Non Solo Pizza

Parnell is my old stomping ground, so I was pretty excited to head there for a lazy Friday afternoon lunch, especially because we were going to Non Solo Pizza; a beloved Parnell institution.

Oozing with Italian flair and style, NSP is perfect for a long lunch, where in summer you can enjoy the beautiful courtyard bathed in dappled sun, or huddled around the fires inside in winter.

We dove straight in to the menu and started with some bruschetta to tide over the ravenous late lunch hunger (at this stage I was about to eat the tablecloth), and of course a few Peronis to match.

We all ordered a main, but at NSP I think the best way to eat is to share a whole lot of the smaller antipasto dishes, with a main or two for the table. I couldn't resist the pasta, so I happily ordered a big bowl of beef and spinach ravioli, in a beautiful veal jus with sage, parmesan and truffle. Lucy ordered the same, and it was fair to say we were almost licking our bowls at the end it was so good.

Among the other orders were the proscuitto wrapped pork loin, and a few of the famous NSP pizzas, which all went down with a big tick of approval.

I may be biased towards this old favourite haunt, but I've never had a bad dish, or a bad time at NSP, and the popularity of the famous restaurant speaks for itself. The best time to go is definitely on a warm summer afternoon, but if you can't wait that long then head on down for a cozy winter fireside meal.

DIY: Pallet Coffee Table and Concrete Stools

Though you may not believe it, I manage to fit in some non-food related activities in between the endless stream of restaurant visits.

So every now and then I swap the wooden spoon for the hammer and let my DIY DNA reign free, and over the last few months my flatmates and I whipped up a coffee table and a couple of stools. Cool huh?

Pallet Coffee Table
Pallets are becoming more and more commonly re-purposed for rustic furniture and DIY solutions around the house. We got our inspiration and instruction for the table on this awesome blog, and adjusted it slightly to tailor it to what we needed:

• We used a pallet with small gaps between the wood so no top plate was needed
• We used connecting nail plates instead of connecting bolts (so easy!)
• No paint! Just a good sanding and a few coats of varnish

Apart from the above adjustments we followed the instructions to a tee, and were able to whip the table together in about 6 hours (including a visit to the hardware store). 

Concrete Stool

Another project, and another awesome DIY blog for inspiration. This one was inspired from a post on The Homemade Modern  and is incredibly simple to make. In saying that, it did take a few tries to get it right, so here are a few handy tips:

• If your concrete mix has pebble like stones in it, use a colander to sieve the big stones out
• Measure out three evenly spaced markers around the circumference of the bucket to use as a guide to place the legs
• Work quickly! The quick dry concrete dries very fast (unsurprisingly) so you need to make haste when you are placing the legs in
• If you want to save paint, use masking tape and paint the legs using a paintbrush. It will need a few coats.

Like them? Then get your DIY on and check out the full instructions on the blogs listed above- have fun!

Breakfast: The Muesli Hub

Previously a muesli sceptic, I told Lucy- a friend of mine and a co-creator of The Muesli Hub that she would have a hard time convincing me that this breakfast dish deserved a place on my table. But a few mere months later, and with the launch of her and partner Jono's new business I found myself eating my words (and a lot more muesli).

Photo by Anna Kidman 

Photo by Anna Kidman

The Muesli Hub is a slick new online service that allows you to create your muesli from scratch, and make it exactly the way you like it. Deciding on your first order is the hardest part; and so after a few tough choices I decided on a warming porridge base, macadamia nuts, banana chips, cinnamon, and chia seeds. It's delicious on it's own or with fruit, warm or cold, and I'll admit I even ended up having a few afternoon nibbles at the good bits.

Have a play on the website here- get creative, make your dream muesli mix, and let me know what you think!

Photo by Anna Kidman