Tú Magazine Issue 4 (August 2020)

August 2020

no. 4

TĂş The 'No Frills' Women's Magazine

Women in Business | Wellness | Food & Drink | Fashion | Creative | Education | Technology | Culture | Home & Garden

Editor's Note

August Sunshine EDITOR

ELKE

O'MAHONY

August is here and holds the promise of white sandy beaches, picnics and outdoor gatherings. Getting together, feeling the sunshine on your skin and being active is a great way of blowing off the worries of this year. Staying positive has never been more important as Bethan discovers on page 7 in our wellness section. Our very own food whisperer has some tips for our feet. This month's business profile is the amazing Tara Prendergast from the Biscuit Factory. Tara is a powerhouse in the creative world and I am a huge fan of hers. We also have some tips on how to write your very own press release.

Mel B features her Little Black Dress and showcases how fashionable masks can be. Jacqui has been busy giving an old sideboard a pretty makeover and I love the result. You can also see how to create a fancy pin board in next to no time.

Our food pages are bursting with tasty recipes and Judy has been busy opening the Rising Sons Brewery again but took time to share her love for beer with us. This month she is talks about the IPA revolution.

We also added a shop with special offers for our readers personalised mandalas, handmade masks, foot reflexology, recipe journals and more. Enjoy the read Elke & the Team

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TABLE

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CONTENT

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JUNE

2020

02

Editor's Note

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The Team

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Business

07

Wellness

09

Food & Drink

14

Creative

16

Shop

17

Culture

18

Fashion

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Home & Garden

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Travel

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Tú Time

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The Last Page

Our Team Elke is a food writer, event manager, business consultant for the food & tourism industry, recipe developer and trainer for Social Media for Business, Time Managment, Microsoft Office, PR & Marketing amongst others. She has worked with corporates as well as artisan producers and start up companies. When she doesn't write or talk about food she can be seen in her attic craft room creating gifts for friends. www.biasasta.ie

Bethan is the Counsellor & Psychotherapist at the Blarney Wellness Centre and has over 15 years experience working closely with people to make and sustain changes in their lives. Bethan also facilitates Understanding Children Courses and offers Parenting Support - a safe place to work through how best to support children, their emotions and behaviours. http://blarneywellnesscentre.ie/

Judy Wilkins is the General Manager of the award-winning Rising Sons Brewery. She has over 30 years experience in the hospitality industry and has a particular interest in beer - from its history to its production. Judy has hosted many successful food & beer pairing events. Her motto: If you dont like beer, you just haven't found the right one yet. www.risingsonsbrewery.com

Hi, I’m Jacqui. I’m originally from Wexford and living in Cork for the past six years. The move from my home county to the rebel county was exciting, stressful, expensive but very much worth it. I turned my hand to upcycling to ease stress initially, then discovered it is a very economical and fun way to really make your home your own. I am now an avid upcycler and would love to share my experiences with you.

Imelda loves fashion but doesn't follow trends, creating her own unique style. She is known to be always dressed for the occasion as her credit card bill can attest to. In her fashion column she shares her style with, creating outfits for today's women from leisure to gala as well as wardrobe staples to create your unique look.

Pat is a clinical reflexologist, yoga & meditation teacher at Blarney Wellness Centre. She has over 22 years experience working with all ages from babies to the elderly, utilizing proven therapies and techniques to help with anything from stress to sleep issues, fertility, pregnancy and so much more. She’s passionate about the power of the mind/body connection and our ability to heal ourselves. http://blarneywellnesscentre.ie/

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MEET: TARA PRENDERGAST

BUSINESS NEWS Ireland, Some restrictions have been delayed Covid19 the wearing of face masks are now mandatory in shops and public transport Hospitality Failte Ireland has published support tools for restaurants, cafes and pubs Local Enterprise Office is offering online training courses to cope with new regulations.

Development Companies offering free training focusing on reopening businesses

TO DO LIST Check out the latest guidelines on regulations on HSE, Failte Ireland and FSAI

Your Name: Tara Prendergast Your Business: The Biscuit Factory & The Biscuit Marketplace - you can just call it Biscuit.

Tell us about you: I am married to a French man called Mathieu. We made 2 humans Darcy Belle 10 and Bowie 3 and currently live in Dublin How long have you been in business: From the beginning of my entrepreneurial journey wow it is coming up to 25 years now but with Biscuit we are in our 5th year of business.

Was it a start-up:Biscuit was/is a startup. I have been developing and nurturing this business for the last 4 years. It is a project very close to my heart and every day I sit at my desk more excited than the last. So from a start-up perspective yes the business model is scalable. We plan to impact as many Creative people as possible and each step of our journey is getting us closer to that reality.

Your ideal client/customer: I work with visual artists/ makers who want to create a regular income from their work and want to be part of a community of peers to share that journey.

