Focus on Irish Food – Glenisk
3 hours ago
Monday, February 28, 2011
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
I can't move without missing random things....
Yeah, friends and family blah blah. Of course I'll miss them! That's a given. When I move I'm all about missing random things that I can't email or talk to on the phone. For example, when I left the US I missed my car desperately. I didn't just miss having a car, I missed my car. Fortunately a friend bought it from me, so I could get updates on how it was doing. In no particular order, here are the things I'll miss:
1. The BBC - BBC America is nothing like the real thing. Where will I see shows about the history of coach travel and the history of camping in England? Or the BBC Proms? BBC America doesn't show Saturday Kitchen Live, Something for the Weekend, Countryfile, or Coast. Hrmph.
2. Not having to actively seek out foods that don't contain high fructose corn syrup - They don't put that nasty crap in anything over here and well, that's awesome. I know when I buy a loaf of whole wheat bread that it's not going to taste sweet. I feel we'll be buying a lot of bread until we find one that we like.I may even need to invest in a bread maker.
3. The pub - This one is a biggie. It's not that I'm some sort of an alcoholic, but 'going to the pub' in Ireland is a lot different than 'going to a bar' in the US. It's about more than the drink. In a country with tons of rain, it's a cozy and warm place to get out of the elements for a bit. If the pub is a bit older, there's a good chance it has a snug, which is really the best seat in the house. It's about meeting up with friends to watch the rugby and cheer Ireland on, hearing people say, 'Come on, Lads!' or 'Come on, Ireland!'. I love that. Wes will remind me that a true Irish pub has no food, no TVs, and no music. There is nothing better than going for a long walk, then popping into a pub for a pint before heading home.
4. Scones - People will tell me I can find good scones in America, but well, they're a pretty British thing so I'm fairly certain they make them better over here. I'm gonna need a good scone recipe.
5. Random women (usually store clerks) calling me, 'Pet'. - This is a totally Irish thing. My friend's mom was the first person to call me 'Pet' and I thought it was pretty sweet. Sometimes they'll call you, 'Petal'. I'd say it's like when someone in Britain calls you, 'Love', but it's nothing like that actually. I've had men call me, 'Love' and it wasn't always in the nicest context. In fact, it sometimes felt downright demeaning.
6. Telling people I live in Ireland and them thinking it's totally cool - That's right, I just want people to think I'm cool all the time! Sometimes living in Ireland is the only 'cool' thing about me! However, this one is a double-edged sword. Once they profess the coolness of living in Ireland, they then ask me how magnificent I must think it is to live in Ireland. I hate that question more than anything. I remind them that living somewhere is always different than vacationing there and it's tough times in Ireland right now. But, I will always encourage them to come here on vacation!
That's it for right now. I know there are going to be more and I reserve the right to add to this list!
1. The BBC - BBC America is nothing like the real thing. Where will I see shows about the history of coach travel and the history of camping in England? Or the BBC Proms? BBC America doesn't show Saturday Kitchen Live, Something for the Weekend, Countryfile, or Coast. Hrmph.
2. Not having to actively seek out foods that don't contain high fructose corn syrup - They don't put that nasty crap in anything over here and well, that's awesome. I know when I buy a loaf of whole wheat bread that it's not going to taste sweet. I feel we'll be buying a lot of bread until we find one that we like.I may even need to invest in a bread maker.
3. The pub - This one is a biggie. It's not that I'm some sort of an alcoholic, but 'going to the pub' in Ireland is a lot different than 'going to a bar' in the US. It's about more than the drink. In a country with tons of rain, it's a cozy and warm place to get out of the elements for a bit. If the pub is a bit older, there's a good chance it has a snug, which is really the best seat in the house. It's about meeting up with friends to watch the rugby and cheer Ireland on, hearing people say, 'Come on, Lads!' or 'Come on, Ireland!'. I love that. Wes will remind me that a true Irish pub has no food, no TVs, and no music. There is nothing better than going for a long walk, then popping into a pub for a pint before heading home.
