Spring Hath Sprung…and a Giveaway!

Spring is officially upon us…can you feel it? In the past few days there’s been a waft of something on the air – I’m not sure what. Inspiration? Possibility? Whatever it is, I’m enjoying everything this spring has brought so far – warmer weather, longer evenings, and the sight of baby bunnies and ickle lambs frolicking in the fields, to name but a few - and excited about the long and hopefully hot summer ahead.

I should preface this post with an apology of sorts…I’ve been more than neglectful of late, even for me. I’m not even sure what exactly it was that kept me away from my little blog so long - a combination of things, I suppose. Joe’s been renovating a house since June of last year, and at the end of January he moved in. I decided to wait for such luxuries as flooring, and a kitchen, and have been firmly ensconced at my parents’ house for the past couple of months. My mother has a Rayburn in her kitchen and it’s amazing – it cooks, heats the house AND the hot water – but I’m damned if I can cook/bake with it. The temperature is impossible to control, so anything delicate like fairy cakes, or recipes which demand a certain heat and cooking time, like brownies, are a no-go. This is probably good for my health and well-being, as I’m no longer ingesting massive amounts of baked goods, but it also means that I have nothing to blog about!

So, until I get into my shiny new – read, second-hand; whave very little – read, no – money – kitchen, Imma turn The Loving  Spoonful into a food and lifestyle blog. I’ll update you on foodie goings-on around the country, and blog about products/utensils/gadgets that I love and think you will too. I’m also going to throw in the occasional giveaway to bribe you all into liking me again - starting now!

I met Judith of A Box For My Treasure at Dublin’s Ferocious Mingle Market a couple of months ago, and couldn’t leave without snapping up some of her gorgeous pieces. I’ve been wearing them non-stop ever since, and love the way they look, the compliments I get on them, and the fact that they’re something cute, but different, that not everyone will have. They’re also really reasonably priced, and make great gifts for Valentine’s, Mother’s Day, birthdays or even a keepsake for nieces/daughters/goddaughters who are making their Communion or Confirmation over the next couple of weeks.

Judith has very kindly given me TWO pieces to giveaway to one lucky commenter – check them out!

This gorgeous brass feather ring – I bought one of these, and LOVE it.

AND

These fabulous earrings. So pretty, and perfect for spring.

To be in with a chance of winning these gorgeous goodies, just leave a comment telling me three things you’ve enjoyed this spring, and one lucky winner will receive the pieces above! If you like what you see, make sure to visit Judith’s Etsy shop, or like her on Facebook to keep up-to-date with all she has to offer.

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Time for some foodie news, and the biggest is that Masterchef is coming to Ireland! This is a great opportunity for all you talented amateur cooks out there to showcase your skills in front of the amazing Nick Munier and Dylan McGrath to win the coveted title of Masterchef Ireland, as well as €25,000 in cash! Successful applicants will proceed to the audition phases of the competition where they will be up against some of the best amateur cooks in the country. Those that prove themselves worthy of a place in the final 16 will put through a series of intense tests, tasks and challenges which will test their culinary skill to the limit. Each week, cooks will be eliminated until they are left with only one winner, Ireland’s very first MasterChef Champion. All the details are here and you have until the 27th April to apply. Good luck!

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Has anyone been to Lidl/Aldi recently? I used to do all of my shopping there (there was an Aldi within spitting distance of our apartment in town), until I realised that their fruit and veg lasted a spookily long time. That said, there are still some gems to be had. I picked up a waffle maker in Lidl a couple of weeks ago for €17 – bargain! Aldi also do pretty cheap maple syrup – about €3.50, as I recall, compared to €6 or €7 in most places – and they’ve just brought out a range of frozen yoghurts which are DIVINE. The strawberry one tastes just like strawberry ice-cream, and as someone who has a horrible addiction to Eddie Rockets’ strawberry malts, this is a very, very good thing indeed.

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The Waterford Festival of Food was on at the weekend, culiminating in a huge outdoor food market in Dungarvan’s Main Square on Sunday. I went along to hang out with Candi of The Boho Kitchen, who was selling her signature white chocolate and pecan blondies, fudgey chocolate brownies, cupcakes, cookies and lots of other new treats for Easter, like her red velvet cake balls (and Girlfriend needs to slap a warning sticker on ‘em, ’cause they are addictive). I took home a selection of her tasty treats and they were gorgeous, check out her stall at a festival near you soon!

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Finally, there’s another new market on the scene. The Market Waterford is a pretty new set-up in what was the old An Post sorting office on Waterford’s High St/Kaiser St. Run by Fran and her partner Paul who developed the old SOMA Market I sold at before, it’s a huge venue and a great way for local producers to showcase their talent. The market currently runs on Saturdays, but they’re hoping to open from Thursday through to Sunday as the summer market season progresses. Make sure to come along and check it out next time you’re in town, and see the talent of our local bakers, jewellers and interior decorators – to name a few – for yourself! If you’re interested in having a stall, more information can be found on their Facebook page.

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That’s about it for the foodie news this week – I have another large and exciting announcement to make which deserves its own post, so stay tuned! In the meantime, make sure to enter the giveaway by posting in the comments’ section below and one lucky reader will be selected to win the lovely jewellery from A Box For My Treasure. You have until midnight on Easter Sunday (April 24th) to enter, so get scribbling. Best of luck!

 

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