Happy St. Patrick's Day

If any of you remember, I decided to start celebrating St.Patrick's Day last year, other than just wearing green. We had corned beef and boiled cabbage at a friend's house. This year, I am attempting it on my own. Except I had to find a quick recipe, because I didn't realize that I needed to be more prepared. This is what I'm working on.

Quick Corned Beef and Cabbage Healthy Holiday Recipe
Ingredients:

8 cups water

1 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon sugar

1 bay leaf

1 teaspoon minced garlic

1 1/2 teaspoons pepper

1 head cabbage, quartered

8 red potatoes

8 (1/2-inch-thick) slices lean deli corned beef

Directions:Combine water, salt, sugar, bay leaf, garlic and pepper in a 4-quart soup pot. Bring to a boil.
Reduce heat to medium.
Add cabbage and potatoes to pot; cook for 5 minutes.
Add sliced corned beef to pot. Cook for 15 minutes.
Remove cabbage, corned beef and potatoes.
Remove and discard bay leaf. Serve immediately.

St. Patricks Day Fact

Corned beef , the traditional meat served at this holiday, is made of beef brisket cured in a salt brine that can include spices like peppercorns and bay leaf. The meat stays red even after it is cooked because of this curing process. Long ago in Ireland, the meal of corned beef and cabbage was eaten as an Easter lunch after the long meatless days of Lent because the preserved meat lasted through the winter.