Hunting Season...

It's nearly that time of year when it's ok to have chocolate for breakfast (and it's not Christmas). Easter is just around the corner, and you know what else that means; Egg Hunt! Woohoo!

If you don't have an egg hunting basket for the Easter Parade then never fear! This is for you...

Cakes make me happy

I love cake. I really do. I love the whole theatre of it. And a cake with candles? And Easter chicks? Sweet.

Board silly...

I'm very lucky that the boy that makes my heart go boom is as obsessed with food as I am. I remember the very first time we met he impressed me with stories of how he made his own pesto. I think that really dates that story, it's like a couple in the 1970's discussing homemade marie rose sauce for their prawn cocktail.

He really does approach the kitchen fearlessly, which did result in the near loss of one of his fingers and somehow getting blood on the ceiling in the process. Anyway he's always got some project on the go, whether it's duck confit, quince paste or 40 jars of chutney. There may not be a drop of milk in the house, but hey, we have 10 bottles of Elderflower champagne!

Last weekend he made pork and apple sausages.

A birdhouse for Spring!

Last Saturday in The Creativity Club we did a cute birdhouse mobile for spring. I realised that I'm so taken with the idea that the smallies do something different like printing with inks, sewing and beading that we hardly ever do simple colouring in!

Chicken Soup for the bowl

Now for some painting...

I go through different phases. First I'm obsessed with cooking and baking and I can't stop thinking about my next meal! I spent about two weeks just baking bread. Next I'm glued to the sewing machine or sitting on the couch crocheting totally unaware that it's half six and I still haven't had dinner.

Gold & Green

Happy Saint Patricks Day! Yay! I was going to make something traditional but then decided no, I'll just make something with pistachio nuts. I love pistachios. I decided to make biscotti and thought I had an original idea but it turns out loads of people have made chocolate & pistachio biscotti, never matter. I decided to use Martha Stewart's recipe here.

Ma Meringue

I'm actually more of a savoury person than sweet. I know you wouldn't think it but I'd prefer lamb meatballs and tzatziki any day over a cream cake. What I love about desserts is that they have a wow factor and are so gorgeously attractive! Cakes make brilliant gifts so this Mothers Day I made meringues for my bestest Mammy.

A poodle in a basket

Did you ever promise someone you'd make them something incredible and then realise you have no idea how to make it? That's what I did yesterday. After alot of googling here it is. Now you'll have to use your imagination for this one:

It's a poodle. With buttons for eyes.

Have a great weekend!

Lilly x

All hail the Queen!

NOTE: Last Saturday I wrote this post then couldn't find the recipe anywhere, how frustrating! Then I posted the post by mistake instead of saving it, then the tricksy recipe turned up. Anyway I'm such a goose, some of you have had a sneak preview of todays post. Get ready to feign excitement...

My youngest sister Daisy works part time at The Alternative Bread Company stall in The English Market in Cork. She's a girl that knows a bloomer from a chleb at 50 paces. She gave me a huge loaf of sour dough recently and it took us a week to get through half of it and I wanted to make something with the rest. So I went recipe hunting!

Crochet Love

My eldest sister Ettie (above) works for UNICEF, she's amazing. She lets on that she's like Maggie Thatcher and only needs three hours sleep every night but I know that secretly shes like me and she needs nine hours. Anyway at the moment she's over sorting out Somalia, making sure babies are gaining weight and vaccinated and safe. We're over here with electricity and broadband feeling a bit guilty. Ettie was based in Chad & CAR last year and my mother (we'll call her Mrs.H ala Hart to Hart) started knitting baby hats and before long she and her friends had hundreds of gorgeous hand knit hats to keep mosquitoes and cold from the babies at night. Sometimes I'm amazed at how generous and kind other people are. This week Mrs.H received these from one of her friends knitting groups in England:

Give this girl a swirl!

This book ‘Full and Plenty’ by the talented food journalist Maura Laverty belonged to my late grand aunt Peggy. Nearly all of my memories of Peggy feature crusty white bread, slices of butter and real ham. Not a lady that messed about with food. She has loads of recipes written all over the inside cover in her beautiful handwriting and has mass cards and newspaper cuttings marking her favourite pages.