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

Haaaappy New Year!

Happy New Year! Hurray! 2011 is upon us. I have to say I am one of those people that can't sleep in the run up to Christmas.I just LOVE it. Images of sugar plums really do dance in my head. I lie awake planning to get more brown sugar and cinnamon after work. Then make the gingerbread dough. Then make mincemeat and pot it etc. Then Christmas comes and goes and I'm left with a fridge empty but for a jar of rum butter to remind me of all the gorgeous things we ate and the glorious sitting around with nothing to do and nowhere to go.  I do suffer from the January Blues and often start to make Valentine themed biscuits pretty quickly! The New Year always seems so full of potential, a whole year to do whatever we want with it!