Polly's Four Stone Up & One Stone Down...

I recently received a comment from Mike over on The Wine Buff. Simply put, Mike was wondering if I was ever going to pull my finger out and actually post on this blog at any time in the future...? Oooops!

The simple answer to that question is errrr, yes, that is my intention! It has always been my intention, but sadly it's something I haven't been doing for a while. Thinking about this, it occurred to me that my waffley bad blogging schedule started sometime last May, around the time I returned to work! The truth is I've been doing too many things (or maybe not in this case) and to be honest I've been advised by more than one source to slow things down a little but surely that doesn't mean grind to a halt, does it?

There have honestly been times when that's pretty much what I've done. In the past year I've spent much of my time when not working resting either in bed, having off days or sitting in zombie like fashion infront of this very pc (actually, it's more likely that it was the one I killed or the borrowed laptop that went back when I resigned as secretary of the dyslexia group!!!) Alternately, I may have been working like a beaver to fill orders for greeting cards - as time is at a premium these days I have to slip this in in between scouting, etc...

Cooking hasn't exactly been high on my list of priorities either. I've cajoled 'the boys', any or all three of them to whip up culinary delights on my behalf, persuaded DG to bring home disasterous takeaways or worse still resorted to the occasional emergency bottle of readymade sauce! Yuck - at least that's what my conscience tries to tell me on these (bottled) occasions.

The boys really are quite accomplished cooks, the youngest concocts a presentable panna cotta from memory. Only the eldest one, ie the 40 year old is truly accountable for his actions though, he actually clears up afterwards. I shame when he arrives home after a long days work only to make dinner for four because the lady is out in the shed making greeting cards! I sometimes wonder if it's worth it, and I'm quite sure he does so regularly...

This said, there is perhaps method in such madness. The whole house has suffered in this past year, more than any other, to the extent that teenage boys have discovered the delights of bargaining and persuasion alongside those of vaccuming and lawnmowing. My partner in life has realised that maybe we do need a new cooker. The gas pressure steadily drops off while he's in the midst of something requiring crucial timing - ie it's got to be cooked by bedtime!

How many times have we slapped medium rare best Irish beef steaks (from our beloved Aldi) onto our plates only to have to whip them back off again, wash the plates and recook them under the ailing grill, while the veg stews? We no longer eat roast meats, roast potatoes or yorkshire puddings anymore, unless my Mum rushes to the rescue which is typically on a Monday evenings due to my involvement with scouts...

Okay, I did purchase a brand new microwave rice & pasta cooker recently. Actually, it was a freebie due to the fact that the blessed thing went missing in the post and then promptly arrived on my door step the day after the company had reimbursed my credit card. They insisted that I kept it by way of compensation for the extraordinary nine weeks in transit, which was mighty decent of them, especially as their promotion had promised free shipping, the cost of which was promptly added to the price after we'd reached checkout!

Ah yes, life in the Pierce household has been 'interesting' over the past year or so. My inactivity and penchant for fine red wines has led to me gaining an extra-ordinary four stone over the past five years. The last one has yoyoed horrifically. Each time I've congratulated myself on losing it I've celebrated this by adding to the fortunes of my local vintners (including Wines Direct) and master chocalatiers...

Yesterday I treated myself to a brand new copy of this months "Weight Watcher's Magazine" and a double decker! And yes, my intentions are once more GOOD...

Polly Says "Take A Stroll Down Garrendenny Lane..."

Last week, you may remember me telling you all about Lorna Sixsmith's Garrendenny Lane Interior's fabulous Friday giveaway. Last weeks prize was a Lene Bjerre cheese knife with a Selwyn Pearl handle which is inlaid with beautiful silver bands. Without a doubt this was a gorgeous prize, and it was with true delight that I read an e-mail from Lorna advising me that I was in fact the lucky winner...

As happens so often with these things, the photograph didn't do this lovely piece justice and I am well and truly looking forward to using it alongside my dinner service and coffee set at some time later in the year. I've to find the house first, which is burried underneath all manner of detritis belonging to its eight inhabitants! Better yet, add a dining room to my wishlist and somehow make it happen.

Lorna has asked me to tell my readers that Freebie Friday is going to be a weekly event from now on and on that happy note I'll just tell you a little about this weeks giveaway. To get everyone into the summer mood, alongside the glorious weather we've been having Lorna is offering a lovely napkin holder and a pack of pretty Greengate napkins to start the lucky winner off.

