Fancy Birthday Dinner for Mummy Crowley

My sister and I asked Mum if she would like to go out for her birthday at the end of July or have a nice family dinner at home. Mum elected option B: a nice family dinner at home. As Mum was the birthday girl it wouldn't have been fair to let her cook so Sian and I took matters into our own hands.

After pouring through cookbooks, a few lengthy discussions and plenty of me not listening we settled on a menu that Mum would love. Light and summery, full of flavour, and no meat. So last Saturday morning we got up early and headed to Cork to get our ingredients in the best shop in the world: The English Market. We met our brother, David, in the Farm Gate for coffee and cake (and to collect his share of the budget) and we headed off with our list. Then it was straight back home to get everything ready and set the table.

The menu we settled on was:

Vodka soaked Watermelon

Baked goats cheese stuffed figs with walnut salad

Pan seared scallops with asparagus, tomato & basil salad and new poatoes

Sicilian Wedding Cake

Tea/coffee and after dinner chocolates



Baked goats cheese stuffed figs with walnut salad

The goats cheese was from Iago. The figs were bought in Fallon & Byrne in Dublin the day before for €1/fig. We halfed the figs and scooped out a tiny bit of the flesh, filled the hole with teaspoon of goats cheese and baked in the oven for about 20/25 min on gas 5. Sian made a dressing from olive oil, mustard, balsamic vinegar, salt, pepper and the leftover fig flesh.

Scallops pre searing... if only they knew what was coming.

We got the scallops from Ballycotton Seafood. They also cost €1/scallop. After some very helpful advice from the professionals on Twitter (@HeyPestoie, @SHearneSmith and @LillyHiggins) I lightly dusted the scallops with salt & pepper, arranged them clockwise on a very hot pan with a little bit of butter and olive oil. After turning once I threw the juice of one lime in the pan at the end of cooking. When I took the scallops off the pan I left the juices simmering for a minute to make a sauce (it worked!).

Pan seared scallops with asparagus.

Sian blanched the asparagus early that evening and while we were having the starter she left them in a tray in a low oven with a sprinkling of water to steam. She tossed them in olive oil and pepper before serving. They were perfect, I've never had asparagus as nice.

All that was left of the tomato & basil salad.

Sian adding the finishing touches to dessert.

The recipe for the Sicilian Wedding Cake came from Lilly Higgins' blog, Stuff I make, bake and love. We were only feeding six people, not 30 so we divided the ingredients by 5 and an executive decision was made to add Amaretto to the mix!

The birthday girl.

Sicilian Wedding Cake.

All plates were cleared after every course. Dinner was a roaring success!

First Date: New York Style

Last week I was in New York visiting a very dear friend. We have known each other for 11 years and have shared a lot; in person, by text, email and the old reliable postal mail. We met when I was in New York on an exchange programme in the Summer of 2000. The very first thing Kerri said to me was that I look American*. We are both called Kerri. We were both born in March (I'm younger!). We always have great fun together.

On every visit there is at least one outstanding memory. In Novemeber '08 we did the Sex & the City tour (not recommended, we made our own fun).


K1 and K2 outside the Magnolia Bakery


Last year there was the lamp post climbing incident in Boston (post a visit to Cheers). Funniest night ever, and we still laugh, side splittingly about it.



K1 and K2 post Cheers, pre lamp post climbing

 In March of this year we celebrated my birthday Galway Hooker style.

Birthday shenanigans at The Galway Hooker

But one of this year's events will definitely go down as one of the oddest things to ever happen... we'll tell our grandchildren about it. Kerri had met a guy shortly before I arrived and he asked her out (nothing new there). He wanted to take her to a modern dance show in Queens. She explained that I would be staying with her and could I come too. He had no problem with that.

So we went to the show, it was great. He seemed like the perfect gentleman. Refused to take money for either of our tickets. Paid for our drinks. Introduced us to his friend who was a performer in the show. The friend and her boyfriend live in the same area as Kerri so they offered us a ride home. I should point out at this stage that the seemingly "perfect gentleman" had drank way too much neat whiskey at this stage, followed by a cocktail and the most revolting tequilla shot I have ever tasted.

As we were leaving the bar he decided it was time to cash in his gentleman coupons and make out with K1 in the hopes that she would ditch her out-of-town friend and go back to his place. K1 is too classy for that and politely informed him it was a first date (an unusual one by any standards I will admit).

All five of us piled into the car and headed for home. En route, Charlie (I've changed his name) made a call to a buddy to find out where he was: "Dude, where are you? Are you in Midtown?" ... "Ok, I'll meet you there." Within seconds of this phone call he spotted a subway station and ordered the driver (his friend) to pull over. Without a word he got out of the car, slammed the door and headed for the subway leaving four shocked strangers behind.

Two days later he emailed K1 to apologise again (this was the first contact since leaving the bar). He EMAILED!!!!

On the upside, it wasn't a total waste of a night. We saw a really great dance show and K1 made a new contact in the performing arts world... and we have a new story to laugh about.

*I get that a lot, especially from taxi drivers and other Americans.

