Chocolate and Coconut Granola

I usually make this granola in huge batches and it lasts about two weeks. I really love it and feel very virtuous knowing that it's sugar free and jam packed with nuts and fruit. But... I recently bought The Vintage Tea Party by Angel Adore and as if by fate the book opened on page 26; This glorious chocolate and coconut granola! It's really easy to make and is highly addictive. I told myself that this could be my 'weekend breakfast' but by Tuesday I was adding a little to my sugar free granola, then by Friday the stuff was gone!
It makes a gorgeous dessert layered with yogurt and fruit. And amazingly it really does turn the milk a chocolatey colour!

Free Calender Desktop Background: September

A few months ago a blog reader emailed me asking if I could send her a high resolution photo of one of the cakes on the blog so that she could use it as a desktop background on her computer. She said that it would brighten up her office and I've been sending her photos ever since! So now I've decided to make it 'official' and I've added a calender so that you too can have a lovely desktop background!

I love doing things like this and putting it all together so will  upload a calender each month, I actually can't wait to do a Toffee Apple one for Halloween and a Coconut Snowball one for Christmas! Hurray!

For September's calender I've used two of my favourite flower photos (above). It's actually the same bunch of flowers but one is a close up of the sage, fennel leaves and flower.  You can download them on Flickr:

Here's the bright and summery one.

Here's the more Autumnal subtle one.

I'm using Flickr as I think thats probably the easiest way to download them. I'm going to move the calender up slightly this evening so it should suit all general computer screens.

Have a lovely weekend!

Lilly x

Come to our fundraising Tea Party for Down Syndrome Ireland!

We are having an afternoon tea party and you are all invited!

My sister Raedi and my Dad are two of the 150 cyclists completing the Tour de Munster, an epic 600km cycle, over 4 days, taking in every county in Munster. The Tour is in aid of Down Syndrome Ireland, a brilliant organisation which provides information and advice, influences policy, raises public awareness and works towards the improvement of education and services for children and adults with Down syndrome.

Each cyclist pays their own way on the Tour and has to raise 1000 euro for DSI. So we've decided to do what we love doing the most: bake! We're transforming our usual supper club venue into a tea parlour for the afternoon. There will be loads of delicous sandwiches, cakes and tea!

Tickets to the party are 20 euro and all of this goes toward our fundraising target.

Our Afternoon Tea party will take place on Saturday the 27th August from 2 - 4pm.

Please email Raedi at landfafternoontea@gmail.com if you'd like to come along! Thanks & see you there! x

 



Cider soaked Ham: Perfect for every occasion!

My mother always seems to have a ham in the fridge. It's the best thing ever. As you're waiting for dinner to cook or whatever you can cut a slice off, spread it with mustard and down the hatch. But it's not just for snacking: a few slices of ham with new potatoes, parsley sauce & spring cabbage is amaaazing. A sandwich made with real crusty sourdough, mustard, a strong cheddar and some of this beautiful smoked ham is the nicest lunch ever. When you don't feel like cooking a dinner on warm summer nights just assemble a ploughman's platter: basically anything that's in the fridge will work. Pickles, salads, cheese and a little dip made by mixing some honey with mayonnaise and mustard. It's so nice! I actually am not big into meat, I don't really like beef or chicken but real cooked ham will always have a place in my heart. It was always a mystery to me how my mother cooked the ham but she told me how the other day and I went out and got some of my own in The English Market in Cork.

What you'll need:
1 piece of ham (mine was around ten euro, I forgot to weigh it)
6 allspice berries
4 cloves

1 tin cider

1 oven proof pot with a lid

Simply place everything into the pot, cover and place in an oven preheated to 180C for 1 hour.
And that's it! Oh and it also makes a gorgeous addition to eggs benedict!
Lilly x

Flowery Ice Cubes to make your day!

I know now that there are much more important things going on in the world but every now and again it's great to just immerse yourself in a seemingly trivial project like.... Floral Icecubes! Yes! It's barbeque and afternoon tea party season. Jugs of lemonade are made even more gorgeous with some citrus slices suspended in ice. Pitchers of Elderflower cordial are unbearablely cute with little borage ice cubes. The possibilities are endless! I've looked on the internet at lots of different variables so don't worry; You don't have to now!