4. Scones - People will tell me I can find good scones in America, but well, they're a pretty British thing so I'm fairly certain they make them better over here. I'm gonna need a good scone recipe.
5. Random women (usually store clerks) calling me, 'Pet'. - This is a totally Irish thing. My friend's mom was the first person to call me 'Pet' and I thought it was pretty sweet. Sometimes they'll call you, 'Petal'. I'd say it's like when someone in Britain calls you, 'Love', but it's nothing like that actually. I've had men call me, 'Love' and it wasn't always in the nicest context. In fact, it sometimes felt downright demeaning.
6. Telling people I live in Ireland and them thinking it's totally cool - That's right, I just want people to think I'm cool all the time! Sometimes living in Ireland is the only 'cool' thing about me! However, this one is a double-edged sword. Once they profess the coolness of living in Ireland, they then ask me how magnificent I must think it is to live in Ireland. I hate that question more than anything. I remind them that living somewhere is always different than vacationing there and it's tough times in Ireland right now. But, I will always encourage them to come here on vacation!
That's it for right now. I know there are going to be more and I reserve the right to add to this list!
Monday, February 21, 2011
(My) Monday
One of Wes' coworkers is having a birthday today. She's the one that always bakes for everyone else, so it was requested that I bake something for her. I decided to make black bottoms. I've had the recipe for years, but never made them, so I hope they turned out okay!
Thursday, February 17, 2011
"It's not as good as it used to be."
Sadly, this is a phrase you hear in Dublin quite a bit these days. Just before Christmas, the Irish Times announced that our favorite brunch place was closing due to the high rent. Chatting with a friend about this she said that they used to frequent it for lunch as it was close to her office, but in the past few months "it's wasn't as good as it used to be." I offered to take a friend to one of her favorite restaurants for her birthday lunch and she opted to go somewhere else because "it's not as good as it used to be." There's a particular pub we like to go to and if we're eating a meal there I always get the chicken goujons because they made the best ones. The last time I had them they were gross (I made Wes confirm this) and definitely "not as good as they used to be". The one that makes me the most sad ever is when my friend told me she's done treating herself to a scone at Keogh's every Friday because "it's not as good as it used to be". They used to have the best scones in the city centre and I would always recommend it to visitors. Waaaahhhh!!!!
What the heck, Dublin!?? Reduce the rents for these places so they can stop scrimping on quality ingredients and still make a profit! I need to get my scone on!
In rare news, Boojum (the awesome burrito place) has passed on the savings from their suppliers to their customers and reduced the cost of a burrito by 50 cents! It's an Irish miracle!
What the heck, Dublin!?? Reduce the rents for these places so they can stop scrimping on quality ingredients and still make a profit! I need to get my scone on!
In rare news, Boojum (the awesome burrito place) has passed on the savings from their suppliers to their customers and reduced the cost of a burrito by 50 cents! It's an Irish miracle!
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
(My) Monday
Yes, this is late. Let's forget that. Lindy has started a photo project where she takes a picture of her Monday. I thought it was a cute idea and since I finally have batteries, I figured I'd participate!
I finally had the chance to wear my new shoes out on my hot Valentine's date!
I finally had the chance to wear my new shoes out on my hot Valentine's date!
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
Wash, rinse, repeat
Things are pretty lame around here and I've lost my blogging mojo.
- The batteries in my camera are dead and I keep forgetting to buy new ones. That's why there are no photo project updates.
- My birthday was on Saturday and the weather was crap which meant no nice, long walk this weekend.
- Wes made me Toad in the Hole for my birthday dinner and it was fantabulous!
- I got a voucher for a facial and massage. Woot!
- I actually stayed awake for the whole Super Bowl. That means I went to bed at 3am! I felt like a rock star. It required large quantities of Coke Zero.
- I've discovered 'Project Runway'.
- I spend my days hitting the refresh button on the higher ed jobs website and sending things to Wes.
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