Super Healthy Super Food Super Fast

First harvest from my veggie patch!

2011-05-08T16:27:00.010+01:00

Hooray! I have just pulled the first veggies from my little veg garden. (Drum roll please!)

Behold, my first crop of radishes. They look delicious, don't they? Though, there is one which looks a bit odd and I have yet to decide whether or not to eat it. It didn't form a normal radish 'bulb' shape, so I'm not too sure what happened.

I must say, the next time I sow radishes, I am going to have to give them lots of space. Their leaves are so monstrous my poor little beetroot were completely overwhelmed. From the size of the leaves, I expected gigantic roots, but they're so small in comparison.

I am amazed at the amount of growth out there at the moment. These two photos are of my mange tout, the one on the left is from 16 days ago and the other is today...isn't the difference immense?

My current challenge with them is to get them clambering up some bamboo canes I have erected alongside them, rather than tangling each other up completely and hiding their bounty from me. I've put the bamboo canes in a line to one side, rather than in the traditional teepee style. My logic here is that I will easily be able to harvest them when the time is right. If I went for the teepee option, some peas would be inside the teepee and impossible to get at, except maybe for my greedy avian friends.

Any suggestions for recipes for radishes? So far, I've munched one straight off the stalk a

Suddenly I'm concerned about potato blight...

2011-04-22T15:39:00.007+01:00

I'm growing potatoes for the first time in my life. I have no earthly idea what I'm doing, which is mildly amusing considering I'm Irish, my parents own a garden centre and I have eaten what must be thousands of them in my lifetime.

So far, I have planted a handful of seed potatoes and they seem to be doing beautifully, but I'm not sure what to do next. Do I need to feed them, water them more or less than other veggies, worry about particular pests? What about that scourge; potato blight? It hasn't been raining much here for the last few weeks, so I'm guessing this isn't a real issue yet, but it might be... I think a consultation with my Garden Guru Dad is in order. Watch this space!

Elsewhere in my veggie patch everything seems to be coming along nicely. Mountain Man is trialing a very clever solution to the slug and snail problem. All of my veggies are in bags/belfast sinks/raised beds so are relatively easy to control and contain. About a week ago that very clever tall man in my life decided to put out a low pile of salt in a ring around all of the pots and bags, in the hope that it would slow down the slippery veggie munchers. I suspect he may also have been trying to reduce the amount of time I spend slug hunting before bed. I haven't been out there for the last few evenings and so far, there are no nibbles in my rocket, mustard or potatoes! We'll need to keep it topped up, but I'm feeling very optimistic. Fingers crossed it will continue to work.

I have had some amateur questions for my Garden Guru Dad, as I really am winging it with this veggie growing lark and don't have lots of time to devote to proper research. It does feel a little bit like cheating but by asking him hopefully I can save myself lots of grief. Here we go...maybe it will help someone else out there?

Do I need to worry about leggy seedlings? My beetroot are coming along nicely, if a bit slowly...but they are quite leggy. Does it matter? If so, what should I do?
What pests do I need to worry about and what can I do now to make sure the fruit of my labour doesn't get munched by outdoor critters?
Roughly how long will it take for my carrots and radishes to grow ready to eat roots? I can't see them, obviously, so how can I tell if they're ready?

I'll get back with the answers soon. Happy Easter.

Rhubarb, Rhubarb, Rhubarb!!!

2011-04-19T13:49:00.005+01:00

It's Rhubarb season don't you know. Have you had any yet? It's the most delicious fruit, so early in the season. Rich in magnesium, calcium, potassium and vitamin K it's wonderful for bone health, gut health and stress. It's also a great source of fiber, so doesn't send your blood sugar levels soaring. Yum

I bought some in my local Super Valu last week, then received a beautiful bunch in my Home Organics delivery, followed by another bunch from Super Valu, purchased by the fabulous Mountain Man. So...a glut of rhubarb. I love crumble and tart, but I wanted to avoid lots of pastry and sugar. So, I decided to bake it. Yes, bake...not stew. A rather lovely guesthouse in Wexford called McMenamins served it as part of their breakfast buffet to me some time ago and since then I have wanted to reproduce it. So...here you go. It's incredible with fruit and granola in the morning, or with porridge, or just eaten warm with some ice-cream as dessert.

Baked Spiced Rhubarb
You will need:
4 sticks of rhubarb, cleaned and chopped into 4cm pieces
Zest & Juice of 1 orange
1 Star Anise
1/2 tsp nutmeg (fresh if possible)
1/2 tsp vanilla extract (not essence)
1 dsp Rapadura sugar (or Xylitol if you prefer, Rapadura is one of the least processed sugars)

Turn on the oven to 190C
Put everything except the rhubarb in a saucepan and gently heat for 5 minutes. If it comes to the boil, just reduce the heat and simmer gently.
Put the rhubarb into an oven proof dish, approx 25 x 25cm
Pour over the spicy orange juice mix, making sure the rhubarb is well coated.
Put the dish in the oven and bake for approximately 30 minutes.
Check it every 10 minutes or so and give it a stir.
Remove from the oven, leave to cool slightly and enjoy any way you fancy.

Snail hunting after dark

2011-04-12T22:16:00.004+01:00

I just finished watching Julie & Julia, a movie about Julia Child and Julie Powell. Julie Powell decides to cook her way through Julia Child's book, 'Mastering the Art of French Cooking'. It made me want to do the same. I laughed my behind off, screeched with hilarity (worried that my nieghbours might think I was being murdered) and cried my eyes out. It's so beautiful; those two women, devoted to food. Cooking, cooking, cooking...always cooking, always pushing, sticking to a plan they had and not allowing anything to derail them. Inspiring...

Once I had dried my eyes, I thought I had better go slug hunting. Dedicated to the cause, me. I have no idea if there is a better way to do this, but I refuse to use slug pellets. I know there are 'organic' ones, but I haven't gone down that road. Maybe it's stinginess, but my solution to slugs is to go out after dark, preferably after a rainshower. Slugs love damp darkness. They don't love me, with my headtorch on, jar of salty water in one hand.

It truly is disgusting, but I seek them out and grab them between two fingers. They tend to curl up, probably hoping for invisibility. I often have to make several grabs, but eventually they make it into the jar. Sometimes they sort of, hiss...sometimes they die silently. They usually leave a slimy layer on my fingers, which I really hope isn't snail poo, but it does wash off with soap and a nail brush. I know it's cruel, but they've already munched my beautiful red tulip leaves to pieces and I refuse to allow them to do the same to my seedlings.

There are a few other barriers to snails, like copper wire which they struggle to cross. You can wrap it around the top of planters to slow them down. Borage is another good one, they hate furry stems and leaves and borage is wonderfully sticky and hairy. My Dad, the Garden Guru, reckons you need more than one method to really keep them under control. I haven't managed to get my hands on borage yet and the copper wire is waiting on Mountain Man.

My first real veg garden

2011-04-12T13:46:00.008+01:00

I am so excited, I'm not sure I have the words to describe it. I have never really made a proper effort at 'growing my own', but this time it's for real. The first thing I do now when I get home from, well, anywhere, is to check my veg garden for seedling progress. Even blogging is a distraction from watering and snail hunting!

So, what have I done so far? Well, I have planted the raised bed with all manner of seedlings, I have some fabulous canvas planters filled with lovely organic Westland veg compost which I've planted with 2 variety of carrots and some seed potatoes.

Last week I had the first of my seedlings nudging through the soil and in just 3 weeks from sowing I have seedlings that have gone from cotyledon leaves to proper veggies! My radish have little furry radish leaves, my mange-tout look ready to start scaling the trellis!

From sowing to first sighting of green it was less than a week. Imagine, some soil, water, warmth and maybe a bit too much love and hey presto - life! Note to self - don't love them too much, over watering is the veggie seedlings worst enemy.

I have been consulting my Dad, Mike McKenna; gardener extraordinare and Garden Guru at Blackwater Garden Centre about all things veggie, so watch this space for tips when I get stuck!

I love food

2011-03-24T12:39:00.004Z

I know...it's obvious, of course I love food, I'm trying to make a living out of that love. But really...I do love food, especially when it comes as a gorgeous delivery, straight to my door. Today I received my weekly delivery from Home Organics and boy, does it look like winter is finally over!

There are the last of the blood oranges, a winter treat, but also gorgeous spinach and delicate leaves of rocket. I missed them so much! Sometimes it sucks to eat seasonally, but today, it feels like it was worth the wait.

Just thought I'd share the love...

Spring is in the air!

2011-03-23T17:07:00.004Z

I just looked at my last blog post and realised it's nearly a year since I wrote something! Well, life took over for a while there. I was working full time, driving around the countryside and ending up with a very sore back, no time to blog and very little time to cook. Something had to give! So I am back, blogging again and finding new things to cook.

The biggest change since my last blog is that I have moved into a lovely house, with a gorgeous sunny garden. Mountain man is still around, and has seen fit to build me a raised bed, like no raised bed you have ever seen before.

It's a thing of wonder and beauty, especially as it's more than your usual 6" off the ground, but waist height, so no bending needed! Ah...luxury. As of tomorrow, it will be full of seeds, germinating quietly, ready to provide me with yummy veggies for the summer and autumn. I'm going to blog about my adventures here, from slug deterrent ideas to recipes for gluts of tomatoes and courgettes!

Watch this space...

Spelt bread...oh so simple

2010-05-30T12:57:00.001+01:00

Us Irish like our bread. We have it as toast in the morning, for lunch as a sandwich and maybe even with our dinner in the evening. There are so many different breads on the supermarket shelves that you would think our needs would be catered to, but so many are tasteless and nasty, full of sugar, salt and weird preservatives that, honestly, I don't consider them bread at all. This spelt bread recipe is an antidote to all of the rubbish out there. It has been borrowed and adjusted slightly from the gorgeous Cornucopia cookbook, well worth the investment for some wonderful veggie recipes.

