DECLUTTERING

Way back in the beginning when we were doing our renovations, we divided one of the downstairs rooms in Daisy Cottage into two rooms: one becoming the en suite wet room for the downstairs bedroom, the other becoming a walk in cupboard for the immersion tank and to store towels, cleaning products, spare dishes and glasses and all the other paraphernalia that are not “display items”. 

I had the room shelved so that order could be kept. However, as the photographs here clearly show, that did most certainly not work!  At the start of the past two seasons I vowed to have a clear out. But each time I came to Daisy Cottage with this in mind, I got distracted by finding much more enjoyable things to do, mainly getting out and about with my camera!

This year however, it has become vital to clear out and declutter the “glory hole” as at the end of last season I could scarcely get into the room and ended up buying new cleaning products all the, unable as we were to reach the pile I knew were in the “glory hole”.  Practically the only neat thing in the cupboard was the boxes of white towels, all folded exactly as I like them and ready to go.  Other than that, well, read on ...


BLOCKED!



So, last Saturday, despite blue skies tempting me out, I set to decluttering with a vengeance.  The first job was to be able to actually get into the glory hole, blocked as it was by piles of boxes and other paraphernalia behind the door.  Husband was duly called to help me obtain access so that I could see what had to be done.

Once in, it was even worse than I had suspected.  The shelves were jammed with all manner of cleaning product and dusting cloths, all thrown in in a hurry as we rushed to finish our Saturday clean ups each week during the season.  I decided that everything must be sorted out away from the glory hole and spent a couple of hours over and back between the cupboard and the kitchen table.  In my head I was imagining one of those speeded up clips of film, taken from above, with me clutching boxes of clutter from the cupboard to the kitchen table ... cue the Benny Hill tune ...

The table in the kitchen/diner of Daisy Cottage is 12' long and the photograph below shows TWELVE FEET of stuff taken from the cupboard! I counted about half a dozen of such things as bathroom cleaner, window spray, hand wash, etc., boxes and boxes of dishwasher tablets, twenty full loo rolls, and what seemed like hundreds of dusters and cleaning cloths! The upside of this of course is that I might actually have enough cleaning products to last the entire season this year.

Another upside was I found all manner of things I had bought for Daisy Cottage but hadn't got around to using ~ lamps, lamp shades, little plaques, drawings and paintings ~ you name it!





12' of cleaning products!

So, whilst yes, I can be incredibly messy, once I set to sorting things I am a total demon and neat freak (although even in my messy state, I am paranoid about cross contamination and germs.  For instance cloths used for cleaning bathrooms must be kept separate and used thus: pink for sink, blue for loo). 

And so in sorting out, everything must be sorted properly and exactly.  Cloths were divided into types and then each bunch put through the washer then dried and folded neatly, shelves had to be hoovered not just cleared and dusted, boxes opened and contents checked and either put back in the cupboard or taken home, and so on.

Hours passed by and blue skies gave way to night and the only photographs I took were off the cupboard and the clutter that came from it.  And still I toiled.  Towards the end I really wanted to leave it and finish it the next day but each time this thought tempted me I desisted and fought on.  I suppose the thought of having to get up the next morning and face it a second day spurred me on.

Neat and tidy!

Later, much later, the cupboard was sparkling.  Everything sorted: basins and other holders containing cleaning cloths and products for various parts of Daisy Cottage; fresh floor cloths and floor spray put neatly into a floor basin; garden feed into a newly bought green bucket; brand new cloths and sponges neatly stacked in a basket; and I breathed a sigh of relief and would have clapped myself on the back had I the energy left to so do!

The before and after photographs below gave me great joy and the joy of being decluttered gave me even greater joy ~ to the point that last thing I did before going to bed that night was to have a look into the perfectly organised cupboard and first thing I did next morning was a quick look in again. 

Before and After 1



Before and After 2

Before and After 3

EATING OUT ~ NANCY'S, ARDARA

On Sunday (15th January 2012) we decided to pay a visit to Nancy's of Ardara, mainly because I had this urge to eat some of their super oysters.  We have eaten in Nancy's a couple of times and have always enjoyed it, so returning was very much looked forward to. 

