The Honeycomb Cafe - Review

Last Friday Paul and I went out for breakfast before an afternoon of doctor appointments for me!

All my friends have told me great things about the Honeycomb Cafe in Clondalkin and I was waiting for a chance to go there myself! When I got there from the outside I wasn't sure if it was going to be just another greasy spoon. I pleasantly surprised when we entered the cafe, it was just my cup of tea! I loved all the country style mismatch decor 

I loved the old fashioned bits and pieces, an old radio, candles and I fell in love with the antique writing table! The minute we walked in I felt relaxed and it felt so cosy. The staff are very friendly, we where the first customers of the day but the place began to fill up quickly. So I was glad I took my photos before the place got too busy!

I ordered the pancakes, bacon and eggs option with a large cappuccino 

The pancakes where the fuffyest pancakes I have ever eaten and I have had pancakes in America but they didn't come close to these!

Hubby had the Honeycomb big breakfast compete with homemade relish and fried onions

with toast and a huge pot of tea for one! Hubby enjoys his tea so was happy with his big mug as his pet hate is tiny tea cups!

I loved the mismatch feel with the plates, tea cups and tea/coffee pots

There is actually a tiny selection of things to buy and I have my eye on a coffee pot and milk bottle for next time we go I will be buying! The staff are very friendly and happy to recommend from the menu, service with a smile! 

This is a beautiful hidden gem and a place you don't want to rush out of, I really wanted to stay have another coffee and try the amazing range of cakes on offer but time was against us as I had doctors appointments. I had to make do with a take away latte!

We enjoyed our breakfast we will be going back this weekend to enjoy another yummy breakfast from there amazing menu.

I will definitely be bringing my friends here too. My pregnant friend and I where looking for somewhere for lunch and I can see this cafe becoming a regular spot for us as its also a very family friendly place  She will enjoy some TLC and guilt free cake! 

On The Box This Week

Warning-TV Spoilers Ahead!

Like I thought back at the start of January due to scheduling changes I fear this show

will leave with a whimper instead of a bang! More scheduling changes see this show now

moved to Thursday and Friday nights I have completely lost track and am relying on sky plus to record it for me!

The fact that the BBC didn't show more love for this show is a shame as the acting and casting

as been top notch. The drama is really taking up a gear in the last couple of episodes. Frances and Honoria from Dickens Bleak House novel really came into there own this week. Honoria went into early labour with only cold, horrible sister Frances to help her. Frances did deliver baby Esther and for a moment we thought the maybe the ice has melted from Frances heart but it was not to be and when the baby finally cried she chose not to tell her sister and lead her to believe her baby was still born. Thus starting a series of events which will come to ahead in the novel Bleak House.

We also found out who the murderer was this week so really we could stop watching now

but no there is three more episodes left and mostly centred around Miss Havisham my most favourite Dickens character so I will not be missing that!

While I still love this beautiful heart warming show I have to admit

I feel like its missing something this season. I am really missing the characters

of Jenny and Chummy and am missing the true story lines of Jenny Worth's books.

I am also not liking where Trixie's storyline is going, I don't like the Tom and Barbara romance. Yes Trixie and Tom are an odd couple but that's why there good together. In real life Trixie did become a Vicar's wife and sometimes truth is stranger than fiction, which is where this show is going now less of the true life stories of Worth's east end and more fictional stories.

Saying all that I did enjoy this episode even if there was less of the midwives or nuns and maybe a bit too much Fred! It was mostly about Roseanne a new Mother who cant let her past go and thinks she is not good enough to be wife or Mother. This episode reminded me a little of some of the more hard hitting storylines of season one or two. The other major storyline was Doctor Turner's  realisation that cancer can be connected with smoking. As a heavy smoker (he is pictured with a cigarette in almost every scene the past couple of seasons) he is shocked and scared by this,so decides to go cold turkey. I really do like Patrick and Sheila Turner together it is one relationship that as grown over the years, and it may not be as gripping as season two it still one of my favourites in the show. Call the Midwife may not be as true or gripping as past seasons but its till my favourite thing to watch on a Sunday night.