Wholegrain spelt contains a broader range of nutrients in comparison to it’s more inbred cousins (like wheat) including manganese, B3, phosphorous and magnesium. The seeds in this recipe add fibre and essential fats which are vital for healthy skin, eyes, hormone and mood balance. Pumpkin seeds are also a good source of zinc, also important for healthy skin, immune function and fertility. Spelt does contain gluten, but much less than wheat and is generally much easier to digest.

Ingredients:

425g wholegrain spelt flour
40g each of sesame, pumpkin & sunflower seeds
15g each of poppy & linseeds (or you can make up whatever mix of seeds you fancy)
2 tsp baking powder
1 heaped tsp salt
550ml water
1 tbsp blackstrap molasses

What to do with em!

Oil and line the base of a 2lb loaf tin.
Preheat oven to 180C
Sieve the flour & baking powder (though wholegrain spelt flour can be a challenge to sieve, so don’t worry too much about that)
Add the salt & seeds & combine thoroughly
Mix the water & molasses in a jug (I use a little boiling water to warm it up a bit so the molasses is easier to dissolve)
Pour about ¾ of the liquid into a well in the centre of the dry mix
Make sure the molasses is evenly distributed, not clumped in sticky pockets (which won’t be the case if it is thoroughly dissolved in the water first!)
Use as little mixing as possible to achieve an even mix, as the gluten in spelt is more fragile than wheat.
Add as much water as is needed to achieve a sloppy consistency (I often only need 500ml)
Pour mix into the prepped tin and press down evenly.
Bake in the centre of the oven for about an hour, until well risen and evenly browned.
Run a knife around the edge and turn the loaf out on a wire rack & tap the base
If it makes a hollow sound, the bread is cooked.
Cover with a tea towel and leave to cool on the rack before cutting

Flapjacks from heaven...

2010-03-17T11:05:00.007Z

I have been experimenting with a flapjack/snack bar/sweet treat for the last few days and have finally hit the jackpot. The challenge was to come up with something nut, seed, wheat, sugar, dairy & egg free, but still super tasty, especially for young uns with allergies. I am so pleased with the result, though I have yet to try them out on small people. My rather large sugar addict friend assures me his children would gobble them up. I made a half size batch, but double the amounts below for 2 7x11" flat trays.

These babies are loaded with fibre from the oats, oat bran and apple puree. Oats & oat bran are also rich in selenium (a vital antioxidant) magnesium, manganese, phosphorous, iron & calcium. There's plenty of natural sweetness in the sultanas and apple puree, with a little extra help from the low GI agave syrup. Adjust this to suit your own tastes though. Rest assured that the fibre in the oats & oat bran will give a slow release of energy for you & your little ones, so no crazy sugar rush.

Super yummy snack bar
2 cups rolled oats (I used Jumbo Ballybrado porridge oats)
1/2 cup oat bran
3/4 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup sultanas
1/3 cup sunflower oil (unrefined & organic)
1/2 cup apple puree
3/4 cup agave syrup

Turn on your oven to 190C
Grease and line a 7x11" flat tray (or 2 if you're doubling the recipe)
Mix the dry ingredients in a bowl
Mix the wet ingredients in another bowl
Add the dry mix to the wet mix and stir well, it should be quite wet, but not sloppy
Spoon the mix into the tray (or trays) and press flat
Pop in the oven for 18-25 minutes, until golden and beginning to darken around the edges
Mine took 23 minutes, in a fan oven, but keep a good eye on them the first time as they can burn quite easily!
The result is a lovely chewy, slightly cake like texture with just a little bit of crumble.
Enjoy with a cuppa, yum yum.

Post liver flush food...

2010-03-15T19:56:00.004Z

It's done. The liver flush is complete. It really wasn't as bad as I expected, I didn't need to hold my nose as I swallowed the various concoctions and I did not experience terrible cramps, but boy am I glad I was close to the toilet today!

Having completed the liver flush, I felt it best to eat lightly, but also to eat something tasty, as I have been eating really simply for the last week and needed some serious flavour! So, I got some homemade chicken stock from my freezer (good quality bouillon would do, but if you can get your hands on home made, it's definitely better) sauteed some garlic and ginger, added the stock and once it was simmering, added half a leek, one head of pak choi (just the crunchy bits)and some wholewheat noodles. I let them simmer for a few minutes, then added the greens from the pak choi, some lime juice and after a minute or two, served it up. Garnished with coriander, it was ready to go. Minimum fuss, maximum flavour and very gentle on the tummy.

Flush out the toxins!

2010-03-15T11:14:00.005Z

Spring is definitely in the air and I am almost finished my detox, so the timing feels right for a fresh start, a new year...while the sun is shining and spirits are rising.

Last night I began a liver flush, which I must admit, was pretty unappetising. I downed glasses of epsom salts and water at 2 hour intervals and just before hopping into bed had a glass of olive oil & pink grapefruit juice. It sounds a bit disgusting and it was, but not as revolting as I expected. I managed to swallow the lot without having to hold my nose and this morning was rewarded with gallstones in the toilet bowl and what I can only describe as toxic 'scum'. It's not done yet, but I feel it's been worth it.

I'm not telling everyone who reads this to do a liver flush. There are numerous contraindications such as kidney or liver problems, constipation and any kind of acute illness, so don't consider doing this kind of detox without professional supervision. A detox can be as simple as cutting out the rubbish from your diet for a week. You don't need to go to extremes to cleanse your body, why not consider cutting out coffee and tea, sugar and dairy and processed foods for a week. Eat lots of fruit & veg, get familiar with wholegrains and sprouts. Get off the couch, go for gentle walks and use all that free time to read a book, phone a friend or listen to music. Do it for a week, or 3 days, or a day! You might find you like it.

The detox begins...

2010-03-09T11:00:00.005Z

Last Tursday was my 32nd birthday. Wow, it looks big when you write it... I have been toying with the idea of doing a detox for months and finally, something clicked and I decided now is the right time. This is my new year, so for me the timing is perfect. A spring clean, inside and out...in two weeks I will be unstoppable!

There are numerous signs that may tell you a detox is worth doing. Some include sluggishness, tiredness, headaches, difficulty sleeping, joint pain, skin problems, bloating...the symtoms of living for many people! How to do a detox will vary from person to person, but the simplest advice I can give is to focus on giving your body time & space to eliminate and cleanse. This means reducing the burdens that we usually push on our liver and other organs of elimination, like kidneys, intestines and even skin. Detoxing is more about what you don't do, than what you do, do. So, the simplest detox goes something like this:

Remove from your diet all of the foods and chemical substances that put pressure on your body. These include dairy, red meat, sugar, tea & coffee, alcohol, cigarettes, refined & processed foods (that's food in boxes and white bread, rice, pasta etc) Reduce the amount of grains in your diet, even wholegrains and feast on brightly coloured vegetables, small portions of fish and organic chicken. Drink plenty of water, herbal teas and get lots of sleep. Get some gentle exercise every day (walking, yoga, cycling) and decide that for one solid week, you will get in excess of 8 hours sleep every night. The world will continue to turn, your body will thank you for the rest and you will be bouncing with energy by the end of your detox.

I have decided to start my detox by removing all of the above mentioned items (if you are a fan of perfume, fake tan, body potions & lotions, consider eliminating them too, there are plenty of gentler alternatives and a break will really benefit your skin) and beginning a kidney cleanse, in preparation for next week's liver flush. The liver flush is a an overnight process, preceded by drinking a litre of apple juice a day, for 6 days, which helps to soften any gallstones in the liver of gallbladder. The flush cleanses the liver of toxins, fat & sludge and flushes out the 'stones' of fatty and calcified deposits that are called gall stones.

The purpose of the kidney cleanse is to prepare your kidneys for the liver flush, as there may be quite a lot of sludge and toxins released from the liver. The kidney cleanse is a 5 day process, where you drink the mix below first thing in the morning, 5 days in a row. If your kidneys are in good working order, you may not need to do it, but if you have any history of UTI's or kidney infections, then it is worthwhile. Don't feel any pressure to do either kidney cleanse or liver flush, it's not a vital part of a detox!

The kidney cleanse goes like this:
First thing in the morning, on an empty stomach, drink the following concoction, in one sitting:

475ml filtered or bottled water (no fluoride or chlorine)
2 organic lemons, in their entirety, skin, pith and flesh
Good pinch of cayenne pepper
1tsp maple syrup (for sweetness only, exclude if you're tough like me!)
Put the whole lot in a blender and blitz until it's all liquid.

Don't eat for at least an hour after you've taken this mix and be sure you are close to a toilet. I started this yesterday morning and felt fine all day, this morning I was very glad to be working from home and close to my bathroom.

One word of warning, if you are giving up drinking a lot of tea or coffee, or eating lots of sugar, be prepared for some headaches. If you really need to, take a painkiller, but try to get through without. Go for a walk, get some fresh air, or take a nap if you can. Headaches, spots & tiredness are all part of the detox. It's normal to feel that way and you will come out the other side, I promise!

Blueberry Muffins

2010-03-09T09:23:00.004Z

I hate greasy, wet muffins, the type you buy sometimes (if you're desperate for some sugar) from a petrol station or the snack trolley on a train. You know the kind. Sometimes you'll even find them in shops that sell coffee, they really are pretty yuck. They actually sweat under that plastic wrapper and they are squishy and bland, but sickeningly sweet. So...I thought it might be worth sharing with you a recipe for blueberry muffins. They are just a little bit sweet, filling & very satisfying. With the magic ingredient of milled flaxseed these babies have a gorgeous smooth texture.