Biggest challenge for you: I suffer from shiny object syndrome. Ideas and new projects arrive into my brain and on my desk every day and my biggest challenge is to keep focused on the task in hand without opening that ideas folder. As a strategy to help with this I have figured out that I need time and space to dream and go into that 'ideas' place at least once a week. It works for me and feeds that part of my Creative process.

Biggest Reward for you: When I get emails and private messages from people thanking me for making such an impact on their business and in turn their personal lives. That is why I do what I do.Sometimes the smallest bit of encouragement or direction can change everything for people and even though sometimes I wonder, is this helping? When I get those messages it motivates me to keep going.

Best Tip: Feel the fear and do it anyway. Fear can keep us paralyzed from living the life we really want. Fear can also keep us grounded and safe from making rash decisions...I get it. That is why I always like to push my students out of the 'Fear Mentality' and into the 'Work Smarter Not Harder Mentality'. Educate, test, and make decisions based on measured results. Don't assume anything ..jahsis I feel like a teacher but...do your homework! Ha! Also, another BIG one is to know you do not have to do things like everyone else. You can create your own rules for your business and just because the networking group all do it this way, it doesn't mean it is the correct way for you. Challenge yourself on a daily basis and know you are enough.

Best habit to have: Self-care wrapped in kindness. Whatever that looks like for you. Mediate, yoga, running, breath-work, walking, hugging a tree, hugging yourself...just giving YOU something that nourishes your mind and body every day, consistently.

How do you relax: I love to walk in nature.I am more of a woods person than a beach person even though I love the sea. Every day I walk in a local woods with my little humans and yup there is plenty of tree-hugging. It grounds me lord knows I need it!

Future Plans: Developing our newest addition to The Biscuit ecosystem The Biscuit Marketplace.This is a space where we will position Irish Creative work to the global market. We are also working on a new platform for our online business school The Biscuit Factory. Let's just say being a Creative in business is about to take a new step forward.

Any advice for fellow Women in Business: It is ok to feel overwhelmed. You are not superwoman you are amazing, smart, and ambitious but if you always put yourself at the bottom of that priority list, things will start getting really really hard. No matter how smart you are, self-care and kindness is non-negotiable for success. Take it in baby steps and go for that evening walk instead of writing that blog post. Without you, your business will suffer. Work smarter NOT harder.

What would you be if not this: I would be constantly stressed, blaming my husband, my kids and everything else for not having the time I want to work and for being less productive. That is all bullshit.The buck stops with us. Everyone has the exact same time so how can some people manage so much more? We need to take a step back to move forward sometimes.

Explore alternatives to office based work Can you move part of your business online? Now is the time to put plans into action.

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Tara Prendergast www.thebiscuitfactory.ie tara@biscuit.ie Facebook Group: Bite the Biscuit www.thebiscuitmarketplace.com

Writing a strong Press Release Elke O'Mahony Owners of small businesses usually concentrate their marketing efforts on Facebook/Twitter etc. forgetting printed press or even radio. Especially local newspapers and radio stations are always looking for good-feel stories that their local readers and listenership are interested in.

Contracting a PR & Marketing company will ensure to get you in a few papers but it might not be in your budget to spend too much money.

Financial restrictions should not stop you from getting your message across.

We have compiled a few tips on how to craft a strong press release: What is your story?

Is it new?

Does it feed a need?

Is it relevant?

Give the reader something to be excited about, that could be a new products, renovation in your shop etc.

Headline Keep it short, simple and clear - don't be mystical.

The headline should entice the editor to read further The 5 W's Who - your target audience (you won't be relevant to everyone). There is no point sending the press release to a food magazine if you are an art business.

What - the story. Make it personal. We all love good-feel stories. Write in 3rd person, adding quotes.

Where - location is important. A local story might not be of interest to large national publications but definitely for a smaller paper in your area.

When - has your story a deadline/expiry date? When is it happening/starting and ending?

Why - why is it important? Think of the reader and why they might be wanting to read your story.

Keep it short and simple Editors are getting bombarded with press releases - get to the point.

Check your spelling and grammar, using tools like spellcheck in Word, or tools like Grammarly.

Avoid cliches and special jargon - you might be an expert in your field but the editor might not.

Don't claim something you can't prove - it might have legal implications for you.

Use facts & figures - be creative. Sometimes saying 'the size of the Eiffel Tower' sounds more interesting than 300m.

Add a note to the editor this can include names for potential interviewees with contact details, background information etc.

Adding photos you might not attach photographs (file size might prevent the editor to download), instead upload to Dropbox and add the link etc.

Structure of a Press Release: Who is it from Title Location Text About Note to Editor End

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Do your research for the most suitable newspapers.

There is no point in sending a release to a paper in Galway if your business is serving only Cork. Try to find out the editor's name and use it. Addressing someone with 'Hi there' shows that this release has been sent to a mailing list rather than personally to a specific person.

