The low-altitude, damp, misty, drizzle made for a cool Irish autumn day. Nutmeg was as the expression goes – chilled to the bone. However, Mother Nature’s blows vanished after her first spoonful of carrot-ginger soup. This core-warming broth and the classic brown bread were one of several choices on the market menu in the café at Louis Mulcahy Pottery located in Ballyferriter a remote part of the Dingle Peninsula.
Inch Beach, Slea Head Drive – Dingle Peninsula
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Recipes & Travel:
Ballyferriter, Dingle Peninsula, Louis Mulcahy Pottery, Slea Head, Travel Ireland, Wild Atlantic Way

Does working in a candy store sounds like a dream job?

Nutmeg was intrigued when she stumbled upon Dannah Davies’ company Canada Sweet Shop. Dannah was born in California, but her heart has been tied to Alberta from a young age. Currently, living in Calgary she says it would take a lot to uproot her, besides she is now lassoed to her sugary trade.
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Recipes & Travel:
Canada Sweet Shop, Chocolate recipes, Healthy Almond Recipes, Recipes with coconut, Recipes with Ginger and Nutmeg

Nutmeg does not really like beer, which may surprise some readers. If the truth were told, she may have consumed more than her fair share during her university days. So, a brewery tour was not high on her list of things to do in their short few days, in Ireland. The hook for Nutmeg is when an interesting product intersects with a unique history. That is certainly the case with the Dingle Brewing Company in County Kerry, Ireland; a story of water, a creamery, an explorer and a lager.

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Recipes & Travel:
Brewing in Ireland, County Kerry, Dingle Brewing Company, Dingle Peninsula, Irish beer, Irish Creamery History, Irish History, Travel Ireland

Garlic’s apparent beneficial properties range from improved digestion, reduced inflammation and warding off colds. These and many other medicinal attributes were discovered long ago in central Asia and were documented in a Sanskrit manuscript from 350 – 375 AD.
Market tables heavy with thousands of braided strands of garlic are a certain sign that fall is approaching in Provence. Large, fresh, peppery cloves – nothing like Nutmeg had ever bought at the grocery store in Alberta. Or so she thought before she discovered Jackie Chalmers the owner and cultivator of New Oxley Garlic based in Claresholm, Alberta.
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Recipes & Travel:
Garlic, Garlic cloves, New Oxley Ranch, New Oxley Ranche, Travel Alberta

Nutmeg has finally convinced Ginger that snowshoeing is an acceptable form of exercise. AND if you take the snowshoes off before you reach the ski lodge your buddies will not even notice that you did not spend your day freezing on the chairlift and skating down the icy slopes.

For Ginger, it is all about being able to sleep-in and actually has nothing to do with the fitness component.
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Recipes & Travel:
Banff National Park, Easy Baking, Easy Healthy Recipes, Pumpkin Muffins, Savoury Muffins

As Nutmeg looked out the window at the hotel, 8am in Dublin looked like midnight in Provence. Was it always this dark? Or were the low hanging rain clouds enhancing the depressing view?

David Cooke’s warm smile and hearty handshake quickly wiped away any gloomy thoughts that the tour group participants might have had. Cooke owner/operator of Dawn2Dusk Guided Photography Tours apologized several times for the weather on that October morning. The moist skies might have been beyond David’s control, but the rest of the guided trip ran like clockwork.
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Recipes & Travel:
Dawn2Dusk, Dublin Tours, Ireland photography, Irish Travel, Touring Ireland

The joys of easy entertaining:

Simple food
Great flavours
Easy laughter
And not too many dishes

Doesn’t that sound perfect?
If you want to enjoy your guests and not waste a whole day cooking, keep reading.

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Recipes & Travel:
French Food, French Recipes, Lamb roast, Provencal Food, Provence Travel, Travel in France

Nutmeg is uncertain if sculptors Ursula Hanes and Donni Buffalo Dog were visionary or slightly crazy when they purchased a five-acre property on the outskirts of the hamlet of Aureille, in Provence, the year was 1993. Their interest was not in the house. It was the 600 square-meter mothballed chicken and rabbit coop that had grabbed their attention.

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Recipes & Travel:
Artist Retreat in Provence, Ateliers Fourwinds, Aureille, Provence Travel, Sculpture Studios in Provence

A visit to Provence can be a sensory overload:
Purple-blue lavender rows combing the landscape
Market stalls brimming with wild mushrooms in a palette of earthy browns
Pincushions of creamy goat cheese
Butcher shop chickens roasted on portable spits on Sunday mornings
Rosé chilling tableside

What should I take home from Provence?
Nutmeg often gets asked this question by friends who are visiting Provence, these are five gifts that she would suggest, each one uniquely representative of the region.
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Recipes & Travel:
fleur de sel, Food, herbes de provence, Lavender, Markets, Olives, Provence, savon de Marseille, Travel Tips

All I want for Christmas is a photo workshop in Provence.
If that is number ONE on your Christmas list this year, then Nutmeg would like to help you out.
Andrew Squires is a professional photographer based in the village of Ansouis, in Provence. He runs photo workshops for both groups and individuals; photography on-location, with social breaks, fun festivals and time to explore Provence behind your camera (any type will do).
Colour, gesture, all help tell the story.
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Recipes & Travel:
Andrew Squires, France, Photo Workshops, Photography, Provence