Over the past couple of weeks, we have been treated to a number of intermittent days of heat and sunshine. The heat of the mid-day sun always has the ability to trick me into thinking that this warmth will last the evening long. However, as soon as I decide to leave the house, without the winter jackets in tow, a blistering cool breeze seems to blow and I find myself, yet again, complaining of the cold. I've two young men who keep me active with all things GAA-related, so this scenario is normally at the side of a football pitch. Therefore, after a busy weekend of cheering from the sideline, it was no surprise I found myself with a touch of a cold this week. 



As a child, my mother’s first line of action, for any sort of sniffles, was freshly squeezed oranges & lemons. To this day, I maintain the same approach to everyday colds. I use quite a few lemons in my cooking and baking, so I normally have a couple in my fruit basket. To some freshly squeezed lemon, I add a bunch of whatever herbs I can get my hands on, and this concoction normally eases the symptoms of a croaky cold. If there is an advantage to a summer snuffle, it’s that my lovely herb garden is in full season, so I'm spoilt for choice as to what herbs to include in this nutritious drink. Mint or lemon balm pair very nicely with the lemon; however if I'm hoping for a little anti-inflammatory action I normally add a few sprigs of fresh thyme. If I have some to hand, fresh ginger is a great addition to this cold-busting drink. The feeling of nausea can also accompany the symptoms of a cold, and sometimes a little fresh ginger can be enough to ease this.  This tonic won’t cure a cold, but it will ease the symptoms. I plan on arming myself with a little flask of this tea, the next time my cheer-leading qualities are needed at an under 10’s match.



Lemon & Thyme Tea

Ingredients
½ lemon, juiced
2 sprigs of thyme
1-inch knob of ginger
250ml of recently boiled water
1tsp honey

Method
  1. Using a bowl, flask or teapot, add the lemon juice, sprigs of thyme and ginger. Cover with the 250ml of recently boiled water.
  2. Pop a saucer on top and leave to infuse for 10 minutes. Then, pass through a sieve and stir in a teaspoon of honey. Enjoy straight away.

These days, this little lady hasn't had as much time to help me out in the garden. She has three new kittens that she's taking great care of non-stop. We have a good few kitties, at this stage, so she has agreed that two of them can take up residence with a very nice new family. I know that there will be tears when that day comes. However, we're planning to extend our outdoor family, here at Killachonna, over the next few months so this animal-loving lady will be kept very busy. 
Have a lovely weekend. Nessa x 


A number of years ago, when I immersed myself into the world of food blogging little did I realise what a wonderful and significant step this was going to be for me. My love for photographing and writing about food naturally deepened, but what has come as the greatest surprise to me are the friends I have made, as a result of my musing on the computer. This coming weekend I'll have the opportunity to catch-up with many of my blogging buddies, as The Kerrygold Ballymloe Lit Fest of Food & Wine is kicking off on Friday. It has to be the most anticipated food event of the year, and I'm proud to say that I'm parttaking in two seperate panel discussions. If you would like to book a spot, head over to the Litfest website. It's sure to be a truly memorable weekend. If you can't make it to Cork, but would like to keep up with some Litfest related news, I'll be tweeting all about it at @Nessa_Robins or follow the hashtag #litfestie.


One of my blogging friends, that I'm looking forward to having a good chat with this weekend, is Kristin Jensen. Kristin is the wonderful writer of the blog ‘Edible Ireland’. She is based in Louth but originally hails from America. Kristin and I have become great friends, through our mutual love of food, but we also have children of a similar age, which makes for the organisation of perfect play dates, while we catch-up. On one such occasion Kristin gifted me with a lemon blueberry buckle. A buckle is a traditional American dessert which has a thick crust, is filled with fruit, and finished with a crumble topping. With so many delicious elements it’s a truly splendid dessert. My recipe I'm sharing with you today, even though it’s really just a simple crumble, resembles many elements of Kristin’s Buckle. For that zingy lemon undertone I’ve added some lemon zest to both the rhubarb and the crumble. To exaggerate the lemon flavour even more, I’ve included a few sprigs of lemon thyme to the rhubarb while it stews. The lemon thyme grows in abundance in my garden, but if you can’t get your hands on any, simply add a little extra lemon zest. One marvellous tip I received from Kristin was to part-freeze the crumble topping, which ultimately leads to a crunchier crumble top. So now whenever I make a crumble, of any variety, I pop the topping into the freezer, while I prepare the filling, and I’m always reminded of the value of friendships, old and new.