Call the paper you like to get pubished in and ask for the editor's name. Most editors have two emails, one being editor@domain.com/ie etc.

Writing a press release is easier than people think but harder than one would hope. These tips will help focusing your mind while writing your very own press release.

You might find it easier to outsource the task of a press release to a marketing company. Shop around as some companies are offering packages suitable for smaller budgets. These companies have extensive press lists and are known to editors, so it might be easier to get the attention of an editor. A PR company also has the benefit of providing you with data on published articles.

Some marketing companies are specialised in certain area of business like Food & Dirnk, Art, Events and Sport. Ensure the company understands your needs.

Elke O'Mahony is running Bia Sasta, a Food Event Management, Consultation and Food PR & Marketing company. She gives regular training on PR, Social Media for Business, Microsoft Office, Time Management and Interview Skills and CV preparation. elke@biasasta.ie www.biasasta.ie

SHOW COMPASSION

Wellness

by Bethan O'Riordan

Let’s use compassion as our guide rather than self esteem Self esteem is a bit of an unreliable way to gauge how we are feeling in life. People talk about good self-esteem, low self-esteem, high self-esteem (and probably loads more too) but is this where we need to be putting our attention to? Compassion would tell us no.

"I TRAVEL NOT TO GO ANYWHERE, BUT TO GO. I TRAVEL FOR TRAVEL’S SAKE"

Cultivating compassion for ourselves helps us develop the skills and qualities to understand why it is that we are feeling up, down or somewhere in between. Esteem just tells us if we are up or down.

Cultivating compassion means growing, playing around with, trying out and having fun with the more helpful parts of us. Most of all compassion is the motivation to want to help any pain or discomfort we are in. Remember, that the things we find most difficult in life we didn’t choose and aren’t out fault.

Robert Louis Stevenson

Imagine there was a part of you that totally understood why you experience any emotional difficulties that you do. That this part understood being a human was really tricky and involved us suffering with difficult emotions. Imagine this part totally understands why we find things tricky and didn’t judge us. In therapy language we have what we call a tricky brain – one that is wired to rapidly detect potential or imagined danger.

Compassion is an inner ally, our friend that’s always on our side and is in all of us for the taking. This ally helps us find the strength, courage and commitment to face our darkside (cue Starwars music). Because we all have a darkside. We all have thoughts and feelings we don’t want people to know we have. We all experience highs and lows, because we all (typically) have the same brain structure and this structure means we are vulnerable to dangerous and difficult things happening in it.

So let’s cultivate a compassionate response to our changing feelings rather than relying on the judgement that goes with esteem. Esteem doesn’t really give us the skills and qualities to cope with the demands of life. Compassion does.

Here is a link to some great self-compassion cultivating exercises.

Start with Soothing Rhythm Breathing and take it from there.

Have fun. https://soundcloud.com/dennis-tirch-phd

“Love and compassion are necessities, not luxuries. Without them, humanity cannot survive.”

DALAI LAMA

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Bethan is using gardening to de-stress Have you been affected by the current situation?

Talking can help - Bethan is offering sessions to suit most timetables.

Blarney Counseling & Psychotherapy is now fully open again. Sessions can be face-to-face, by Zoom/Skype of phone.

Email: bethan@blarneycounselling.ie Website: www.blarneycounselling.ie Phone: 083 313 0446

Your Feet are special

by Pat Murphy.

W h a t’s so spec i a l a b o u t f e e t a n d h o w d o I ca re for them?

I’m so glad you asked me that wonderful question and it may surprise you to know that your feet tell the story of your life, past, present and future, physical and indeed emotional. as if they were your secret diary.

Feet are much maligned and oftentimes neglected for many reasons not least because they’re encased in socks and shoes for at least 6 months of the year and then when the sun shines we’re loathe to show our pinkies to the world, creating a vicious love/hate cycle.

How many of you have uttered the words “I hate feet” and how many of you wonder how ANYBODY can choose a career that revolves around them?

Well I happen to find them utterly fascinating and not in a foot fetishest’s way but in a clinical reflex-ologists way so put away the dirty minds now please.

Your feet can tell me if your diet is poor, if you’re wearing the wrong shoes or are dehydrated and legend has it that a pregnant woman’s feet may reveal her baby’s sex, but I can’t possibly comment on that.

Your feet can tell me if your back, neck or shoulders are troubling you, if you’ve had a little or a lot of grief in your life and so forth.

And no, I cannot nor do I diagnose any ailments or maladies but I will guide you towards your GP if I feel that its prudent to do so.

Your feet have a unique and distinctive footprint, excuse the pun and may change from week to week and from reflexology treatment to reflexologyt reatment.

Pat Murphy is opening her practise in Blarney again offering foot reflexology etc. Pat is also holding yoga & sewing camps for children Follow Blarney Wellness Centre on Facebook for updates

So how do you care for them?

1: Change your shoes often because wearing the same shoes, especially trainers every day can encourage a build-up of bacteria and can lead to fungal infections.

