Fitness Blender's 5 Day Workout Challenge to Burn Fat & Build Lea...

Our trip to California has crept up on us - it's only 4 weeks away and we still needed to book hotels and car.


We set about completing all of this yesterday evening and we have now got our holiday plans finalized.


We will be visiting Monterey and Santa Cruz and then heading back to San Francisco for a squash tournament.


With only 4 weeks to go until when I will be lying on a beach in a bikini I decided I'd better start back working out again so have started doing Fitness Blender again.  Boy they are tough but I sure feel good after I have finished each workout!  





I have taken some photos of me currently so will do a before & after blog post in 4 weeks.

Arty Starbucks Staff

My sister and I spent a little time in Starbuck Rathmines today.  We both had our laptops with us so we chatted and browsed (the connection was really bad so I gave up after awhile).  

When I went up to the counter for my Double Espresso Machiatto (strong and tasty) I saw all of these amazing looking cups.  I asked the server if they were new and he told me that a staff member had done them!! Wow, amazing!  He told me that she also did the illustrations on the chalkboard.  I was impressed - what a talent!

What I've been up to!

Having recently watched "Love and Mercy" the film of the life of Brian Wilson, I borrowed Pet Sounds from the Library.  It's an awesome album that certainly transports you away from Ireland takes you to possibly California or some other location.

 I'm also reading "Practice to deceive" by Ann Rule who sadly passed away recently.  I enjoy reading her true crime stories and it is remarkable to think that while she was writing and researching these books she was actually a good friend of Ted Bundy and yet she never realized he was a mass murderer!!

It's a Bank Holiday here in Ireland.  Yesterday I suggested to Ciaran we go off hill walking or some other activity.  It was a lovely day today so we set off about midday to Tibradden in the Dublin Mountains.

 We really enjoyed the walk - look at how amazing the scenery is. From the top there was such a fantastic view of Dublin City.

 At the top we had cheese & ham sandwiches then made our way back down.  We had a great day out - It really is the simple things that can give such pleasure!

Supervalu Food Academy featuring Koo Kee Cookie Mix

In my local Supervalu there is special section called the Food Academy.  It has ranges of specialist foods from local suppliers.

There is pate, rashers, desserts, sauces and lots more for sale as part of this innovation.

I've bought this flavoured butter before.  Irish butter is the best and these are the perfect size for slicing up and using on your steak.

These Rocky Road biscuits look so good.

The owner of Koo Kee cookie mix was selling her product (and giving samples) so after chatting with her for a little while I decided to buy the Oatmeal & Chocolate mix.

Here's the cookies that I made from the mix.  They are gluten free and were rather tasty!

Castlemartyr Resort

Two weeks ago we spent a little time in County Cork in Castlemartyr Resort.  It's a pet friendly hotel so we were able to bring Bones the dog which was beyond convenient as our dog minder was unable to mind him.  It made such a change to pack up the car in a relaxed manner and drive for 3 hours rather than rush to the airport at an ungodly hour to travel for a good few hours to get to a foreign destination.  A "Staycation" has a lot of positives, that's for sure.

 

 We were given a pet friendly room which had access to a small garden.  On the grounds is a great Coilte Forest with pathway the whole way through.  Here's a pic of Bones having a great time in the forest.

 On our first night we had a very pleasant meal in the Bell Tower Restaurant in the hotel.  

 

 

After dinner we took a walk around the grounds and got to say hello to the friendly horses in the paddock!

On other nights we ate in Sage and The FarmGate in Middleton (both meals were fabulous) and also Pat Shorts Pub in Castlemartyr.  I'll put photos up on my blog of those venues in a few days.

Rockets by Eddie Rockets (on Baggot Street)

Passing by Eddie Rockets on Baggot Street the other day I saw that this diner had been given an overhaul.  Gone was the traditional red 1950's diner look and in it's place was a stripped down hipster looking hamburger joint.

My sister is home from Oman for a short holiday (after returning from a week in Kuala Lumpur with her twin sister to celebrate their birthday) so when she called over to my house on Friday with Katie I suggested we go see what this new place was like.

We walked to the restaurant and when we got their we saw that the menu has been stripped back and you order at the counter and then your name is called when your order is ready.  Sauces are all available as serve yourself at the  end of the counter and drinks are free refills (love this!).

Burgers come with two patties as standard while the small burger has just one patty.  Chips or a small salad (which is teeny weeny) and a soda can be added to a burger for an extra €4 - but I ordered sweet potato fries with my burger.

We really liked the food!  We thought the burgers tasted way better than the regular Eddie Rockets burger and we thought the bun was also much improved (I reckon this burger could give Bunsen Burger a run for its money).  I rate burger buns on their "Bun-ability", top marks go to buns that don't break up as you eat the burger - this bun scored well!!  We felt that Rockets had the feel of a Roadside Burger Joint and that the burgers were similar to what you might get in somewhere like 5 Guys or Shake Shack.  

Have you visited Rockets?  What did you think of it?

Stephen Pearce Pottery in Shanagarry

While on a short break away in Cork, we visited Stephen Pearce's pottery studio.  I've always loved this pottery - the two contrasts of the rough and smooth ceramic has always fascinated me.

The setting of the studio was so pretty.  There was even a little cafe and you could sit out in the sunny garden.

 


Bones sat and waited outside for us.  He was very patient and was even offered a bowl of water by the lady who worked in the store.