I used a lovely buttermilk from Tinnock Farm, which I bought at the Farmers Market in Dun Laoghaire, well worth a trip and buttermilk made like it should be, when making butter! There are a lot of ingredients, but don't be put off, they're really easy to make. If you use soya instead of buttermilk, these muffins are vegan too!

Blueberry Muffins
1/2 cup milled flaxseed
1 cup whole spelt flour
Just under 1 cup plain flour
1.5tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup apple puree
1/2 cup agave syrup
1 cup buttermilk (or soya with 1tbsp lemon juice to sour it. Just let it sit for a few minutes first)
3tbsp sunflower oil (organic & unrefined)
1 tbsp orange juice
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup fresh blueberries, rinsed and patted dry

Heat the oven to 200C. Grease a muffin tray
If you're using soya, combine it now with the lemon juice, letting it stand while you get everything else ready.
Put all of the ingredients (bar the blueberries) in a stand mixer & allow the entire mix to come together. If you don't have a stand mixer, use a bowl and hand mixer.
Fold the blueberries in by hand.
Scoop the batter into muffin cups (I got 12 from this mix)
Bake for 18-22 minutes or until lightly browned and the tops spring back when touched lightly.
Loosen the edges and gently remove the muffins from the tray. Cool on a wire rack & enjoy with a cuppa...delicious!

Scrummy Coconut & Sultana Cookies

2010-02-23T10:58:00.007Z

I am always on the hunt for yummy treats that are super healthy & super fast to throw together. These cookies are just that. They are a fantastic snack and hunger buster when you're on the run. They are not super sweet, with just a wee bit of agave syrup to satisfy those with a penchant for sugar. Of course, you can add more, the proportions below are a suggestion, change them at will! I am becoming less convinced of the super healthy virtues of agave syrup. It is certainly lower on the GI scale than sugar and that's a good thing. This is because it's made up of mostly fructose and a little glucose. Proportions vary, depending on the variety of plant and harvest method...but my guess is it's somewhere around 70% fructose and 30% glucose. Fructose has to go to the liver first, before it can be metabolised, hence the delay in increasing blood sugar levels. Massive amounts of fructose can do it's own damage, so my advice is, everything in moderation, including agave syrup!

So, back to the cookies; they are made with a mix of tahini, dessicated coconut, dried fruit (in this case sultanas) and oat flour. I had intended to use all coconut, but ran short. Necessity being the mother of invention, I grabbed some oatflakes, blitzed them in my little coffee grinder and made oat flour! Who'd have thought it would be so easy? I quite like the end result, coconutty without being macaroons, of which I am not a fan! The tahini adds protein and buckets of calcium, which is good news for anyone who struggles with dairy. The oats are rich in fibre and bring their own share of protein to the mix too.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup dark tahini
zest of 1 lemon
1 generous tbsp water
1/4-1/2 cup agave syrup
1 egg beaten
1 1/2 cups dessicated coconut
1 1/2 cups oat flour (see method above! Substitute all coconut if you prefer)
A good handful of sultanas (or unsweetened cranberries if you have them)
A pinch of salt flakes

Get stuck in!

Turn the oven on to 170C and grease and line two shallow baking trays.
In a medium bowl, mix the tahini, lemon zest, water and agave syrup. Mix thoroughly until smooth & glossy. Tahini has a habit of seperating into oil on top and a more solid, dense paste at the bottom. Stir it up as best you can and make sure you smush out all the thickerlumps of tahini.
Add the beaten egg and mix thoroughly
Combine the dry ingredients in a seperate bowl and add to the wet mixture. Give it all a good stir.
With wet hands, shape and flatten spoonfuls of the mix into discs about 1cm thick.
Place the whole lot in the oven and set your timer to 10 minutes. My fan oven takes 14, others will take 10, so the first time you make these, watch 'em like a hawk to be sure they don't burn. When they are nicely golden, they're done.
Enjoy with a cuppa herbal and kick back for a few minutes. As one of my sugar loving tasting friends skyped me yesterday 'Jeebus those cookies are f****n delish...'

Scrummy breakfast...and that's according to a sugar addict!

2010-02-22T11:08:00.009Z

I have a friend who is a self confessed sugar addict. He does pay attention to what he eats, but man, there's a whole lot of sugar in there. Breakfast is usually a cup of coffee and maybe a gourmet breakfast roll from the local deli in the car on his way to work. I have given up berating him for eating while standing, dining on pizza and chips, consuming copious amounts of coffee...

For anyone trying to change their diet, starting the day well is always purported as being one of the most important first steps and it is! Usually, people are advised to eat porridge or homemade granola with a boiled egg, or maybe even an omlette. If you're new to eating breakfast, these options might not hold much appeal. I think I may have discovered a combination that works, even for the sweetest tooth. This is porridge like you've never known it. This is porridge from planet delicious. Try it, it will satisfy your sweet tooth, it doesn't taste like grandmother's gruel and with the addition of protein rich quinoa will keep you going for much longer than that breakfast roll, croissant or even a bowl of Special K. The cinnamon helps to balance blood sugar levels and the apple puree adds a lovely sweetness without any sugar neccessary, along with the benefits of pectin, creating a smooth creamy delight. The berries turn the whole concoction a beautiful pinky purple, definitely not grey and stodgy!

Ingredients per person:

1/3 cup of jumbo oatflakes
Small handful of quinoa (I like to use seeds, but you can use flakes for faster cooking)
2/3 cup of water
Small handful of sultanas
Good pinch of cinnamon
2 dsp apple puree or stewed apple
Handful of berries (fresh or frozen)

Get started:

I suggest you get this started pretty much as soon as you get out of bed. It will take about 20 minutes to cook, which gives enough time for morning ablutions.
First off, put the oatflakes, quinoa, sultanas, cinnamon & water in a saucepan.
Turn the heat on really low (my hob goes from 1-9 so I use 2)
Give it a stir and leave for approx 20 minutes.
Return from beautifying yourself for the day and add the apple puree & berries.
If the berries are frozen, you'll need to wait a few minutes for them to defrost.
Pour the lot into a bowl and enjoy, slowly...give yourself time to enjoy the feeling of virtue it bestows.
If you fancy a little more sweetness, drizzle some agave syrup over the top. Agave is much lower GI than sugar and so won't send you into a sugar rush. This got the double thumbs up from my sugar addict friend, and that's my litmus test for success.

Spring is in the air

2010-02-16T13:40:00.005Z

On Sunday I went for the most gorgeous walk by the sea with my mountain man (we decided against an afternoon on our bikes in the hills). It was bloody freezing. My nose, ears, fingers and toes were numb by the time we got back to the car, but despite that, there was a definite hint of spring in the air.

We walked the pretty streets of Sandycove in south Dublin, seeking out signs of spring in the gardens of the quaint little houses there. Cherries in blossom, already! I'm sure it's really early, but there they were, just coming into bloom and it got me feeling all spring like.

Today is pancake Tuesday and while I have already partaken in the tastiest spelt pancakes (my breakfast choice was flaked almonds, sultanas, a wee bit of dark chocolate, banana and some maple syrup) I have an urge for something more pure. Inspired by a youtube clip I watched of the boys from the happy pear I whizzed up a smoothie for my lunch and I am bouncing around the place with energy. Give it a go, it's super healthy, super food, super fast. Yum

Green Goddess Smoothie

half an avocado
2 dsp golden linseed (flax)
half a mango
200ml apple juice
juice of half a lime
1/4 red chilli, chopped finely (this gives it a gently kick, I could definitely handle more)
big handful of spinach

Put everything in your blender and blitz thoroughly.
You will get the most delicious, vibrant green, tasty filling smoothie. No need for milk or yoghurt. The flax provides some protein along with super healthy fibre and essential fats, as does the avocado, plus wonderful Vitamin E. The spinach is rich in iron, magnesium & fibre. The chilli will get your circulation going and the apple juice, well, it helps the whole lot go down! It is pretty low GI too, as there is buckets of fibre to slow the release of sugar from the fruit into the blood. ENJOY!

Valentine's shmalentines...

2010-02-11T22:32:00.002Z

Valentine's Day. I will save the rant about hallmark and rip off roses, I'm sure it wouldn't be welcome. I'm not a massive fan of Valentine's Day. It's crowded with tat, overpriced roses, nasty fluffy underwear and the pressure to be the perfect lover...oops, sorry, that rant sort of sneaked in the back door. I'm a wee bit too matter of fact for such things and in my quieter moments would have to admit that I have always liked to think if you love someone, you should tell them on a regular basis. Life is too short to save that stuff for one day in the year. Be kind, thoughtful, generous with your love...why the hell not? Does it cost anything? Nope.

So, what do I do on Valentine's Day? I guess it depends. I have been subjected to all of the above and while I would never expect such things, I promise I would never be so ungracious as to refuse a beautiful bouquet or box of chocs. To me, flowers and chocolates do not symbolise romance. This year I am hoping to get out into the mountains on my bike, preferably with my mountain man. Maybe the sun will shine and we'll catch the view from the top all the way out to sea and over the Wicklow mountains. Maybe I'll fall off (again) and have my bloody knees wiped clean while I wait for my breath to return. In my world, that is romance.

The truth? I like the idea of Valentine's Day. Does it have to be expensive? No. Does it need to include dinner, surrounded by roses and red balloons? Not at all. Should there be some sparkley trinket on your wrist by the end of the day? This is a tough one, I do love a bit of sparkle, but the answer is no.