In loving memory

Six years ago, for an assignment in college, I wrote a poem about my beloved aunt Darra, who died in 2004. I meant to post it last week on her anniversary, but the day led me elsewhere. So here it is. I've updated it slightly, but on the whole it is the same as it was in 2005.

Darra

There’s a hole in my heart

Since the day that you left,

A hole in my heart,

That can never be filled.

A petite, svelte lady,

You had enough personality

To fill up a room and light it

With the smile in your eyes.

Just like you mother,

Your sharp wit

Always caught me off guard

You had beauty and elegance

Like no-one else I knew,

Your generosity and spirit will last

For eternity in those of us who love you.

It’s been seven years,

Since the day that you died,

My face still burns

From all the tears that I’ve cried.

This poem was originally written in May 2005.

Is honesty always the best policy?

I had a conversation at the weekend about writing. The conversation started with me expressing a desire to write a book some day. I said that I had this short story that I wrote in college that I would like to flesh out and turn into a book. The person I was talking to said the best writing is when it is honest and contains personal experience.

That got me to thinking about how honest people really are when they write (or in everyday life), be it in a diary or a blog. Do we really write out our deepest, most intimate thoughts? Or do we hold back for fear that someone might find them (in the case of a diary) or judge us publicly (in the case of a blog).

For instance, I have kept a journal since I was a teenager. I have written some things over the years that I have never said to another soul. To an extent that was being honest with myself, but in secret. Having re-read some of the journals that I kept I also wrote some stuff that wasn't completely honest but justified my actions at the time.

If I were to write a memoir and was 100% honest, I don't think any publisher would go near it. And no reader would find it interesting or of benefit to their own life. Nothing of great significance has happened yet in my life (I'm not ruling out the possibility of something happening in the future). But I think, if I were to write a semi fictional memoir, one that is based on my own experience but has a hint of imagination and a dash of fiction it could be a much more interesting and sellable read.That brings me back to my original question: Are we ever truly honest?

In the interest of experiment (and at the risk of exposing too much about myself) I'll get the ball rolling with some honesty:
1) I had my heart broken at 19. The short story I wrote in college was semi based on that situation. I am not discussing the events that led to the heartbreak on this blog, but I will say that I still care greatly for that person and sometimes miss him terribly. (After reading the story myself over the weekend I have decided that it will stay a short story as it is and never be seen by the light of day. The story is finished so there is no need to drag it out.)

2) I find Dublin an extremely lonely and isolating place. After nine years I can count my good friends on one hand. I wouldn't change them for the world yet still I wonder why I find it so hard to widen that circle. Surely I can't be the only person to feel this way, yet nobody ever says it. And people don't want to hear it.

3) I have a tendency to take it quite personally when people make a judgement call on me and decide they don't like me without taking the time to really get to know me. That may be linked to honest point #2 above, but I'm working on it. I remember someone telling me once that other people's opinion of me is none of my business. I try to remember that.

Another question I started to wonder about was "Is it always wise to be totally honest?". For example, if someone shares a piece of writing with you and asks for your opinion is it better to tell them straight out that you hated it (if that is the case) or is it better to bend the truth and let them down gently.

I have a friend who has asked my opinion on relationship issues. I don't know why she asks because a) I'm no Carrie Bradshaw and in no position to give relationship advice, and b) she never likes my honest opinion. So should I tell her what she wants to hear, or what she asked for... my opinion?

I have another friend who will ask me anything from what I really thought of her ex to should she get that 12 week permanent hair straightening treatment. She asks me such questions because, in her words, I am "the only person who will give me their honest opinion."

That's me. If you ask me to tell you something honestly, I will. Will I tell myself something honestly though? Well, that is a conversation for another day.

Memoirs of a Race(a) - Run Kildare 2011

With June 6th fast approaching, two weeks ago I decided it was time to up the game in the running stakes. So, with the guidance of Run Like a Girl (RLaG) ace Raedi Higgins, I jumped from 5km to 7km. That is not as easy as it sounds. With the help of a friend I have kept at the 7km distance... he upped the pace one night. My legs didn't know what hit them.

I then decided it was time to do an actual race to get an idea of what I'm facing at the mini marathon. So I signed up for the Run Kildare 10km last weekend. Before the race there was a feeling of great excitement and nervousness. Would I really be able to do this? How long would it take? What will it feel like when I finish? Would I wimp out at the last minute? The excited, nervous feeling left me unable to sleep on Saturday night, so when 6am rolled around on Sunday morning it felt more like having to get up for work on Monday. After some "I don't want to get up" whining I dragged myself out of bed, had a small breakfast and headed off to Kildare, stopping en route to collect another RLaG-er.

We got to the Curragh around 9am and the race started around 9.45am. There was a huge bustle of excitement at the racecourse. Men and women of all ages were stretching and warming up, ready to take on the challenge. Irish summers being what the are, the weather was awful. It was wet and cold. Thankfully the rain stopped just before the race started and held off for the duration.