Nancy's Bar on the banks of the River Owentocker, Ardara

 Nancy's is a very old bar in the centre of Ardara, just beside the bridge over the river Owentocker.  Indeed the bar has been in the same family for seven generations now and so is a very well established place.  Inside, it is a warren of various sized rooms where guests can gather.  As with many pubs here the place was once a house and remains to this day very much like a house with rooms that just happen to be part of the bar.

The entrance to Nancy's Bar, Ardara

The bar at the entrance is a tiny, very ancient looking bar with a huge old fashioned fire grate where a warm, welcoming fire greets visitors.  Previously we had been lucky enough to grab the table right beside the fire but on Sunday others had taken it when we arrived so we made our way back to another room at the back of the building. 

One of numerous small rooms in Nancy's Bar

This is a lovely bright room looking out to the back of the property and leading off it there is another cosy room, once again with an open fire and from which a wooden stair case leads you to a mezzanine floor with comfy sofas, tables and chairs.  There is yet another room off the entrance bar but we haven't been in that one yet.  However, you get the idea about the place being a warren of rooms.

Memorabilia everywhere in Nancy's Bar!

The place has the atmosphere and look that only a genuinely old pub can have: stone flag floors, old beams, lots of memorabilia stacked on every free surface,dishes, glasses, photos, pictures ~ every nook and cranny has something to look at. 

The owner himself, Charlie, was serving behind the bar and he is a welcoming host with time to have a chat with all his guests and keep conversations going that seem to bring in all the people around the entrance bar.

Being the winter, the menu is a lot shorter than at other times of the year but we were happy to go with the seafood chowder for himself and half a dozen fresh oysters for me and to drink, two glasses of Guinness.

Hearty seafood chowder

A large bowl of chowder arrived served with two slices of wholemeal scone bread and butter.  As usual, I had a taste of himself's order and can report that the chowder is packed with vegetables and fish and is not at all creamy.  Creamy chowder can be wonderful but sometimes there is too much cream which overpowers it so Nancy's seafood chowder is perfect for those who don't want lots of cream in a dish.  Theirs rely instead on the powerful taste of all the local produce used and works very well.

Fresh oysters ~ a speciality in Nancy's Bar

My six oysters were also accompanied by wholemeal scone bread & butter.  Charlie offered me Tabasco for my oysters but I quickly turned this down as I did the half lemon served with the oysters ~ there is no way I want to change the flavour of fresh oysters.  Why gild the lily?

The beautiful Gweebarra Bay where Nancy's get their oysters

The oysters were excellent and bursting with the taste of ozone.  I just love oysters and order them wherever I get the chance but only in places where I know they are freshly taken in from a nearby river or sea location as is the case in Nancy's.  Their oysters come from an oyster farmer in nearby Kilclooney and he takes them from the clean waters of the Gweebarra Bay which is only a short distance from Ardara.

Our Guinness was excellent, smooth and creamy and expertly poured.

All gone!

Nancy's is one of the members of the Donegal Good Food Taverns who's aim is to use only the best of locally sourced fish, meats, vegetables and so on.  Their use of fresh produce really shows in the foods offered too.  Nancy's offer a choice of six starters ranging in price from €3.30 for garlic bread to €11 for half a dozen oysters.  For mains (or House Specials) the prices range from €7.20 for a veggie burger or a 6 oz steak burger to €13.90 for "Charlie's Supper" which according to the menu is "Prawns and smoked salmon, gently warmed in a sweet chili, garlic and lemon sauce.  With a side salad and brown bread".  They also offer a Ploughman's Lunch which consists of cheese, and locally produced pickles together with brown bread and this is very filling ~ I had it on a previous occasion and it is well worth the €10.50 price.  Their desserts are homemade and include Chocolate Guinness Cake, Apple Pie etc.  The desserts are priced at €5.50 which includes tea or coffee.  For those not wanting tea or coffee, the desserts are €4.40.

THE NITTY GRITTY

Our bill for half a dozen oysters, a large bowl of seafood chowder, brown bread and butter and two half glasses of Guinness came to a very reasonable €21.70

Food served daily during the summer months from 12 noon until 9pm.  Weekends only during the winter.

Wheelchair access and loo: YES

CONTACT: Telephone  074-9541187 email: jenny_mchugh@yahoo.co.uk Twitter: @NancysArdara FACEBOOK PAGE

Distance from Daisy Cottage: 17 km/11 miles

COFFEE ADDICTS

We love our coffee and are coffee addicts you could say.