The April Loaves&Fishes Menu

Disastrous Update: Unfortunately we had to cancel the April supper club as my week of flu turned into pleurisy and I ended up going to hospital. My trip to A&E only took 4 1/2 hours which I thought was great really. I always thought it would take way longer. Anyway I spent my Easter holidays in bed and there was such nice weather and all. I felt like the sickly little boy in The Secret Garden. I'll be a weakling for the next two weeks or so but should be in flying form just in time for May's supper! So sorry to everyone that couldn't come!x

Apologies for my blogging absence! I've been sick for the past week but the upside was that I got to look through all my cookery books and magazines as I lay on the couch. This menu has been planned within an inch of it's life! I always have a loose theme and this month is no different. I like the menu to flow and become a complete picture. The inspiration for next weekends supper is of course: The Royal Wedding! Don't worry there won't be corgi centre pieces and I won't be wearing Geri Halliwells union jack dress. The menu is inspired by Scottish, Welsh and English dishes using Irish products. And of course a liberal sprinkling of Romance for the weekend thats in it!

Pimms

Princess & The Pea Soup

Ploughmans Platter with ham terrine, pickles and cheddar

Smoked Salmon, Leek and potato gratin with roast tomatoes & greens

Strawberries in Hibiscus with shortbread hearts and vanilla cream

RoyalTea: Queen Cakes and Regal Tiffin with Tea & Coffee

When we were in France last year I had the strawberries in Hibiscus Tea and it was amazing! So summery and fresh. Now I just need to find some gold leave or edible gold dust to sprinkle over the tiffin. Eeek! Exciting. It'll be gorgeous and I'll put recipes & photos on the blog afterwards.

Lilly x

Pea Falafel

According to Wikipedia: Falafel is a ball or patty made from ground chickpeas and/or fava beans. Falafel is usually served in a pita, which acts as a pocket, or wrapped in a flatbread known as lafa. The falafel balls are topped with salads, pickled vegetables, hot sauce, and drizzled with tahini-based sauces. Falafel balls may also be eaten alone as a snack or served as part of a meze.Generally accepted to have first been made in Egypt, falafel has become a dish eaten throughout the Middle East. Falafel is also often considered a national dish of Israel.

I absolutely love Falafel. They always remind me of Electric Picnic, queing in the rain for a pitta bread stuffed with glorious, just deep fried balls of herby chickpea. I found a gorgeous recipe for Pea Falafel in this months Delicious magazine, So I just had to try it! As usual I didn't have all the ingredients so ammended the recipe. I made double the amount and brought some to lunch the next day and froze some.Oh how gorgeous they were with carrot salad and greek yogurt. But now I can't stop thinking about the ones in the freezer. I should probably take them out and cook them tonight? You're right.

The Perfect Falafel Dinner for Two:

• Yogurt: Mix a few tablespoons of Greek yogurt with a tablespoon of dried dill, 1 crushed garlic clove, a squeeze of lemon juice & a pinch of salt. Combine well and drizzle with a good olive oil.
• Carrot Salad: Mix 2 tbsp lemon juice with some olive oil, salt and black pepper. Grate three carrots and pour over the dressing. Sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds.
• A mixed green salad or rocket
• 4 wholemeal pitta breads, warmed in the oven
• As many falafel as you want

We have a title! It's MakeBakeLove!

Thanks so much to everyone for all of the brilliant book title suggestions! I never really considered calling the book after the blog but ye all thought of it. Go Team! So since the blog is called 'Stuff I make, bake and Love' the book will be called the shorter version 'Make.Bake.Love'. You make it, you bake it, you love it. I think it's a grower. 100 sweet baking recipes and jam packed with photos.

I'm just at the 'typing up and checking everything twice over and over' stage so here are some photos I won't be putting in the book. Bo loves to help when I'm taking photos. She's lurking in the background of every shot, she knows not to go near me when I have the camera in my hand!

Thanks a million to my talented beautician sister Rosie (above)  for using make up artistry magic and to my Colm for taking the photos of me for the book. Blogging can be a solitary and very personal hobby and it can sometimes appear like it's not part of the 'real world' but coming together to make this book has brought it all to life for me. I always write these posts for you to read but now other people will be able to read the book too! So come September we'll have to share! Thanks for all your support!

Lilly x

Drop Scone Tuesday is upon us!

I absolutely love pancakes. A day where you just have to have pancakes is my dream come true. For about six months we had pancakes every Sunday morning with apple sliced or grated into the batter. Like this lovely recipe. I love adding fruit to the batter as it makes them 'healthy' and then you can drench them in glorious maple syrup. But for the past few months whilst I've been writing and baking up the book there has been nothing but cake in the house. We have lost our appetite for sugar. It's a sad day when you realise that no, you don't feel remotely like having cake or biscuits with your cup of tea. I had to make a new house rule: Nobody is to leave empty handed. If someone calls, give them cake. So the run up to lent and the symbolic pancake making has never been so apt. I am giving up sugar! Hurray! But first I must eat loads of drop scones.