The same with socks.

2: Don’t wear flip-flops! I can hear a widespread cry of despair there but when you wear something as unsupportive as flip flops your toes have to flex rather than extend which leads to the rest of the body having to compensate and this can lead to all kinds of problems from sore or stiff necks to shoulder or lower back issues.

Support is everything and there is absolutely no need to compromise on style any more.

3: Soak your feet in a warm Epsom salt bath.

Recipe: Fill a large dish with warm water, stir in a handful of Epsom salts, a dash of bicarb of soda and a drop or 2 of your favourite essential oil ( choose wisely though because not all oils are created equally and seek a professionals advise if unsure). Bliss!

4: Roll your feet over a tennis ball to help stretch and soothe fascia. This is particularly helpful for plantar fasciitis. You can also freeze a bottle of water and roll that too.

5: This one is the most important point! Book yourself in for regular reflexology treatments! Be consistent and you’ll notice a huge improvement in energy levels, mood, sleep and general wellbeing. And better still, seek out a clinical reflexologist because we can see right into your soul!

Enjoy.

Food & Drink Food News

Products we love

Pub reopening has been deferred to 10th August due to the Corona Virus safety concerns were stated for the delay.

Durrus Cheese Award-winning Durrus cheese is a must on every cheese board. Made in West Cork since 1979, the cheese has a pinkish washed rind and is matured for at least 4 weeks by which it has mild, almost grassy flavour which becomes more earthy when matured for longer. Available at cheesemongers nationwide

Boxty House in Dublin will not re-open in the foreseeable future - this comes after more than 30 years in business for Padraig Og Callagher Barrel of whiskey sells for record sum of $209k. The 10 year Kentucky Bourban went for the record sum after a head to head bidding between 2 whiskey lovers.

Boyle's Gin Distilled in Waterford, this gin is exclusively made for ALDI and has taken the public by storm so much so that it took top prize at the recent Gin Masters 2020. The texture is smooth with fruity notes and warm spices. It sells for â‚Ź24.99

Celtic Whiskey opened online shop for craft beer

Rosscarbery Black

Covid-19 is affecting export of Irish food but manufacturers are still positive Cork Heritage Pubs have reopened 23rd July, serving their award-winning beer and food.

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The motto of the Alshire family is 'made by hand not in a factory' shows in the beautiful flavour and texture of this award-winning Black Pudding. West Cork with its lush fields is the home of the pigs on the family farm. Available in selected SuperValu stores and delis.

Pudding

IPA Revolution

by Judy Wilkins

Ireland witnessed the beginning of what we call the “Craft Beer Revolution” in the early 2000’s, albeit it was a little early and many of those breweries were destined to fail.

My Recommendations Rising Sons Handsum IPA 5% Handsum is an old school West Coast America IPA. Full of North West American hops leading to pine, grapefruit and citrus flavours. Firm bitterness with a sound bite.

By 2014 however there was a plethora of microbreweries scattered throughout the country producing a wide range of styles of beer.

Like everything else, beer also follows trends, and a trend that still continues today is the thirst for India Pale Ale or better known as IPA. Their origin is English and lies in their colonisation of India. Beer was sent by boat and to survive the long journey the alcohol level was increased and extra hops were added (hops add bitterness, flavour and act as a preservative) With the rapid spread of commercial lager throughout the world many of the older styles of beer including IPAs all but disappeared.

In the1970’s a very savy group of craft brewers in the USA began to revive these old styles of beer including the English IPA. However they used their own local ingredients. Big fragrant North West American hops, replaced the more muted English hops, to give huge flavour and assertive bitterness leading to the West Coast American style IPA that we know and love today.

IPA’s have evolved greatly since the 70’s and we have seen many different styles, East coast, West coast, doubles, triples, black, session, and the list goes on.

The lines are also blurred between Pale Ales and IPAs. Usually and simply put IPAs tend to be higher in alcohol, somewhere between 6% and 10% ABV and have a more pronounced hop bitterness than a pale ale 4% to 5.5%, however we now have low abv IPAs and high abv pale ales. For those of you who enjoy hop flavours and high bitterness in you beer, it is perfectly acceptable to flit between pale ale and IPA. Both work exceptionally well with BBQ, smoked food, foods high in fat content, but in particular with blue cheese. Go on, try it, you won’t be disappointed

Available across Cork in many pubs or take out from Rising Sons in 1 litre cans or 5L kegs

Franciscan Well Chieftan IPA 5.5% Chieftan is a cloudy unfiltered beer with a big citrus aroma, pronounced hop bitterness and a light mouthfeel.

Available nationwide

White Hag Atlantean New England IPA 5.4% New England IPAs are beers that are purposely hazy or cloudy, which can give these brews a smooth, creamy mouthfeel with little to no hop bitterness at the end utilizing hops that impart a tropical, juicy sweetness rather than the classic bitter.