Coffee machine in Daisy Cottage



Cafetier



Our love of coffee meant that from the begining in Daisy Cottage we have always had a coffee machine and a cafetier so that our guests who love their coffee could also enjoy their morning or after dinner coffee.

Just recently I went shopping again for Daisy Cottage and amongst other things, decided to buy more coffee related items for our guests to further enjoy their coffee.

So what did I buy?



Electric coffee bean grinder



Well, the first thing was an electric coffee bean grinder which means our guests can take their favourite beans and grind them freshly each morning to ensure the best taste from their chosen coffee. 

Of course it is not strictly a "necessity" and guests can easily carry a few bags of pre-ground coffee with them when coming to Daisy Cottage, but there really is little to match the taste of just ground coffee, not to mention the delicious aroma, so maybe it is a necessity to others like us, who love their coffee.



Frothy milk for a perfect cappuccino



The next thing I bought was a milk frother.  I was a little unsure if it would work but thought I would give it a try.  Earlier, at home, we once bought a tiny whisk which was said to froth milk for coffee.  It didn't.  Well, at least not very well, hence my scepticism with this frother. 

However, once it arrived I tried it out at home and it does what it is supposed to so now not only is it in Daisy Cottage, but I went on and ordered another for us at home. 

All it takes is to add a little warm milk and pump it up and down for a couple of minutes and hey presto! perfect foam for a perfect cappuccino!

Classic espresso jug

After dinner, we ourselves love nothing more than a perfect espresso and this lead me to search for a classic espresso pot and I was lucky to find a large one which makes nine espressos at at time if needed. 

I remember many years ago my parents having such a pot.  I still remember the glug, glug as the strong coffee was brewed but of course as a child I thought the stuff was vile.  Oh how things have changed!

So, having found this pot our guests can now relax after a meal in Daisy Cottage with a perfect espresso.  And maybe, like us, a brandy to go with it.

Now I just need to dig out those espresso cups and saucers I have stashed away somewhere here at home to bring to Daisy Cottage!

And tea drinkers are not forgotten in Daisy Cottage.  We have two teapots (that pour without that annoying spillage that sometimes occurs with certain teapots, a tea strainer for those who like "real" tea as do we and also a tiny tea strainer for an individual cup of "real" tea.



And tea lovers are welcome in Daisy Cottage too!

Now I need to go off and make myself a fresh cup of coffee ... and find those espresso cups and saucers!

EATING OUT ~ THE VILLAGE TAVERN, MOUNTCHARLES

This is another of our favourite restaurants in the area and the chef there makes THE best lamb shanks in the whole of Ireland.

The Village Tavern, Mountcharles

Situated in the middle of the pretty village of Mountcharles, The Village Tavern is popular with locals and visitors alike and it is not hard to see why once you have eaten there once.  We go there regularly as the chef/owner Enda O'Rourke is a passionate not only about his cooking but also his food sourcing, only using locally produce wherever possible.  He grows his own herbs and makes his own bread too and all the food offered in made in his kitchen at The Village Tavern.

The dining room of The Village Tavern

Enda, along with Hugh O'Donnell of 22 Main Street, Killybegs, is one of the founding members of the Donegal Good Food Taverns.  Enda was head chef in the famous Rolys in Ballsbridge, Dublin for around nine years so now we in Donegal can enjoy his skills for a fraction of the prices charged in Rolys.

The Village Tavern is at the front a bar and at the end of the bar you go down a couple of steps into the restaurant which is cosy and comfortable and on fine days or evenings you can sit outside on their covered decking for a drink or to eat.  Alternatively you can also eat in the bar.

Lamb shank and creamy mash at The Village Tavern, Mountcharles

On our recent village there I just had to go for the lamb shank again.  I do vary my choice but every now and then I must have the lamb shank.  The meat is beyond tender and literally just falls off the bone, the sauce served with it is excellent and the creamy mash accompanying it is some of the best mash ever.  For other meat eaters, I can also highly recommend the steak there.  On a previous visit I had the steak which arrives with homemade chips, onions etc. although I chose to have it with a perfectly dressed side salad.  The steak was perfectly seasoned and cooked exactly as I requested.