As a person of a certain age I remember the trail of OJ Simpson

maybe not very clearly but I remember my parents watching it alot

the live stream from LA seemed to always be on our TV!

So we decided to give this show a go mainly cause the hubby is a huge Cuba Gooding Jr fan

He is very good as the main role but the first episode itself was quite slow

but there was some good performances David Schwimmer is great as Robert Kardashian

(funny how Robert's daughters are now more famous than him and OJ)

but to me Schwimmer will always be Ross and his hair in this show is very Ross-ish!

I didn't think the mid season finale of my favourite zombie show was up to much

it was a disappointing end to the first half of the season

Wow did it make up for it when it returned to our screens Monday night!

Daryl Dixon was back on form after spending a whole season grieving

he wiped out half of Negan's gang in a second!!

In Alexandria the dead are roaming the streets and Rick's group are walking with them

trying to come up with a plan. Young Sam is not in a good head place and as only the walking dead can a whole family are wiped out in minutes!

Then of course there is that scene the one everyone is talking about

fans of the comic books have been waiting on. I haven't read the comics so was shocked and in awe when it happened. As Carl looks up at Rick with a rather large hole where his eye should be and yet his sheriff hat remains still on his head was a rather awesome scene and up there as one of the top walking dead moments. If I am being honest I think this was one of my all time favourite episodes of The Waking Dead, but after an episodes like this its always hard to keep the pace up, but with a Rick and Daryl centred episode next week I am hoping the pace will not slow down just yet!

On The Box This Week

We have been enjoying alot of period drama this week on TV
Here is what we watched!

BBC drama Dickensian has been a hit in our house over the Christmas time
With a who done it murder mystery of Jacob Marley
I am enjoying seeing the different Dickens characters intertwined and the acting has been amazing
but the scheduling for me has been a problem while it's lovely to see the snow covered streets
of Dickens's London at Christmas time I'm not sure it will have the same appeal in the long weeks of January. We are only on episode six of twenty! It started with a bang I hope it doesn't end with a whimper!

We tuned into the new big BBC drama War and Peace on Sunday

I have read the mammoth book and had high hopes for this drama

but for me it fell a little flat. The first episode of course sets the scenes for much of the drama to come but for me this episode dragged. Hubby asked was this meant to be Russia as it all seemed a little Jane Austen England! I will keep watching as I'm a big fan of Stephen Rea and Lily James hopefully it will pick up the pace next week

Another period drama we watched on Sunday night was RTE drama Rebellion
The first of programmes marking the 1916 centenary
It tells of three female friends the involvement in the 1916 rising and how it
effects their family and friends. I was really impressed by this homegrown drama
the acting and actors where very good, especially Charlie Murphy, Brian Glesson and Sarah Greene
Really looking forward to the next episode. 

On The Box This Week

Warning-TV Spoilers Ahead!

This year's I'm a Cele has been a little crazy with Lady C going full on nut job mode!
The atmosphere seems to be horrible with the celebs actually really happy to be vote out!
Chris Eubank the person who everyone thought would be good a doing a Bushtucker Trail has yet to volunteer himself! Lady C seems to hate everyone in the jungle especially if you have a different opinion or dare to stand up to her. My favourite is Kieron he seems like a really nice bloke

I enjoyed this episode to The Muppets it brought back a little

of the madcap of old to the show

Kermit is feeling a little under the weather due to stress so he takes

a spa day to relax. Scooter takes over with some horrible results!

Some very laugh out loud moments which I really enjoyed

But it was the end which I really enjoyed a nod to the original Muppet show

To help deal with the stress Kermit has brought a bit of the swap to his back garden

where he sits on a log and sings The Rainbow Connection

Finally Haley and Andy kissed!! Just need them to be a couple now
the will they won't they is running a bit thin
I would love to see them as a couple and the funny scraps
they get into, it would make this storyline fresh again
as it's getting a little stale. 