Mexican Recipes

 The Mexican L&F dinner was lovely! Massive thanks as usual to my brilliant sisters who were decked out like Mexican ladies with flowers in their hair and beautiful mexican dresses. We started the night with Tequila Spritzers. It was basically a big jug of margarita mix (cointreau, tequila & lots of fresh lime juice). A shot of this was poured into each glass & then topped up with lemonade. Very drinkable and I'd imagine a real winner for summer barbeques!

Loaves&Fishes Love Mexican Food!

Thanks so much for all of the brilliant name suggestions for my book! I really loved reading through them and will let ye know as soon as we've decided on the best title. Thanks a million!x

Now back to the business at hand: The Loaves & Fishes menu for next weekend. The loose theme will be Mexican so feel free to dust off your ponchos! I've resisted the temptation to make a huge pinata but there's a few days to go yet so you never know! Nothing on the menu will be crazy hot and loaded with chilli. It'll all be lovely and full of fresh lime,coriander and my favourite secret ingredient in the kitchen: Cacao!

Black bean Sopa Azteca 

Guacamole, Salsa, Torilla chips and other lovely bits & pieces

Chilli con cacao, Green Rice and homemade cornbread

Citrus Tart

Homemade Chilli chocolate truffles

Tea & Coffee

The L&F Aftermath: alot of Rambling & Recipes!

I have brilliant excuses for being so late in posting recipes from this months Loaves&Fishes Supper! They really are great. After 'the big clean up' on Sunday morning we made a massive brunch. Ate loads and then packed up all of our worldly goods (saucepans, favourite knives, 1 chi-russell, 1 jack russell and laptop).All set for the drive home. But when we drove through the 1st toll bridge at Portlaoise smoke started billowing from the engine and a loud knocking came from the glove compartment. That's what happens when your engine overheats apparently. So I had to pull over, call the AA who insisted on calling me MRS Higgins and hope for the best.

My sister Rosie was with me too and her two dogs were, in fairness, so good! They did go ballistic when the AA man did eventually show up and they were in 'miniature dog protective mode'. So we all piled into Michaels van with the lights flashing and the car on the back of the thing.We chatted about yorkshire puddings, Brian Cowen, tourism in Portlaoise and the downturn in the construction industry. We were beeped at going through two different roundabouts as Michael was taking his time. No-one rushing this guy. We were towed to Portlaoise train station where the ticket man charged me €88 euro and told me to get on the train that pulled up at platform 2, which we did. Only to find ourselves in Limerick an hour later. Some other poor boy (James) also was told the train was headed to Cork. I kicked up a fuss.The train men said there had to have been announcements because the train is a machine?!

The January Loaves&Fishes Menu

It really is so hard to decide on a menu; But finally we have, after much cooking and eating. At the last supper all of the guests agreed on one thing: The portions were waaay massive man. So either everyone must be really really hungry or I have to try and control myself and acknowledge that not everyone will have spent the day out tilling fields and pulling calves. So here she is: This weekends January Blues Busting Menu.

Potato, herb & leek soup

Salad with goats cheese toast

Beef & Chorizo Stew with Root Mash & Horseradish Yorkshire Puddings

Sticky Toffee Pudding Cakes

Mendiants and homemade cookies

Tea & Coffee

So it all sounds basic enough but the devils in the detail! The root mash is an Ottolenghi recipe and would make an amazing maincourse just on it's own, I love it. It'll be a lovely eveningl and I can't wait to get started on it. I'll post some recipes on here after the event. One last word: The Sticky toffee puddings things are gorrrrrrrrrgeous. They're what cold whipped cream was made for!

Lilly x

Loaves&Fishes Christmas Supper Menu

It's beginning to feel alot like Christmas around here! The next supper is on this coming Saturday the 4th December, eeeeek! The time flies! I've been testing out mince pie recipes since Halloween and drinking mulled apple juice as I peel chestnuts and frown at the thought of us being unable to get a Christmas Tree so early. Hopefully (or should I say hohohopefully) we will be able to get one by the weekend! Anyway after much cooking and eating we have finalised the menu.

Mulled Apple Juice

Pernod & Langoustine Soup with kalamata olive bread

Winter Salad

Turkey & Chestnut Terrine, Hasselback potatoes, Root Vegetable Puree

Cranberry Sauce & Turkey gravy

Trifle with berries, homemade custard and sponge

Mince Pie Squares with Tea &Coffee

I was looking for a soup recipe everywhere, I wanted to have a nice festive menu with all of the usuals like prawns, turkey, cranberries etc. making an appearance. The first time I made this soup it took me four hours. Shelling the prawns, making the stock, skinning the fish, driving to my parents house to rob leeks from their garden (springing a leak!) and so on. By the time I was blending up the broth I just had had enough of it. But as soon as I tasted  it the sweet langoustines enveloped me and the liquoricey Pernod kissed me reassuringly on the forehead. I just had to put it on the menu!