Monkfish and Prawn with Garlic Butter and Topped with Mozzarella

So this time for me it was the lamb shank for me with a starter of monkfish and prawn in garlic butter and topped with mozzarella cheese melted over it.  This is the first time I have tried this dish here and it is delicious with lots of garlic, chunks of perfectly cooked monkfish and lots of prawns.  I will definitely be ordering this again.

Bacon and Potato Soup with Homemade Brown Bread

For his starter my husband chose the bacon and potato soup which arrived with a couple of rounds of homemade brown bread and a couple of pats of butter.  I tasted it, or course, and it was thick and packed with flavour.

The Seafood Platter in The Village Tavern, Mountcharles

For his main, my husband chose the seafood platter which consists of number of different fish and shelf-fish cooked in different ways and with different sauces and a tiny bowl of seafood chowder.  This plate is offered as a starter or a main course and we first had it a few months back when a fellow diner recommended we order it so good was it.  We did and she was right ~ it IS very good.

As with all the restaurants and cafes I recommend, the service here is excellent.  Really pleasant, helpful staff who are friendly without being at all intrusive.  It is so easy to be pleasant and restaurants would do well to realise this and make every effort to employ and train staff to who actually care about their work and their restaurant.

Chocolate and Orange Cheesecake

So after enjoying our starters and main courses, I forced my husband to order a dessert.  I wanted a photograph of one of their desserts for this blog post but he was quite full after the hearty soup and seafood platter but eventually I got my way and he chose the chocolate and orange cheesecake.  I had a little of it and it was creamy and did what it said on the menu ~ tasted of orange and chocolate.


An americano at The Village Tavern

I finished with a very nice americano which had a lovely crema on top.  Their cappuccino too is very good.

The view from the pier, Mountcharles

For less lazy people, one of the other good things about dining in The Village Tavern is that you can take a stroll down the street and a walk along the shoreline of the bay along to the pier there.  Alternatively you could do what we often do and drive down to the pier and get out of the car and enjoy a bit of fresh sea air, perhaps sitting a while on the seats on the pier enjoying the perfect views of the bay and across to the distinctive Sligo mountain, Benbulben.

THE NITTY GRITTY

Summer Opening: (details to follow)

Winter Opening: (details to follow)

We paid: (details to follow)

Disabled Friendly: There bar is ground level and then there are two or three steps down into the restaurant area but you can dine in the bar.

Child Friendly: Yes, child portions and baby chairs available.

Contact: Tel: +353 (0)74 9735622   E-mail: villagetavern@live.ie

DIVING MISS DAISY

Excuse the heading ~ I couldn't resist it!

So, what is it about?

Well, last weekend, speaking with a diving expert in the village, we got chatting about diving.  He was telling us that when he was a child Dunkineely would be packed to the gills with divers.  The location is perfect with the clearest diving waters in Europe at St. John's Point behind the village and the village itself a great place for a few jars at night in one of the village bars after a long day diving.  But then along came the Celtic Tiger whooshing them off to more exotic, far-flung places.


St. John's Point, Dunkineely

He said though things were slowly turning back to those days again since the death of the Celtic Tiger and I mentioned that I had had a few enquiries this year from divers wishing to book Daisy Cottage but the house was already booked for the times they wanted.  I told Gerard (our resident expert ~ not only on diving in the area by the way, but he also knows all the very best fishing locations) that I had been thinking of putting up hooks for divers to dry off their wet suits in the downstairs part of our games loft shed.

I was asking how divers want their suits to be hung and he said the ideal is to have a drying room (which of course could also be used by surfers).  And then he said "but if you really want divers, a compressor would be a great thing to have too".  Not being divers ourselves, we had no idea what this was and he explained that the compressor would supply refills to the oxygen tanks for divers and would be a great thing to have to hand.

The idea developed as we spoke and we decided that the compressor should be put in the front shed so that visiting divers not staying in Daisy Cottage could still get tank refills easily. 

Anyone used to reading my blogs will know that I love new ideas and take to them with a passion.

So now we are going to make the drying room big enough so that visiting divers not staying in Daisy Cottage can also leave their suits there overnight to be ready for the morning.

This work and the saving involved to buy the compressor will done over the winter and we should be ready to go come the spring. 

Enquiries and comments can be emailed to me at: DaisyCottageDonegal @ gmail.com
(don't forget to fill the space either side of the @)

EATING OUT ~ MRS. B'S COFFEE HOUSE, KILLYBEGS

At last I am getting around to doing a write up about this wonderful cafe in the nearby village of Killybegs.  We happened upon it a few months back and have returned time and again since because of the fantastic seafood chowder, great foods, great coffee, friendly service and the cleanliness of the place.

