Donya Coward

Just came across the work of 

Donya Coward

on Abigail Ahern's FB page

You know that feeling when you see something and your heart races

Almost like a little panic attack.......

A panic attack about just how exquisite something is.....

well, 

Donya uses vintage lace and beading to create these 

The magpie above and Zebra are my favourites

The eyelashes..... !

Intricate and exquisite 

x 

Sheridans Food festival

Yesterday was Sheridans Food Festival
there were so many things I was looking forward to
and it did not disappoint

This really is an exciting time for food in Ireland

I was blown away by not only the quality but also the quantity of
incredible food producers here

The cheese selection was amazzzzzingggg
and I love my cheese

There were also fantastic breads

good coffee

a new to me tea label

Some of them smelled so good I could have worn them as perfume
I purchased the Morrocan mint....... delicious

There were Food "celebrities "
including Donal Skehan 
and the Doyenne of the irish food movement herself

If you don't already own her book then you must go and buy it
Indeed any of her books, they are all must haves and ones you will go back to again and again

As well as food there were a small number of non food items
including my Friend Vanessa from
Very Pure soap

I use the face oil and oil cleanser and they are really great products
especially if you have sensitive skin

THE Highlight of the day though had to be finally meeting
Imen
from
I Married an Irish Farmer
......and her son

Imen did a cookery demonstration
chicken with honey dressing
and little potato and cheese tartiflettes
(not really sure what to call them )
But they were both YUMMY
the recipes will be up on her blog soon

I also purchased some of
Keogh's  hand cooked crisps = yum
A pottery bowl
some Dunany Rye bread (kicking myself for not getting some of their flour too) 
Coolea cheese
Killeen cheese
and
Clonmore cheese
as I said I like cheese

we all do

So good job Sheridans
I will be back again next time 

x x

Lemon Meringue Pie

Or should I say 

Lemon cream meringue pie

Who doesn't like lemon meringue pie??

RECIPE

For 28cm flan tin

SHORTCRUST PASTRY

250g flour

130g butter cubed and cold from the fridge

tspn cold water

METHOD

grease your tin and line bottom with greaseproof paper

put butter and flour into food processor

blend until you get breadcrumb texture

add tspn of water and blend until it comes together

you may need to add another teaspoon of water

Tip out onto cling film (seran wrap) 

and pat together

refrigerate for at least 30 mins

 after 30 mins remove from fridge and leave for 10 mins to reach room temp

roll to circle big enough to line your tin

Line your tin and bake blind 

(if you need instructions on that click HERE )

leave to cool 

While your case is baking you can make the lemon curd cream

LEMON CURD CREAM
75g butter

150g sugar

zest and juice of 3 lemons

1 egg

2 egg yolks

 75ml double cream

place butter, sugar, zest and juice into saucepan and heat gently until sugar is dissolved

Place eggs and egg yolk into bowl and beat well

pour egg mixture in a slow steady stream into butter mixture stirring constantly 

keep heat very low

continue stirring until mixture thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon

leave to cool

whip cream until stiff

add lemon curd to cream and fold in 

(the lemon curd must be completely cool)

MERINGUES

4 egg whites

225g sugar

place sugar on a baking tray and pop in oven preheated to 200c

whisk egg whites until peaks form

remove sugar which should be warm but not burnt

slowly add to whites a spoonful at a time 

whisking continually

when all sugar is incorporated whisk for 2 mins more

you should have a thick marshmallow like meringue mix

NOW YOU ARE READY TO ASSEMBLE

spread your lemon curd cream across pastry 

spread meringue mix on top 

you want the meringue top to have a lot of points 

these will caramelise and darken

now if you have a kitchen torch you can torch your meringue

otherwise place beneath a very hot grill 

keep an eye on it as it will burn in a second

ENJOY

*note I do not put an eggwash on my pastry case as I think it hardens the pastry 

*the lemon curd cream is also a really great sponge cake

or meringue roulade filling

*in order to use up the left over pastry I made some mini pies simply by greasing a muffin tin and pressing the scraps in to line them 

I got 3 extra mini lemon meringues, 

you could of course make all mini ones which would be great for a party 

DO LET ME KNOW IF YOU TRY THE RECIPE 

x

 

James Plumb

You are probably familiar with James Plumb 

The duo responsible for the cluster lights 

but I only just came across what I think are far more beautiful 

Silk screen lights

Made using discarded silk screens 

from France and India

They are like illuminated paintings

to view more of this duo's work go HERE

to see a great little film on their work for 

Hostem 

a menswear store in London 

go HERE

Somewhere

So I found a place for the little table

It is on the upstairs landing 

Previously a lost, lonely and unloved part of the house

As landings, entryways, corridors so often can be

 

but with the newly stripped little table 

some books, flowers, indian wooden beads and my 

Bold & Noble

print

this now feels like somewhere

Have a great weekend 

x

A small before and after

This little cabinet came back from NYC with us 

She (she is a lady right?) has been sitting in the shed for 6 months

When I bought her she was varnished with that awful yellow/orange high gloss

One day I thought she should be white 

and being lazy, with 3 boys in tow,
couldn't be bothered to walk 7 blocks to the hardware store

I decided to paint her with Milk paint, which was all I had at home.

I love milk paint but this was a BAD idea.

Do not paint milk paint onto a varnished cabinet,

but you probably knew that already 

So there she sat, unloved and unused 

milk paint peeling and chipping,

until last week 

I hauled her inside 

Removed the very pretty handles 

and scraped and scrubbed 

with some paint remover and a lot of elbow grease 

and Now here she is !

I didn't worry about leaving a few spots of paint in the cracks and corners,

that gives her character! 

Now I just need to figure out where to put her

Rosnaree Vintage Fair

Yesterday we had a fabulous day out at 

The Rosnaree Vintage Fair In Slane co Meath 

Many Country Houses attempt different this kind of event

Some are more successful than others

Rosnaree hit the nail on the head

This was a great family day out 

Admission was reasonable €10 for a family

Food was great 

There was wood oven pizza

and the most incredible spread from 

The Brown Hound Bakery 

It is definitely on my To Do list to pay them a visit in Drogheda 

Baxter You are coming home with ME!

As well as great food, there were lots of activities for the kids 

Piles of Hay to throw about (a simple but genius idea that the kids loved)

and

A gypsy caravan

Shetland Pony rides

Pony and Trap rides

So the kids were busy while Mum looked at 

fantastic vintage clothing

and it must be noted that this really was VINTAGE

NOT a bring and buy sale and NOT new and NOT rubbish 

A friend nabbed an incredible silk printed Jean Muir dress

for €70

there were also great paintings, furniture, china

This Victorian tea set really pulled at my purse strings 

I loved this guy who greeted us on the way in to the house 

I also met many, many old friends 

Including the Indomitable Emily from Loughcrew 

If you haven't been to the Loughcrew  Opera 

It is on this July 20th and 21st

I highly recommend it 

a great evening out ! 

Also ran into Petria from Dolls (one of my favourite Dublin shops and cafes) 

Petria (left) and friend looking incredibly dapper

and I had serious Wisteria envy 

It's becoming a problem 

Horticulturalenvyitis

is I think the Latin name 

I purchased this adorable shirt for my smallest of men 

when we arrived home the same little man ate 2 boiled eggs in a row with his new friend

...... he has Never eaten a boiled egg before !

vintage egg cup €2

So well done Rosnaree ! 

All in all a perfect day out 

well planned and reasonably priced

I look forward to next year 

x