Christmas/New Year's dress

Posting for pure posterity the beautiful dress that my mother bought for me - which I wore on Christmas Day and today for dinner in my mother's.  She has great taste and a great eye!

Nice neighbour....

This morning our neighbour Bill Cooper photographer, dropped a beautiful surprise into our letterbox.

This is Harry staring wistfully into Billy's window.  Isn't it great?!

Cereal Killers Movie

So (obviously) over Christmas I haven't stopped eating...and still haven't stopped yet!!!!

My plan is to go on a diet on the 2nd of January.

A friend of mine sent me a link to a film which I have just finished watching.  I'd thoroughly reccomend it.  It is an hour long, but it is the best hour you can spend.  When you see what sugars do to your body it will change your way of thinking...

Watch Cereal Killers Movie from this link

Let me know what you think!  I will keep you updated how my NEW diet goes from 2nd of Jan.

Yankee Candle, Blanchardstown

I cycled over to the Blanchardstown Towncentre today.  So nice to get off the couch and out on the bike!

As my Christmas Cookie yankee candle had just burned out I decided I would treat myself to a new one.

40% off all Christmas candles!

I bought a giftset of three, normally €24 but reduced to €15

I do like Yankee :-)  This is my current collection.  

On the left is Vanilla Lime which is my absolutely favourite - reminds me of Key West (lime pie!!!)

Spice of India

 

Spice of India, on South William Street, is "ok" decorated.  This photograph probably looks better than it is in real life.  Personally I think they should play up the Indian and do darker more patterned walls.

 

 Nice poppodums and chutneys.  Nyom.

Starters of shish kebab.  

Chicken pakora.  

Which when I ordered I immediately regretted.  They were noted on the menu as "appropriate for kids" and I though "oh no, theses are just going to be chicken nuggets!!!!!!"

But they were not.  Nice light delicately spiced batter, very nice indeed.

Mains!

Chicken bhuna which was very tasty.

 

Canapes

You may recall, some time back I posted about the canapes I was planning for Christmas.

Step by step guide below to my "now famous" Deconstructed Brown Bread and Salmon.  

Sprinkle crumbled up brown bread in bottom of mini martini/schnaps glasses

Squeeze of lemon juice for flavour and moisture

Pipe salmon mousse on top of brown bread

Sprinkle more crumbled up brown bread on top

Garnish with lemon

Et voila!

Mini bagels with cream cheese and smoked salmon.  

Pork belly squares.

Deconstructed salmon and brown bread.

Coquilles St Jacques!

Moi.  Tres happy with my work :-)

Candy!

In a supermarket near my work they have recently stocked a shelf full of American sweets and products.

(Here in Ireland what Americans call "candy", we call "sweets".)

Over on the cereal aisle they have Lucky Charms and Reese's Puffs.  

Contrary to popular opinion Lucky Charms are not indigenous to Ireland!!!!  Seriously!

Both of these boxes were priced at €7.99!!!!  That's about 11 dollars!

To compare - the All Bran beside the Reeces are priced at €3.99

Nelson Mandela 1918 - 2013

RIP Nelson Mandela

Go well great man

Butterflies are Free

You know those great little films that you come across by pure chance on a tv channel of a Saturday afternoon?

Well Butterflies are Free is one of those gems!

It stars a young and absolutely adorable Goldie Hawn who's new next door neighbour turns out to be a blind boy seeking independence from his overbearing mother.

It's a beautiful and quirky film that I would recommend you watch if you ever come across it.

Now, is it just me or does the the actor Zac Ephron look very like Albert Edward????

It is hard to see in these photographs but I think when you see them on film it is their eyes that makes the similarity.

Sunday Funday

I had a lovely Sunday today.

I got out on my bike and cycled to the Towncentre at about 11.30.

I was craving scrambled egg for some strange reason so I went to what I call Kay's Kitchen but which has apparently changed name to Kay's Foodhall.  I guess it sounds a bit posher or something!

€4.95 for this - good value I think.

The scrambled eggs were okay.  Not as buttery as I was dreaming they would be, but they hit the spot.

Then I went to Starbucks and just chilled out on their free wifi for a couple of hours.

Kris Kindle - for work colleague

We do Kris Kindle in work and I always find it difficult to know what to buy.

I think I bought something fun this year.  It's an "Air Mail Catapult".

Apparently it is "like email, but more fun"

:-)