be host­ing its annual St. Patrick’s Day parade.

Dr. Helen O’Brien of the Uni­veristy’s Social Work School is the daughter of Irish immigrants and has close ties to the holiday as well as NYC.

“I have attended many St. Pat­rick’s Day Parades both in NY and in Ireland since childhood. We always met many, many peo­ple who enjoyed the lively and fun loving spirit of the day and of course everyone is Irish on St. Paddy’s Day!” O’Brien said.

Although O’Brien is very fond of the traditional parade, she is opposed to one of its elements. “Gay & lesbian folks are still not permitted to openly march and that casts a shadow over a day that celebrates the spirit of the Irish; that undeniable Irish way of laughing, singing, and enjoy­ing family and friends even in the midst of hardship - which are ex­periences we all share no matter who we love.”

O’Brien also notes that homo­sexuals are allowed to participate in the Ireland parades, and there St. Paddy’s Day is considered a catholic holiday.