Available nationwide

There's something about

Courgettes August is the perfect season for courgettes before they are getting too big. Smaller courgettes have a beautiful flavour and can be eaten raw as a great addition to salads.

The bright yellow flowers are also edible with a slight earthy taste. They can be stuffed and steemed, sauteed and even deep-fried.

Stuffed Courgette Flowers Here, the flowers are stuffed with ricotta - the quality of the ricotta makes a big difference, make sure to look for authentic cheese.

12 fresh courgette flowers, cleaned 225 g Ricotta 50 g fresh herbs (parsley, oregano, marjoram etc.)

2 tbsp pinenuts (slightly toasted) grated zest of 1/2 lemon salt to taste 70g plain flour, sifted 70g cornflour, sifted pinch of salt 1 large egg, slightly whisked 160ml ice cold water (you can also use cold beer or sparkling water) oil for deep-frying

Open the flowers carefully and remove the stems from the inside. Set aside.

In a bowl, mix the ricotta, herbs, nuts, lemon zest and salt until well combined. Divide the mix into 12 equal portions and fill the flowers, amking sure not to overfill them. Now, carefully drape the petals of the flower around the mix, twisting slightly on the top to encase the filling.

For the tempura, place the flours in a bowl and add the egg, whisking well. Gradually add the ice cold water until the ingredients are just combined. The mix should be used immediately but can be stored in a fridge for a few short moments.

In a deep pan (or deep-fryer) heat the oil (drop in a small cube of bread - if it floats straight to the top, the oil is hot enough).

Carefully, dip a flower into the tempura mix until completely coated and lower carefully into the hot oil. Continue with the rest of the flowers but don't overcrow the pan. The flowers are ready when the batter has turned a light golden brown.

Recipe & Photos by Elke O'Mahony

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Remove with a slotted spoon and place on a paper towel to drain. Serve with a fresh salad.

There's something about

Courgettes Courgette Fritters 750g courgette (smaller ones are better than large one), grated 1 onion, grated 75g flour 3 eggs, lightly beaten 3 tbsp mint & parsley, finely chopped 150g feta, crumbled salt & pepper to taste oil for frying (we used rapeseed oil) 150g sour cream 2 tbsp chives, chopped salt to taste

Place the grated courgette in a clean towel and wring/press as much water out as you can.

Place the courgette, onion, herbs, flour, feta, seasoning and eggs in a bowl and mix well to combine.

Heat the oil in a frying pan over a medium heat and drop 2 tbsp of mixture into the hot oil. Fry until golden brown on the bottom before turning and frying the other side until fully cooked. Place on a paper towel to drain and continue with the rest of the mix (you might see water gathering on the bottom of the bowlwhen using larger courgettes, just let it drip off before placing in the frying pan.

Mix the sour cream with the chives and season to taste.

Servce fritters with the sour cream

Marrow Jam 1kg large courgette/marrow, after peeling and removing the seeds 1kg jam sugar (less if you like to less sweet and using enough lemon to set the jam.

20g fresh ginger, after peeling, 3 lemons, juice and zest

Cut the marrow in half and with a spoon, take out the seeds from the centre, discard them. Peel the skin of.

Chop or grate the marrow (you need about 1 kg of marrow. Place the marrow in a large saucepan, After zesting and peeling the lemons, place the pips and lemon halves in a muslin and tie together.

Finely grate the ginger.

Add 2 tbsp of lemin juice to the marrow pan and slowly cook over a low heat, until the liquid has been cooked off and the marrow is translucent. Add the sugar, lemon juice and zest, muslin bag and ginger. Stir until the sugar has dissolved. Bring the mix to a boil for 15 mins, keep stirring until setting point is reached and the marrow is fully cooked. Spoon into warm sterilised jars and seal. The flavour will enhance over the coming weeks.

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COCKTAIL BAR RECI PES, TEXT, PHOTOS BY BI A SASTA Gorseflower Vodka Picking the flowers is the hardest part.

Gorseflowers (you will lose faith after a few minutes of picking the flowers, try to get a large yogurt tub full) 500ml vodka (or rum, it will be smoother) 100g caster sugar (less if you like it more earthy flavoured) Place the flowers in a glass jar, large enough for the liquid to be added.

Pour over the vodka or rum and stir to make sure the flowers are covered. Add the sugar, close the jar and shake to dissolve the sugar.

Leave in a dark place for at least two weeks, shaking the jar regularly. Strain the flowers (keeping them in will make the liquor bitter) and pour into sterilised bottles.