All you have to do is leave a comment on the Garrendenny Interiors blog and/or on their facebook page. Once this is done, you'll have to wait patiently till Monday to see if you're the lucky winner which will give to plenty of time to browse through Lorna's online shop...

Polly Watched Pan's Giveaway Grow...

Some time ago I had the pleasure of witnessing the fabulously talented Donal Skehan of the Good Mood Food blog in the role of Peter Pan during our annual family pilgrimage to the Cheerio's Panto. For many years  my family have enjoyed the company of Alan Hughes aka Sammy Sausages and Buffy, starring alongside established and emerging stars on New Years Day.

Once I laughed soooo hard that I cried. Not one to miss an opportunity, although often a line or two, Buffy took the advantage and announced to the audience at large that "Awwh, Mammy's crying...!" I suppose I was fair game. I've lost count of the amount of times that the heckling from the front row has taken its toll on the slightly hung over cast, resulting in snorts, guffaws and the giggles. It's a grand relationship and in hind sight I am sad that it has probably come to an end, my boys consider themselves too old for childish toys and pantos now...

This year (2010), poor weather conditions saw an expedition, halted by the snow and ice. It took us only as far as Dunne & Crescenzi's L'Officina at Kildare Village, where we consoled ourselves with a super Italian dinner for five. Meanwhile, I watched the surrounding tables with eagle eyes, seeking my prey. I was looking for a family who might be heading towards the big city and might be glad of a crazy womans New Year's gesture of tickets for the panto. It was not to be...

Anyway, as I reminisce, I also digress. Returning to Donal Skehan, he may have played Peter Pan alongside Jenny Masterson's Tinkerbelle, but in real life he is growing up. His foodie blog has really taken off, he's written and published one cookery book and is in the process of a second one and he's becoming something of a household name here in Ireland. Good on yer, Donal!

So, how do you fancy a trip to one of his favourite restaurants? Meet the owner and head chef of SABA in the video below and see for yourself why Donal loves this place so much...




Okay, so didn't that look just scrumptious? Now, for my Irish readers why don't you head over to the Good Mood Food Blog and see how can you win yourself a table for two at one of Ireland's finest Thai & Vietnamese restaurants (and don't forget to tell him that Polly sent you)...

Good luck!

Polly

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Polly's Garden Rockets...

Just a little over fifty years ago the British government launched its favourite slogan "Dig For Victory!" Here we are, in the fully modernised 21st Century being encouraged to do the same again during one of the worst recessions in since the war. It just goes to show how human beings can adjust to circumstances, returning to the basics during times of need...

In the video below Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall introduces The River Cottage Instant Vegetable Garden from Rocket Gardens. Safely ensconced in a box packed with organic straw to protect and keep its contents moist, your bounty is delivered right to your door. Eliminating the especially vulnerable stages from germination to becoming a fully fledged seedling, Rocket Gardens provides you with an advantage over your local flora and fauna.

Image via Wikipedia

So, what’s in the box?

The following baby plants suitable for filling a plot approx 10m square.

•  Rocket x 20
•  Mixed lettuce x 30
•  Dwarf French green beans x 12
•  Runner beans x 8
•  Kale x 5
•  Courgettes x 3
•  Potatoes x 10
•  Giant red mustard x 10
•  Tomatoes x 3
•  Peas x 10
•  Basil x 2
•  Parsley x 2
•  Borlotti beans x 8
•  Chard x 10

All you have to do is prepare the soil in advance by digging it over, weeding it and turning the soil into a fine tilth ready for planting! Rocket Gardens certainly provides peace of mind, taking away the uncertainty of the germination process and night time raids...

If you'd like to know more head over to River Cottage, meanwhile Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall tells us a little bit about this great idea:




As you can tell, I'm a bit of a Hugh Fearnley fan! I just wish I had the energy that he has to turn my somewhat overgrown jungle into a productive kitchen and ornamental garden. Still, one can dream...

All the best for now,

Polly

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Polly Launches Dungarvan Brewing Company In Dublin...

Just a quick update on the recent post I did on the Dungarvan Brewing Company who produce a range of Bottle conditioned beers - Black Rock Irish Stout, Copper Coast Red Ale, Helvick Gold Blonde Ale their micro-brewery down in Co Waterford.(just typing the names has my imagination salivating!)

I recently received a message in my Facebook message box which informed me that they are expanding! Yes, for those of you lucky enough to be living in Dublin they will be having a launch party in the 'Bull and Castle' on Lord Edward Street in Dublin on Thursday 3rd June starting at 7pm.

