Suburban Lush

Resolution Redux - March Eddition

March is almost over over, and since I'll be out tomorrow night for my birthday (29!!! How did that happen?) I thought I'd do my monthly update a day early. So here we go:

See more movies: I've seen The Class, Watchmen, and Slumdog Millionaire. And tomorrow night I'm off to check out a new restaurant, and watch Knowing.

Read more non-fiction books:  I'm currently EB White's letters which I'm really enjoying. It's a long book though, so it might take me a while to finish, especially as I tend to only read it on my lunch breaks at work.

Try two new recipes a month: I made chicken stew with mash, which I will definitely make again with a few modifications. I also cooked Moroccan chicken with lemon yogurt dressing, which I wasn't very impressed with but everyone else enjoyed.

Explore local sights: We headed to Dublin for St Patrick's day, and had a great time. And my walk up Carnmoney Hill was mostly an exploration of "urban landscape".

Do more hiking and work to improve my overall fitness levels: I climbed Carnmoney Hill, which wasn't much of a climb but was a long walk, and Slieve Commedagh, which was a hard climb and a long walk. And I've been swimming lots too.

Say yes more and take all opportunities presented to me: I haven't done anything big this month, but have met up with a few new friends.

All in all, March wasn't a bad effort, resolution-wise. Its been a hard month emotionally, which is pretty unusual for me. But I seem to have come out the other side ok.

Its 4 am

Its 4 am. Why on earth and I at my computer? John has gone out for a (probably futile) attempt to score us some gravy chip. But I think he is very likely to come home empty-handed. We had our birthday party this evening, and had a lovely time. Plenty of drinks, loads of friends, 4 dozen cupcakes, heaps of fun

It is no longer 4am, and I am significantly more sober now. I wrote that last night, and I am amazed that I actually spelled everything correctly. I must have been concentrating very hard! John came home after a successful hunt, and I set on the chips like a pack of ravenous wolves (yes, I was like the whole pack), all ideas of writing a post blog completely gone from my mind.

It was a great night, and it was really nice to see how many good friends we've made over the last year. Everyone now wants John's "recipe" for punch, and we aren't quite sure how to tell them that he basically just chucks in all available booze, throws in some ginger ale and juice, and calls it done.

There are a couple of cupcakes left (I may or may not have hidden a private stash of them last night) so I'm off to make tea.

Carnmoney Hill

Today a couple of friends and I walked up Carnmoney Hill in North Belfast. Colin, a member of my hiking group, is leading a walk in a couple of weeks time and wanted some company while he checked out the walk. While out last night he asked Christian and I to accompany him and we agreed. We were looking forward to a fairly short walk, as Christian had run a half marathon on Saturday, and we'd all been drinking reasonably heavily on Saturday night. 

We started the walk along Belfast lough, before heading away from the coast and into more urban areas. We walked through parks and residential estates (getting some very odd looks as we were all dressed in hiking gear), before ascending Carnmoney Hill. We lunched at the top of the hill, enjoying the spectacular views over 
Belfast, before making our way back to the car through more parks and houses. The final leg of the journey was along the sea wall at the side of the lough, before we stopped for an ice cream and headed home.

The weather was lovely and, while we didn't get much height gain, we managed to walk almost 19 km in total, not a bad effort for a light Sunday walk.

St Paddy's Day

March 15th marked the one year anniversary of our arrival in Northern Ireland. St Paddy's day last year was spent shattered and jet-lagged after flying from Brisbane to Belfast via Singapore, Dubai and London. We'd left Brisbane on the evening of the 14th, which is John's birthday, which I'd totally forgotten about when I booked the tickets (yes, I am very considerate, thankyouverymuch). We made up for the lack of celebration on the day by heading out on St Patrick's day to watch the parade in Belfast, and then out for drinks with my cousin Alex. The parade was a rather sorry and rag-tag affair, and I have to admit I spent most of the time giggling because it looked like random people from the street had just cobbled together a parade at that very moment. The pubs were heaving though, and we drank plenty, with John having his first try of Guinness, which John didn't really like at the time but has come to enjoy after a year of practice.

This year, after actually celebrating John's birthday, we caught the train down to Dublin for St Patrick's day. Yes, it may be cliche, but good god was is ever fun! 

We were up for the early train, and made it in time to watch the parade. Or rather we made it in time to stand with thousands of families but not really see anything. We heard it though, and it sounded like those who could see were enjoying themselves! It was a sunny day, so we took our time wandering through the crowded city streets to our hotel. We stopped for a nap - a quick refueling before heading out to join the crowd for less family-oriented activities.