White ChocolateLiquor A perfect drink for a chocolate lover 250g good quality white chocolate 500ml full fat milk 500ml cream 250ml condensed milk 150 - 300ml vodka Break the chocolate into chunks and place in a saucepan with the milk. Over a low heat, warm the milk and stir until the chocolate has melted. Add the cream and condensed milk and heat slowly, stirring to prevent burning. Take off the heat and leave to cool. When cold (best if chilled) add the alcohol. The amount depends on how you like your liquor to be - start with 150ml and see if you like the texture, if it is too thick for you , add more until yu have reached the desired consistency (keep in mind that it will also be stronger). Pour into sterilised bottles and keep chilled. Shake the bottle before serving.

ive t a e r C

Upcycling with Jacqui

Have you an old cabinet at home that you would love to give new life to? Or maybe you recall the furniture that was bought on the SuperValu stamps about twenty years ago? I firmly believe that every household in Ireland acquired at least one piece if not all pieces of this collection, which included lockers, end tables, phone tables (back in the day when your phone resided in the hall and attached to the wall and not your person), and last but not least, the storage bench. All these items are perfect for upcycling.

What you will need: Sand paper rough and smooth Kitchen gloves Sugar Soap and wire brush Chalk paint. There are several brands, rustoleum, folk art, authentico, frenchic paint, Annie Sloan. (I don’t really have a favourite, I like all of them but if your budget is tight then rustoleum is the cheapest.)

Paint Brush Finishing wax, an old tshirt and a pair of old loofah mitts.

Firstly, you will need to clean your furniture. It's amazing what builds up on furniture over time particularly if you have cats or dogs in your house. Dust and other items can cause a greasy film, so sugar soap is such an excellent tool in the upcycling process. If it's fine outside bring your piece out into the sunshine. It will help with drying afterwards too.

Follow mixing instructions then get your kitchen gloves and wire brush or kitchen sponge and scrub like your frenemy is coming for tea. The cleaner you get your piece, the better the paint will look when it is finished. Leave to dry Get coarse sandpaper and lightly sand, if there is a stubborn greasy spot, just be more enthusiastic with the sandpaper in that spot. Brush all sanding dust off and then give the unit a really good hoover getting right into the corners, then wipe with a slightly damp cloth.

Now you are ready to paint. Again if you are doing this outside, the paint will dry quicker between coats and chalkpaint dries really fast. Chalk paint is a lovely paint to work with.

It does not have strong odours and it is quite thick but there are a few things to be aware of.

Because it's quite thick, you may need to very lightly dip your brush into water, when you apply the brush stroke, you bring the brush along once, don’t double back over what you have painted as you would with other paints. Just keep the brush stroke going in one direction. Leave the first coat to dry. This really won't take long, maybe an hour in the summer. If you wish you can give a very light sand with some fine sandpaper in between coats. You don't have to do this but if you do just make sure all the sandpaper dust is cleaned off afterwards. It does give a beautiful smooth finish to your end product.

Apply your second coat . Depending on the colour you have chosen. Two coats may be sufficient, if not do a third. The beauty about chalk paint is it's so easy to work with it and it won't take long.

At this point you can decide whether or not to seal your piece of furniture.Chalk paint has a very matte finish so, if it is going to be in an area of high traffic, I would definitely recommend that you seal it. Personally, I prefer the look of the seal on it. I would advise that you do the finishing wax the following day after you finish painting so you won't take off the paint. Make sure your wax is soft. Just leave it in the sun for a little while if it's summer. Get an old t-shirt and dip it into the wax and start working it into your furniture. Then when you have everything covered, put on your loofah mitts and just buff like crazy. You can skip arm day in the gym after. Get yourself your favourite treat to either eat or drink and sit back and admire your work. In my pictures, my project has some stenciling and I will cover that next month. It is truly rewarding to create something unique and special for your own home so sit back and enjoy.

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Fancy Pin Board 'Poshing' up an inexpensive cork board from Tesco with fabric and colour elastic - perfect for your office, studio and a great mood board.

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You will need: a pin board (Tesco â‚Ź8), medium weight fabric 2" larger than board, wadding 1" larger than board, coloured elastic, buttons, staple gun

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On a flat surface, place the fabric, right side down. Centre the wadding on top of the fabric, now centre the board upside down on top of the layers

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Grab one side of the fabric & wadding and staple the fabric to the frame of the board in the centre. Repeat on the opposite side, stretching the fabric tight.

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Now do the same on the other sides, again stretching the fabric neatly around the frame.

Arrange the elastic in criss cross on the board. Staple in place where the lines cross. This creates a a button tufting. Glue buttons on top of the staples.

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Your project is now finished. Decorate with with pretty pins etc.

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check out https://make-ire.com/ for more tutorials 15|

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TĂş Shop Pat Murphy of Blarney Wellness Centre is offering foot reflexology in her practice in Blarney. Pat is a certified practitioner with many years of experience. Please call 087-9721149 for details and to book an appointment.

Read our article on page 8 on the importance to look after your feet.

During lockdown, the Rising Sons Brewery offered home 5l kegs of their award winning beers. Although open again, kegs can still be ordered from the brewery.

Orders need to be placed by midnight Tuesdays for pick up on Fridays. Please email you order to risingsonscork@gmail.com.

