My New Column in Irish Country Living

I feel very privileged to be building a career out of something that I gain so much pleasure from. I love all the different elements to writing my columns; the recipe development, the styling, the photography and the personal introductions. I have a weekly column with the Westmeath Independent, a bi-monthly column with Easy Parenting magazine, and I'm ever so proud to announce that I now have a new column, starting this week, in The Farmer's Journal, Irish Country Living. Coming from a farming background, The Farmer's Journal was the best read paper in our house each week. Both of my parents were such loyal readers, and as I grew older I too became a fan of this ever informative publication. On the back of a chapter from Apron Strings, which was titled 'Home Nurse', I was asked by Mairead Lavery, the editor of Irish Country Living, to write a four part series last winter. I received lots of lovely positive feedback from these features so, earlier this year, when I was asked to write a regular 'Home Nurse' column I jumped at the opportunity.
I trained as a nurse, and completed my degree at Trinity College Dublin, before working in many varied areas of nursing. My nursing background has certainly aided me in writing these columns, but I'm very much writing them from a carer's perspective, basing them on my experience as a 'home nurse', in a home setting. For many years I cared for my Dad, who was convalescing from different complaints, and previous to this my dear Mother, who was living with Multiple Myeloma. Without even having a family member seriously unwell, at some point we all take on the role of the home nurse. As a mother, the role of the home nurse can frequently be called upon, from sniffles and fevers, to eczema and grazes. Through this column, I want to share with you all that I've learnt through the years. The recipes that I've developed may be nutrient-specific to someone, for example, nursing a fracture, however within a busy family home it's fundamental that the dishes are pleasing to the entire family. As I learnt, it is a huge worry when a loved one is sick, and you certainly don't need the hassle of cooking two or three different meals. I have many different topics planned for my upcoming columns and I'm very much looking forward to sharing them with the readers of Irish Country Living. They also have an on-line subscription option, so you don't have to feel left-out, if you're not residing in Ireland.