So the mid season finale hit our screens on Monday evening
The walls have fallen in Alexandria and all hell is breaking lose
Rick and Deanna are trying to fight them off until Deanna gets bite and
the gang hide in Jessie's house.
Ron and Carl have fisty cuffs in the garage. Till the walkers hear and the back door gets smashed in! Stupid Ron get a grip! Carol and Morgan fought over the Wolf, Morgan has locked up. Not great timing there are hundreds of walkers outside the door and Carol picks this time to resolve this? It doesn't end well for either party, Morgan knocks out Carol and then the Wolf gets free and knocks out Morgan!
To be honest nothing much else helps this episode, Rick and the gang cover themselves in walker blood to get out of the house, Deanne dies but not without going out in style and Sam has a break down just as the gang are waking with the dead "Mom, Mom, MOM!!"
There was an after credit scene that shows Daryl, Abe and Sasha getting stopped by a biker gang telling them the truck they are driving belongs to a man called Neegan. Setting up a new gang and villain for the second half of the second.
I did enjoy this first half of season six but I felt like the last few episodes where lacking something we met a lot of new characters in the first few episodes but where have they gone? Heath, Nicholas, Aaron and Eric where not in the mid season finale. The episode felt rushed and lacking something, saying that I am looking forward to February 15th to see what happens next to our gang!

Forever Aloe Vera Clean 9 Detox

I decided to give my body a another detox before Christmas as
December is a very busy month for me, with party nights out, meals out and many glasses of bubbly!

Last time I done this I forgot to blog about it so this time I thought I would do a little review of the product and how I got on. This is NOT a sponsored post I did not get paid or gifted the product it's just my own thoughts. Last time when I was thinking of doing this I searched the internet to see how other people got on, so maybe this might help some one else.
I started this on a Wednesday as I found it easy to do the first two days while I was in work
it took my mind off the hunger pains!
The two days before I cut down on tea and coffee and tried to get alot of water into me!
In the pack you get two bottles of aloe vera gel, fibre sachets, protein shake and food supplement tablets. For the first two days you drink alot of the aloe vera gel, have a shake at lunch time and take the fibre drink and tablets. After day two you cut down on the aloe vera gel and double the shakes and can have 600 calories a day.

Wednesday Day 1:
I found today okay in general but had to drink extra water in the
mid morning as I felt a headache coming on! The rest of the day was fine
kept eating my free foods!

Thursday Day 2:
Today is the hardest day for me, it was last time and was this time too.
Last time I didn't have to deal with the Christmas food TV ads!
I drank lots of water and ate free foods
and was praying for lunch time so I could have a shake!
But I did hit a wall in the afternoon and need a little nap!

Friday Day 3:
I have never been so happy to have scrambled eggs and wholemeal toast!
I split my 600 calories as I needed something to eat in the morning before work
Today wasn't too bad once I had my breakfast and shake for lunch
and had my other 300 calories with a spring onion and tomato omelette

Saturday Day 4:
Oisín had a sore throat and cough the past few days this morning I woke up
with tickley throat so I wasn't feeling hungry at all
So I had a shake for breakfast and kept my 600 calories for chicken stir fry
and wholegrain rice for dinner

Sunday Day 5:
I woke up with cold this morning and headache caught Oisín's cold!
Had two pints of water and my food supplement tablets
Didn't have my shake till lunch time when I felt a little better
Dinner was roast chicken breast with baked potato

Monday Day 6:
Cold and cough took over today but I am staying as
close to the c9 detox as I can had my shake for breakfast
Have been drinking warm water with honey and lemon for my throat
Stuck in bed all day feeling awful drinking lots of water
Had chicken with rice for dinner haven't much of an appiete

Tuesday Day 7:
Cough was bad today sent home from work sick
So I had to buy a cough bottle not sure if your made to take it with the c9
but need to make myself better so that comes first
Had a shake for breakfast and lunch didn't have much for an appeitte
so dinner was a baked poato and cheese

Wednesday Day 8:
Felt a bit better today but stayed of work today to rest
Felt little hungry this morning so had a boiled egg on toast
Shake for lunch and tomato and cheese omettle for dinner
I have to be honest and say I am glad today is day 8
being sick and doing a detox doesn't mix!