Handmade masks are available from Blarney Artsy Craftsy. Each masks is made by hand from 100% cotton with space for filters and elastic for easy wear.

Masks can be posted or delivered within the Blarney area (time permitting).

Please call 087-9721149 or follow Blarney Artsy Craftsy on Facebook.

Coming Soon Bia Sasta will be opening an online shop shortly with handmade items like these recipe collecting journals & planners. Email Elke at elke@biasasta.ie to be added to the mailing list to be one of the first to know about the shop going live or check www.biasasta.ie 16|

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Customised Mandalas can be ordered from our creative team member, Jacqui Murphy.

Mandalas represent wholeness and are said to focus the mind. The famous psychologist Carl Jung has used mandalas in his therapies, believing that it can balance of the psyche. In other terms, it can look fantastic on your wall.

Please contact Jacqui on

Book of the Month

Exciting Times

Culture

When you leave Ireland aged 22 to spend your parents' money, it's called a gap year.

When Ava leaves Ireland aged 22 to make her own money, she's not sure what to call it, but it involves: - a badly-paid job in Hong Kong, teaching English grammar to rich children exciting times ensue Written by Naoise Dolan, it has been hailed as one of the top 10 debut novels

Available from eason's Film of the Month Lost Girls True story of a mother’s search for her missing child, Netflix’s Lost Girls is a cleareyed and moving expose about the many ways in which troubled young women are let down by parents, police and society at large.

Directed by Liz Garbus

Available on Netflix Music of the Month

Aimée

Aimée published the first track from her upcoming EP, "Don't Call Me Pretty".

RTE's 2fm says: This single is no doubt due for paralleled success of her first two offerings

Listen on aimeemusicofficial.com

Details taken from eason's, Netflix and Aimee's Website Please email elke@biasasta.ie for submissions for future editions of Tu

Fashion with Mel B Well Cailini, hope this month's article finds you in good health and ready to embrace another

Little Black Dress

fashion feature.

Black and White options are always great and

I was very lucky to be invited to a Birthday Dinner

seasons. Of course the LBD is a definite style

celebration recently in Hayfield Manor in Cork

item and can be accessorised so easily with

a necessity to have in your wardrobe for all

and of course for this occasion it definitely required style that would make an impression & compliment the magnificent surroundings of this wonderful venue.

sunglasses, handbags, earrings and shoes to show the whole ensemble off. This is such easy wearing and trousers, jumpsuits are also the many options when modelling these

I would also like to mention that our editor Elke had suggested doing a photo shoot at some stage

outfits.

for the magazine so I agreed to model for this

So, till next time Cailiíní hope you like the

issue as my team of hairdressers, beauticians &

article and photo's and get lots of ideas for

makeup artists's were all on board to finalise the

the many occassions these options are a

overall look. Of course the mask wearing shot definitely is in vogue at the moment and just shows how stylish when co-ordianted correctly this look can be.

must.

Love

Mel B

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Home & Garden ATMOSPHERE WITH SOFT FURNISHING

by Elke O'Mahony

We all need a change from time to time but budget or time restrictions might not allow us a full renovation project.

This is where soft furnishings come into play. Changing just some cushion covers (or simply adding colourful cushions if you haven't got any yet) can transform a room in seconds. Especially with neutral painted walls, splashes of colour in textiles is a quick way of enhancing your room.

and winter. Shops like Penneys, Michael Guiney's have great bargains which makes change so much easier. If you are crafty, Guiney's also has good quality fabric while Fabric Outlet (shops in Cork & Newbridge) sell fabric at â‚Ź5 per yard with a great selection of different styles, colours etc.

They also offer curtain service.

When buying fabric, look for the care instructions - you don't want to create beautiful cushions just to have them shrunk

Mixing cushions up with different colours and textures adds interesting features to your sofa and who doesn't love snuggling into a fluffy cushion at the end of a tough day.

Curtains are also a great way of changing the atmosphere of a room. Why not have a few pair of inexpensive curtains and change them with the seasons - lighter colour and texture for spring and summer with more earthy tones and stronger fabric for autumn

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in the wash afterwards.

Adding trims to existing cushions is also a quick and easy way to enhance a sofa.

Books, tools etc on sewing soft furnishings are available at Vibes & Scribes in Cork.

Michael Guiney's - nationwide Penneys - nationwide Fabric Outlet - Cork & Newbridge Vibes & Scribes - Cork

Tomatoes Nothing is more satisfying than to pick a fresh tomato you have grown yourself. The juicy fruit is sweet yet sharp and can be used in many dishes but we love it freshly cut with a sprinkle of sea salt - simple is still best.

Tomatoes need warmth and sunshine, so it's best to grow them under glass in a greenhouse or polytunnel. Feeding them regularly ensures a strong growth. Picking off side shoots and dead leaves is essential for a healthy plant. As the fruit is very heaving, supporting plants with bamboo sticks avoids any collapsing stalks. The result will put every mass produced tomatoes in the shadow.