If you do fancy marking the event with some small inexpensive but personal gesture, why not try this!

Make your favourite person a loved up scent for their skin. Skip the nasty perfumes, they're overpriced chemical soups that just pile on the toxins for your liver to deal with. Admittedly, even the recipe below will mean a little more work for your liver, but it will be a hell of sight less challenging than anything you might buy in a fancy department store.

So, to begin, find a small glass vial, ideally dark glass with a screw on lid. I recently discovered that the 10ml shots of royal jelly sold in health food shops (like my favourite, The Hopsack) offer the perfect container. Hooray! Soak for half an hour to get the label off, make sure it's dry & start experimenting...

3/4 fill the vial with almond or jojoba oil.
Add a few drops of your chosen essential oils. Atlantic Aromatics are a lovely Irish company who make the most beautiful oils, again you'll find them in a good health food shop.
If you're making this for your girl, try some rose, ylang ylang & geranium. Rose is emotionally nourising, ylang ylang super sensual and geranium lifts mood & stimulates all over.
For guys, try some benzoin, sandalwood and juniper. Benzoin lifts the mood, while sandalwood calms and harmonises and juniper relieves anxiety. The combination is a lovely musky, gentle sexy scent.
Get into your local health food shop and sniff a few little bottles, buy the ones that take your fancy and get mixing. You'll only need a few drops, the rest you can use to scent your bedroom or add to bath water, depending on your mood.
p.s. make sure that you don't apply neat essential oil to your skin, most oils are best applied in a base oil like almond!

Whatever you get up to this Valentine's Day, enjoy yourself and if you have no significant other, show yourself some love, you're worth it!

The new kid on the block

2010-02-04T21:11:00.003Z

Maybe not so new, but Oliveto is new to me. An Italian restaurant in Dun Laoghaire, Co. Dublin...where I happened to dash in for a quick bite to eat before the cinema recently. I didn't know it existed, probably because I haven't been eating out as much as I used to. On our first visit; the mountain man and I, we noticed tasting menus displayed for an evening that had already passed in October of last year, but which seemed to be a regular, seasonal event. It looked incredible, 7 courses, 3 different wines and all for the price of €60 a head. Ok....so €60 aint exactly cheap, but as a special occasion, could we stretch to it?

We did... I found out that OLiveto were having their second tasting night in February and added my name to the list. With only 40 places available, first come first served, I watched my inbox like a hawk, waiting for the email to arrive inviting us to book. I waited...and waited...when the menu didn't come I feared the worst. They had taken my email address down incorrectly and I had missed out. I phoned up, left a message, desperately hoping that I wasn't too late. I wasn't, hooray! Fla, the owner rang me and assured me that I was still in with a chance, just to sit tight.

So I waited some more and the menu arrived, glistening with the promise of new tastes and flavours. I replied in a breathless fashion and was on the list. Hip hip hooray! This was no ordinary night out...this was a belated birthday dinner for the mountain man, who unlucky for him, was born on the 23rd of December. That sucks. One present for 2 events. So, I wanted this night out to be special and oh boy, was it.

We were the second group in the door, at about 3 minutes to 7, like teenagers we could barely hide our excitement. The evening kicked off with glasses of delicious prosecco while we waited for everyone to arrive. Once the entire guest list had been seated, Fla thanked us for coming and explained the intention behind the evening. A thank you to their regulars (we were interlopers!) an opportunity to try something you might never order otherwise, a chance to showcase the 'talent in the kitchen. And so, he introduced us to Alberto, the head chef, who proceeded to take us (or was it just me?) on a journey, describing each course in detail, how he had marinated the ox tongue for a week to remove the toxins before marinading it further to enhance the flavour. He described the thick, rich chestnut veloute that came with the ravioli in the 3rd course and told us that the wild pheasant in the 5th course came from Glenmalure, just a few miles down the road...'I ring them up and say, I want 24 pheasant...and they go out and gather them up'. I was totally rapt.

All seven courses were, to me, incredible.
Course 1: Jerusalem Artichoke Soup - earthy, mellow, sweet...served with a brightly coloured chive oil.
Course 2: Ox Tongue & Portobello Mushroom Terrine - salty, meaty, delicate...delicious and as Fla pointed out, something that I might never order if offered it on an a la carte menu.
Course 3: Ravioli with Chestnut Veloute - light, rich, comforting...
Course 4 : A palette cleanser, mandarin jelly and beetroot granita. Beetroot? Really? Yes, really...possibly my favourite course. The beetroot looked like it had been crumbled over the top of the jelly, as soon as my spoon touched it, it melted. Sharp, tingly mandarin with the earthy, sweet taste of beetroot.
Course 5: Wild Irish Pheasant, cabbage puree, tomato & olive compote, salsify. I loved this least, but honestly, I adored every morsel.
Course 6: Orange Chocolate Fondant - happy Ruthie, chocolate....mmmmmmm... and no, it wasn't overdone as Alberto may have feared. Gooey and delicious.
Course 7: 3 Italian cheeses. Oh my word...is it over?

We finished up with the most delicious coffee, which we were later told is ordered direct from a supplier in Italy, who roasts the beans the day they are ordered and ships them directly to Oliveto. Mountain man doesn't really drink coffee in Ireland, but this double espresso bowled him over.

We were in the restaurant for 5 hours. We chatted comfortably with the most gorgeous couples sitting either side of us. We ate every morsel of food presented to us from what was described as the most challening season of all...and loved every bite. We took our time, we enjoyed wonderful conversation and left just before midnight, promising to return.

I won't wait until the next tasting menu and I would advise anyone else who loves good food not to wait too long either.

kale

2010-02-01T17:14:00.003Z

I promised to write about kale. I still have a bag of organic kale from the most gorgeous organic farm stand...in my fridge. It's been there for over a week. It's beginning to get a bit brown around the edges and laughs at me every time I go to the fridge. I don't really know what to do with it to make it sing. Sure, I can make soup or add it to a stir fry, but that's just a bit dull, don't you think?

Today I made celeriac and fennel soup. Yum. Still the kale looks on and laughs. It is so full of fibre, magnesium, B vitamins and other wonders...why can't I just eat it?

So, if anyone has any kale recipes, send them on. I will find something, eventually and I will buy kale while it is still in season and I promise to post a fantastic kale recipe, just not yet.

Spelt Pastry

2010-02-01T10:17:00.002Z

I've just posted the recipe I used to fill the spelt pastry shell I made last week and thought I had better post the recipe for the pastry I used! This is a version of a recipe my Mum has been using for years, since I was a child when she made applie pies on a regular basis. I don't often make pastry, but whenever I do, I have to phone my Mum to get the proportions. She has the recipe in her head, of course, and calls it out to me over the phone. I write the details on the back of an envelope and by the time I've made the pastry, the envelope has been recycled and I still don't know how to make pastry! Finally, I have written it down and now you get the benefit of my Mum's years of experience. The only change I've made to her recipe is to use wholegrain spelt flour rather than plain white, but you can use either, depending on what you're making.

When you're making pastry it's really important not to over handle it. So, minimal poking and stirring, rolled and folded as per the instructions below and then put in the fridge. When you use it and trim off the bits you don't need, you can use them again! Fold them, rather than squish them together and keep in the fridge or freezer.

I've used spelt flour because I like to avoid wheat when I can, as we do tend to eat far too much of the stuff. Spelt is an ancient grain which has not been farmed as intensively as wheat and therefore remains much as it was when humans first started growing it. It also contains less gluten than wheat so is easier to digest. Wholegrain spelt contains a broader range of nutrients in comparison to it's more inbred cousins, including manganese, B3, phosphorous and magnesium.

The Recipe!
12oz wholegrain spelt flour
8oz vegetable margarine
water to mix (approx 100-150ml)

Weight out the flour
Slice in the margarine and continue to break up with a knife, until the pieces of margarine are quite small.
Add the water slowly, and bring together with the flour mix.
The mix should be fairly dry, just barely holding together, stay on the dry side.
Put the mix on a floured counter and roll out.
Fold in 3 and roll out again
Fold in 3 and roll out again
Fold in 4 and put in the fridge until you need it.

Bad blogging practice

2010-02-01T09:55:00.006Z

I have had my wrist slapped by a reader of my blog. I promised to finish the recipe I started last week and never quite made it back to my laptop to do so. How incredibly remiss of me. Hopefully it's not too late, so here goes!

I gathered together the collection of random ingredients in my fridge; organic chestnut mushrooms, organic baby leek, Spanish chorizo, organic eggs, greek feta cheese and a little organic milk. A very quick stiry fry of some sliced garlic - a couple of cloves - 4 chestnut mushrooms and one small leek provided most of the filling. I added the chorizo to the pan at the last minute, then tipped the whole lot into the by now well chilled pastry shell (I had put it in the fridge that morning). I crumbled about 50g of feta over the top. 2 eggs and a little milk with a grind of fresh black pepper were gently whisked together and poured over the top of the tart filling. (You don't have to use the milk, eggs alone will do fine)

30 minutes in a 180C oven and the tart was cooked and crisp. Delicious served with a crisp green salad of rocket, baby spinach, avocado & some gently toasted seeds.

Spelt pastry

2010-01-27T11:39:00.004Z

I woke up this morning, jumped out of bed and danced around my bedroom to Elbow's 'On a Day Like This'. Somehow it spurred me on to think about dinner, at 7am, before the sun had even begun to show it's face. So, I rolled out some leftover spelt pastry and laid it into a dish.

