Shamrock Shakes Are a More Reliable Sign of Spring Than Punxsutawney Phil

Shamrock Shakes, which do not contain any actual shamrocks, are back

McDonald’s Shamrock Shake has returned to menus nationwide. The alarmingly green, minty shake, which first appeared in 1970, is a St. Patrick’s Day tie-in, though it’s unclear what exactly mint flavoring has to do with Ireland. One thing is clear, however: The Shamrock Shake’s return is a more reliable indicator of spring than America’s favorite groundhog, Punxsutawney Phil. While the famous rodent has historically only seen his shadow-based predictions come true 39 percent of the time, the Shamrock Shake is reliably resurrected every year four to five weeks before the start of spring.

And in other news...

• No one really seems to care that Necco Sweethearts, the chalky candy hearts with dumb messages like “CALL ME” printed on them, are unavailable this year. [Grub Street]

• Daniel Boulud, cruise ship chef: The Michelin-starred legend signed a deal with Celebrity Cruises to create dishes for on-board restaurants, and he’ll also make guest cameos. [Cruise Industry News]

• Ugly food: So hot right now. [T Magazine]

• Beloved Texas-born convenience store chain Buc-ee’s, which features an entire wall of gummy candy and the nicest public restrooms a road-tripper is likely to encounter, has big expansion plans. [Texas Monthly]

• Sign of the times: America’s biggest meat producer, Tyson Foods, is getting into the vegan protein biz. [MarketWatch]

• One episode of MTV’s Lindsay Lohan’s Beach Club was apparently plenty for many viewers, because ratings for the series have plummeted since it premiered a month ago. [Page Six]

• Here’s a look at the hand-drawn Valentine’s Day cards Julia Child and her husband used to send to their friends every year. [NY Times]

• Women in Japan are increasingly saying no to the long-running tradition of gifting male colleagues chocolate on Valentine’s Day, which sounds about right. [BBC]