Lemon Rhubarb Crumble

Ingredients
Crumble
150g butter
250g plain flour
150g caster sugar
zest of 1 lemon

Filling
600g rhubarb, sliced into bite size pieces
100g caster sugar
zest of 1 lemon
4 sprigs of lemon thyme
2 tbsp water


Method

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C/fan 180°C/Gas 6.
2. To prepare the crumble, place the flour in a bowl and rub in the butter until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Stir in the sugar and the lemon zest, and combine. Place the crumble mixture into the freezer until you have the rhubarb stewed.
3. Place the rhubarb, sugar, lemon zest, lemon thyme and water into a medium sized saucepan. Bring to the boil, and then turn down the heat, cover and allow to simmer for  two minutes, until the rhubarb has slightly softened.
4. Scoop out the sprigs of lemon thyme. Spoon the stewed rhubarb into a large ovenproof dish. Sprinkle over the chilled crumble mixture and place the dish on a baking tray. Bake in the pre-heated oven for about 35-40 minutes, until the crumble topping is golden brown and the rhubarb is bubbling around the edges. Serve with freshly whipped cream or custard.



Mother’s Day is one of those occasions that I find most difficult to face since my mother passed away. Even though I am a mother myself, and my little people always spoil me something rotten on this day, I can’t but feel desperately lonely. Mother’s Day always makes me reflect on the past and in turn I yearn for my mother’s busy kitchen, packed to the brim with chat, delicious food and love. My mother was one my greatest inspirations in life, and in so many ways I still aspire to make her proud. For those who are lucky enough cherish the time you spend with your Mother this Mother’s Day. And for those immersed in grief, even if like me you are a few years on, let’s take this day as an opportunity to give thanks for the women who helped to mould us into the people we've become.






Meringues Sandwiched with Lemon Curd & Cream

My mother had a real soft spot for meringues. Whether celebrating or commiserating, meringues seemed to always be a suitable treat. They are so simple to make and I'd happily crunch on them without any topping, however when paired with softly whipped cream and tart lemon curd they really turn into something special. For me, these are the perfect treat to make for Mother’s Day.

Ingredients
3 large egg whites
150g caster sugar

To assemble
150mls cream, whipped
100g lemon curd

Method
1.    Preheat the oven to 140°C/ fan 120°C/ gas mark 1. Line two baking trays with parchment paper.
2.   Place the egg whites into a clean, stainless steel mixing bowl. Using an electric whisk, on a high speed, beat them until they become thick and fluffy.
3.   Continue to whisk the egg whites and very gradually add the sugar. Continue to beat for at least 5 minutes, or until the mixture can form stiff peaks.
4.      Using a dessert spoon scoop a spoonful of mixture and scrape it off with another spoon onto the lined baking trays. This amount of mixture should make 12 meringues.
5.      Place in the preheated oven for 1 hour. After which time turn off the oven and open its door and allow the meringues to cool.
6.      When completely cooled sandwich two meringues together with a spoonful of lemon curd and some freshly whipped cream.





In our house pancakes are never limited to Shrove Tuesday, but are enjoyed whenever there is a little extra time to spare in the mornings. Occasionally, if it's a special occasion, say like a birthday, pancakes will always be on the food request list. Pancakes are so easy to prepare and they rarely create too much of a mess, so they're ideal to make with little ones. The boys are planning on having pancakes for their breakfast, dinner and tea tomorrow so I may get cracking with the batter-making! 


These pancakes can be made plain, but for a fruity pancake mix, I like to add a handful of mashed blueberries or strawberries, or a grated apple, or some mashed ripe banana to the batter. It just really depends on what I have to hand. This recipe is for thick 'American style' pancakes. If you would prefer more of a 'crepe like' pancake just add a little extra milk to the batter and spread it out evenly on the pan at the start of cooking. 



Perfectly Plump Pancakes

Ingredients
150g self-raising flour
pinch of salt
1 egg
225ml milk
50g blueberries/strawberries, mashed, or 1 eating apple, grated
sunflower oil, for frying

To Serve
fresh berries
maple syrup or apple syrup

Method
1. Place the flour and salt in a bowl.
2. Make a well in the centre and add the egg. Slowly combine it with the flour, using a hand whisk
3. Very slowly add the milk, whisking well after each addition.
4. When the batter is nice and smooth add the mashed blueberries or grated apple. Combine well and then pour into a jug and cover with cling film. Refrigerate for at least an hour. The batter can be used straight away but it tends to have a better consistency when left to rest. Give the batter a little whisk before cooking.
5. Heat the frying pan and add a little sunflower oil.
6. Add 3 small ladlefuls of batter onto the pan. Cook for 2 minutes or until some bubbles appear on the surface. Using a spatula or fish slice to turn the pancake over and brown the other side.
7. To keep the cooked pancakes warm place in a low heated oven and continue cooking the rest of the pancakes. Add the toppings of your choice.