I have no idea what will go into this speckled bowl of pastry. I have various bits and pieces in the fridge to choose from. Some kale, so good for me and yet...what to do with it (more on that later) beautiful yellow stone carrots from McNally's Family Farm in Dublin, feta cheese, the real McCoy chorizo (no nasty sweeteners, lactose or weird preservatives) from The Real Olive Company, sundried tomatoes, red pepper...mmmm, it's beginning to take shape already.

I'll post the recipe for whatever combination ends up filling the pastry, tomorrow.

Happy cooking and of course, eating.

Dairy Free Cashew Lasagne

2010-01-26T11:23:00.003Z

Mmmmm, it worked. So well, I sent mountain man home clutching 2 portions to keep him going until pay day. It's not a veggie recipe, but could very easily be made so using tofu instead of beef. So, here goes:

Cashew Lasagne
Wholegrain spelt lasagne sheets (Biona do a lovely one)
Ragu Ingredients:
piece of chorizo, about 150mm long, sliced thinly
pinch of cinnamon
1 onion, finely chopped
1 carrot, finely sliced
2 cloves of garlic, peeled and finely chopped
2 handfuls of mixed herbs, I used parsley, rosemary & thyme
unrefined, organic sunflower oil
700g lean minced beef
2 x 400g tins of good qualiy chopped tomatoes
2 glasses of red wine or water (I used water)
2 bay leaves
White Sauce Ingredients:
600g cashew nuts (approx)
water
salt & pepper

Making the ragu:
In a large, heavy based dish slowly fry the chorizo with the cinnamon for about 5 minutes, then add the onion, carrot, garlic & herbs and about 4 tbsp of sunflower oil.
Mix together, then add the minced beef.
Cook for about 5 minutes, then add the tinned tomatoes and wine/water.
Simmer very gently on the hob, lid on for around an hour and a half.
(Jamie Oliver suggests wetting a piece of greaseproof paper and placing it on top of the pan, followed by the lid. This will keep it from splashing all over the place)
After the initial simmering period, check the consistency of the sauce. I found I needed to remove the lid and simmer for another hour or so to get it to thicken up.

Making the white sauce:
Put the cashew nuts in a small blender and add about 200ml of water.
Blitz for a minute or so, then check the consistency.
Keep adding water slowly and blitzing until the mix is at a good consistency, like that of whipped cream.
Once you're happy with the consistency, season with salt & pepper.

Assembling the lasagne:
Turn the oven to 200C/400F/gas6
To assemble the lasagne, rub an earthenware or pyrex dish with sunflower oil.
Smear a layer of the white sauce on the bottom of the dish, cover with a layer of lasagne sheets and follow with the ragu.
Keep the layers fairly thin, each sauce is quite rich, so you don't need to go crazy.
Repeat the layers, white sauce, pasta, ragu, white sauce, pasta, ragu...until you have used all of the sauces or have run out of space!
Don't do more than 6 layers or it may not cook through.
Finish with a layer of white sauce and top with some sundried tomatoes.
Bake for no more than 30 minutes, or you will end up with soggy pasta sheets! There is no need to blanch the pasta beforehand!

Serve with a crisp green salad, delicious!

Cooked out...

2010-01-24T12:11:00.003Z

Last week I cooked and cooked and cooked. I love to cook...and eat...and feed people, but wow, I didn't stop all week! It was a new years resolution to do more cooking, but I think last week took the biscuit. Sunday morning began with wheat free granola, I moved into the evening with a roast chicken and the associated roast spuds, carrots and gravy - the gravy was my first attempt at gravy and it was absolutely gorgeous! - then followed on Monday with my favourite squash, red pepper and coconut soup and spelt bread. Of course the chicken carcass was turned into chicken stock and the remains of the chicken meat became omlettes, stir fries and sandwiches. On Friday night I made super yummy energy bars full of dried fruit and seeds - a must for the 7 hour long seminar I attended yesterday - and now, on Sunday afternoon I am planning a dairy and wheat free lasagne. Phew. I need to lie down.

I do understand why some people struggle to cook from scratch all the time, but I'm certain that the energy and optimism I felt this last week was due in no small part to the delicious, vital, healthy food I made for myself. I feel compelled to keep cooking.

Being a kid again...

2010-01-22T22:47:00.004Z

That toyota ad is in my head, stuck there...I've been singing it all day and I love it. I want to be that kid again...the one I was about 20 years ago. The one who climbed trees and winded herself by falling out of them on a regular basis, the one who had no fear - of high cliffs, rushing water, fast cars and roller coasters. I am still pretty fearless when it comes to fast cars and mountain tops, but less so with those more adult concerns; like love, business, friendship... So, today I am embracing the child in me, like the song says, 'give a little time for the child within you, don't be afraid to be young and free. Undo the locks and throw away the keys and take off your shoes and socks, and run you.'

Tomorrow I must sit in a hotel function room for 8 hours, listening to very important updates about the impact new EU legislation will have on the availability of nutritional supplements. For those 8 hours, I will be an adult, on Sunday I'm going for a ride on my bike, really fast, down a steep hill.

Detox the Old and Welcome the New You!

2010-01-14T22:02:00.000Z

January is officially the month for renewal and cleansing. Many of us have over indulged during the festive season, but even if we haven’t, this month gives us the perfect opportunity to reflect and adjust our lifestyles, eliminate bad habits and become the fabulous vibrant person we know we can be. A very popular first step in this process is detox-ing, which is a great kick start in eliminating any excess of chemicals in the system, easing the burden on the liver and kidneys and rejuvenating your entire body. There are many different approaches to detox-ing, some of which can result in quite extreme reactions without proper preparation or supervision. A simple and gentle way to start, without the need for supervision is to reduce or cut out completely the food and drink that makes life difficult for your digestive system, liver and kidneys. Start by cutting out dairy products, red meat, stimulants like tea & coffee and sugary treats for 1 week. This will give your body some breathing space and allow it to gently eliminate any build up of toxins. Feast on fresh fruit & vegetables, steamed fish, herbal teas and go easy on starchy foods like bread, pasta and potatoes. Ensuring you are drinking sufficient water, (between 1.5-2L every day) will also help this process. Instead of tea or coffee, start the day with fresh ginger, lemon and cayenne tea, stimulating your liver and digestive system and boosting circulation, so that you are ready for the day ahead. Enjoy the break from your normal routine and allow some space in this week of cleansing for some quiet personal time. 2010 won’t know what hit it.

You can make ginger, lemon & cayenne tea yourself by adding freshly sliced root ginger, a slice of lemon and a very small pinch of cayenne pepper to a cup of hot water. Cayenne pepper is quite hot, so start small and add more if you can take it.

Christmas Stress Relief

2009-12-15T22:55:00.001Z

At this time of year, many of us feel the strain and anxiety associated with Christmas. We are faced with endless to-do lists, often contrary, difficult relatives and the perfect present to find for our loved ones. It's a lot to take on.

No matter how grounded or organised we are, there is bound to be an instance when we want to disappear to a desert island with a bottle of rum and a good book - or is that just me? Sometimes we can't escape, sometimes we just have to deal with the situation as best we can and in fact learning to accept whatever life throws at us makes it easier in the long run.

So how do we deal with it? We may not have any choice about being in a difficult, stressful situation, sometimes there is no avoiding it. We do get to choose how to respond though.

I learned something in my yoga class this morning and it struck me as incredibly valuable. When you are faced with a difficult situation...accept where you are. It is what it is. Rather than focusing on the difficulty, without trying to change your mind, change your body. Breathe into your belly, focus your atention on a point about 5cm below your navel. This point represents your core, your centre, the middle of your being. While you do that, broaden your gaze. What I mean by that is rather than focus on a fixed point, extend your vision so you are noticing the peripheries. This simple act sends a message to your optic nerve which tells your brain to relax and hey presto, your body follows suit. It is impossible to be anxious if you do this...Try it. I did and I'm still a bit stunned at how easy and effective it was.

Merry Christmas

Finished

2009-06-18T22:11:00.002+01:00

At last, after 3 years of hard slog, I have finished my training to be a nutritional therapist. I handed in my final assignment yesterday and wanted to jump up & down, celebrate...open a bottle of champagne. I didn't get to celebrate, but all in good time :-) The results will be a mystery until the end of July, but I'm happy to have it all done, finally.

So now, the new challenge...a new business?! What will it be? What will my focus be? What am I offering? I have been working in a health food shop a couple of days a week to get a feel for what's needed, where people are at...and it's wide ranging! An awful lot of people simply do not know how to cook. I would like to make a dent in that lack of knowledge, I would like to empower people and introduce some serious changes to the way we relate to food.

Of course this includes me. I have spent the last few months studying, researching, writing...not eating well, getting lazy with yoga, losing sight of some of the things that are important to me. I have ended up with a horrid cold, a very sore back and a tired body. I am ready to relearn some of my own lessons.

Super unhealthy but yummy...kiberryoffee?

2009-05-19T08:57:00.004+01:00

Last Monday was a friend's birthday. As a dedicated sugar addict, he asked me to make him a banoffee as a birthday cake, but instead of bananas, he wanted raspberries and kiwis. I hate to admit it, but it was so so good. My next challenge is to figure out a way to make it without the heart attack warning. In the meantime...

Ingredients:
The base:
8oz digestive biscuits
3oz butter
The caramel:
4oz margarine (stork or similar)
4oz caster sugar
1 small tin sweetened condensed milk
Fruit of your choice - I went with raspberries (8oz) & kiwis (3)
Freshly whipped cream

8" non-stick cake tin with loose base, greased.

