While We're Young

What a film!!

We went to see this on Sunday evening and thought it was incredible.

There is so much going on in this film and there are so many messages.  It's ironic, clever and fun.  It's about hipsters, young people, old people, having a baby, not having a baby, life, family, ambition.........I could go on.

With it's deadpan humour and great soundtrack this is a must see film that will make you think about your life and changes you can make.....if you want.

......Then on Tuesday evening we went to the cinema (to see the new Avengers movie), calling in to a packed Rathmines Starbucks beforehand.  I remarked to my husband - Look at us being all "While we're young" hanging out having coffee on a Tuesday evening!

Have you seen it yet?!  Go see it!!!

Good Deal on Coconut Oil

I bought this Coconut Oil in Tesco today - only €1.99!  It's normally way more expensive than that - what a bargain.  I bought my younger sister some too as I was calling to see her.

This one is 100% pure coconut oil.

Per 100ml it has 99.5g fat and 0g of Carb.

I use coconut oil for cooking with and also for Oil Pulling.

Bye Bye iPhone

After a small bit of deliberation I decided to change my phone.

There were two issues I had to give consideration to.  

The first was whether I wanted to commit to a monthly package for phone connection and which plan to go with.  The second issue was whether I would get an iPhone (which I've had for the past while) or change phone to an android.

Having been "pay as you go" for a number of years, but having been constantly spending more month on month, I decided to go with a monthly plan.

The plan I chose offered a free HTC phone or else I could pay an extra €240 for an iPhone 5S.

I chose to go with the HTC as I have been coming around to the idea of getting away from an iPhone for a few different reasons.  One reason is that the battery on the iPhone is brutal - seemingly it is far superior on the HTC.  The other reason I want to change from the iPhone is that I a, sick of iTunes on all the password malarkey that you have to deal with.  I want a less hassle free option.

I've been messing around on the HTC for two hours or so and I have to say that I am finding it quite user friendly.

Watch this space and I will report further the more that I use it.

Beef Dripping & Bone Broth

I'm currently on a 30 day zero carb diet.  In order to increase my fat intake (to give me energy) I wanted to fry my meat and eggs in beef dripping.  Years ago, beef dripping was commonly sold in most butchers in Ireland - I remember having bread fried in beef dripping as a child.  

Boy was it hard to find now!

I eventually found beef dripping in the local butcher.  So happy!  

It really adds so much flavour to my food.

I also made some "Bone Broth" from a chicken carcass.  When it is cold it is gloopy and gelatinous but when it is heated it is a clearish liquid like a consume.  It has a slight chicken flavour but pretty much tastes of nothing.

Here it is warmed up.  I find it warm and comforting and not unpleasant to drink!

And my sister living in Oman swears that it combats cellulite!!!

Work Commute

Here's a few pictures of parts of my commute to work everyday.  I tend to get stopped at lights at this part of Mespil Road near the junction of Baggot Street every day.

This building with the roof off, on Mespil Road, was formerly "The Flower Box" which I had blogged about before.

This is a large apartment block being built on Percy Place - no wonder the house beside it is up for sale!!!

This is heading towards Drumcondra and then the city as I drive home from work.

My commute takes me from one side of the city to the other and then out to North County Dublin.

Nature in the home

After brunch yesterday I called in again to see the Robin Red Breast hatchlings in my Dad's garage.

Here's my mother and sister looking in at the birds.  To see them you need to stand on a box and peer in to a little box while Mam shines a torch in.

Amy was afraid that the mama bird would fly at her but look how happy she was to see the birdies!

It was a really nice day so I sat in my parents garden for awhile and chatted with them.  They also showed me the frog that is living down the back garden.  There is always something going on in their house!!

12th Lock, Castleknock

I arranged to meet with my two besties for brunch this morning. Amy chose the meeting place of the 12th Lock Hotel in Castleknock (on the Royal Canal) which was an excellent choice.

Look how amazing the area is!

There were a few barges moored at the lock.

I think an old mill was knocked down to allow for this apartment block to be built.

This is the 12th Lock - it is a small 12 bedroom hotel.

I like the ships wheel feature on the front door.

Amy and I had rashers and eggs while Alice got Eggs Royale (smoked salmon and spinach) 

Amy and I had coffee and then sprung for a second one - no free refills here, as per usual in Ireland!

We also brought our own pouring cream for our coffee,

Robin Red Breast Hatchlings

These adorable little baby birds are in my parents garage!

Over the past while, the Mammy and Daddy Robins have been building the nest and then she laid five eggs which went on to hatch.

Honestly these are cutest little things ever - they look like balls of wire wool.  You can see them taking breaths but not a whole lot else.

