Cormac ordered these for the shop, and I decided to try them out.  I find them fabulous, especially as we have sensitive skin issues in the house.  The pack is for 60 washes. I use 1/2 a sheet and get 120 washes from a pack. They worked wonders in cleaning makeup-stained towels from recent visitors. Don't just take my advice. Review by Geraldine

Here are more reviews

• Great cleaning performance and protecting ocean habitats Fantastic product! 1% from the sale of every pack goes to protecting ocean habitats. Also come in zero plastic packaging, that is ultra-slim (does through letter box!). But most importantly, the cleaning performance is unbelievably good! Simple to use and no residue left over with the sheet fully dissolving in the drum. The sheets have no issues with quick washes or stains, and have a nice scent that isn’t overpowering. Overall very pleased!

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• I’ve been using these for over a year and I’m very pleased with the results. I wanted an environmentally friendly laundry option with a Bio option and low (but not imperceptible) scent.

Let us know which of our products are your favourites and why
Email Geraldine [email protected]

It is easy to overlook the flavour-packed liquids left behind in jars, but that last bit of oil from a tuna jar or the tangy juice from kimchi can be surprisingly useful. Instead of pouring them down the sink, you can turn them into ingredients that add depth and character to everyday meals.
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The oil from a tuna jar is already infused with savoury flavour, which makes it perfect for drizzling over roasted vegetables, stirring into pasta, or using as a base for a quick salad dressing. It adds richness and seasoning without needing extra ingredients. Even a small amount can transform a simple dish.

Kimchi liquid is just as versatile. It carries all the bold, fermented flavour of the kimchi itself and can be stirred into soups, stews, fried rice, marinades or sauces. A spoonful can bring a dish to life and reduce the need for additional seasoning.

Using every last drop is a simple zero-waste habit that saves money, reduces food waste and makes your cooking more creative. Sometimes the most flavourful ingredient is the one we almost threw away. Enjoy!

Geraldine Fitzpatrick

The Home Creamery by Kathy Farrell-Kingsley

I really like this book! Having access to raw milk, I have started to experiment more with ideas at home when I get the time. Apart from the superb flavour, the cost saving is notable. Learning to make simple foods again, like yoghurt and cheeses, is kind of like a super power. While the book is American based and the measures are not metric, they should be straight forward enough. When the kitchen is ready, we will be demonstrating for you!
 
“Discover how easy it is to make fresh dairy products at home! You don’t need a commercial kitchen or speciality ingredients to whip up your own cheeses, yoghurts, and spreads. With simple step-by-step instructions that don’t require complicated ageing techniques, you can add a wonderful range of tart, sweet, and nutty flavours to your cooking. From fresh buttermilk for mouthwatering pancakes to creamy mozzarella in a refreshing Caprese salad, you’ll soon enjoy the fresh flavours of your homemade dairy creations.”

Anne Maher

Reading books on history I am drawn into the stories of how our food system has come to be. The ease with which we can call up food today at the touch of a button… to do this takes an enormous logistical sequence from start to finish. Standardising the product to the point that it is always available ensures the cogs keep moving on the system.
 
Picture instead the good old Downton days of hunting parties for the food. Duck, grouse, pheasant, deer involved using a gun. The system of getting good food involved the hunt and chase as well as the power of a weapon. Perhaps rabbits were kept for the peasants as they were snared. Fishing of course could yield a bounty of food on condition you had access to the water. There was reward for effort. Society organized around these activities. The gamekeepers protected the booty. There was a definite hierarchy of who got access to the best food. Poachers were penalized but there were opportunities to make money by foraging for food for the elites.
 
Where I live is known for the wild blueberries or fraochans that were collected by local children to be sent by train to eventually be consumed on English tables. There was an unfairness to it all of course as we look back. A hierarchy of health as it were. The Irish Famine is remembered for the failure of one crop heavily relied on. But food was available. Access to it was not.  
 
Ah but that was then you might say! We have lots of food now. It is true that there is lots of food around the world. But it depends what you consider food. Ultra processed foods are categorized as food. But are they really? If you are in the food manufacturing business anything that you can consume fits the bill. The recent and ongoing discussion about the school meals programme has highlighted the reality that most of the meals are UPF. The argument is it is better than nothing. Let them eat cake. This is ok for the masses. But you will find that the politicians do not eat this “food” every day of the week. Advantage is taken of the gratitude of busy parents to have access to a hot meal. I fall into this boat myself, I won’t lie.
 
The hierarchy continues and our food environments have been engineered to have the worst products closest to the most in need of good nutrition. Our petrol stations are drowning in a sea of UPFs but have become the social hangouts for school kids and disability centres.  See it for what it is. We have planned our towns around the service stations. A drive thru disaster as the health outcomes worsen along with the addictions to UPFs. The implications for society are enormous. Caring for our loved ones with chronic health conditions is a burden that we will have to face more and more.
 
Can we reverse the trend with access to good food and shifting the food environments? I would love to think so and draw much hope from initiatives around the world. History teaches us lessons on how this can be done. Can we learn from it? 