Bash up the biscuits - to do this you can put them in a bag & bash with a rolling pin or put in your mortar and pestle and go to town. When they are down to a rough crumb you're ready.
Melt the butter and add to the crushed biscuits, mix thoroughly.
Add the biscuits mix to the tin and press in firmly.
To make the caramel, put the condensed milk, sugar & margarine in a saucepan and melt. Stirring all the time, it will probably take about 10 minutes for it to go a deeper caramel colour. keep stirring until you're happy with the colour & consistency. Don't be tempted to taste it, melted sugar is VERY HOT!
Allow the caramel to cool a little, then pour on top of the bisuit base.
Chop up the kiwis and rinse the raspberries, keeping a few aside as a topping, and add on top of the caramel.
Top the fruit off with whipped cream and dress with a few pieces of fruit.
Keep in the fridge and enjoy at will, it won't last long!

Food in Lanzarote

2009-05-03T17:31:00.003+01:00

I spent a week in Puerto del Carmen last week, a resort in Lanzarote, which certainly would not be my first choice. I am more of an 'off the beaten track' kind of girl, so staying in an apartment on 'the strip' was out of character for me. However, I did manage to find some rather lovely restaurants, which helped me to stay sane for the week! If you are attempting a week in Lanzarote, try these out:

Antica Trattoria Di Verona: a surprisingly good, actually, excellent Italian restaurant on Avenida Las Playas. It's towards the airport side of the 'strip', right along the sea front of the resort town and stands out among a crowded market place. I ate there 5 or 6 times in one week, each time the service was supremely good - subtle, efficient, friendly, fast... The food was excellent, far better than I expected and wonderful value. It's hard to describe a landmark to help in finding this place, but it is near an apartment complex called 'Barcarola Club' and about 5km from the old town. Go there, it's worth the walk.

The other restaurant that stood out for me last week was Cafe del Carmen. It's an upstairs venue, over a Spar shop which is a bit further from the old town than the Italian mentioned above. Amazing views are the star of the show, very chilled out leather sofas for those not dining, yummy cocktails and free Wifi if you eat or drink there. Wonderful! The prices are a bit steep for the area, but a visit or two is certainly justified. The food is reliably good and the staff are somewhat cool & trendy. The music is a bit rubbish, lots & lots of pop sensations, ranging from Guns n Roses to Britney, which I found hard to be around, but they will turn it down if you ask nicely :-)

A lesson learned

2009-04-13T18:40:00.004+01:00

Last week I went out on my bike for a cycle around the block. It was just a cycle around the block, so I didn't wear all of the armour I usually would if I were going out on the mountain, after all, I wasn't going to do anything dangerous.

This is evidence of the damage I did to myself, while practising bunny hops. My feet slipped off the pedals, my right shin met the borrowed pedals I had at the time - aka bear traps - and boy did it hurt. It really wasn't that deep; there isn't very uch skin on one's shin anyway, but I felt like an idiot. Serves me right for not wearing armour. The lesson? Always be prepared and never practise moves on your bike without protection, unless you fancy some scars, which I don't.

Green 19

2009-04-02T14:39:00.003+01:00

Today I had lunch in Green 19, a fresh, lively restaurant on Camden St in Dublin. It's presence in the city is very welcome, no main courses over €10, cocktails all priced @ €9, espresso for €1.50! In these recessionary times, opening a restaurant would seem to be the craziest idea on the planet, but not so here. The decor is fresh & clean, with oak tables and stair treads providing some warmth to the colour scheme. Someone very clever added a small seating area outside, looking out over Camden St - allowing for smokers and sun worshippers to be part of the action. I got there early with my lunch companion to ensure we got a seat and on leaving just after 1pm there was a small queue forming at the door!

We shared a starter of Bluebell Falls Honeyed Fresh Goats Cheese with walnuts & roast pear - oh my word, heaven... I haven't had that particular goats cheese before, but it was creamy, delicately herbed & yummy... The salad leaves were impeccably fresh with a mix of rocket, baby spinach and mustard leaves, a lovely bitter accompaniment to the sweetness of the pear & honey dressing. Main courses were Beer Battered Fish & Chips for me and Braised Lamb Chump with winter root veg & baby potatoes for my eager companion. I was slightly disappointed with the fish - while the batter was perfectly crisp and delicious, the fish itself was somehow a bit soggy and tasteless. The chips were clearly homemade and tasty, if a bit overcooked. The lamp chump was the star of the show, tender and gorgeous with perfectly cooked carrots & parsnips.

Unlike most Irish diners, I did mention my problem with the fish and while the bill remained unaffected, the waitress was genuinely concerned and insisted on telling the chef, which was all I had hoped for. I also got a very sincere apology, more than expected.

Dessert was a must and despite there being only two choices, I managed to make a decision & gorged myself on the Chocolate Brownie with vanilla ice-cream. Oh wow, this was something else. Rich, chocolatey divine slightly gooey brownie, with whole hazlenuts contrasted beautifully with the vanilla icecream. My companion had an espresso and with all of that, plus two glasses of wine the bill came to a very reasonable total of €42.50.

Yum yum, try it if you're in Dublin, truly delicious, with quick discreet service, lively atmosphere and good food at a very reasonable price.

The final stretch

2009-04-01T10:55:00.002+01:00

Last Saturday I sat a final exam and apart from some sneeaky questions coming up, it seemed to go pretty well. It aggravates me when that happens - we had been given lists of learning outcomes for each body system, on which the exam would be based. For some strange reason, questions came up that, as far as I can tell, were not on the agreed learning outcomes! Very frustrating, but I wrote my heart out for 2 hours straight, so I think I did ok!

To celebrate finishing the exam, on Monday evening I went for a ride on my bike, on dream track, the downhill track behind my house - any excuse! Having pushed up to the top, trying desperately to beat the fading light, I bombed down, so happy with myself for managing to let go of the brakes marginally more than the last time!!! Halfway down I realised I had a flat. Damn it! I ended up pushing my bike back to the car, leaving my boyfriend on th hill with his bike and driving home. What a disappointment... It was my first puncture and this is what I learned:

1. Make sure tyres are sufficiently inflated. I think the reason I got the puncture was because my rear tyre was too soft and the fairly gnarly terrain basically ate the tube.
2. ALWAYS bring a pump and puncture repair kit on a ride. I had both, but the pump didn't work on my tyres, despite being the right kind. Make sure to test it at home first!

So, now I had to fix the puncture. I have vague memories of my Dad doing this for me when I was a kid, putting the tube into a basin of water to find the holes, but I had never done it myself and had no real clue what to do. Enter google! I found a few guides on how to repair a puncture, but this was the most useful from Bike Radar

A few things that this video doesn't tell you:
1. When you sand the patch of tyre to be repaired, sand it really well! If there are seams in the rubber, they need to be completely smooth, or the patch won't stick. Sand the area much more than you think you need to. The rubber patch you use is really strong, so you don't need to worry about putting a hole in the tube!
2. When sanding the patch of rubber on the tube, it helps to stretch it over your knee while sitting down.
3. Possibly the most important thing to remember to do is test the tube in water before you put it back on the wheel. I found 2 more holes when I did this! Also, if you have time, pump the tube up and leave it for a few hours. There may be some tiny holes that you don't notice, even when submerged in water! Finally, when the tube & tyre are off the wheel, check both the rim and tyre for any jagged edges or sharp thorns. Try to find out what caused the puncture.

Final countdown...

2009-03-27T21:05:00.002Z

Tomorrow I will sit my final exam...well, final exam for one module of my course with the IINH. Friends & family who ask me when my 'finals' are seem to think tomorrow is the final hurdle, but really, it's one of many. Anatomy, Physiology & Pathophysiology is tomorrow and it's the only module we have a sit down exam for. Still on the list is a literature review, dissertation, clinical case study write up, modelling project for practitioner development skills and clinic log. D-day is 20th of June and I have to say I am looking forward to it.

I have been looking forward to that day for, oh at least a year and yet, it struck me recently that it's only the beginning. That day in June won't signify the end of the hard slog, just the end of one phase of it and that is a tough pill to swallow. I have so much work to do to get my skills up to standard and at the same time build my new business! I'm scared of that, no idea where to start really, but I'll figure it out and the roller coaster will keep on running. How naive of me to think that I could sit back and relax once I had finished college!

So, I think I have read about as much as I can for tomorrow's exam. I can do no more. Fingers crossed the topics I can wax lyrical about will come up! Wow, it's after 9pm already, almost time to get my ass into bed so I'm bright & shiny for tomorrow.

New beginnings

2009-03-19T23:20:00.003Z

Two friends of mine have, in the last week, launched new businesses and associated websites. In a time of hibernation, fear and preserving resources these brave excited human beings are taking a chance,ignoring the begrudgers & fearful, trusting that their ideas are sound.

One is a florist, who has, after much sweating and tearing out of hair, launched wildbunches.ie a wonderful, cheeky, elegant, refreshing way to buy flowers online.

The other is...well, he defies a label. He is a sprite, a lightbulb, a slap in the face. Every time we speak, which sadly is not often enough, he has a new idea, has progressed the last idea to the next level, has discarded the ones that were not delivering...and he still has time to question me on my intentions, my progress - groan! This kite surfing dynamite has launched westcorkstags.com the boutique west cork hostel, providing exhilarating weekends for those crazy people about to tie the knot and looking for one last hurrah. Indeed.

I am impressed, I am somewhat ashamed...but it is spurring me on.

