Chia Seed Protein bombs

My sister Raedi is a personal trainer and founder of Run Like a Girl where she teaches girls how to go from walking to running in no time. She leads groups of happy women running around Phoenix Park and is a picture of health and vitality. So naturally I want whatever she's got. Shiny hair and lots of energy? Yup. That sounds good to me. But seeing as I live in Cork and she's based in Dublin I have to do it through distance learning and her first brilliant tip was to make these Protein Bombs from Susan Jane Murray's blog. I didn't have all of the ingredients listed so changed around a few and the results are so delicious! I don't know how these can be good for you but Susan Jane assures us they are. I used Irish company Chia Bia's ground chia and cranberry mix. They have a blueberry one too and it's equally tasty and full of chia goodness.I got organic whey protein in my local Health shop. I'll definitely make these again! 

Lilly x

Quick Pumpkin Soup

 

I love soup weather. When it's freezing outside and gets dark at five in the afternoon then there's nothing better than a mug of soup just before dinner. I love having soup while I'm waiting for dinner to cook. It's like a vegetable smoothie full of nutrients and healthy garlic and onions.And also sometimes cream. Ahem. This soup is great though because it has ginger, garlic and coconut milk and it uses up any leftover tinned pumpkin that you might have from making the pumpkin muffins. Win win!

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

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!

Damson Cheese ; The King of Preserves!

I'm actually still in Italy so don't have Hugh Fearnley Whittingstalls book with me to get this recipe but as I was googling Damson Cheese I came across this brilliant blog , Mudpies & Minestrone, and have just spent the past hour reading all the beautiful recipes and posts. I love that; When I come across something different and fresh. Sarah over at Mudpies and Minestrone is also a caterer, all the lucky Londoners having access to her inventive cooking!

Seashell Salt & Pepper pinch pots!

Every morning when I'm walking Bo I see loads of gorgeous sea shells along the shore. Last week I was late for work because I was combing the beach for the perfect scallop shell. Why? Because I had an idea for a craft that I wanted to do and couldn't rest till I'd done it! So finally here she is: The Seashell Salt & Pepper pinch pots. Catchy no?

Alls you need is some pretty shells,some gold paint and some rocks. I used a pair of matching mussells and a scallop shell. Collect some interesting shaped rocks with a flat base. You should be able to 'sit' your shells nicely onto the rocks. Paint the rocks gold or silver. Navy blue would be nice too. Nautical but nice.

Wild Flower arranging is where it's at...

So last year I never planted any flowers and then I couldn't believe it when no flowers grew. This year I knew better so I scattered wild flower seeds like there was no tomorrow and now: Badabing! Flowers everywhere for the past two months! Hundreds of butterflies, billions of bees. It's absolutely gorgeous.

I love having flowers in the house but don't like the air miles that most clock up so this is the perfect solution.

I've been arranging bunches all summer so here's some tips from my Housewifes Handbook (actually quite a good book.)

Organising my magazine stash!

I seem to never be able to throw out a magazine. Probably because on Page 85 there is a small photo of curtains that I like, or a recipe, or an interview with an inspiring woman who has perfected the work/life balance and has two rosy cheeked children called Freddie and Delilah and a brilliantly behaved springer spaniel. I never throw out the magazines because I'm afraid I might forget all this 'stuff'. What if one day I wake up and can't remember if that beautiful bedroom was painted with Farrow and Ball's  'Elephant's breath' or 'Mouses back'? Well I have come up with a solution. Thank God.

Cute Book Cover / Dust Jacket tutorial!

So last night I fell asleep thinking 'I must read more...' and then I dreamt that I made this! So then when I woke up I had to make this cute book cover. The main idea is that it's like a copy book page and you can write whatever you want on it! Nobody will be able to see what you're reading and it will keep your book safe and warm! If you like you can write 'Ulysses' or 'Advanced Arabic Arithmatic' or 'The Lord of the Rings:  The Klingon Translation'. Your friends will be so impressed!

The only things you will need for this is a book, fabric, thread, a pencil, a permanent (or fabric) marker and also probably a ruler but I couldn't find one anywhere today.

Rose Petal Jam: Romance is in the air!

Any recipe that has sugar and rose petals in the ingredients list has to be sweet. Rose Petal Jam has it all. A delicate rose scent, a sweet floral taste, and a romantic glowing pink colour. Capturing summer in a jar has never been so easy!

My mother used to make this when we were small and I remember seeing her pulling the bitter yellow ends off the rose petals before covering the pink petals in sugar. If ever there is a relaxing job then preparing the velvety petals for the jam is it! And as your jam bubbles away on the cooker the whole house becomes drenched in the heady smells of roses and lemons. Beautiful!

Garden Mint Lemonade

There's a load of mint taking over my garden and I absolutely love it. I'm putting it into everything and the more I pick, the more it grows. Mint is one of those brilliant things that just thrives no matter what, my kind of plant! I used a mixture of spearmint and peppermint for this gorgeous summer drink.

My first Giveaway!

I'm doing my first giveaway! Woohoo! Here are my reasons:

1. I've been writing this blog for nearly 5 months. It's now a semi-serious relationship.
2. The weather is absolutely gorgeous.
3. Me and my sister Maeve did our interview with the lovely Miriam O'Callaghan, you can listen to it here if you want.
4. I have 64 followers! I can't choose a favourite, I love ye all equally.
5. I found a fiver in my jeans after they were washed and it's still grand.
6. I made this mermaid.

Owl you need is love...

You remember the cat I made a while ago? Well she'd been feeling pretty lonesome lately and wandered into the wrong side of town. There she met a hand stitched felt handsome bird by the name of Owl. He wears a patch because he is a Pirate and he sails on a Pirate ship (not his own, he's the head pirates right hand bird but he's working his way up the pecking order and maybe next year he'll have his own crew, all going well). He thought that his true love was the high seas and the rum that wet his beak, that was until he set eyes on Cat as she wandered around the fish market looking for pollock.

Communication Rocks!

My brother Oliver is a geoligist and he will be so delighted that I am finally dedicating a post to Rocks. As he predicted I would someday do... Anyway Oliver you were right, Geology Rocks!
The weather here in Ireland is not yet warm enough to go swimming or even paddling but it is lovely to go to the beach anyway. And here is a project to do next time you visit your local pebbley beach with some young kids in tow!

Quilty Pleasure...

I seem to have taken a million photos for one post again! I'm so visual. I know. So I'll keep the chitchat to a minimum and we'll get straight down to it.
I had a load of scrap fabric. I know a 5 year old that really really wanted a quilt set for her wrecked old pram that she loves. Perfect!

Knitty Cat

Miss Prim Pram Prum...

I'm after getting my hands on a new camera lens so excuse the ridiculous amount of photos in this post! x

This week when I was making cakes for a little girls 8th Birthday party I knew just what to top them with: crystallised primroses!

Gorgeous delicate petals encased in sugar, sparkling and shimmering on a bed of snowy white. I just had to. The garden is covered with primroses this year. These are so easy and cheap to make, they're a little time consuming and you have to be gentle but it's a very relaxing way to spend an hour!

Painting Pots and Sunshine!

Last weekend I went to The Pavilion Garden Centre near Cork Airport. It was my third time going there. All the plants are gorgeous. There's an amazing homestore with Cath Kidston and Green Gate stuff. And Burleigh China. Ugh I love it. And to top things off they have a really nice cafe. I must actually get onto them and ask for the recipe for their carrot cake, it's unbelievable. Really. I think they put pineapple or something in it...

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...

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.