I have to admit that I am just a wee bit envious and wish that I live in Dublin. By the time this date comes around I'll be back in the workforce for the first time in four years or so, so I definitely won't be in a position to join the party! Still, there will always be another one...

Meanwhile, if you'd like to keep up with their exploits they now have a blog or rather their chief brewer now has one. This is a good read which is full of useful information for would be real ale drinkers not least because it contains the link to their map of stockists!

Meanwhile, despite the beautiful weather I'm just going to have to content myself with a lovely pint of tap water...

Polly

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Polly's Plastic Lakeland Bags...

My Mum is great. She's kind, generous, funny, warm, a good cook, a great babysitter, Mum, Granny, friend, etc. Sometimes however, she can be somewhat over enthusiastic about certain things and when presented with the result of this enthusiasm, I don't always know quite how to react.

One of the latest objects of this enthusiasm is a simple storage device called the Bread Bag produced by Lakeland Plastics. Little more than a white cotton draw string bag which is lined with plastic, this item received little more than a cursory glance. Horror of horrors, she'd actually bought four of the blessed things and presented me with two of them, one medium and one large sized.

In the same breath I was informed that she no longer needed the fancy stoneware bread crock that I'd bought her once upon a time and that I could have it for whatever I decided to do with it. Fair enough, I thought, as we'd both had similar problems with the storage of bread in said article - ie the bread went mouldy within a couple of days occupation. Currently my bread crock holds enormous quantities of rice, keeps it dry, pest free and easily accessible. To be honest, it's a godsend!

So, without more adieu, I decided there and then that the newer, slightly larger stoneware bread crock would make a fantastic place in which to store root vegetables like spuds. These too have proved problematic, in that they're inclined to sprout at the slightest opportunity, so far the bread crock seems to have this particular issue under control.

So what of the plastic lined cotton bag? Well, eventually I decided to try it out. I did so somewhat relunctantly, as I truly didn't have any faith in the things but didn't want to upset my Mum. Rather than be accused of spurning her generosity I stuffed a Tiger Loaf from Tesco's into it and hoped for the best, nearly one week later it remained soft and fluffy, no evidence of age to make it taste stale and certainly there was no sign of mould. I was surprised, no actually I was shocked!

My next experiment was a soda bread cake. As delicious as it was, I deliberated and decided that out of sight was indeed a case of out of mind. Wholewheat soda bread is delicious, especially with a layer of butter upon it and reeks havoc on any healthy eating plan, so it had to be vanished - or else face the consequences. Where better to stuff it than into Lakeland's bread bag, whereupon it languished for the best part of a week before being rediscovered. Aw, so what? Well, normally soda bread lasts no more than 24 hours before it becomes stale and unpalatably dry but not in this case. I was actually amazed this time...

Over the past few weeks I have stuffed various different bread products into my Lakeland Bread Bags ranging from soda bread to pitta bread, tiger bread to donuts and each one has remained soft and fresh for inordinate lengths of time. I don't know how they stay fresh, they just do and whoever invented this solution to an age old problem needs a pat on the back and a round of applause.

My recommendation would be for anyone who likes their bread, especially if they live alone or as part of a small family, is to go out and try the Lakeland Bread Bag for yourselves. It works for me and hopefully it'll work for you!

Pollys Jamaican Barbecue

Just a quickie post today, because I've to finish packing for my camping holiday in Donegal and get ready for tonight's scouting activities. DG's gone into town to collect essential items, such as camping gas and inhalers and I've luxuriated at home, drinking tea and posting on my blogs. Somehow, I think I should have got myself a lot more organised than this, but what the heck?

One little snippet of useless foodie information for you all is the fact that Cadbury's have kindly re-launched their Old Jamaica bourneville chocolate bar. Just the name of it conjures up many childhood memories of special treats and rum n raisin flavoured favourites, ice-cream, fudge and of course chocolate!

This particular favourite used, like all chocolate back then, to come in a foil and paper package. The foil however was a lovely golden colour and the paper and organgey-reddish colour with a picture of an old fashioned cutter on the front. Why they took Old Jamaica off the market I don't know, but I do know that I have polished off two big bars of it in as many weeks...

Also, for anyone who likes their burger's last weekend we celebrated LB's birthday. Yes, I know! It was exactly six months late, but by doing it this way he was guaranteed of having a few guests turn up. In fact we only lost one, which makes a huge change from the usual round of "I can't come because I've got to go shopping for presents with Daddy..." excuses at Christmas time. Why men leave it to the last minute, I don't know. What I do know is that poor LB misses out something terrible, but I digress...