My mother has seen them awake with five wide open mouths looking at her.

How great is it to be this close to nature?!  

Shopping Haul - Marks & Spencer's

As I mentioned yesterday I went shopping with my sisters for work clothes for Amy.  I couldn't resist trying on a few items and ended up buying these two dresses from M&S.

I'm calling this a Cocktail Dress because of the print on the fabric!

This is a kind of unusual retro looking dress.  I plan on wearing it with a belt.

The collar is a cute little detail.

Both dresses were a real steal at 70% off!

First tyre factory in the world!

I noticed this plaque on the wall of the below pictured building on Stephen Street, Dublin 2.

It seems that "the first pneumatic tyre factory in the world was started here in 1889, to make tyres under John Boyd Dunlops patent of the 7th December 1888".

There's a little piece of history for you on this fine Sunday!

Florida inspired bedwear in Penneys

I met with Katie and Amy this morning in the Blanchardstown Centre.  Amy needed to buy some work clothes so we had a quick cup of coffee in Starbucks and then set off in to the shops.

I needed to get a few novelty items for a photo booth that I am doing in work so we had a quick browse in Penneys.  As we passed the homewares section we all admired this Florida/Miami inspired bedwear.  The pineapple picture frame took us right back to the many holidays that we all have spent in Key West!

Maud's Ice Cream

This is what greeted me when I went to my work car park this morning.

A huge big truck full of Maud's Ice Cream!

The cafe below my workplace now has ice cream for sale and if the weather stays good they are sure to need plenty of deliveries.  

Hard for me to focus in work though when I know there is lovely Maud's ice cream available right down the stairs from me!!!

Sunny days in Ireland

I think during the colder months in the Winter, Nick's Coffee gave out free coffee to over 65's in Ranelagh.  

Looks like they are continuing to do so!

It's been beautiful and sunny for the last day or two here in Ireland. I sat out on the grass for my lunch yesterday which was really enjoyable.  I took this pic of the sun which makes me happy to look at!

Speaking of lunch, I am back eating LCHF as I was eating waaay too much sugar lately.  So it was cheese and coffee with cream for lunch today and then chicken with lots of mayo for dinner for me today.  

I'm reading a fascinating book called "Stuffocation" which looks at the fact that we have more stuff than ever but yet it is not making us any happier.  Interesting to say the least.....

The Table has closed

On Easter morning we sat outside Starbucks as it was so mild. They gave us eggs when we paid for our coffee!

Bones walked up and down the hedging while we had our coffee. When he got bored of this he sauntered in to the cafe (!!!) and had to be quickly called out by us.

On the way to Locks Brasseries I noticed that The Table Restaurant (seemingly renamed The Table & Lennox) is now closed.  We had eaten here a few times and had enjoyed it.  We will miss The Table.

Locks Brasserie Portobello

Happy Easter everyone!

It was a beautiful day here in Ireland.  In the morning, we walked in to the city with the dog and hung out in St Stephen's Green.  On the way in we met our neighbour who has got a new Shi Tzu - really cute dog called Lady!

We were booked in for lunch in to Locks Brasserie at 2.30pm so we picked up a Dublin Bike and cycled down the canal.  It was a nice short cycle.

We've been wanting to visit Locks for a long while so I was very happy to be eating here today.

This restaurant is so pretty and is in such a nice setting facing out on to the Grand Canal.

We chose from the 2/3 course set menu.  The other alternative was a surprise 5 course tasting menu that you could pair wines with.

We ordered a bottle of Chilean Merlot which I really liked.

The bread was sourdough and potato bread and was served in a sack with warm beads in the bottom to keep the bread warm.

We were served an appetizer of Parmesan Churros with corn puree and compressed gem.

For starter, I chose the Oxtail Risotto which was very creamy, rich and delicious. 

Ciaran had the beetroot starter.  I had asked whether there were nuts in any of the dishes and had been assured there was none so it was a little annoying to see that this dish had candied walnuts in it.  I am allergic to them so if I had ordered this dish it would have been going straight back. 

My cod and lobster main was divine!

Sides were delicious.

Homemade croquettes and pumpkin mash (so good)

For Ciaran's main he had the Beef Cheeks with chorizo.  He found it very rich.

Chocolate Tart with passion fruit sorbet - we shared a dessert.

We had petit fours with coffee (handmade marshmallow and meringues with a fruit filling)

The portions may look small but were so rich and over the top that we really were very full by the time we finished.  The walk home helped us walk the food and wine off.  But we didn't have a whole lot of energy for much else and were asleep by 9pm!