 Enjoy straight away!

 ...............................
Some more pancake inspiration -

Kristin at Edible Ireland shares her recipe for Salted Nutella & Banana Pancakes...these sound amazing.

Rosanne has some adorable looking Buttermilk pancakes over on her blog - Like Mam Used to Bake.

These nutrient-rich Pear Pancakes, from Dorcas Barry, are so tasty and they are a great, healthy alternative for Pancake Tuesday.
Donal Skehan shares a delicious savory Pancake recipe, filled with Ham Hock, Spinach and Cheese.
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There are many more interesting pancake recipes on the web. Feel free to share your favourite pancake recipe, or pancake toppings, in the comment box below. I'm always on the lookout to try something tried, tested and loved!


 If I am making a meal just for my husband and I to enjoy, I general rustle up something that the children aren't so keen on. Even though my crew seem to eat me out of house and home on a daily basis, there are some food items that I can’t tempt them with. One of those is shellfish. I happen to love shellfish, or any variety of fish, and I particularly love nothing better than serving it straight from the barbeque. However, as we are currently undergoing torrential weather warnings I don’t think that I'll risk dragging out the barbecue, even in the name of love, on Valentine’ s Day. Instead I'll settle for this quick and tasty oven baked prawn and chorizo dish. In lieu of that smokiness which I've come to love with barbecuing prawns I’ve sprinkled these with a little smoked paprika. This dish is prepared in minutes and is ever so tasty. So, my menu is set for Valentine’s and all I need now is to convince the children that they are all wrecked by 8.30pm so that I can cook this dish at a reasonable hour.


 Oven-Baked Spicy Prawns & Chorizo on Toast

 Ingredients
50g butter, softened
1 small red chilli, finely chopped
1 clove of garlic, crushed
½ tsp smoked paprika
Zest of ½ a lemon
200g raw prawns, deveined and defrosted, if necessary*
75g chorizo, sliced
1tbsp parsley, finely chopped
Juice half a lemon

To Serve
1 tbsp olive oil
2 thick slices of bread

Method
1.       Preheat the oven to 200°C/ fan 180°C/ gas 5.
2.       In a bowl combine the softened butter with the chilli, garlic, smoked paprika and lemon zest.
3.       Place the prawns and chorizo in a single layer in a casserole dish. Evenly cover with the butter mixture.
4.       Place in the pre-heated oven for 12 minutes, at which time the prawns will be cooked through and white in colour.
5.       While the prawns and chorizo are cooking, heat a griddle pan and add the olive oil. Once hot fry the bread for about 2 minutes on each side. Cut each slice of bread in half and remove to two plates.
6.       Take the prawns from the oven, sprinkle over the parsley and squeeze over the lemon juice. Divide the mixture between the two plates and enjoy straight away.

*If you are using frozen prawns, either thaw them in the fridge overnight, or in a bowl filled with ice water. Ensure that the prawns stay cold, as when bacterial growth is encouraged when raw prawns are left at room temperature.




The children always present me with the most beautiful hand-made cards and inscribed within are the words which will never fail to melt my heart ‘I love you, Mammy’. I truly treasure these cards each year. 
Whatever way that you choose to celebrate, have a Happy Valentine's Day. xx

 I'm so thrilled to tell you that my book, 'Apron Strings - Recipes from a Family Kitchen', is short-listed for an award at the Gourmand World Cookbook Awards. It is nominated in the 'Best First Cookbook' category. 'Apron Strings' is listed as the winner in the category of the 'First Cookbook' award for Ireland, which means that it is now short-listed for the world awards. There are 32 books, in this category nominated from all around the world. It's an absolute honour that 'Apron Strings' will be nestled amongst them.
The Awards will take place in China during the Beijing Cookbook Fair, 19-21 May. As much as I'd love to take a trip to Beijing I think that I'll settle for watching the awards unfold through the power of social media. 
There are eleven other Irish books nominated. Have a look at Gourmand's website and scroll down to 'Ireland' to see the other Irish winners. - http://www.cookbookfair.com/index.php/gourmand-awards/winners-2014-gg 
The very best of luck to all who are nominated! 


If you would like to purchase a copy of Apron Strings, New Island Books are currently selling it, from their website, for half price. Make sure to use the 50TEN2013 code on the checkout.