The whole point of this is that I went shopping last Friday, with a wad of cash in my hand. For several reasons I went to Lidl, not least because the parking is handy and the food good. Considering the lovel weather and the fact that the boys would be camping out I'd already decided that we'd be having a barbecue buffet so I settled on Lidl's own brand pizza's, quarter pounder's and frankfurter sausages along with all the usual accoutrements.

My oven is still acting up so the pizzas were nuked in the microwave for ten minutes and then placed under a hot grill to finish. They disappeared in a flash and their were no complaints!
The frankfurters were warmed up, and served with fried onions to make hot dogs and even my Mum remarked on how nice they were - these ones were in the fridge section in packets of ten.
As for the quarter pounders, they were lovely, to the point that you could mistake them for homemade!

The total cost of the food for the party was less than €120.00, which included a couple of bottles of wine, minerals, cleaning materials and lot of food left over in the freezer for the weeks to come. Refreshments, crisps, sweets were also used for school lunches this week and we have juices to take with us on our hols.

All in all this represented terrific value for money, enabled LB to have a great party with lots of goodies to share with his mates, school lunches, breakfasts, dinners and teas plus some refreshments for the older members of the family! For those who say ugh! Lidl is there for people who can't afford to buy better quality food, I say wise up and shop sensibly.

Sure you may save a few euro's, but you will also pick up some top quality own and premium brand food which sometimes can't be purchased elsewhere. Look after the pennies and the pounds WILL look after themselves...

All in all it's been a great week for shopping and eating. One word of caution to anyone who is thinking of following our example and heading up north, if you shop in Aldi or Lidl they tend to use the same pricing structure north and south of the border, ie pound = euro prices. Bearing this in mind, I certainly intend to do a shop or two while I'm up there, but it will be in the Republic due to the less expensive pricing thanks to the exchange rate! Do not use up your pounds unnecessarily, save them for Junction 1 and lots of bargains up there instead...

Happy Hols Everyone - see ya in two weeks!

Love Polly
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How Amanda Made Polly Feelgood!

As you may already know by now I love to promote products that I believe in and I have a great interest in Organic and Free-Range Food. For some time now I have been following Amanda Webb's business Feelgood Organic Hamper's with great interest.

I first met this lady at a joint networking event being held at Castle Durrow, Co Laois. This was quite some time ago; my first time at anything like it and I was very unsure of myself, as did several of the women I spoke to that evening. I took her business card and a copy of her brochure; I'd good intentions but little cash to spend.

Amanda's special interest is in everything organic and the environment; which led her to offer Ireland's only organic hamper service. Some eighteen months later I placed my first order with Feelgood Organic Hamper's and was delighted to learn that I had qualified for a free bottle of organic champagne too!

With its recently extended range Feelgood Organic Hampers looks set to take off just in time for Christmas; offering luxurious packages of organic food and drink, pamper packages and so on. I just wish that I could justify the expense of sending one to myself with Christmas in mind! Organic wines served with delicious plum puddings, luxury chocolates, and so on. Yum!



You know what? Why not visit Amanda's website and see for yourself, only then will you be able to see how much hard work has gone into making Feelgood Organic Hampers the business it is today...

...By the way Amanda has a lovely food blog as well! It's called Organic Yum-yum!

Polly Introduces Gary Vaynerchuck

Good morning everybody and welcome back to Vinca's-In-Tha-Kitchen!

During my few days away from the kitchen I came across Gary Vaynerchuck on Wine Library TV; amazingly enough I have already encountered this guy earlier in the year when I was introduced to him by one of my internet marketing and blogging friends.

This guy has made an absolute fortune just by ignoring the advice of all the marketing guru's and just putting himself out there on blog TV! While at times he comes across as being a little over-enthusiastic he does know his stuff. Check out this whacky show which focuses on Tempranillo - one of my favourite wines...


If you like what you see, believe me there are plenty more where this came from. My only regret is that a lot of the wine's reviewed are probably not available in this country, ie Ireland; so it'd be difficult to consider this as an on line sommelier's course! If you look to the left you'll spot a new badge for Gary's book; which is about to be released...

I'm sure that there is still loads to be learned, so I for one will be checking in on Gary Vaynerchuck from time to time...

Cheers!

Polly Peirce

Purveyor of Fine Hand Made Irish Greeting Cards & Wedding Stationary

Ps. At this stage I think that it is important for me to state that this is not a paid post as I don't do them!