Thursday Day 9:
Finally felt a lot better today
Just a little cough now
Last day on C9 and tbh I am pleased it's over I wasn't as good on it this time
Had shake for breakfast and lunch
Then had over baked chicken with sweet potato chips

In total I lost 7lbs on the C9 detox which I am really happy about
I lost in total 11inchs all over my body, my skin and hair looks and feels better
It was a pity I came down with a cough and cold half way through it
I stuck to it as best I could but because I was feeling awful I didn't enjoy it as much
and don't think I was eating as much.
To be honest I don't think I would do the C9 again in the winter especially so close to Christmas
as the Christmas food ads just wanted me to eat very thing!
I found it hard this time around as the weather was awful and I found myself cold easier
Unlike the Summer time salads and fruit where not appealing I just wanted hot soup and comfort food!
Overall I am happy with the results and I do think I bounced back quicker after being ill
because of the detox
If you are thinking of doing it, I would recommend having something afterwards
to help keep the weight off like, Slimming World or Weight Watchers.
As it is very easy to put the weight straight back on, it is a detox and my body does feel better more refreshed just what I need as we head into the busy month of December.

On The Box This Week

Warning-TV Spoilers Ahead!

I love Adele while I seem to enjoy different tastes in music
Kate Bush, Fleetwood Mac, Sarah Brightman, Stevie Nicks, and Sam Smith to name a few
Adele is one of my favourites back in 2011 before Adele was a huge as she is now we has one of her songs as one of our Wedding songs
So when I knew there would be a one off special with Graham Norton I knew I had to watch
I loved this, listening to her amazing voice and doesn't she look fab the three year rest seems have agreed with her! It's hard to believe that Adele is still only 27 years old she can write songs that everyone can relate too.
What I really like about her is she is willing to laugh at herself too the sketch where she impersonates herself is very funny and her fans reaction is classic

We tuned into Nigella again this week to see
what tasty recipes she had this week
This week it was fish tacos, chocolate tart and chai muffins
We also learnt that Nigella doesn't like to get her hands dirty
and wears gloves for the sticky messy recipes
Now there seems to be some kind of up roar that maybe
this isn't the cleanest of things to do!
I have to be honest I have been doing this for years!
Doesn't seem to have done us any harm
as for Nigella's chia muffins might have to try giving them a go!

Glen is alive and I was wrong we found out before the mid season finale!
We found out what happened to Glen right at the start of the episode
(I try keep away from spoilers for TWD but I called it and said to the hubby way back when we thought the Glen was dead that I thought there was more to it. Hubby point blank said no Glen was dead. I love being right!)
Glen hid under the dumpster and it was Nicholas that was getting tore apart while on top of Glen. Glen then finds Enid who left Alexandria while the Wolves where attacking. She is kind of annoying character but don't they all start out like that in TWD?! Glen makes her come home with him even though she doesn't want to she even pulls a gun on him! In the end she sort of agrees to go with him
Back in Alexandria the dead are surrounding the walls. Morgan is still keeping a Wolf locked up in a house, Carol is getting more and more suspicious of him.
Rick teaches Jessie's son Ron how to use a gun, think this will come back to bite Rick and Carl on the arse. As I think Ron is not over Rick killing his Dad and Carl stealing his girlfriend! Just as Maggie sees a sign that Glen is alive (he released some green balloons) an old burn church collapses with the weight of walkers pushing against it, bringing the walls of Alexandria down
I enjoyed this episode and overall the first half of season six of The Walking Dead
wish we could of seen a little more of Daryl, Carol, Michonne and some of the new characters.
Looking forward to seeing the mid season finale next week think some serious stuff is going to go down!