Lilly x

Also there have been a few cancellations so do get in touch landfteam@yahoo.ie if you'd like to come. Now Sold out. Thanks!x

Photos of the first Loaves & Fishes Supper

The first Loaves & Fishes Supper Menu

So our first Loaves & Fishes Supper event is just around the corner. Everyone is booked in and ready to go. And after lots of cooking and eating and more cooking we have our menu finalised! This Saturday night we'll be serving up the following:

Butternut & Roast Garlic soup with Sage leaves

Hazelnut loaf & Sourdough

Messy Mezze: Hummus, Beetroot Puree,Tzatziki, Pitta Crisps & Olives

 Pilaf with Slow roast spiced lamb & Aubergine with Buttermilk sauce

 Tunisian Orange Cake with Maya Gold Chocolate Soup

 Caramelised walnuts & Marzipan dates

 Tea & Coffee

For the first one I stuck to foods that I love to cook as I'll feel more confident then! There'd be no point in trying something drastically different when there's a load of hungry people waiting for dinner! I'll post photos of the food and a recipe or two after the event.

Lilly x

Loaves & Fishes Supper Club

So... we're starting a Supper Club! Huzzah! Loaves and Fishes will be a once a month event where you can come to a home in Dublin, sit back and relax safe in the knowledge that some gorgeous food is about to go down. I'll be sourcing most of the food in Cork's famous English Market. Everything will be made from scratch with fresh Irish produce.

 So here is what you'll need to know:

• If you have any allergies please let me know well in advance. Vegetarians are welcome, allergy wise I will probably be cooking with nuts alot though. 
• This will be in a home, Not a restaurant. But the food will be homely and gorgeous and the atmosphere more relaxed and social. 
• I come from a big family so the staff for the night will consist of my sisters & friends. None are waitresses. We'll do our best but keep this in mind! 
• We won't be selling any alcohol so you can bring your own wine, we won't charge corkage! 
• I will do a blog post about the menu a few days in advance. 
• To book your ticket to this event email landfteam@yahoo.ie with your name and mobile number, I will also ring & confirm your place the day before. 40 euro per ticket: a welcome drink & 5 courses.

Our first supper will be on Saturday November 6th in Dublin. Hope to see you there!

Lilly & The Loaves & Fishes team

 UPDATE: THIS EVENT IS NOW SOLD OUT!

My trip to London! Better late than never!

I'm a disgrace! I know. I went to London about two weeks ago and still haven't shown you any photos. I actually didn't bring a camera. So I just took photos with my phone, excuse the poor quality! The highlights of my three day whirlwind romance with the English Capital begins with my lunch in The Hummingbird Bakery in Soho. I made a beeline from the airport to here. I sat perched on a stool eating this beautiful raspberry cheesecake brownie safe in the knowledge that I have the recipe at home in their brilliant book. Swoon. This was followed by an amazing sugar headache and a trip to Maison Bertaux for some more cake and pastries. I also went to the Selfridges Exhibition of Shoes by Vivienne Westwood, amaaaazing. Especially if you're off your face on sugar. Then I sat in a park in Soho reading for two hours and watching people play table tennis.

The Silk Purse restaurant, Cork

One of my favourite restaurants in Cork is The Ivory Tower. It's where we usually go when we want to be dazzled and wooed by someones cooking. I love being able to relax safe in the knowledge that someone talented and creative is making my dinner! There's no worse feeling than sitting in an uncomfortable 'dining room' situation waiting to eat and pay for mediocre food. Most special occasions I'd rather spend the money on gorgeous ingredients and a beautiful wine to enjoy at home rather than pay top dollar for the same old dingdong in a restaurant. A few weeks ago I was telling a friend about a gorgeous meal in The Ivory Tower and how everything was perfect. She said that if I love it there then I will definitely love The Silk Purse, Open since April last year above An Cruibin. So we went there last night and sure enough I loved it.

I'm in love: Theodore Deck

When we were in Bordeaux recently we went to The Museum of Decorative Arts. It's basically a load of pretty china and painted gorgeousness all stuffed into incredibly beautiful rooms. Real Boudoir style pastels and huge chandeliers, Gold chairs with velvet seats, plump feather filled day beds covered in hand embroidered fabrics. Everything is opulent and beautiful. The walls are lined with glass cases, and the cases are full of china. Cups, Saucers, Teapots and plates. I have never seen so much gorgeous stuff!