Learning to Learn and the Simple Pleasures in Life

2009-03-13T11:28:00.005Z

I've been so busy having fun for the last few days that I haven't had a chance to blog! I have taken a leaf out of William Nealy's book (Mountain Bike! A Manual of Beginning to Advanced Technique) and am learning to learn. His theory goes something like this:

Most mountain bike learning is of the self instructed variety. You ride progressively harder & harder stuff and learn from your mistakes. Eventually you will train your body to react quickly and instinctively to a wide variety of obstacles and trail conditions while having loads of fun. The golden rule of successful self teaching is 'Be kind to your student'. Before you begin a self training session RELAX; this aint Wall Street. You can't lose riding a mountain bike. If you are working on a technique and you fail 2 or 3 times in a row STOP!! So something else & try again later. This is called 'training to failure'. If you push a training session beyond 3 successive failures you are 'training to fail'. As you become more adept at self teaching and pushing yourself appropriately you'll be able to discren where good (beneficial) training ends & bad (regressive) training begins. HINT: lack of fun marks the spot.

Couldn't we apply this approach to any new skill we want to learn? Dare I suggest that we could even use it to learn non physical skills? Try hard a few times, but don't keep trying if you're getting nowhere, do something else & come back to it. That way you are not setting up a pattern of failure associated with that skill or task Works for me. On Wednesday I tackled a steep chute that has defied me every time I have attempted it (no more than 3 times each occasion!) and I did it! I had a great day's riding & finished it off with that. I wanted to celebrate, whoop, holler, jump for joy....so I did! And then I did it again, just for kicks.

On one of my journeys across the back roads of the Dublin mountains, I passed a little old man and his wife, girlfrend, sister (?) in a Mark One VW Golf.

I noticed the ccar first, a lovely old goldy green colour...and then the driver caught my eye. He must have been it's 'one careful gentleman owner', he looked so proud, happy, smug almost...and it made me smile. He didn't notice the effect he had on me, but that smile lasted all day, it set me up for a great day's riding. A simple pleasure for him, maybe even a random act of kindness.

Happy Friday.

Breakfast thoughts...

2009-03-11T08:13:00.003Z

As I eat breakfast (bowl of porridge, with quinoa, sultanas & berries) I am revising for my final exam at the end of this month, module 1 is the musculoskeletal system...and it occurs to me, not for the first time, how the facts about how the body works is manipulated to suit those who have something to sell.

It is a fact that bones contain a whole lot of calcium, in the form of calcium carbonate, as well as magnesium hydroxide, fluoride & sulphate. It is also a fact that this store of calcium acts as an alkaline buffer when the blood becomes too acidic - due to diet, stress, toxins... This means that calcium is leached from the bones into the blood to balance it's PH. So, we could be forgiven for thinking we need to eat lots & lots of calcium carbonate to protect our bones. Here comes the twist: Calcium carbonate is incredibly difficult to absorb, so taking supplements of this form is a waste of time. For some reason, this is the form of calcium in most supplements. Why, when calcium citrate is much easier to absorb? Yet another twist; eating copious amounts of dairy for it's calcium content seems to make sense. But does it?

Well, dairy foods also contain a lot of animal protein, which in itself is not a bad thing, but it is acid forming, ie it lowers the PH level of the blood and makes it acidic. Which in turn leeches calcium from the bones. So, in a nutshell, including dairy in your diet for it's calcium content is more likely to damage your bones than suport & strengthen them. I wonder why the dairy board tells us otherwise?

For now, bear in mind that calcium is not the only mineral we need for healthy bones. Magnesium is also vital, along with Boron, Vitamin D & Vitamin C. Eating a varied diet, with plenty of vegetables, wholegrains and good quality fats is the way to go and certainly has more than enough calcium. Check it out, read the research...in the not too distant future, I will have links to all of this information on my website - watch this space.

2009-03-10T11:36:00.003Z

Last night I watched a documentary; Space Station, narrated by Tom Cruise; originally shot for IMAX format and you can tell. There are some of the most beautiful shots of space I have ever seen, and some edge of your seat sequences of shuttle take off. One astronaut's comment that you can't see borders from where they are, 220 miles above the earth really stuck with me. You can't tell where the United States ends & Mexico begins. For him, the experience made him feel part of humankind, rather than any particular nationality.

It got me thinking, especially after the last few days when continuity IRA members are trying to maintain a presence in the north of Ireland. They say that 'as long as there is British involvement in Ireland, these attacks will continue' What planet are they on? Who do they think they are? We are all one, we are all humankind, there are no borders, really. There is no 'us' & 'them'.

What does that have to do with food? Nothing, but it has something to do with humanity and kindness, love and respect. Eating well is just one thing we can all do to respect our bodies and live long & healthy lives. Being respectful of those around us, being grateful for what we have is just as nurturing and healthful.

Today, I am mostly researching salicylate & histamine intolerances for a client; baking banana bread (that's an overflow from last week!) and committing random acts of kindness.

Banan Bread

2009-03-06T09:53:00.002Z

This recipe is sugar & dairy free. Using spelt flour reduces the gluten content too and even for those without gluten sensitivity tends to be easier to digest than wheat flour. The agave syrup is incredibly sweet, you may decide to adjust this further once you've tried it. Enjoy!

120ml sunflower oil
100ml agave syrup
2 eggs
2 very ripe bananas, mashed
180g wholemeal flour (spelt is wonderful!)
1tsp baking powder
55g toasted walnuts, roughly chopped

Preheat oven to 375F/190C
Whisk oil & syrup together, add mashed bananas & mix thoroughly
Add sifted flour, baking powder & walnuts
Pour the mix into 1lb loaf tin (23 x 11 x 5cm)
Bake for 35-40 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean (remember, because this is made with fresh bananas the loaf will be quite moist)
To bake muffins, prepare the batter as above and bake for 20-25 minutes at 400F/200C in center of oven
Cool for 10 minutes in the tin, before removing and cooling on a wire rack

Happy Friday...

2009-03-06T09:05:00.004Z

I recently bought some wonderfully inexpensive kilner style jars from IKEA and yesterday got an indecent amount of pleasure from emptying bags of beans, cous cous, pasta & lentils into them. My larder is now an oasis of order and calm. No more random bags, tied with elastic bags. No more rooting around blindly for those linseeds I'm sure I had...ah the simple pleasures

Yesterday was a funny day, the day after my birthday and somewhat anti-climactic, but I actually got a lot done. Finally worked out how to export tasks from my mind-mapping programme to outlook, so now I have a 'real' to do list; no more forgotten tasks.

Today I'm working on my website (soon to be launched, watch this space) studying for my final exam at the end of the month (eeek) and doing some preparatory reading for the literature review. I'm really glad that I've started early, focused and ready to get stuck in. With any luck I'll get it all done and spend the afternoon baking (banana bread) and preparing dinner, chicken, chorizo & cannellini bean (inspired by my larder clear out) stew. Yum.

2009-03-04T16:07:00.007Z

An update on yesterday - found 4 of the research papers I am critiquing for my literature review - hooray! I also had a very successful meeting with the director of my college, who told me not to worry about the fees I owe. They will wait until I have the money and will just hold off on awarding me the diploma until then! What a relief...

I woke this morning to sunshine streaming in the window and lay there marveling at it for an hour, wondering where the hail, sleet & snow we were promised was hiding. A birthday present
of the best boots on the planet from Glenn (fiveten's with super cool stealth rubber soles to keep my feet on the pedals!) encouraged me out of bed and on the road with my bike strapped to the back of the car.

Almost 2 hours of riding later, I was covered in muck, snow and sweat - a pretty sight indeed. I arrived at Ballinastoe mountain bike trail before anyone else and had the mountain to myself, for a short while at least. Snow must have been falling for a few days, there was at least 3 inches in places...so so beautiful, but my word, hard to cycle on; especially with my novice skills! I slipped and skidded around the 14km of trails, but had loads of fun. Winter Wonderland doesn't describe it, such unexpected sparkly gorgeousness, I had to take some photos.
A few hours later I was surrounded by girlfriends in Powerscourt House having the most delicious lunch - pea & mint soup; gorgeous texture and minty flavour and lovely fresh wholefood salads. The soup came with a multiseed bread, a specialty of Avoca who run the cafe there, in hindsight I should have bought a whole loaf! Home again, with a cup of steaming hot Butlers chocolate (another gift from Glenn) and a very tired achey body. Happy birthday to me!

The day before the big day

2009-03-03T10:09:00.001Z

Tuesday, 3rd of March...tomorrow is my birthday and I'm going to be 31! Yikes... Quite excited about it actually, looking forward to a fun day - going out for a ride on my bike, meeting a friend for coffee in the afternoon, popping into St. Declan's school where I used to work - to say Hi to the kids there...that'll bring a smile to my face!

Yesterday was a good day. I got an awful lot done which included the design of a flyer for my new business. I spent all morning on it, but I'm happy with progress. Yesterday evening I spent a few hours on the couch with my partner Glenn, both of us working on our websites! It needs quite a bit of work, but I am doing it myself, which is a massive learning curve. I also played around with the settings on this blog and now it looks pretty awful, so need to fix that!

Today, well today will be a busy one. I need to get some work done on my literature review for college - find 5 papers to critique and get stuck in! I'll spend a few hours on that and this afternoon I have a meeting with the director of the college. He doesn't know why we're meeting, but I need to convince him to let me finish the course, despite the fact that I owe most of the fee for this year! Hopefully he'll be in a position to bend the rules for me...we'll see! If he can't, I'll have to magic up the money from somewhere. The universe is sure to provide, it always does.

A yoga class this evening with the wonderful Mari Kennedy will be followed by more work on 'My best year yet!' I really want to have worked out my 10 goals by the end of the day, with my birthday tomorrow, it seems the perfect beginning to a new year!