​Anne Maher

We often hear the phrase Food is Medicine and it is thankfully something that is being recognised officially. In general our experience shows the pattern of customers finding that they resort to better food after the medical medicine fails them. We are slow to learn the value and power of food. Culinary medicine is also a phrase we like. Really we want to be able to eat food that heals us. Getting the balance right is the hard part. With so much conflicting advice to listen to on what is considered healthy food the stress of decision making is enough to keep you sick!!
 
Medicine has evolved of course and I see a merging of thought happening where nutrition is finally being seen as a strategy in the medical world. Functional Medicine is a “branch” of medicine that in relative recent years has embraced the concept of food as part of the healing strategies. Invariably you will see organic food recommended. Why is that? The reason is clear. The toxic load of pesticides etc is one of the reasons we are sick. Heavy metals overload from our environment is also being recognised. Mercury, Aluminium, Lead are well known to be toxic to our bodies. Neurological symptoms are very associated. Dedicated testing strategies can help you build a picture. There are strategies to help. Personally a number of years ago I had my mercury fillings removed and replaced. Chelation from heavy metals involve protocols that are available to find online. There is a lot of information to take in if you embrace the functional medicine route as you are actively involved in your own healing process. But this is an important facet because I believe for too long we had become passive recipients of modern medicine. Free GP care & Free screening are so tempting today as we seek the solace that our health is being looked after but in reality the outcome is yet more medication and intervention overload that may be doing extra harm.
 
Modern medicine still has a long way to go to catch up as it deals with resolving the symptoms only, not the cause. Subtle difference but it is important to know. We often hear that consultants will say that food has no effect on the condition involved. I have heard this so many times from people (even those who have heard this line from their gastroenterologist!). The arrogance of such certainty never fails to amaze me. For all those experts out there, it’s ok to say you don’t know! Don’t dismiss food as a potential ally in the healing journey.
 
Functional medicine is a positive way forward for people to take control of  health. We are fortunate to have information at our fingertips and being able to decipher it helps considerably. Nutritional therapists use this approach and have a great network so they are worth following up as a gateway to understanding your health. The power is in your hands.  

Anne Maher

​ When our family started eating tofu this was one of the dishes we made.
 
Everyone in the family loved them. Some preferred plain, only tomato sauce and a cheesy topping, but the marinated and fried tofu was always a hit.
 
When we became vegan, we just had to replace the cheese, and today with Hungry Soul the taste is even better!
 
Enough for 3 or 4
 
INGREDIENTS

• One block of tofu, pressed, sliced into at least 6 slabs
• Marinade – 4 tbsp tamari soya sauce, 2 tbsp wine vinegar, 1 garlic clove minced, a thumbs length of ginger minced.
• 1 courgette cut into rounds
• A handful of mushrooms, sliced
• Tomato sauce
• 1 tub of Hungry Soul garlic & chives, or any flavour you prefer, they all work well.

 
 
METHOD

1. Marinate the tofu for an hour or more then fry slightly on both sides.
2. Prepare a tomato sauce – it can be as easy as a tin of tomatoes, mashed and a little oregano.
3. Slice the courgette and mushrooms and fry them for a minute or two and set aside.
4. Assemble it all by laying out the tofu slices on an over tray, then cover each one with tomato sauce, courgette pieces and a few mushroom slices and finally drizzle with Hungry Soul sauce ( basically Hungry Soul with equal amounts of water )
5. Bake at 180 C for about 20 minutes.
6. Serve with few roast potatoes and a nice fresh salad.

 


 Jacques Brennan

HUNGRY SOUL … Making it easier and tastier to adopt that vegan diet the world needs!

RECIPE

• 1 litre of milk (raw or pasteurised)
• 1 small tub of plain yoghurt (I use Mossfield)
• A thermometer
• A saucepan

METHOD 
This is my version of yoghurt. Safe to say that over the years, I have made quite a bit, but I have a renewed interest in it with Jersey milk, which is a different level altogether! If you haven’t made yoghurt before, do give it a go. The process and the outcome are a revelation!

Pour milk into saucepan. I mostly use raw milk to make it, and I have two techniques. Either bring it up to over 80 degrees and then cool to about 45 degrees. This pasteurises the milk before adding the yoghurt to inoculate. Or if the milk is very fresh, I heat it to 45 deg. Using a food thermometer here is so useful.

I mix in a tub of plain yoghurt into the milk. Then I cover with a lid and put the saucepan beside the tank in our hotpress where it is warm. I sometimes cover the lid with a towel. That is it. Come back the next day, and you will have yoghurt! I strain it through muslin and a sieve to make a Greek yoghurt version. 

Anne Maher

This month, my favourite product has to be Emergency Honey Pot. I was feeling run down and could feel the start of a cold coming on, so I tried just one teaspoon. Very soon after, I genuinely felt so much better and more like myself again.

Emergency Honey Pot delivers targeted immune support using a concentrated blend of raw Irish honey, vitamin C, propolis and traditional warming botanicals. I shared it with a friend who was feeling really unwell, and after taking it for a few days they noticed a big improvement. A customer also passed some on to a colleague at work, and he found it helped him feel better too. It has been lovely to see how many people have reached for it when they needed a little extra support. Review by Geraldine, Gill & Mark

Let us know which of our products are your favourites and why
Email Geraldine [email protected]