On The Box This Week

Warning-TV Spoilers Ahead!

So The Big Bang Theory finally came back to our screen
last Wednesday (Thursday UK on E4) it followed up directly after last seasons finale. Penny and Leonard finally made up the aisle in a Las Vegas chapel! Things of course didn't go to plan and soon Penny was wishing they hadn't got married! Amy decided that her and Sheldon are finished for good. I hope this isn't for long as I really like this couple's quirkiness and love there chemistry together.

We watch this show every Friday it's a very funny show
it now has different versions all around the world with a rumour that Ireland is to get it's own version!
This week Gogglebox reviewed Jamie Oliver Sugar Tax, Downton Abbey, The Gift of Life and First Dates! Yippee Steph and Dom are back I have missed them this season! Watching them get drunk while watching telly is somehow very entertaining! However with the lack of Steph and Dom this season, Scarlet Moffat is fast becoming the new star of this show!

How to follow last week's blood filled episode of Downton? By opening the doors to the public that's how!

A very pale looking Lord Grantham is back in Downton on his sick bed! He had to listen to the never end storyline about the hospital from Lady Cora! The Dowager Countess has been replaced with Cora as head of the board at the hospital only problem is no one knows how to tell her!

Mary and Tom (still not giving up on these two as a couple) have arranged it that Downton is to open it's doors for one day in aid of charity. These two are starting to become a force to be reckoned with even Robert couldn't stop them opening the doors! Mr Carson didn't like the idea one bit, but that could be because he hasn't been eating right since he got married as in his opinion poor Mrs Hughes can barely make coffee!

A nice little storyline between Ms Pattmore and Mr Mason is being ruined by jealous little Daisy! Has she had a personality transplant or is she just more annoying this season? Have a little idea that Mr Mason and Ms Pattmore will end up in her new house complete with phone and maybe Daisy and Andy will end up on the farm. I am feeling very sorry for Barrow never thought I would say that but he is been driven out of Downton as they are cutting staff and he seems to be the only one to go!! He is trying to be nice keeping Andy's secret and teaching him to read, but of course the staff have got the wrong idea. The last scene of him crying heartbroken was so sad!

The big scene of the night was of course Mary and Henry Talbot kissing in a rain storm!! Still not feeling these two and I hope Mary's delay in telling him how she feels is because she knows deep down he is not the man for her. He is lovely, charming, and "a great catch" but after Matthew I think she needs more than that (Tom)! 

Favourite quotes this week:

“Next thing we know there’ll be a guillotine in Trafalgar Square”

~ Mr Carson over reaction about Downton being open to the public

“We certainly talked about what it’s like to cook dinner for you.”

~Mrs Hughes to Mr Carson 

"Mary in the bath?"

~Robert asking Carson what the public expect to see in Downton

The Walking Dead is really keeping up the pace as episode three of season six was another action packed episode! This episode picked up with Rick, Glen, Michonne and the gang continuing there quest to get the herd of walkers away from Alexandrina. When they hear the horn blowing they decide to split into groups Rick decides to run ahead and see if he can help the community, with Michonne helping the rest of the hapless Alexandrians to get home without being eating by walkers! Rick's last words to Michonne echo through out the episode that not everyone will make it home. Most of the Alexandrians are not equipped for the world outside the walls of Alexandria and drop like flies! Just two out of Michonne's gang make it back which is saying something!
Daryl, Sasha and Abe are still leading most of the herd away. When Daryl has a change of heart and wants to go back to Alexandria to see if he can help. This was a pointless storyline scenes of Daryl on his motorbike driving fast to the community only to hear Rick in trouble over his walkie talkie which makes Daryl turn around and head back to Sasha and Abe was completely pointless in my opinion!
Rick does get into trouble when the RV breaks down and some of the Wolf's attack it. Rick manages to kill them but the nose draws out the walkers and soon he is on the roof of the RV completely surrounded by a herd of walkers
Glen and Nicholas try to set a fire to cause a decoy to draw the walkers away from the community. Things don't go to plan Nicholas seems to be going through post trauma stress and has been fading in and out of reality through out the episode. When the two are surrounded by walkers and run out of bullets they climb up on to a dumpster. Nicholas thanks Glen for saving him in the past season and then shockingly shoots himself in the head. Glen in shock loses his balance and falls off the dumpster with Nicholas into the herd of walkers.
There are already theories all over the Internet that Glen is not really dead, that he could escape somehow. Whatever the outcome I though this was an amazing episode and up there with my top ten episodes of the walking dead.
Next week is a 90 minute flashback episode about Morgan so we will not know for sure if Glen has gone to Walking Dead heaven until a few weeks!

