Diary of a busyish woman

 It's been one of those days & now my poor brain is buzzing. This morning we had our monthly FSAI audit, which is done through the County Council Veterinary Dept . Everything went well & these days it is as much a conversation as it is a regulatory inspection. If I have queries or issues, I can discuss them; and our vet is willing to advise us. I for one am delighted with this very proactive approach to our food business, and indeed very relieved also that there is a listening expert ear for that occasion when something goes wrong. In food business, you can never be too careful or complacent. Then I headed to Brosnan's in Schull who were celebrating their lovely revamp with a host of local producers. I often say that small producers don't often get a chance to shoot the breeze as we try to do a range of functions to progress our business. I literally parked my van at the front door, changed from jeans to a dress and left again this time for the laun

Reflective of how I'm feeling.   25.09.14: It's been a long day, but not a bad one. Taking the day off yesterday was great; pulling creaky limbs out of bed this morning not so great! Then it was straight to the office to catch up. Needless to say there were a few queries to be dealt with as well. You know the saying 'a woman's work is never done' - well I reckon it applies to the office as much as to the home. These days, my lads are well able to feed themselves, but ask them to learn to enter the invoices or stuff like that & I'm talking to dust. Still it's nice to be needed. Usually I prepare seasonings over the weekend when it's all quiet in the unit, but starting tomorrow morning with a Food Safety Audit, I'm heading to Schull as one of the producers doing tastings and showcasing West Cork produce. Home by 6pm as I'll be going from there to the launch of the  Rosscarbery Autumn School . I'm really excited but having

No writing yesterday. On the road at 4.30am to attend The Ploughing . Yesterday, we were amonth the just over 124500 people who attended this amazing event. Europe's largest Outdoor Exhibition and Trade Show. One of my sisters-in-law had never been but took her son and friend. We arrived within 30 minutes of each other; left around the same time & I never saw her. Indeed I didn't see a glimpse of many other friends who were exhibiting either. I must be getting old as this year I studied the exhibitor list; noted those I wanted to see, and after that everything else was a bonus. I actually never saw a tractor & plough either. I really want to be able to go for 3 days but it's not happening in my foreseeable future & that's another story for another time. In the office since 7.30am but have only started my chores! Curing shortly and have to go to Carrigaline and possibly Cork to meet a chef. For sure I'll be back in the office this evening. Tomorrow wil

I must be getting old. I love driving, but motorways with people cutting in and out as though creating a complicated pattern for material no longer excites me. Instead I find myself slowing down on minor roads to enjoy the different textures of trees; shrubs; grasses etc. When I see an obviously cultivated shrub just growing on a ditch with no indication of a man-made habitation, I wonder if it was just thrown out or did it last longer than the dwelling. Where did this musing start - in the RTE 1 Drivetime programme as Mary Wilson summarised Day 1 of the National Ploughing Championships . How many people in those queues yesterday morning cursed the roads, the NPA Organisers or even their own decision to leave a little later than planned & then were caught in the traffic over the last 5 miles? My own thoughts on the matter: relax and use the queue to mentally gird yourself to enjoy the whole event and be thankful the weather isn't too bad this year! Only 3 days until the Ross

Do you remember The Boomtown Rats & Bob Geldof & that iconic song 'I don't like Mondays' . The story behind the song is well known & unfortunately not a unique once in a century tale of a young person turning on his peers & using a gun to make the point. However the phrase has infiltrated my mind and has become one of those meditation phrases. The conclusion I've come to is that I haven't time to hate Monday's or indeed any other day. Life is too short for regrets & I try to live my life to the full. Needless to say I'm always trying to do too much, but it just means that there's a carry over in case tomorrow's diary isn't full enough! Was in  Glenilen today, where it was busy as usual with the additional pressure of staff & stock getting set up at the National Ploughing Championships . The work that involves thousands of people in the lead up and indeed in the execution of this 3 day annual event is immense; and is n

As I wrote today's headline, I realised that I've definitely forgotten where this term originated. If I didn't look it up, it would be like an irritating itch, so I did and to summarise: it's a military term and is generally derived from the 'Day of Days' as in it's when a decision is made or a result will become known. Tomorrow, I and 7 other Irish Food Bloggers , it will be the last day for our recipes to receive a vote in the Cono Sur Food Blogger competition: http://bloggercompetition.conosur.com/index.php/recipes?from=ie . I rarely enter competitions on a personal level (business & product wise is a different matter), and the pleasure taken from having one of my original recipes shortlisted hasn't dimmed over the past few weeks. However there's also the sheer joy of looking at the very different recipes and the thrill of how far Irish Cuisine has travelled as it takes its place on a par with any other cuisine. I know I'm biased as I li

Bad night's sleep due to head cold/chest infection, but Olbas Oil is my constant companion & proven relief. A few hours in the office trying to catch up and then a treat as I headed for Clonakilty Library . The library was very quiet but that's only because I hadn't caught up with the latest Clonakilty event - The Clonakilty Guitar Festival . I did take a wander through the town and the place was hopping, but the books beckoned too! I swung by The Children's Project Charity Shop in Spiller's Lane, where they go to a lot of trouble to keep the books in some alphabetical order according to author. I couldn't resist yet another few cookery books and already there's some inspiration. Whether it will work is another story. Tomorrow I must finish my Rosscarbery Recipes blog with a few photos and double-check my Gluten Free Baked Cheesecake. Good night all.

When you're in the 50+ bracket & not too inclined to physical fitness, a few extra late nights and earlier mornings can have a devastating affect. So yesterday, I hardly got out of bed and I'm still wheezing today. A couple of hot whiskies - not the preferred way to drink whiskey in my opinion - have helped. So today, it's back to work for a short while or as long as I can cope. Just trying to work out what awards we have received this year as I'm the main record keeper and if I don't do something when it occurs to me, it won't happen. Le Confrérie des Chevaliers du Goute-Boudin: Silver & Bronze; Great Taste Awards (U.K.): 1 Gold Star; Belling West Cork Artisan Producer of the Year: Winner. Until tomorrow: Avril Caherbeg Free Range Pork Ltd. & Rosscarbery Recipes Caherbeg, Rosscarbery, Co. Cork 353 23 884 8474 (o) 353 86 822 4415 (Willie) 353 87 914 0811 (Avril) Facebook Caherbeg Free Range Pork Ros

As opposed to my blog: http://rosscarberyrecipes.blogspot.ie , this blog will not contain recipes; details of events to come, but I want to use it to summarise in just a couple of sentences what life is like for an average woman living in Ireland - multitasking & never hitting the mark. Sometimes there'll be a photo or two, but this is a daily diary so entries will be ultra brief.