Free range meat direct to your door

Thu, Jun 11, 2009

Brendan and Derek Allen are the inspiration behind Castlemine Free Range. They are the latest generation to be involved in the family farm in Four-Mile-House, Co Roscommon. The Allen brothers saw an opportunity to move away from the more intensive farming methods to more traditional, slow growing style of farming. Their farming philosophy is simply that slowly grown equals greater taste.

They produce beef, lamb, rare breed pigs, and poultry and are familiar faces at the farmers’ market in Moycullen. They also have just launched an extensive meat box scheme and have put together a number of set beef and lamb boxes which vary in size, contents, and price. If you prefer to choose your own contents they will also put together a meat box based solely on your requirements. All meat boxes are delivered direct to your door and they offer free delivery in Galway and surrounding areas. As well as once off deliveries, a regular delivery of their high quality produce can be arranged. More details are available by calling Brendan on (090) 6629886 or by visiting www.castleminefarm.ie

Feng shui in the kitchen

Thu, Jun 11, 2009

The kitchen is sometimes described as the soul of the house. It is where food that nourishes the residents get cleaned, prepared, cooked, and stored.

Successful slimming

Thu, Jun 11, 2009

Are you anxious to shed some extra pounds but find it difficult to find a method which succeeds for you?

How to choose your perfect summer shoes

Thu, Jun 04, 2009

When choosing your summer footwear there are two points to take into consideration — the thickness of your ankles and the length of your legs.

Ten steps to the perfect tan

Thu, Jun 04, 2009

St Tropez offers 10 tips to ensure your tan stays gorgeous for as long as possible.

Get a summer glow with Smashbox

Thu, Jun 04, 2009

New Smashbox Sheer Focus tinted moisturiser provides the perfect solution for summer skin, perfect for giving you a healthy glow or enhancing a summer tan.

Bits and bites of foodie news

Thu, Jun 04, 2009

This week, I want to cover several smaller bits of news and suggestions for places to visit. I recently found a great place to buy free range eggs and the method of payment is definitely a novel one. Just outside the front door of his house, ‘The Egg Man’ has a crate of fresh newly laid eggs each day. You open the box, select your quantity of eggs (which are wonderfully ungraded, so you can choose massive ones if available), you then calculate the cost at €1.50 per half dozen and put the money in the letterbox. It is called an “honesty box”, and does not give change! The yolks are deep reddish/gold and they taste great, they are also wonderful for cooking. If you want to call to him, take the road across from the water tower in Clarinbridge, drive past Walsh’s Crane Hire and after about one mile on the right hand side you will see a sign outside a bungalow ‘Free Range Eggs’. The Egg Man has also launched a delivery service and guarantees 20 per cent cheaper than retail prices. Call (087) 7682464.

Currying favour

Thu, Jun 04, 2009

Curry is one of the most traditional English dishes dating back to the East India Trading Company. Curry may be delicious when made well, but Indian food it is not. Now the spices and their combinations used in curry are indeed very much Indian, but in India they tend to be fresh and far more fragrant than what we see in Ireland. The name curry originated from the word kari, which means spiced sauce. Curry powder was a British invention which allowed the spice combinations of the Indians to become far more user friendly, also transporting a powder is a lot simpler than moving complex varieties of foods across continents.

Delicious chicken

Thu, Jun 04, 2009

Enjoy some al fresco dining with these delicious chicken recipes from Bord Bia, perfect for a barbecue or a sunny weekend lunch.

Delicious chicken 2

Thu, Jun 04, 2009

The absolutely best way is to roast a whole chicken with lots of garlic cloves, a few sprigs of rosemary, lemon wedges stuffed into the cavity, and seasoned with salt, black pepper, and cayenne pepper. Cook until the juices run clear. An hour or two later, take the meat off the bone and make the salad. If you haven’t time to roast a chicken then you can just grill a few chicken breasts, slice them up, and make the salad.

Summer time — perfect for shabby chic decorating

Thu, Jun 04, 2009

Pull out anything that looks old and careworn, do some quality shopping at your local thrift store, add a few fresh new accessories, paint it white or in a distressed style, and you have become a professional shabby chic'er!

Rollercoaster

Thu, Jun 04, 2009

Q. My son is 15 months old. He has slept in the bed with me since he was born. Now I would love to move my son into his own room or even into a bed in my room. He wakes a few times during the night and can go through at least two bottles of water. My mum keeps saying he is too young to take the bottle from him, as he still needs it. I don't think he needs it but I’m not sure that he is actually thirsty. Any advice on how to get him off the drinks at night and how to start moving him into his own room?

Sail Away with Tommy Hilfiger

Thu, Jun 04, 2009

Get in the sailing mood this season with the latest nautical looks from Tommy Hilfiger. The company is the official sponsor of Team Delta Lloyd in the Volvo Ocean Race and supplies the crew’s on and off shore apparel, including footwear, watches, sunwear, tailored suits and inshore racing gear.

Halt wrinkles in their tracks

Thu, Jun 04, 2009

A revolutionary new intensive anti-ageing moisturiser, which claims to mimic the effect of botox without the pinch of the needle or the pain of the price, is available locally.

Check to cheek

Thu, Jun 04, 2009

Blusher is to the complexion what vitamins are to your health, according to Dick Page, artistic director for Shiseido Make-Up.

Shed pounds naturally

Thu, Jun 04, 2009

A new natural weight management tool aims to give women the confidence and motivation to reveal their perfect figure and feel good in their skin.

Pamper those peepers

Thu, Jun 04, 2009

If fine lines are beginning to creep around your eyes making your peepers look tired and less than sparkling then consider using Ziaja’s serum for eyes and lip area (€10.49),

Buff your body

Thu, Jun 04, 2009

The newly launched Mama Mio Body Buff is being hailed as a perfect preparation for a glorious self-tan.

Dress for your shape and save money — part two

Thu, May 28, 2009

In last week’s column I emphasised the fact that knowing what suits your body shape is the key to look your best and save you money.

Enjoy some retail therapy at rock bottom prices

Thu, May 28, 2009

Number 34 Shop Street is the shop to visit this week. Whether you are a woman or man, looking for something casual or dressy, you will not beat the fantastic value at the Galway Hat Shop sale shop. Proprietor of the Galway Hat shop, Sandra Divilly, is opening a special sale shop for one week only. Sandra will be the third generation of the Divilly family to trade from Number 34 Shop Street. Both her grandfather Martin Divilly and her father Brian Divilly ran Divilly's Butchers from the premises. Suzanne's Boutique, run by Sandra's mother, was the first ladies’ fashion store on the premises followed by Sasha boutique.

Sandra Divilly has been successfully running her accessories business, The Galway Hat Shop, from the Corbett Court shopping centre for the last nine years. Business there will continue as normal during the week, while in the sale shop there will be casual hats for ladies, gents, and children all half price or less. This will be the biggest ever millinery sale seen in the country with more than 100 wedding hats reduced to half price and less. There will be wedding hats for sale starting from just €20! There will be designer headpieces by Catherine Cooke, Suzanne Bettley, and many others with up to 50 per cent discounts, along with handbags, wraps, and jewellery all half price.

E-paper

Read this weeks E-paper. Past editions also available from within this weeks digital copy.