After a week of no wine, I treated myself to a glass of French chardonnay last night and slept like a baby.
Up at 9am to get a few jobs out of the way, I nabbed the hen bucket and bins and wandered down to the dairy to feed the chickens. Brienne (my cheese), was there to greet me, and giving her a gentle turnover, I left her to rest.
Seeing as Mam was down for the weekend, we headed to Midleton market where we met up with a friend who had a gorgeous whippet called Minky.
Mingling through the crowds, we met up with both fellow students and locals who were enjoying the market sunshine.
After our mini-adventure, we headed over to Ballymaloe House for a spot to eat – I chose to have a ricotta and vegetable tart which was quite lovely, as well as a baked ginger cheesecake.
It’s worth heading to the house alone to see the grounds and peek inside, and because it was such a crisp but sunny day, it made it all the more enjoyable.
A short spin later we arrived at Stephen Pearce pottery HQ, that’s tucked away in the Shanagarry.
For those who don’t know, his pottery is famous for its white and brown colours that are decorated across bowls, jugs, cups, dishes and lamps. It was great to see where they’re being made, and you would never think that a world-class potter would be hiding away off the beaten track of Cork’s countryside.
To top off the day, Mam came back the cookery school where I handed off a suitcase to her (my personal chauffeur), and bid her adieu – it was great to have her company as well as my godmother’s and made for a nice change to the norm.
Tonight is all about deciding what menu I want to present for my final exam, and with a few ideas in mind, I’m hoping that it’ll make for a tasty presentation.
Until tomorrow folks, au revoir!
