Porridge or Pancakes?

I'm up early to wave Marty off on his work trip to Japan (lucky sausage!). We've done some extreme packing for the last 24 hours (he really is worse than a woman), we've had shoe fashion shows, emergency haircuts and lots of hugs and tears. So, he's gone and what to do next?

Well, first I should comfort eat. Porridge or Pancakes? Thick, creamy porridge made with cinnamon and topped with a dash of double cream and a sprinkle of brown sugar or a drizzle of honey? Or, small fluffy, pillow-like American pancakes served with berries, chopped pecans, natural yoghurt and some golden syrup?

PORRIDGE FOR ONE
Simmer 50g of porridge oats, 300ml of milk and 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon in a pan for 5-6 minutes, stirring, until thick and creamy. Pour into a serving bowl and top with whatever reminds you of childhood....cream and brown sugar for me!

PANCAKES FOR ONE (well, this makes about 10-12 but either make them all at once and eat them all at once (yikes!) or refrigerate and reheat them or else keep any leftover batter in the fridge to make them fresh for brekkie tomorrow.

150g plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp bicarbonate of soda
2 tbsp caster sugar
100ml buttermilk
2 eggs
25g butter, melted and cooled
1 tbsp sunflower oil

Stir the dry ingredients together in a large bowl..the flour, baking powder, bicarb and sugar. Mix the wet ingredients together in a small bowl or jug....I usually measure the buttermilk into a jug and then pop the eggs and melted butter in there. Whisk the wet ingredients into the dry to give a smooth batter.

Pour the oil onto a piece of kitchen paper and rub a large non stick frying pan all over. Pour tablespoonfuls of the batter spaced apart around the pan (however many will fit at a time). Gently fry until bubbles appear on the top and flip over to reveal a golden underside. Fry for a few minutes more until golden on the other side.

Serve with anything from natural or greek yoghurt, honey, maple syrup or golden syrup and then fruits - mango slices are my favourite or berries or pomegranate seeds and nuts like pecans, chopped hazelnuts or toasted flaked almonds.

Then what to do so I don't miss Marty too much? Ok, I'll have some reflexology, my nails done, a bit of shopping I think and then a night out with the girls! I'll survive...

Packing up Christmas

Well, its the day after the epiphany (the what i hear you say?!) so apparently it's time to take the Christmas paraphenalia down and sit in amazement at how big and bare your house has become!

The mother in law took her decorations down on Sunday night last as it was the 'twelfth night' but I did think that felt a bit earlier than I'm used to - I should have remembered religion would have a part to play in it - Carol is in London and we're in Catholic Ireland!

Anyhow, here are some piccies of my OCD Christmas packing up...

marty's fun freshener

We have lots of Christmas tree trimmings leftover since we tried to fit a huge tree into a small space (but we won't go there!) and now that the tree is coming down there are lots more bits everywhere. Mart had a brainwave when he wanted to get rid of a Thai takeaway smell from his car this morning (I presume that takeaway smell in the car the next day happens to everyone?!). Here are some piccies of how he made his pine & lemon air freshener...(Buy muslin in a haberdashery (I get mine in Murphy Sheeheys) or good cookware shop)....

Beats those toxic car pine trees anyday!

Fires a'blazin

I hope you're snuggled up from this very frosty weather. We are loving cosying in front of our flaming fire. We really should sort out using a small stick as a poker though! Never mind being a bit pikey, it's a bit tricky too!

I've been surfing the net to find a nice looking solution. I started by googling 'fire set', or whatever those thingys are called. I was soon enlightened they are 'companion sets' no less! I'm not liking the sound of them already...check these babies out...

Starting with these 'regular' looking ones...

Obviously trying out a 'modern' look on this day...











Not sure what was going through the designers minds here...

I think we'll be staying with the stick after witnessing this!!!...

If anyone knows of any more 'suitable' alternatives, please let us know where to find them!