Carrot Cake

2009-03-02T10:01:00.002Z

Ingredients

3 medium eggs
175g soft brown sugar/120ml agave syrup
175g plain flour (or a mix of wholegrain spelt & white)
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
175ml sunflower oil
175g walnut pieces
2 ripe, medium bananas, mashed
175g grated carrot

Icing
75g butter, softened
75g cream cheese
150g icing sugar, sifted (or 100ml agave syrup or 50g xylitol)
1 tsp vanilla extract
Chopped walnuts, to decorate

Greek or Natural yoghurt on top, no icing or sugar!

Method

Preheat the oven to 170°C, gas mark 3. Grease a 20cm-diameter cake tin with removable base.
Beat the eggs and the sugar/syrup together until thick. If you do use the syrup, the mix will be a lot wetter, but it still works! Sift in the flour, baking powder, salt and bicarbonate of soda. Mix well then add the oil and walnuts, then the banana and carrot.
Pour into the tin. Bake for 1¼ hours or until a skewer comes out clean (with the banana in this it doesn’t really come out clean!) Cover with foil if it begins to brown too much. Cool on a rack.
For the icing, beat the butter and cheese together, then add the sugar and vanilla. Spread on the cold cake. Finish with chopped walnuts.

Motivational Monday

2009-03-02T09:58:00.002Z

Motivational Monday!

I woke up to Motivational Monday on 103.2 Dublin City FM 'I am what I am' helping me to raise myself from my warm & cosy bed. After another gloriously sunny weekend I woke up to grey skies and a cold wind this morning. Better for getting some real work done I guess!

I'm reading a rather wonderful book at the moment,'Your Best Year Yet' by Jinny Ditzzler. The idea behind it is to come up with 10 goals for the year ahead, but to arrive at that point, you first need to assess the previous years achievements, disappointments and lessons. Just going through the process is fascinating and forcing me to take a good hard look at the way I operate, the things I should be proud of, the small changes I can make so that I actually achieve those goals! I'm only half way through the book and already I am excited about the coming year. It's quite apt really, given that it's my birthday on Wednesday...the new year can start then!

This morning I am also re0rdering my free business cards...the first batch I had done were wonderful, but of course I spotted several things I wanted to change as soon as they arrived! It's really exciting to be embarking on this journey, but I know in my heart & soul that I need to put in a huge amount of planning before anything real actually happens. A good friend of mine said to me some time ago that the amount of planning needed to set up your own business is akin to that needed to murder someone. Interesting guy...and at the time I thought he was a bit mad & scary, but I see now how true it is.

Getting back to food; I have a rather fabulous carrot cake recipe, which I made at the weekend to share...I'll post it up seperately. It even satisfied the sugar fiends in my house and was completely sugar free!

A new step

2009-02-24T11:20:00.001Z

It’s a funny old grey morning in Dublin, after stunning blinding spring sunshine yesterday, it's bit of a surprise, how silly of me. I stood on my balcony earlier, arms outstretched getting a hug from the world and felt a bit overwhelmed by my task...it's exciting and until this morning wasn't scary, but today, it is for some reason.

So, what does the day hold? Some job hunting and brainstorming for the next steps I need to take. Lunch with Sarah, register with FAS training - see if I can find some courses that they can help me with...then a delicious yoga class this evening and maybe some pancakes, as it's Pancake Tuesday, any excuse :-)

What does the day hold for the rest of the world? Who else is out there, taking heart with the day, the promise of sunshine and beginning again?

Super Healthy Super Food Super Fast

2009-02-19T13:47:00.002Z

I'm looking out at the mountain behind my house, shrouded in mist...after glorious sunshine just two days ago and have to agree with that notion of Irish weather, the one thing you can guarantee is that you can't guarantee it. Like the economy, bank charges, employment...I arrived to work today after less than 7 weeks of employment, to be told that they are letting me go. Hard to believe, but amazingly, after the initial shock I am quite relieved. Despite my love of all things food related, including kitchen design, I am not a salesperson...not they kind they wanted me to be at any rate. So I am free, liberated, one of the great unwashed...and that feels remarkably good. Of course I need money, but I am considering my options and the concept of pushing forwards with nutritional therapy, in a very practical way; counselling, shopping trips, cooking lessons in the person's home...I have no idea how successful an idea it is, but I can make anything work, once I believe in it! That I know to be true.I have booked in for a session of acupunture with a very talented, gifted indeed, healer friend of mine later today. He is a very special human being, so I must take full advantage of any opportunity to spend time in his company, as he may soon disappear into celebrity.

The wild outdoors

2008-12-13T21:20:00.000Z

On the couch...with achey legs and arms after a morning on my bike in Ballinastoe, Co. Wicklow. 3 hours with Niall Davis from allmountainexperience. What an incredible morning! And what a wonderful Christmas present from my partner Glenn. I managed a bunny hop for the first time, after several sweaty nights in the basement car park trying to achieve the same thing. Not only did I manage it, I even used it a few times on the trail. My track stand is coming along nicely too, even if Niall was holding the back wheel while I perfected it :-) No crashes either, although I have heard someone wise saying once 'if you don't crash, you're not going fast enough'.

recipe

2008-12-11T17:15:00.001Z

I thought the recipe for Apple & Berry Crumble might appeal...sugar, yeast, wheat & dairy free, but still tastes yummy :-)

Crumble:
100g rolled oats
50g ground almonds
50g flaked almonds (I used flaked coconut last night!)
50g sesame seeds
50g sunflower seeds (pumpkin seeds last night, worked well!)
2 tbsp sunflower oil

Fruit filling:
8 eating apples, peeled and sliced
450g berries (raspberries, blueberries etc)
1 tbsp water
2 tbsp sugar free sweetener (Agave syrup is great)

Preheat oven to 180 C
Mix all of the crumble ingredients together in a bowl, mix well
Put the sliced apples in a saucepan with the water and sweetener and cook, lid on for 5 minutes
Add half the berries and cook for another 5 minutes, until soft but still holding it's shape
Put the fruit mix into an oven proof dish and top with the crumble.
Pop in the oven for 20-30 minutes.
Enjoy with cream, or for dairy free alternative use cashew cream (cashew nuts and water, blended to a smooth cream, yum yum)

My life in bullet points

2008-12-11T07:40:00.000Z

Sometimes I wonder if it might be possible to live life as a series of bullet points. Wouldn't that be easier?
Wednesday 10th Dec
6am: Up out of bed
7am: School
7.05 - 7.15: Meditate
7.15 - 8.00: Nap on beanbags in library (yes really)
12.30: Trip to Tesco to buy ingredients for cooking with children tomorrow & Boots to buy headlice treatment (yes really)
2.30: Depart school with haste
3.00 - 6.30: Cook up a storm, shepherd's pie for my friend who has recently been widowed, apple & berry crumble for the NTOI (Nutritional Therapists of Ireland) committee meeting
7.00-11.00: NTOI Committee meeting
11.15 - 12.30am: Watch Horizon episode about allergies, fascinating!

Now that looks much more manageable! Today should be a bit calmer! Cooking with the kids, study in the afternoon - pharmacology assignment due in this Sunday and I haven't started yet! - and yoga at 6, followed by a trip to my friend's house with food for her freezer.

the next step?

2008-12-01T17:04:00.001Z

Hello everyone, well it's been a while since I posted anything new...life has been pretty topsy turvy for me lately.

I have been trying to work out how my career path should be directed and while I'm still studying, I've decided to get back into full time employment. This decision is not an easy one, part of me wants to devote all of time and energy to study and developing my new path, but I have to pay the bills too! Of course, I am still working on my new website, which launched recently (www.ruthmckenna.com) and even managed to squeeze in a cookery evening about 10 days ago; a fundraiser for St. Vincent de Paul. An entertaining, giggly, fun night, in a beautiful castle in Co. Louth...

Off to read material from the 'Food for the Brain' conference back in October!

Late night preparations

2008-09-16T23:01:00.000+01:00

16th September, 22.39

Just back from Annie's/ I'm pretty tired, on my feet all afternoon & evening, but it went really well! Annie & I took turns with recipes, we each had a bit to say about the ingredients, nutrients, benefits...everything was tasted (by Frank, Annie's husband too, who was brutally honest with us!) and I'm pretty happy... A few logistical things to work out, like ensuring we have all the utensils we need for each dish...and having all of the ingredients for each dish together on one tray or plate, so we don't forget anything! Like the miso paste for the laksa I'm doing; one of the most important ingredients (and tonight I forgot it!)

Time for bed...early start tomorrow...college work to do!

Ruth

2008-09-16T22:56:00.000+01:00

16th September

Up until 1am this morning, pulling together the final recipe choices, preparing recipe cards for the classes and working on my brand new website! I want these classes to be more than just the usual 'demo, watch, taste' experience. I want to educate and share what I know, about food, how to cook it, but also how it can heal, soothe nourish. So, the recipe cards include info about some of the ingredients, particularly the more unusual ones that I think people may not be familiar with. I'm working on striking a balance between informing, inspiring & entertaining, without overwhelming!

This afternoon Annie & I will trial each of our recipes, time outselves and work out a running order for the night. I neglected to put a price on the flyers I designed for the first taster night next Wednesday, so we have to do it for free...first step into the world of business and I am already losing money! Oh boy, this should be interesting!

Ruth

The beginning!

2008-09-16T22:52:00.000+01:00

15th September

I am sitting here, surrounded by cook books, notes, scraps of paper with scribbled recipes and my 'bible' of ideas & recipes collected since, oh forever...desperately trying to decide what to cok for my first cookery class. It's a taster night, a teaser, something I am doing with my good friend Annie... She has professional chef's training and I am in my final year of graduate studies to qualify as a nutritional therapist. It's really incredibly exciting...but terrifying at the same time! I hope this taster night will work to excite, inspire and also encourage our first 'students' to come back for more. Here's hoping I will say the right things & remember all the ingredients!

Ruth