When the horn sounded to start the race, all 800+ of us headed off down the entrance to the racecourse and out onto the Curragh. Passing the marker for the first km I though, "This isn't so bad." Passing 3km I thought, "See, you can do this." Between 3km and 7km there was another entrant who kept passing me out and getting a bit of distance, then she would stop and walk. Then I'd pass her out and the whole thing would start again. I started to get competitive in my head and told myself I wasn't coming in behind her! Somewhere after 5km I hit a glitch, I pulled one of my glutes which slowed me to a walk for a while. There was no way I was walking the rest of the race though so altered my pace between running and walking quickly. Most of the race was spent running into the wind as well which added to the difficulty (and the fun).

When I came within about 2km of the finish line I got a sudden burst of joy and energy. I was about to finish my first 10km race. Six months ago I'd have been the first to laugh at the idea. Coming up to the finish line was amazing. People lined on either side of the track cheering you on, the Chariots of Fire theme playing in my head. After crossing the finish line, finding Elaine and getting our medals we headed back to Dublin, delighted with ourselves. I went into town to meet my Dad and sister and treated myself to gluten free pizza. I was in bed by 8.30pm that night, exhausted, but so glad that I had done the race.

I can't wait for the mini marathon!

Charity of Choice for Women's Mini Marathon

After signing up for the Flora Women's Mini Marathon this coming June I put some thought into fundraising for a charity at the same time. I don't see the point of running the mini marathon just for the sake of it. Charities are crying out for donations at the moment so why not help out in some way?

My charities of choice always involve cancer. Eight years ago three people who were very important to me died of cancer within a year of each other. Two of them, my grandaunt and grandfather, had been ill for some time before they died so we all had time to get our head around what was coming. Not that that makes it any easier. But we had the opportunity to make the most of the time we had left. I remember my grandaunt telling me "Ask me everything you want to know now." And I did, well almost everything. But I asked the important stuff about about older generations of Dad's family.

The time spent with my grandfather was much the same. He imparted his wisdom of DIY on me, knowing full well it would be lost on my older brother. He also gave me a large selection of his old tools from his days as an electrician, all of which I was thrilled to get!

My grandaunt and grandfather died in May and November 2003 respectively. In June 2004, my aunt, godmother and my 'Dublin Mum', as I affectionately called her, died from ovarian cancer. She had been sick since the start of that year but no matter how many tests she went for, a diagnosis was never made. One Tuesday night at the end of May 2004 my mother and grandmother walked into the sitting room where my sister and I were rewatching the last episode of Friends which had aired the night before. I knew when I saw my grandmother that something was wrong.

The call had come earlier that day that my aunt had ovarian cancer and she was being moved to another hospital in Dublin. She died two weeks later, never having received treatment because her diagnosis came too late to do anything. The whole family was utterly devastated, and I think some of us still are. My aunt was 43, she had two beautiful girls who weren't even teenagers yet. Everyone adored her, she had a wicked sense of humour and great style. She was elegant and beautiful. She was caring and generous. And in an instant she was gone.

As a result of all of this, the charity I have decided to fund raise for is Cork ARC Cancer Support House, a voluntary organisation that provides emotional support and practical help for people with cancer and their families. All of the services offered by Cork ARC are free. All of their running costs are covered by donations. At some point we will all encounter cancer, and I would like to think that when that time comes all of us will have a place to go where we can get information in a relaxed atmosphere, where we can have space to reflect on what is happening and where we can cry for as long as we need to, safe in the knowledge that someone is there with a shoulder. In 2010, Cork ARC Cancer Support House had over 4,500 visitors.

When I run the mini marathon on Monday, 6th June, I will do it in memory of Joan Crowley, Tim O'Sullivan and Darra Corcoran. If you would like to support my effort, please click the following link to make a donation: http://www.mycharity.ie/event/kerri_crowleys_event/.

Thanks in advance,
Kerri

Running, running... as slow as I am

Six weeks ago I took up running with a beginners group in the Phoenix Park. (Back in my early teens I joined a running group at home but it was all about speed and winning races and being better than the best. I hated it!) We met twice a week and would run until our little legs would carry us no more. Actually, that isn't quite true. We had a very professional, enthusiastic and supportive trainer who broke us in gently.

Raedi Higgins is the mastermind behind Run Like a Girl. The aim at the start of the course was to build up our endurance so that we could run for 30 minutes, non-stop, at the end of the six weeks. Last night was the last session and I am delighted, proud and more surprised than anyone else to say I ran for 35 minutes non-stop. This is partly because myself and another member of the group were a bit behind the others and decided to take a different route (which is code for, we got a little lost!).

In six weeks I have noticed such a difference in my mood, my sleep pattern and my energy levels to list but a few. I've also noticed some weight loss and toning which is a bonus (not the reason I joined the group). Last weekend I didn't make it out for a run and felt like the weekend wasn't complete without it.

The best thing about joining the group, aside from the laugh we would have each session, was discovering that I enjoy running. I may move at a snail's pace but at least I am out there doing it. I have gone as far as to sign up for the Women's Mini Marathon in June. I don't care if the race takes me two hours or two days, this year I am actually going to do it and not just talk about "thinking about doing it". I have yet to decide on a charity that I will fundraise for.

In the meantime I am going to continue running and dream of one day joining the intermediate group! So for all you budding runners, take a look at http://www.runlikeagirl.ie/ and get out there and start running. You'll love it!