Things to do in August Mind your tomatoes, remove dead leaves to give the plant more strength Trim back your perennial herbs like rosemary, thyme etc to encourage strong growth next year. cut raspberry canes that have fruited back to the ground, and prune blackcurrants back by one third.

Fresh Peas Have you ever eaten fresh peas? Nothing compares with the refreshing sweet and juicy little green pearls.

Growing peas is easy as all they need is a bit of support to hold onto.

Now is the time to harvest but you can still plant some established peas from a garden centre.

Leaving peas too long results in hard peas - if you have reached that stage, leave them a little longer before harvesting as it will give you seeds for next year.

If you are strong enough not to eat them straight away, blanch them in hot water for a minute or two, plunge straight into ice cold water (retains the beautiful green colour) and freeze until you need them.

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What is a weed? A plant whose virtues have never been discovered RALPH WALDO EMERSON

Travel Ireland's Blu Book Sometimes, all we need is a little treat and Ireland's Blue Book members are here to help us relax, unwind and enjoy delicious food in beautiful surrounds.

Members include Hayfield Manor, Longueville House in Cork, Drunbody House in Wexford and Mount Juliet Estate in Kilkenny to name but a few.

Blue Book Members are dedicated to excellent service, first class food and are longstanding establishments, many having won several awards over the years.

Ireland's Blue Book was founded in 1974 and consists currently of 53 members who have committed to strict criterias layed out by the team, ensuring that guests have an exquisite experience.

With recommendations not to travel abroad, we have compiled a list of our favourite places. For a full list, please go to www.irelands-blue-book.ie

Belleek Castle Ballina, Co. Mayo T. 096-22400 info@belleekcastle.eu www.belleekcastle.com Proprietor: Doran Family Manager: Maya Nikolaeva Clare Island Lighthouse Clare Island, Co. Mayo T. 087-6689758

info@clareislandlighthouse.com www.clareislandlighthouse.com

Manager: Goesta Fisher

Dunbrody House Arthurstown, Co. Wexford T. 051-389600

info@drunbodyhouse.com www.dunbrodyhouse.com Proprietor: Kevin & Catherine Dundon

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Longueville House Mallow, Co. Cork T. 022-47156 info@longuevillehouse.ie www.longuevillehouse.com

Proprietor: O'Callaghan Family

The Mustard Seed Ballingarry, Co. Limerick T. 069-68508 info@mustardseed.ie www.mustardseed.ie

Proprietor: John Edward Jpy

The Tannery Dungarvan, Co. Waterford T. 058-45420 info@tannery.ie www.tannery.ie

Proprietor: Paul & Maire Flynn

Disclaimer: details taken from Blue Book Ireland, photos from venue website. Details correct at time of publishing

TÚ TIME

WHAT HAVE WE BEEN UP TO

JUDY

Judy has been busy getting the Rising Sons Brewery Pub ready for their opening last month. She is also smitten with her new housemate and so are we.

ELKE Elke has spent the last month in her workshop and created some handy recipe collection folders, journals and boxes. She is now working on her online shop - watch this space.

BETHAN

Bethan has put her entire family to work, harvesting a rich bounty from their poly tunnel.

PAT Foot Whisperer Pat is looking forward to her sewing & yoga camps with her second business Blarney Artsy Craftsy

JACQUI

MEL B

When Jacqui isn't creating custom mandalas for clients, she likes to dip her toes into the ocean. You can order your very own mandala directly from Jacqui - just check out our new Shop on page

Mel B caught the attention of photographer Eddie O'Hare on her recent trip to Youghal and ended up on the Irish Examiner ...

Love from the Tú team

MEL B MAKING THE IRISH EXAMINER

JUDY'S NEW HOUSEMATE

JACQUI FEELS THE OCEAN

BETHAN'S DAUGHTER GETS PHOTO-BOMBED BY DAD

The Last Page Thank you Tú would not have been possible without the support of some amazing women who have contributed their expertise and feedback.

Thank you to all these amazing women Love Elke

Disclaimer

The magazine has been created by a team of volunteering writers. All pieces have been researched thoroughly but we can't guarantee accuracy. All articles are opinion pieces.

Contact us We welcome submissions but don't guarantee inclusions.

Please email your submission to elke@biasasta.ie We are open to advertising but reserve the right on final decisions. Please contact the editor elke@biasasta.ie

Next issue out 1st September 2020 with more wellness, gardening, recipes, business, crafts & everything in between

Tú (You) is a monthly online magazine for women by women, published by Bia Sásta Editor: Elke O'Mahony elke@biasasta.ie Photos by: Judy Wilkins, Jacqui Murphy, Imelda Barrett, Elke O'Mahony, websites of Blue Book members Stockphotos by GraphicStock.

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