A snuffly goodbye to '08

Well, it's the last day of the year and I'm ending it on a high - from all the tablets I'm dosed up on that is! Yes, the killer Christmas flu has struck me down so I'm in the jim jams for the evening. As we're in London, we had thought about going to see the fireworks but it's freezing outside and I don't think my body would survive it. So, I'm all tucked up with hot drinks, the details of which I thought I would bore you with. As you read this you are possibly nursing a hangover with a resolve to never drink again anyhow, so perhaps this is appropriate after all!

My non-alcoholic festive drinking includes:

I've been sniffling into lots of drinks like warmed ginger beer and ginger & lemongrass cordial made up with boiling water. Both have been really hot and spicy on my throat which hopefully means some bugs have been killed!

Also yummy as a booze free alternative is this spiced berry cordial which, when made up with boiling water comes close to mulled wine without the hangover.

After that, there's some homemade hot chocolate with marshmallows I need to consider while reminising about all the good things that have happened this year and looking over my list of things to do in 2009....

I can only wish for a really successful year in '09. Finishing our house renovations would be a dream come true; it would be great for marty and I to finally settle down and to have lots of friends and family round to snuggle in with us. A diary filled with lots of work is always welcome; it's exciting to start a year not really knowing what will come my way and then to look back on it and appreciate all the amazing opportunities I've had. I have lots of other things on the list of dreams I would love to achieve so no doubt I'll let you know as and when they happen...and of course I'm soon to become an aunt for the first time...

Anyhow, wishing you a fantastic, fun and food filled 2009 with lots of love, luck and laughter x

Pretty in Pink Pressies

Santa has been, yay! This year I got lots of lovely pink and girlie gifts. Besides this lovely roberts radio, I also got some pink polka dot pyjamas, paper lanterns, pink passport cover and a pink voucher for a nail bar. Plus lots of other goodies I am off to play with now too...

happy birthweek to me

How excited am I? I got a lovely old ladies bike (fitted with a basket and bell) from Marty for my birthday today. This photo makes me laugh because I'm sure I could pull out similar piccies from past Christmas's where I'm in jim jams and looking over excited surrounded by gifts. That was when I was 10 years of age or under though so I really should grow up, particularly as I am now totally over the hill! I'm not growing up just yet though as I'm loving my STREAMERS too much!! wahoo! p.s. check the tiara!

All Wrapped Up

Lots of people struggle with wrapping gifts or just don't enjoy doing it. Here's a quick step by step guide to creating perfectly wrapped gifts that people just won't want to open!












Gather your wrapping materials; wrapping paper, tissue paper, box (great for difficult to wrap shapes), ribbon, name tag, sticky tape and scissors. Cut the wrapping paper to size by placing the box in the centre and rolling to paper around to check it will completely cover.












Cut the tissue paper (if using) to shape and snuggle into the box. Place your gift inside, remembering to remove any price tags!












Fold the tissue paper over to enclose and pop the lid on. Line the box up on the pre-cut wrapping paper which is right side down of course.













Wrap the paper round and secure in place with a little sticky tape. Starting at one open end, fold the corners in neatly, running your finger along the paper to secure in place.












Trim the end with a scissors, as it looks better when it doesn't wrap up on top of the gift when taped in place. Fold the end up and tape in place with sticky tape.













Repeat with the opposite end. Sticky tape side down, wrap the ribbon around the parcel and cross over. If you have a longer ribbon and want to wrap it in the other direction also, then start with the sticky tape side up, cross the ribbon over and then turn the parcel right side up.












Tie the ribbon in a bow. My sister in law, Beckie showed me how to double bow and I think it looks really posh so I do this all the time now! To do this, leave the bow quite small and the ribbon ends hanging quite long. Then gather the ribbon ends and tie them in a bow also.












Next, prepare the name tag. Write your message on the tag before you add it on. You can either make a hole with a hole punch and tie it on with a little ribbon or in this case I simply cut a little slit in the card and then slid it onto the ribbon. And Voila!




The mother has said it looks better when the ribbon is off centre; I think she might be right!