Do you like any of these shows? Do you think Glen is now a walker?

Calamity Jane at the Bord Gais Theatre

Wednesday my friend and I brought our Mother's
out for a late Mother's day treat to see Calamity Jane
in the Board Gais Theatre.

We went out for a meal first and then strolled up
toward the Board Gais Theatre
We had a few cocktails and then took our seats
to enjoy the show

I know the 1950's movie inside out as it's my Mam's

favourite movie so I grew up with Doris Day belting out Secret Love!

Firstly the stage looked great done out like an old Deadwood saloon stage

I really enjoyed how each cast member plays their own instrument on stage and how 

instruments on stage are disguised as posts, carts, and tables etc

The supporting cast are really good I enjoyed the comic storyline of Francis Fryer and Susan

but felt this storyline lacked a bit in the second act.

We where all singing along to the classic songs The Deadwood Stage, Windy City, and Secret Love,

but I also enjoyed hearing new songs just for the show

Adelaide, Men, Love You Dearly, but my favourite was Careless With The Truth!

Tom Lister (Carl King Emmderdale) who plays Wild Bill Hickok was one of the stand out performances for me. He has a great voice and I really enjoyed his version of My Heart Is Higher Than A Hawk. The chemistry between him and Calamity Jane was comic but very well played.

Speaking of Calamity Jane Jodie Prenger was the star of the show. She matches Doris Day but also puts her own stamp on Calamity. She is very funny in some scenes and vocally she is on top form. When she belts out Secret Love was probably my favourite part of the show.

The first act was action packed with lots of songs, action and comic moments. I felt the second act lacked a little with a slower pace and less songs, but over all I really enjoyed this production on Calamity Jane. It also got the Mammy's seal of approval!!

Jersey Boys at The Bord Gais Energy Theatre

Last Bank Holiday Monday myself and my Dad
had a Father Daughter day out as an early birthday treat
for my Dad's Birthday.
We went into Dublin city centre to have a meal
a couple of glasses of wine (Guinness in my Dad's case)
and stroll up the docks to the Bord Gais Theatre
to see Jersey Boys

My Dad is a big fan of Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons

I think it brings him back to the 60's when he was a

Teddy Boy in London!

I had heard of this musical before and couldn't get tickets back in 2011

when I was in New York

The story of The Four Seasons is a little darker than I thought

with the lads skirting in and out of prison, 

cutting there their teeth for ten years before they get there big break

but when the hits started the didn't stop!

Songs like Sherry, Big Girls Don't Cry, Walk Like A Man

and Who Loves You, made us dance in our seats!

It was interesting to see how there Jersey roots never really left them

from guitarist Tommy DeVito running up debts so bad the Mafia got involved

and Frankie's first marriage break up due to pressure of being on the road

and never at home

The cast where amazing the four cast members terrific
I would of liked a little more of the early hits
The first half seemed to have not enough time for each song
while the second half seem to half alot less songs
We really enjoy it!
It's a week later
and The Four Seasons songs are still humming in my head!