Clean Sheets

Trolleyed - no real choice of supermarket!

No brake and no room for one more!

No, I have not indulged in to much alcohol before visiting the supermarket but the lack of trolley features leaves me no choice despite living within 10 minutes drive of all the major multiples.

I hope you will tolerate this self indulgent rant and I promise to keep them to a minimum (online at least!)

The choice apparently available should allow me to shop around and get great value as the retailers compete furiously for my business. Apart from the time involved and the limited patience of my shopping assistants, I have access issues. Steps do not challenge me and I don't need to use a space designated for disabled drivers and passengers but I do need a trolley that accommodates 2 toddlers and has a brake. The alternative is, the shopping and one child waltzing off across the car park (always sloped to facilitate drainage) while I secure the other in their car seat. Deciding which child to put in the car first would be far more significant than the logistics, as you risk them careering into a neighbouring car with the best outcome being broken eggs and damaged paint work and the worst... well, let's not go there.  

So my choice is limited to one supermarket. The very one that has just rearranged the entire store and launched a massive media campaign advertising slashed prices which confirms my suspicion that they've been charging us too much for too long. No matter how tempting the competitors prices, quality and choice due to lack of basic facilities for parents I  resort to solitary late night trips to a discount retailer for the staples once a month or so and a weekly trip to the same supermarket despite an illuison of a vast competitive market.

Thank your for indulging me in my rant and excuse me while I print this for the local supermarket managers.  

The Gift of Baking

The Princess and The Happy One were invited to a 3rd birthday party two weeks ago. Our birthday gift du jour is an apron and a cookie cutter with any other baking bits for kids I come across in my local kitchen shop Utensils in Tralee.

A kitchen shop would be a good place to start for anyone with nieces and nephews who appear to have everything, from bright pink junior silicone rolling pins to pirate aprons and kids cook books you're sure to find something that will encourage culinary interest. 

This time I added a very simple recipe to the gift bag. It's for plain biscuits, and can be memorised as easily as 2 4 6.

The Rose of Tralee with kids!

Surviving Enjoying a Street Festival with Kids

On Saturday afternoon we (2 grandparents, 2 parents and 2 children) strolled into town to indulge in the delights of the Rose of Tralee Festival on the streets. Following a really lovely afternoon here are my tips for those of you making similar excursions.

1. Limit the pester potential.

Little jobs loom larger.

a broken drawer handle - not essential for survival but pretty annoying to look at...

Much better, hadn't seen my face in this mirror for months (read on to see why)!

Yes, they are polka dot flower pots hiding the bottles and tubes that clutter dressing tables, they were a gift from my grandmother who knows I love all things blue, and that is my hairdryer hanging on a little hook on the side of the chest of drawers, another 5 minute job done some months ago.

A couple of things that need doing in the house were really annoying me. There was a couple of significant marks on the stair carpet, the mirror in my bedroom was sitting on the chest of drawers instead of on the wall since the wire at the back had broken, a handle needed to be screwed back on that same chest of drawers and the utility room door hinge is squeaking long and loud. 

Popcorn is magic!

Popcorn is in the news and it's good news for lovers of this popping snack! Apparently it contains polyphenols (natural antioxidants that occur in plants) a word of caution though, it is also a powerhouse of energy which needs to be burnt off and if we lace it with less healthy trimmings like toffee, butter and salt, it's definitely best eaten in moderation.

I remember discovering the magic of popcorn making. I came home from school age 7 or so and my brothers had made it with my mum. They vividly and enthusiastically described that you have to keep the lid on and how it bangs against the saucepan. The modern day swelling bag of microwave popcorn is interesting but definitely not as dramatic.

In a 1.59 euro bag of popcorn there's lots of magic and munching! I stand the kids out of arm's reach of the hob to watch and listen. You can't be too careful though and while I turned to get the bowl one day the Happy One did shuffle over and manage to touch the hob, it was minor but now I have everything to hand before I start. (one more advantage for induction hob owners!)

Put enough sunflower oil in a large saucepan to just cover the base.