More Wrapping Ideas

This year we have used wallpaper leftover from decorating our sitting room to wrap our gifts - how very environmentally friendly! It's quite christmassy anyhow as it's very deep purple with lots of shiny silver on. I think the red ribbon goes really well with it and we're so impressed we're thinking of bringing lots of red into our sitting room now too!

Anyhow, if not being savvy like us by using leftover paper, try buying wrapping paper that you can use throughout the year for other occasions (like the paper in the post above). So nothing with 'merry Christmas' embezzeled all over! Try opening gifts carefully so that you can save the paper, particularly if it's pretty, to reuse for wrapping other gifts or for crafty projects. Remove any sticky tape with a scissors rather than ripping it off, and keep paper flat in a box file or art folder.

Place any odd shaped gifts in boxes to make them easier to wrap (and throw the person off the scent of what it is also!). Reuse boxes that have come in the post or have had chocoates, toiletries or perfumes in for example. Obviously, good old tissue paper is really handy too. Use to wrap a gift inside the main wrapping so it builds the suspense for the person unwrapping! Or if you pack the present in a gift bag, then top with a ruffle of tissue paper so the person can't sneak a peak.

Cellophane is really handy for wrapping gifts also, whether wine bottles, jars of chutneys (as above) or plates of mince pies. Buy a roll from any good stationary shop (like Easons) or buy smaller amounts of it from your local florist. While in the florist, pick up some raffia (stringy stuff that comes in lots of different colours) that you can use to tie the cellophane closed. Raffia is also handy to tie name tags onto parcels if ribbons are too wide to go through the hole.

Speaking of name tags, rather than spending more money on tags, cut a piece of coloured card into smaller pieces or reuse old cards by cutting them into suitable shapes where appropriate and punch with a hole punch. Don't forget to write on the card before attaching it - and be careful not to get the cards and gifts mixed up!

Then, the wonderful world of ribbons! Reuse ribbons from other gifts received, from fancy boxes of chocolates, or even those ribbons that are attached to clothes for hanging (but end up sticking out just when that important photo is being taken!). Alternatively, buy new ribbons online, in your local haberdashery or trimmings shop. Also, at Christmas time ribbons are easily available in garden centres and hardware stores, particularly the wired type, which are easily made to look quite dramatic. The ribbons in the picture above were double bowed as per the post above to make them look really fancy.

Finally, the all important reminder not to forget to remove those price tags!!

A Christmas Mess

(c) Trevor Hart

This is a delicious recipe for a Christmas flavoured Eton Mess that I wrote (& styled) for a mag which undeservedly ended up on the cutting room floor! What a yummy scrummy shame...

Christmas Eton Mess

Eton Mess usually screams summertime as it is full of fresh strawberries and raspberries. As it is Christmas, why not try this version using mince pie meat and cranberry sauce. It is really quick and fun to make and a great way of using up leftovers.

Lightly whip 500ml of double cream to soft peaks. Break 8 meringue nests over and stir gently through. Ripple through 75g of mince meat and 50g of cranberry sauce. Divide between 8 pretty bowls or glasses and scatter over 50g of toasted almonds to serve.

Turkey Alert

Don't go killing the family at Christmas time with an undercooked turkey! Text the weight of your turkey (in metric i.e. kilos) plus the word 'stuffed' or 'unstuffed' as appropriate, to 51500 and you will get a reply with the correct cooking time. Alternatively, check out the safefood website for more help and advice on food safety as well a turkey calculator and recipe ideas for leftovers.

Who ate all the pies?

There isn't a mince pie to be had in this house, I'm ashamed to say. Especially after all the Christmas cooking I've done this year with work. Besides the fact we have the excuse of not having an oven, neither of us have really been here very much to even consider such Christmas treats.

Anyhow, my mate Cliona sent me on these piccies she took on one of the many Christmas shoots we did. They are just a bit of step by step fun to assembling your mince pies. If you're really lazy, buy the mince meat (mix a splash of brandy through it to perk it up) and the pastry.(either shortcrust or puff). Pop a festive pastry shape on top to make them look more homemade. If you want to make your own mince pies from scratch, follow the recipe for mince meat and pastry in a previous post.