Mrs. B's, Killybegs

So on a wet afternoon last Saturday we left Daisy Cottage specifically to visit Mrs. B's as that is one of the days the totally moreish seafood chowder is available (it is made on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays).

The cafe is situated in a little street up from the Diamond and you get to it by turning in from the pier toward the Bay View Hotel and then turning left and up the hill and the cafe is opposite the excellent Hughie's Seafood Bar (22 Main Street).

Mrs. B's cappuccino

Dashing in to the warmth and out of the wind and rain my first question was "is there any seafood chowder?".  A huge sigh of relief ... there was so we ordered two bowls of it and took a table inside in the spacious and comfortable dining area. 

The interior of Mrs. B's

There are also high chairs and a tall shelf where you can sit for a quick coffee or whilst waiting for food to take out.  My husband ordered one of their super frothy cappuccinos to warm him up while we waited for the chowder and we settled in for the feast to come.

Mrs. B's excellent seafood chowder and homemade brown bread

The chowder duly arrived and was every bit as good as the previous times we've eaten it, packed as it is with mussels, smoked fish, salmon, white fish and little cubes of potato.  It is creamy without being too creamy and absolutely bursting with the fresh taste of the sea.

Ordinarily the seafood chowder, served with homemade brown bread, is more than enough but we were felt like treating ourselves and going for our favourite paninis too and making this an early dinner ~ well it was after 4pm and we had a night out planned back in Dunkineely!

Panini filled with mozzarella, sun dried tomatoes, red onions and black olives

I ordered my favourite filling ~ mozzarella, sun dried tomatoes, red onion and black olives and my husband went for a filling of brie, tomato and red onion.  I had a regular sized (which is still big!) americano and my husband had a pot of tea.

There are many other things to chose from from the large chalk board on the wall and all the food is homemade on the premises.  There are options for celiacs (they offer breads, pasta, and desserts suitable for celiacs), vegetarians and dishes for children and babies (they supply baby high chairs too). 

There is a specials board with two or three specials from which to chose too (mains such as quiche, shepherd's pie, etc. with prices from €6.95 - €7.95).  And for cake lovers, Mrs. B's must be their Nirvana!  Lots of homemade cakes, buns, cupcakes, tarts, and other sweets to enjoy.  They also do a variety of breakfasts which we must try if we arrive there earlier next time (although their breakfast is actually available all day)

But as I said, we had already decided on our paninis and these arrived with our drinks and were just as good as all the previous times we have enjoyed them at Mrs. B's.  We were stuffed to the gills as they say but managed to get ourselves over to the till to pay for our feast. 

As we were leaving, I spoke with one of the owners, Ann Conaghan, who told me that with her friend Mary Breslin, they opened Mrs. B's in March this year.  She confirmed that all the food is homemade but to be honest, it is pretty obvious anyway and you can even sample some of their baking from little plates of samples of their baking on the counter.

The dining area of Mrs. B's

Mrs. B's is a fabulous asset to Killybegs and their consistent high standards, good food, great service and cleanliness makes it a must visit place if in the area.  Or even if anywhere near the area! 

Try it, you will definitely not be disappointed!

THE NITTY GRITTY

Our bill for 2 seafood chowder (5.50 each), 2 paninis (€6.95 each), one cappuccino (€2.50), 1 americano (€2), and one tea (€1.50) came to €30.90

Location: Main Street, Killybegs, County Donegal

Opening Hours: Monday - Friday 9am to 5pm

Disabled access/lavatory: Yes

Children/babies catered for: Yes

Vegetarians and celiacs catered for: Yes

Telephone: +353-74-97-32656

THINGS TO DO ~ TROPICAL WORLD

Just under one hour's drive from Daisy Cottage is one of Donegal's newest attractions, Tropical World in Letterkenny.

On Sunday we took 2 of our little grandsons (aged 8 and 4) to it and a great afternoon out was had by all.

Just some of the beautiful butterflies at Tropical World

Here is a link to the blogpost I did on the visit where we saw butterflies flying freely, lizards, exotic birds, chipmunks, rackoons and all sorts of other wildlife. TROPICAL WORLD VISIT