We knew to head for Temple Bar, referred to in my Lonely Planet as 'Ibiza in the rain". The evening was dry and we took our time heading across town, stopping for a pint of Guinness at any friendly-looking establishment. Everywhere was humming, the atmosphere was friendly and a good portion of the crowd were dressed in green for the occasion. Fortunately Dublin has enough pubs so we never had to line up to get in, and the lines for drinks weren't too long. We enjoyed ourselves immensely, and even managed to run into one of the four people we know, no small feat considering there was a crowd of more than 675,000.00 in the centre city for the occasion.

We had a much-needed sleep-in the next morning, but neither of us were too worse for wear, more because we'd made the sensible decision to walk back to the hotel at the end of the night, rather than from any form of self-restraint. The long walk in the fresh air had cleared our heads and sobered us up before bed. And I'm sure the grapes and the chocolate milk we bought and consumed on the way didn't hurt either!

Wednesday dawned (can you say dawned if you didn't open the curtains until 10:30?) blue and sunny, and we went off to explore the city some more. Someone had done a fantastic job cleaning up from the night before, and the place was spotless, not the scene of horror I was half expecting. We strolled through the beautiful Stephens Green and along Grafton Street, taking it all in. We were looking for somewhere for brunch, and were pleased to see many options, with tables outside in the sun. We love Belfast, but brunch is something that the city doesn't cater for, and we've really missed it. We stopped at Gotham Cafe, and had a lovely meal - wheaten toast with poached eggs, crispy bacon and a side of relish, washed down with a fantastic cappuccino for me, a toasted bagel with cream cheese and smoked salmon for John.

We wandered slowly along the banks of the Liffey and down O'Connell Street, one of Europe's widest street (I'm not sure why that fact is supposed to be so interesting, but you see it everywhere) checking out the somewhat calmer atmosphere, and we eventually settled ourselves at the base of the statue of William Smith O'Brien to enjoy the sunshine before catching the afternoon train back to Belfast. I was delighted - I haven't had a warm day in ages, and soaking up the rays was bliss. Much to my horror, I found out later that day that the temperature had only been 13 degrees C - I have clearly been living in the cold climes of Norther Ireland for far too long. We arrived back exhausted but happy. If you ever get the opportunity to spend St Patrick's day in Dublin, I'd strongly recommend it.

Snapshot

A rare day of afternoon sun and blue sky. I skip the windowless gym to revel in it, choosing the walk home instead. The sun creeps around the buildings, sending bright slivers across the ground. I criss-cross to catch the most of it; plotting my course to avoid the shadow of the brick houses. The sun glints off the razor wire, somehow making these harsh reminders of the past look less sinister and I cross the bridge over the river, which looks almost summery, the color hidden by the sparkly reflections. All of Belfast is out to enjoy this precious evening, and while there is not yet strength to the sun it hints of spring.

Snippet

two to men today: one wearing a t-shirt saying impossible is nothing, the other wearing one that said failure is not an option and I thought "damn straight"

Contradictions

I want to spend my days in a sun-drenched studio, creating something out of nothing. I want to sit in a room filled with my friends, laughing at a joke and watching them laugh unselfconsciously. I want to sit in front of a roaring fire and discuss my favourite book with someone who hated it. I want to finish my day feeling fulfilled, rather than start it feeling lethargic. I want to wake up early in the morning and enjoy the dawn. I want to sleep in late, lounging sinfully under a warm duvet. I want to throw away everything I own, except what I can carry with me, travel the world and submerge myself in life so far out of my depth it takes my breath away. I want the comforts of home, and knowing that everything is in its place and will be here for me when I come back. I want to live in an apartment in the city, surrounded with people I don't know. I want to live alone cabin in the woods, miles from my nearest neighbour. I want to meet my nephew for the first time, to hug him and to make him laugh. I want to cook good food for the people I love.

I want to crawl under the blankets and block out the world. I want to make a difference, and to be proud of who I am. I want to spend my days in the mountains, surrounded by trees. I want to walk on the beach and feel the wet sand beneath my toes. I want to be left alone to wallow in misery. I want to look at the world with fresh eyes, to discover the beauty I know is there. I want a donut.I want to fall exhausted into my bed at the end of the day, and feel too excited about tomorrow to be able to sleep. I want to curl up with a glass of wine and my cat on my lap and listen to classical music. I want a good cup of coffee and a cappuccino without feeling any guilt. I want to paint my nails pink and wear shoes so high they hurt my feet. I want to be hugged by someone who cares and to be told that it will all be ok. I want to be the one to make it all ok for someone else. I want to be certain that I'm doing the right thing.

I want to know what I want.

Chicken Stew and Mash

It snowed this morning, wet flakes which didn't sit on the ground, but made the day feel wintry. The kind of day you need something warm and hearty for dinner. The perfect day for a stew, followed by apple crumble and hot custard.

I pulled out my Nigel Slater book to see what I could find, and found a delicious-looking chicken stew. Fortunately I looked for the recipe in the morning, so I could start the marinading straight away.

