[ car boot sales ]

WHEN WE FIRST came to Ireland almost 4 years ago, I had no idea what a car boot was, let alone a car boot sale. I would see generic signs every so often, primarily in church parking lots or schools for an upcoming Car Boot Sale but foolishly never bothered to actually find out what they were.

Silly me, a car boot is the trunk of a car and a car boot sale is the equivalent to a garage/yard sale in Canada and US but people park their cars in a parking lot, pop open their trunks and display all the goodies they have to sell. Since I always get a thrill from garage sales and finding treasures in thrift stores, this was right up my alley and we finally went to our FIRST car boot sale when we stumbled upon one on the weekend!

It wasn't a big sale but it was fun to wander around and check out what people had up for grabs.

Though there were a few interesting things to pick up, we settled on a few paperbacks for 50 cents each and some homemade raspberry jam. A fun day and I'll definitely be on the lookout for more upcoming sales!

lisa

[ delicious pumpkin loaf ]

I HOPE YOU all had a fabulous weekend! Thanks so much for all the lovely Thanksgiving wishes! The two of us had our little Thanksgiving dinner and while my hunt for pumpkin here in Ireland came up empty, I made lemon pie for our dinner instead - still yummy!

As promised, I'm back with my Pumpkin Loaf recipe so you can use up the rest of your big can of pumpkin from your pumpkin pie!

Lisa's pumpkin loaf
This is a super easy recipe that makes two 9"x5" loaves. If you prefer a lighter version, substitute the oil for 1 cup unsweetened apple sauce.

what you need:

3 1/2 cups flour
3 cups sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp ground cloves
2/3 cup water
4 eggs
1 cup vegetable oil (or try 1 cup unsweetened apple sauce instead of oil)
14 oz can pure pumpkin (or 1/2 of a big 28 oz can)
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

how to:

Preheat oven to 350F. Mix all dry ingredients together in a large bowl.
Mix water, eggs and oil together and then add to dry ingredients. Stir in pumpkin. Stir in walnuts (if using).
Pour into 2 lightly greased loaf pans.
Bake about 1 hr until toothpick inserted in centre comes out clean.
Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire rack to cool completely.

Happy baking!

lisa

[ pumpkin pie and giving thanks ]

IT'S HARD TO believe it's already Thanksgiving in Canada this weekend! I wish I could be there to enjoy the changing leaves from our dock and feel them crunching under my feet while I walk down the driveway. It's such a pretty time of year at our place.

But I'm here in Ireland and I have managed to find a turkey breast to prepare for Thanksgiving dinner so it's not all bad! I'm still on the hunt for pumpkin with no luck so far so we may not be enjoying my pumpkin pie and pumpkin loaf this year!

But I'll share my pie recipe with you so at least someone will be enjoying it!

Lisa's no-fail pumpkin pie
This recipe is very easy and turns out every time. It has just the right amount of spice (not too much like some of the store-bought pies tend to have).

what you need:

pastry for single crust pie (make your own or buy a frozen deep-dish one to keep things simple)

2 eggs
14 oz can pure pumpkin (or 1/2 of a big 28 oz can)
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp allspice
1 2/3 cup evaporated milk (12 oz can)

how to:

Preheat oven to 425F. Roll out pastry into pie plate.
Beat eggs until frothy with mixer, then beat in remaining ingredients on low (add milk slowly as last ingredient.)
Pour into pastry-lined pie plate. Bake 15 minutes. Reduce temperature to 350F. Bake about 45 minutes to 1 hour, until knife inserted in centre comes out clean. Cool.
Serve with dollop of sweetened whipped cream.

Mmmm.... I can almost taste it! I'll be back on Monday with my Pumpkin Loaf recipe - great if you used 1/2 a big can of pumpkin for your pie and need to use up the rest (it will make 2 loaves).

Have a fantastic weekend and Happy Thanksgiving to all my fellow Canadians! Don't forget to give thanks for all the good things in your life xo

lisa

[ smitten with smeg ]

I HAVE TO SAY I have fallen in love with Smeg fridges! An Italian line, their retro styling and colours really bring a kitchen to life and look as comfortable in a modern kitchen as they do in a country kitchen. I think they're such a fun alternative to the stainless steel fridges that seem to have become the norm everywhere.

lisa

[1, 16 kjerstislykke; apartment therapy; flickr; that's right; otthon; 

6, 8, 14 alkemie; 7, 12, 13 mali-mo; lantlif; 10, 11, 16 bo]

[ light & cheery with a pinch of glam ]

HOW GORGEOUS is this room? I came across this room and just had to share - the cheerful yellow touches in the floral panel and velvet cushions, paired with that grey & white trellis pattern... swoon! I love the mix of furniture styles, the mismatched lamps and of course, a pretty chandelier is never a bad choice to add a bit of glam. Stylish without looking stuffy or overly done, don't you think?

lisa

[adore home]

[ speed reading decor ]

LOOKING TO fill a blank wall or create a cozy library feel? A little short on reading time? Then how about some book wallpaper? I remember years ago seeing book wallpaper and I'm not sure if it was really something I was drawn to (although that may have been due to the rest of the dated furniture and decor). What do you think of book wallpaper? Is this something you would try?

lisa

[bodie and fou]

[ history, shopping and pure luxury ]

I HOPE YOU ALL had a lovely weekend - ours sure was dreamy! Powerscourt House & Gardens is a gorgeous place set in the hills of Wicklow with panoramic views. We had a day of intermittent downpours so it was a bit difficult to spend a lot of time outdoors but we did manage to enjoy most of what it had to offer.

Along with beautiful grounds, Powerscourt also houses a garden pavilion, an interiors showroom, a cafe and an Avoca shop selling gourmet foods, kitchenware, fashions and handwoven wool scarves and blankets.

I splurged on a gorgeous charcoal grey throw with a single ochre stripe.

Then time to check in to The Ritz...

The room was huge and had every luxury you could imagine including a long terrace with loungers...

and a bathroom filled with marble and a TV in the mirror!

After settling in and having a little nap on the cloud-like bed, we met up with our friends and enjoyed a very posh late dinner at the Gordon Ramsay restaurant. You could just imagine an episode of Hell's Kitchen going on behind the scenes!

It was definitely a weekend of pure luxury and it was so much fun to enjoy it with some great friends.

lisa 

[ sneak peek at my weekend ]

CAN YOU believe the weekend is already here? I'm so excited about the weekend we've got planned - our friends who moved to London this year are in Ireland for the weekend so we're going to get together and catch up. The best part is that they're staying at the Ritz in Enniskerry and so thanks to our travel points, we're going to treat ourselves and stay there as well! Hopefully the weather holds up and I can take some photos around the beautiful Powerscourt House & Gardens. I hope you all have a lovely weekend and I'll see you Monday with (hopefully) some great pics!

lisa