Pulled Pork in the Slow Cooker

On the drive home from work I decided to make Pulled Pork in my slow cooker. 

The butcher didn't have a shoulder of pork so I got a loin of pork instead.

To make the sauce I used a mix of different sauces and flavourings from my fridge and cupboard.

Firstly I rubbed Chinese 5 Spice and paprika in to the pork.

I lined the base of the slow cooker with onions and garlic to flavour the meat.

To make the sauce I used a can of chopped tomatoes, Worcestershire sauce, beef stock, garlic, maple syrup, chipotle sauce and tomato puree. 

I added the meat to the slow cooker (crock pot for my American readers!) and then covered in sauce.

I added parsley to the sauce and also a Knorr stock pot for extra richness.

All I have to do is then cook it on low for 10 hours and hopefully I will have lovely tender Pulled Pork for dinner tomorrow tonight!

Dog wash!

I've been looking for a new groomer for Bones for awhile and looks like I have found one.  They have a shop where he can be dropped to or they can come to your house with the mobile grooming van.  The mobile option is actually the same price as where we currently get him groomed - so it makes sense to change!

Here he is on a road trip with Declan.

Bad weather in Ireland

The weather has been fairly bad in Ireland for the past few days - there even has been a bit of snow outside of Dublin!  Yesterday was bitterly cold and tonight we are expecting "Storm Rachel" to hit.  Gusts of 150km an hour are forecast for the night.

This morning on the way to work the road was blocked for a short while as a car was pulled out of the ditch.  It seems that the car had got stuck in the mud and couldn't reverse out.  Not good!

Birdman & Theory of Everything

Last night we went to see The Theory of Everything in the Rathmines Omniplex.  On Tuesdays, they have a €5 ticket special. I booked tickets at about 5pm for the 8.30 show.  It was just about booked out!!  We got two tickets right in the front row (we had to strain our necks back to see the screen - literally a pain!)

The Theory of Everything is excellent.  I really think that Eddie Redmayne deserves the Oscar for his portrayal of Hawking.  Ciaran disagrees and thinks it should go to Michael Keaton for Birdman.  I don't think so but I do think Birdman should get best film......we will have to wait and see!

My Shi Tzu enjoying his jellies!

Here's Bones having a little snack in this short video

Christmas Life Hack

I packed away the Christmas Tree yesterday.  It's tradition to leave it up til the 6th of Jan in Ireland but honestly if I didn't get it down on Sunday it could have been up until next weekend and that is bordering on ridiculous!!

Sadly the place where the tree was now looks all bare - it's the same every year!

So I have a life hack that I think is so useful when packing away the Christmas Stuff.

For storage convenience and ease of use next year, wrap your lights around a tube from wrapping paper.

The lights stay tangle free - you will be so happy you did this when you take them out next Christmas.

Whitefriar Place

Today we went to Pitt Bros on Georges Street.  We parked on Whitefriar place which has a few interesting old shops.

The furrier (est. 1892)  and Maison des Chapeaux (house of hats?) are now part of the hostel which takes up the whole corner of the street.  I think it is nice the way they left the shop fronts.

The Silver Swan is a hair stylist (what a naff pink colour!) but looks to be closed up now.

Art Framing and who knows what else?!!

The view from Avalon House back down the street.

And here is the large hostel Avalon House that seems to own half the buildings on the street behind it.