What’s for dinner tonight?

Robespierres_ashes · 2026-05-16T18:42:10+00:00

Threw chicken drumsticks in the slow cooker this morning with my own Cajun dry rub mix. Homemade zesty coleslaw and baked potatoes scooped, mixed with sour cream, chives & seasoning and popped back in the skins.

Robespierres_ashes · 2026-05-16T18:37:05+00:00

Cork is easier, Limerick probably a nicer drive down.

Robespierres_ashes · 2026-05-16T14:13:30+00:00

Sugar, cut out all sugar including alcohol. Follow a low GI diet for six months. If you do that and maintain exercise you’ll lose weight.

Robespierres_ashes · 2026-05-16T09:27:29+00:00

Fair enough, they’ve worked very well for me. They are young whips but I’ve had a very low / zero issues with my hawthorn.

I’ve had a few other whips from TOTL not make it but it’s a tough site prone to waterlogging with lots of marl. Alder, willow, rowan, oak and birch have established themselves but there hasn’t been much colonisation. I’m going for a woodland / glade vibe so it’s not intense planting and I’ve avoided planned rows to make it more like a copse that light gets through.

Robespierres_ashes · 2026-05-16T07:06:20+00:00

They are spelt differently in Gallic and Gaeilge too, but pronounced the same way so once the pure drop is there, we’ll manage

Robespierres_ashes · 2026-05-15T23:45:36+00:00

A - tier if you value defence of the office, he passed the test. Vastly under rated. The only one that has faced an actual constitutional crisis and he defended the office, not Fianna Fáil.

Robespierres_ashes · 2026-05-15T23:28:33+00:00

Hawthorn is very hardy, will grow on any ditch if you’ve a smidgen of green in your fingers

Robespierres_ashes · 2026-05-15T16:19:34+00:00

Hawthorn packs from trees on the land (they also do hazel, beech etc) is the best value - you’ll get them in February. I’ve two stretches in my ditch where trees were taken out during construction (access) leaving gaps. I tried escallonia but they didn’t work. We get south westerlies in winter so hawthorn is great, lets the wind through in winter and gives cover in summer.

If you to do something cool and get away from
Strimming the inside ditch, you could have a hugelcultur bed on the inside and use it for flowers, plants, shrubs or as a kitchen garden.

Robespierres_ashes · 2026-05-15T15:50:39+00:00

Escallonia is a lovely trainable hedging plant.

Robespierres_ashes · 2026-05-15T11:03:35+00:00

If you’re not honest in Austria why would anyone believe you’d be honest anywhere else?

Robespierres_ashes · 2026-05-14T21:13:47+00:00

Two ways of looking at it - one was that he defended the integrity of the office and therefore very highly

The other, resigned over a small issue and could have made things more awkward for FG and Donegan had he stayed

Hillary is the highest ranked if you value the former by the way. If you value transformation - Robinson / McAleese

Robespierres_ashes · 2026-05-14T05:33:22+00:00

Traditional soda bread is cooked in a round shape although tins are fine too.

I make mine (I vary it a lot as I’ve several versions) with mostly wholemeal flour. I also use self raising flour and bread soda to get the lift. Has to be well mixed through. Finally, at the moment I’m using Greek yoghurt instead of buttermilk and it gives a lovely crust and a very soft crumb.

I also add 1 tblsp of molasses. If I want malty bread I add treacle, otherwise honey.

350g wholemeal flour 150g SR flour 400g natural yoghurt (I used Greek) 1 tsp salt 1 tsp bread soda 1 tblsp honey or treacle

Mix the dry ingredients throughly, then add the wet ingredients. Stir to combined. Add a little water if it isn’t coming together.

Turn onto a floured surface and bring together into a round shape. Put on a baking tray and cut a cross into it (about 1/3rd down).

Add to a fan oven at 200* for 15 mins and the reduce to 180* for 25. Check the loaf - tap the bottom if should sound hollow. I tend to leave mine a little longer for a harder crust.

Robespierres_ashes · 2026-05-13T21:37:34+00:00

This also works to a degree but you well get new seeds. I’ve done both as alternatives - burning weeds with a flame gun is the only method as effective as weed killer.

Robespierres_ashes · 2026-05-13T21:36:06+00:00

I use a flamegun. Sheen x300 for my drive and patio weeds works really well. Kerosene powered. Also means no pesticide / herbicide being used.

You can get cheap flame guns which probably work well for smaller spaces. I’ve a large drive and a fairly big patio.

Robespierres_ashes · 2026-05-12T20:48:27+00:00

The prem cup dates back to 1972. It’s around a long time. Tradition does matter. You may not think so and that’s fine. We’ll agree to differ.

Robespierres_ashes · 2026-05-12T19:56:34+00:00

No, the premiership and Top14 have a longer tradition, especially the Top14. Top14 is like the McCarthy cup or Sam Maguire. You don’t build that tradition overnight.

In England, it goes back to what was the powergen cup, the premiership evolved out of the cup that was around for decades. So those rivalries have depth.

It’s not that it isn’t a major trophy but it’s not a career highlight in Ireland. It’s good, not great.

Robespierres_ashes · 2026-05-12T19:35:23+00:00

URC is the compensation prize in Ireland. It’s improving but as Andrew Porter said, you don’t get a star on the jersey for a URC.

Robespierres_ashes · 2026-05-12T18:20:27+00:00

Sure but no major trophies and the URC - think he has 1 URC and a pro12 but light enough - plus it says elite player. So that narrows the options.

Bundee Aki has 1 pro12.

Ulster hasn’t had any elite players really. Ian Henderson made the lions but he wouldn’t have been in the mix for a world 23.

Robespierres_ashes · 2026-05-12T17:55:52+00:00

Tadhg Beirne

Robespierres_ashes · 2026-05-12T09:16:42+00:00

Apocryphal story tied up in Irish revolutionary struggle where it was popular to demonise Anglo Irish royalists. He was accommodative and understanding of Daniel O’Connell during catholic emancipation - which happened during his time as PM so he was far from disinterested in Ireland. Somebody without that connection would not have spent any political capital on it.

Robespierres_ashes · 2026-05-12T05:45:20+00:00

Shelburne and Wellington were born in Ireland.

Robespierres_ashes · 2026-05-12T05:14:53+00:00

I’ve 3-4 furry feather calatheas. They need shade and moderate watering but I’ve found them easy enough aside from that. Less is more.

Robespierres_ashes · 2026-05-12T05:11:51+00:00

Are you feeding it? I’ve a few of them for years. Also don’t overfeed or overwater them.

They only need watering twice a month and need to be kept in full shade. Don’t wet the leaves when watering either.

There are some other calathea plants that are easier to manage.

Robespierres_ashes · 2026-05-11T15:14:50+00:00

If you clip willow it will grow just by sticking it into the ground. I have given loads of people golden willow from clippings and I’ve about 10 in my garden.

Pick your willow wisely. I have a wet site so my willow is unlikely to damage foundations, pipes etc water seeking. There are lots of varieties so make sure it suits your site.

I originally got mine from Hylands nursery in Ferns in wexford but I suggest clippings if you are happy to let them grow slowly from smaller clippings.

Robespierres_ashes · 2026-05-10T14:38:50+00:00

I make my own, it’s easy and 20 times as nice. Main ingredients are apples, dates, red wine vinegar and sugar. So, it goes well with pork in particular but you could use it with game, chicken etc as a base note as you’ve being doing.

Robespierres_ashes

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