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Edible Gifts: Seasonal Shortbread
Festive Mince Pie Shortbread I don’t know if I’m getting carried away with the Christmas baking..it’s just slightly past mid November and already I’ve made mince pies, I’ve always been a devil for premature Christmas though! I remember torturing my Mother one day after school, pleading and whining to get our Christmas tree in the last week of November, I was about fifteen. Mum calmly tried to explain that the tree would have wilted by the time Christmas came, but I kept on at her…. she caved…..and I learned a valuable lesson when the bough’s were sadly touching the floor and it had curled up….I felt like I had ruined…
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Edible Gifts For The Holidays: Sugary Treats
Edible Gifts To Make Yourself! So now we have a boozey gifts out of the way, it’s time to talk about the sweets! I for one love edible gifts, last year as part of my christmas present from a secret Santa, I got a box of cocktail chocolates, Cassis and Champagne truffles, I’m a big Kir Royale fan I saved them for some downtime with myself. My Mum often puts Chocolate liqueur’s in my stocking as it’s one of my absolute favourite things, they bring me back to one Christmas as a teenager, I attacked the box, watching a movie when Mum was out and got a slight buzz from…
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The First Installment of Home Made Christmas Gifts!
Home Made is The Best Kind! Every Christmas, the world wastes about 2 Billion on unwanted gifts, I’ve sure got my fair share from trinkety ornaments and things, you know the thought is there but it’s not necessarily you or your house is already full of things, I’m a sort of minimalist, everything has it’s place, hidden away.. One year, my Mum got a heavy Men’s cologne as a present…which was sort of awkward, considering it was a very expensive one, she’s a very feminine Chanel No.5 sort of lady.. we really waste so much of our hard earned cash. I remember Ina Garten (one of my favourite celebrity chef’s)…
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Warming Soups Which Wont Add Pounds
So last week I did the Dukan attack phase and lost about 9lb’s in a week, it’s usually more but our bodies work in weird ways. I am trying to lose more now for Christmas and being really good, I even secretly have my husband on a diet and he doesn’t know ;), no oil, cutting out sugar where possible, low sodium, less starch (none for me) I started the week by rewarding myself and making a delicious comforting chicken soup from the roast chicken carcass the week before, I was only allowed breast meat and since Ryan wasn’t here, I froze it. I love my chicken soup, When I’m…
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Attacking The Dukan: Day 3
Well now! I’m very happy with myself! 6lb’s down! I did a little dance in the bathroom-haha! I have to admit, it’s feeling a little difficult today, I just didn’t feel like scrambled eggs this morning, I wanted hot buttered granary bread with home made butter and some raspberry jam….. but that’s the reason I’m dieting! All the self indulgence over the past few months has added up to a debt that now needs to be paid….in hard labour! I ended up having the last burger patty left from lastnight and a lemon fat free yogurt, I would have loved a fruit one but only lemon or vanilla is allowed,…
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Attacking The Dukan: Day 2
It’s the second day of this diet, I have to admit I am pretty happy with myself, I got on the scales, reluctantly, used to seeing it gaining and not reclining, since hitting 30, my metabolism has slowed down to a snails pace, what a cruel welcome into middle age, haha! So anyway, I stepped on and lost 4lb!! WAHOOOO!! I was doing my thing, having a shower and getting ready for work, feeling like Kate Moss- as you do when you lose a couple of pounds, boy harsh reality kicked in when I got dressed, my clothes still felt the same. No matter, the buzz from the scales was…
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Attacking The Dukan, Day 1
So my husband is working abroad for a week, and finally I get to do a spot of dieting, shift some pounds before the party season kicks off. I’ve written before (one of my first entries in this blog) about my go-to diet of choice, The Dukan, but I have a few more followers now and it’s been a few months shy of a year. I am struggling keeping weight off, gaining over a stone since we got married… sure all the baking doesn’t help but funny enough, I don’t eat much of what I make, it’s living with a man, my husband…no, no, I’m not blaming him, I have…
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Cream Cakes & The Classic Coffee Slice
You’ve got to love a good old cream cake! They always take me right back to Dublin in the 80’s, there are still loads of old fashioned bakeries dotted about the city, selling all the traditional pastries, custard slices, cream doughnuts, coffee slices…fondant fancy and Gur cake (My Mum calls this one ‘Flies Graveyard’) the smell of fresh cream and icing hits you and draws you right in. Most of you will remember Bewley’s-when it was actually owned by Bewleys, up to about the very late 90’s, there was (and still is I believe) one in Blackrock, in the old shopping centre. My Mum and Nana used to take me…
