Bloom 2010 - more details

I got an update from Klara Golez at Bord Bia on the Lost and forgotten skills demonstrations at Bloom. And now I want to go there every day! These talks will take place alongside the food market.

Times are subject to change - currently the first talk starts at 12pm and the final talk of the day starts at 4pm. I'd imagine that there will be details posted somewhere at Bloom when you arrive. Here's the line up:

Thursday 3rd June
Blood Pudding and Sausages
History of Irish Farming
Apples and Cider
Cheese-making

Friday
Butter-making
Oysters
Forgotten Skills with Darina Allen
Home baking and preserves

Saturday
Seaweed
Boxty and Irish Potatoes
Guided Tastings with Dillisk and Connemara Peat Whiskey
Honey producing

Sunday
TBC (Possible Smoked Salmon- subject to change)
Seaweed
Soda Bread and Jams
Honey producing

Monday
Boxty
Guided Tasting with Peter Ward
Poitin talk and tasting with Bunratty Poitin

The ones I'm excited about -
Blood Pudding and Sausages
Seaweed
Apples and Cider
Cheese-making

So I'm hoping to get there on Thursday at least. All going well I'll be tweeting about it when I'm there - follow me @greenannabrowne

Christmas Crafting - make your own gifts

Gertrude Tlou of Umbrella Studios (087 7498039 gertrudetlou@eircom.net) and Anna Browne (087 2222562 or annambrowne@gmail.com) offer you the chance to enter the world of hand made gifts, and realise your dreams of a better Christmas. They will teach you to make a selection of goodies which will delight, amuse and please your nearest and dearest. Choose from a selection of Bath bombs, bath bags, Heat pillows, Neck gaiters, christmas decorations, granola, chocolate macaroons, truffles, Cookie mix in a jar, and go home with recipes and instructions for all of these, and the confidence to make them at home yourself. In addition you'll learn to make gift wraps, gift cards, and cute Origami gift boxes, using recycled materials.


Remember last Christmas? Fighting traffic, stuck in shopping center parking lots? Fighting with the other harried shopper over the last Bath set at the chemist on Christmas eve? Wracking your brains trying to remember who you forgot? Snarling at the family when it's supposed to be such a happy time of year? And then realising you forgot someone very important in the stress of it all? And knowing deep down that you have missed the spirit of Christmas....

This year can be so much different. Imagine a serene day spent learning new crafts, with interesting new people - picking up tips and tricks for creating personalised homemade gifts, and wrapping them in your own individual style?

Imagine spending the last few days leading up to Christmas, relaxed and basking in the knowledge that you have already made all your gifts. Or enjoying the last minute party you have been invited to, knowing you have a unique gift for the hosts in your stockpile. Imagine the appreciation you'll see on the recipients faces, when they see that you have taken the time to make something especially for them? And, best of all, imagine not being in fear of your January credit card bill!


'Make and Bake your Christmas Presents' will be held at Mullingar Educate Together NS on November 7th (leaving you lots of time to put your skills into practice before the holidays), running from 10:00am to 5:00pm. Cost is €75 euro, and all materials will be provided.