Add popcorn so that the kernels are in a single layer on the oil.

Put the saucepan on a high heat. Shortly after it starts to sizzle the first kernel will pop. To please the kids it's worth allowing a few to fly out of the saucepan!

Put on the lid, turn down the heat, and shake the saucepan vigorously and regularly to avoid it burning.

When you can count to ten between pops remove the saucepan from the heat and pour straight into a large bowl (leaving it in the hot saucepan will allow it to burn.)   

As if popcorn flying around the kitchen wasn't exciting enough, eating a snack you helped make and that jumps and pops is fun too! We like to break up a wet afternoon with this one.

PS. Frugal too... cheaper than microwave popcorn!

Packed lunch and picnic ideas

 

Download August_2009 Cleansheets recipe sheet available in Seamus O'Sullivan Master Butchers, Horan's Fruit and Veg and Healthfood Stores and Utensils in Tralee, or simply download it here if you are further afield. Recipes on page 1, more useful info on page 2. Enjoy!

Cookbook review: Bake by Rachel Allen

I love a new cookbook, the photography is now a joy to look at in itself and I love the window shopping experience that flicking through a new cookbook provides, you can almost taste it with no calories and no washing up!  Very few cookbooks would not receive a good review from me at this level. This is the reason that cookbook reviews always arouse my suspicion if the cook book is recently released.

There is a whole other level of experience with a cookbook. Has it become spattered with use, are there notes in the margin adjusting temperatures to your oven, quantities to your appetites and ingredients to local availability? Are there half a dozen or more recipes which have become part of your regular repertoire? This knowledge can only come with time which is why you will never find a comprehensive cookbook review on cleansheets for a recently released cookbook, it wouldn't live up to the clean sheets promise.

Transformation: Pine Chest (Step 5)

                                Before                        

 After

0162 from Colortrend (water based satinwood again) is the finishing colour for the pine chest. 

I bought low tack masking tape which is worth the money and the time to seek it out. Remember not to leave it on longer than you need to as despite being low tack it may damage your paint work if left on for too long. I used the tape to protect the sections already painted where there was a danger of a shaky hand ruining them.  

The chest looks well in it's new home in the living room and now stores the bedding for the sofa bed it sits next to.

In terms of expense I spent less than 70 euro but have plenty of primer, and both colours of satinwood left. I am not very good at cleaning the oil based paints off the brush so that may end up in the bin but the brush I used for the satinwood is still perfect.

I am delighted to be finished and quite pleased with the result. I posted the before picture on July 10th and have made some progress every week but one.

I am definitely happier with a project. I think that is because so much of my daily grind is so repetitive. I clear the same table, wash the same clothes and dishes, tidy up the same toys, and cook meals that disappear, I am very glad that my meals disappear but it is nice to have some handywork that lasts and that I can admire with some satisfaction. There is a tired looking table calling to me now and paint left in both tins! Watch this space...

Recipe: Homemade Hummus

This recipe is posted especially for Kate - so she can spend her hummus budget on something more glamorous!

Early in June we attended a wedding, the groom is part of the Allen clan so it was a little bit different and the food was divine! Among the courses we had hummus and pesto with breads and olives - all very tasty but, the hummus... mmmmm I would have happily eaten a bowlful with a spoon. I managed to maintain my decorum and didn't, but came home determined to improve my own home made hummus. A few weeks later a friend of the bride and grooms gave me some pointers and I am happy to say they worked and I am quite happy with my new recipe.

Positively Autumn

The Rugby Player returned to pre season training last week. It's the closest thing we have to "back to school" in our house. There's lots more evidence of the Summer drawing to a close including autumn fashion in the shops which disappoints me but there is some things about the autumn and start of winter I love, so I am trying to focus on those.

I am looking forward to new winter boots and wearing cosy knitwear again, to making stew, shepherd's pie and apple crumble, to planning for Christmas (love it ... but more of that later,) and to it being slightly easier to convince the princess to go to bed as it'll be dark.

In the meantime I plan to use the bar-b-q, clothes line and buckets and spades well into October so I'm not wishing it away yet!