Taste explosion!

My twins sister makes the most beautiful canapes - I call them "Taste Explosions"!!! Here's step by step instructions with pictures of how to make them.

1. Spread a generous smear of cream cheese on bite size 

blinis (mini pancakes)

2. Pour a few drops of sweet chilli sauce on the cream cheese

3. Top with smoked salmon 

4. Season with black pepper

These canapes are totally delicious - I recommend eating them in a single bite!!

Here are a few more canapes and nibblies that we made:
Smoked Salmon on Brown Bread with lemon garnish

Black Olives, Charcuterie of Italian Prosciutto & Spanish Ham, Cheese selection, Crackers and Red Pepper Hummus.

And here we are along with friends enjoying wine and nibblies!

Open House

Open House (Dublin's biggest Architectural Festival) is on this weekend.  We have a busy weekend planned with friends calling to us on Saturday and Sunday but we plan to take in a few tours for Open House.

On Sunday we hope to visit the former home of Architect Sam Stephenson.  It is now a guesthouse and features a retro conversation pit - and you know how much we love conversation pits!!  We love them so much that we built one in our own house!!!

In other news, our Taoiseach (Prime Minister) made the cover of Time Magazine for a feature entitled the "Celtic Comeback".  I like the way they changed the colour of "Time" to green!!

Rain, rain go away.....

I went for a walk before work today. 

It was lovely weather when I set off.  I walked along the canal.  There were loads of people out cycling and walking as it was quite a nice day.  

It began to get windy and then started to rain a little.  All of the pictured swans on the canal began to make their way under this tree for shelter from the rain.

I made my way straight to Starbucks on Mespil Road to avoid getting wet! 

It is a very small Starbucks, I think it is more of a takeaway coffee spot for all of the offices in the locality. The sit in area is not hugely attractive........but luckily for me it is not my closest Starbucks - that's the one at the Luas Stop on Harcourt Street.

You know you live in Dublin when.....

You know you live in Dublin when you can smell the hops from the Guinness factory as you drive to work in the morning!!!

If you want to experience all that Dublin has to offer (including the smell of the hops - has to be smelled to be believed!) come to Ireland in 2013 for The Gathering!!!

Sushi Sunday!

Lunch in Yo! Sushi today.

It was delicious!  I love the atmosphere of this place and it is so much fun taking food off the belt.  We sat at the counter and I found it so much more social then a booth.

Long day!

Early start yesterday up at 6.30am to get on the road to Belfast for the Smart Car Rally.

Here's a report written by Amy for the Smart Car Rally Facebook page:

September 2012 Belfast Trip Report: Enid & I left Dublin at approximate 7am and arrived at the Boucher Crescent Smart/Mercedes garage at 9.30am. Coincidentally we arrived at the same time as Gerry & Shay from the Dublin Smart Car Rally!We were greeted in the garage by some lovely folk from the Ulster Cancer Foundation who took our donation and gave us the clues for the rally. We then were directed to another garage to the staff restaurant where we had a fantastic Ulster fry to keep us going for the day. (quick aside: we had Bones the dog with us who made a show of us by climbing up on to the table - he never does that - and was immediately turfed out by chef. Silly Bones!). We poured over the clues and saw that we it was a considerable length - 156miles in total!

Quick media photo outside and we were off! Very convenient for E&I we were behind Gerry, who was behind Shay & Alice, so we let them lead the way and we enjoyed the scenery. Stopped off halfway for a scheduled stop (part of the rally) for soup and sandwiches. Another media photo shoot and we resumed tour.

We finished up in the Carn Smart garage in Portadown where we had some lovely refreshments - tea, coffee, sandwiches, sausage rolls & chicken goujons. Had nice chat with a few Smartie people. We did not meet any people from this page :-( Prizes and goodie bags were given out and Enid and I then set off home.

We arrived him approximate 8.30pm that evening. It was a long days driving for poor Enid! Next year we would probably stay over...

Overall a great day. Fantastic hospitality as always from Smart of Belfast. Met some lovely people and saw some beautiful parts of Northern Ireland.

Anyway on the subject of next year - we hope to arrange a 2013 Dublin meet up! Probably along the lines of: meet in the Phoenix Park for a "tailgate party" - to chat about Smarts, have a look at everyone's car, some eats and tea :-) and then a Smart parade/convoy drive around the Phoenix Park. Watch this space!

Arthurs Day/Marketers Day?!

Really enjoyed "Tuesdays with Morrie" last night.  Thought it was an excellent production.  In particular I thought that Terry Byrne who played Morrie was brilliant.

On the way home we drove through the city and up Camden Street.  It was crazy!!!  The Village had a live band on for Arthurs Day and 2FM were there recording it.  Every pub on the street was packed and there were people all over the place, even walking on the road. Traffic had come to a complete standstill.  

I think Arthur's Day has only been celebrated for the last few years - the cynic in me is beginning to see it as just one big marketing opportunity even though it is great for all of those less well known bands who get to play in all of the great venues all over Dublin.  

I think the whole concept of Arthur's Day just leaves me a little cold.