I didn't quite follow the recipe exactly, so here is what I did, and notes showing what the recipe called for.

Ingredients:

• 1 can cannellini beans (recipe called for 150g dried beans, boiled in salted water)
• 4 chicken legs with thighs attached (recipe called for one whole chicken, jointed) 
• 50ml olive oil, plus more for frying 
• 50ml balsamic vinegar
• 4 plump cloves of garlic, peeled 
• 3 or 4 bay leaves 
• 1-2 teaspoons herbs de Provence 
• the pared rind of a small orange
• 3 medium leeks, thickly sliced  
• mash, to serve 

Put the chicken into a dish, pour over the olive oil and 2 tablespoons of the balsamic vinegar and sprinkle over the herbs de Provence, salt and pepper. Tuck in the cloves of garlic, bay leaves and orange peel and leave in a cool place to marinade for at least 4-5 hours, preferably overnight.

Set the oven to 200C. Heat oil in a frying pan and fry the chicken until golden brown (I had to do my chicken in two batches). Place the chicken in a deep casserole dish, and add the beans. Lower the heat of the frying pan and cook the leeks over low heat, softening but not browning them. When almost soft, add the garlic and the marinade, adding in the rest of the balsamic vinegar. Add 500ml of water and bring to a boil.

Pour the boiling liquid in the casserole dish, topping up with enough water so that the chicken is covered. Tuck in the orange rind and the bay leaves. Cover and cook in the oven for 2 hours, checking occasionally and adding in more water as required to keep the chicken submerged.

The stew was delicious, with the chicken falling off the bone. I felt that it could have done with a bit more flavour, and next time I make it I will probably throw in a good handful of kalamata olives about an hour before serving.

I served mine with mashed potatoes and a side of steamed leeks (they had come in a package of 5 and I only needed three for the stew) and courgettes. To keep the mash light I made it with sour cream rather than butter, and let the juice from the stew pool in the mash on my plate.

The perfect way to end a lovely relaxed weekend.

Slieve Commedagh

How is it that I went hiking on Sunday, and am only getting around to writing about it now? Sunday night I was far too shattered for writing, Monday I was lazy, Tuesday went to a pub quiz, and last night I was out for dinner. 

Sunday we hiked in the beautiful Mourne Mountains. It was a matter of up and out early as the drive to Newcastle is a long one. We parked in Newcastle, and started our walk along the river through Donnard wood. Once out of the forest we followed the river up a "path" - basically stepping over large rocks and boulders. It was hard work. We then started the steep ascent to the Mourne wall at the col between Slieve Donard (the highest mountain in the ranges) and Slieve Commedagh. The views sweeping back down to Newcastle and the sea were even more breathtaking than the climb.

We followed the wall up the grassy slopes of Slieve Commedagh and over the top. It was too windy for lunch at the top, so we headed down a little for our break, before climbing over Slieve Corragh and Slievenagloch down to Hare's Gap. Near Hare's Gap we crossed over the wall. The way back brought us round the back of Slieve Commedagh by way of the Brandy Pad, back up to the col, over the wall and, from that point, home the way we came.

The hike took around 6 1/2 hours, and the weather was sunny but windy for most of the day, with two brief but heavy rain showers in the afternoon. The ground was mostly dry, which was a nice change from the usual bog.

As usual after a hike in the Mournes, we finished off the day with coffee and cake in Newcastle.

It was the first time walking in Northern Ireland that I've crossed over or near paths I'd walked before. There was of course Hare's Gap, and also the Devil's Coach Road. It was nice to see some familiar trails and made me feel like I'm getting to know the country.

And see for yourself how pretty the Mournes are:

Restaurant Review - Made In Belfast

Just went for a lovely dinner with my cousin and a few friends. Can't complain about an impromptu Wednesday night dinner with good craic, great food and, most importantly, two bottles of prosecco.

I've been to Made In Belfast a few times, and always had a great time. It is one of the few places that is open for brunch on a Sunday morning (most places here don't open until 1pm on a Sunday). The ambiance is great, and the decor is interesting. The food is all sourced locally and the menu changes regularly. Because it is so busy, you can't linger at your table, but they have a few couches and they are happy enough for you to move to the couch and finish your bottle of wine (and order another!).

Tonight I had Gnocchi with mushrooms, spinach and rocket, with a side of seasonal veges. It was divine: the gnocchi was unbelievably light, the sauce tasty but not overpowering, and the seasonal veg were cooked to a perfect level of crunchiness.

Previously I've had a duck dish, which was delicious, and for brunch I've had their big breakfast, where the eggs were clearly free-range and the bacon was thick and meaty. The service is friendly but not pushy, and its definitely a restaurant I'd recommend to anyone visiting Belfast.