Wonderful Wednesday 16

A few weeks off from the Wonderful Wednesday but for fun reasons this time - holiday-prepping and then holiday-enjoying. It is NOT GOOD to be back (sob!) but we had such a fantastic break. We were in Ireland for a week - a family wedding to begin with, with some extra days tacked on for good measure. I come from a big Irish family but we rarely went back when I was young because it wasn't really a proper holiday for mum and dad, having to travel from relative to relative and without the chance to truly relax and do nothing. We went when I was about 7 years old and it's one of my favourite childhood memories, so I leaped at the chance to go back again this time.

I won't make this week's WW entirely Ireland-based because I want to do a catch-up post anyway (*cough* photo spam *cough*) but it may feature a couple of times below...

So without further ado, onto the WONDERFUL...

♥ Jilly Cooper... Granted, I'm discovering her fairly late in life but oh my goodness, I think I'm hooked. I stumbled across her recent interview on Desert Island Discs and, despite knowing nothing about her nor having read any of her novels, I was completely charmed by her - she came across as so warm, engaging and so so funny. I hadn't thought of picking up one of her books before thinking that they'd be a little too 'horsey' for me - that was never my scene. I downloaded 'Riders' onto my Kindle for our holiday. I didn't get the chance to read a lot during the holiday itself because we were so busy during the day and I just crashed as soon as we got into bed (all that fresh air!) but I managed to dive in during a few long car journeys, on the flight home and over the last weekend and I'm hooked. I don't want to put it down! Naughty, absorbing and deliciously funny. Hee!

♥ Sunflowers... When we arrived home on Friday evening, I had the post-holiday blues something dreadful. The prospect of an immense amount of laundry didn't really help, although my Saturday morning clean did make me a little chirpier (am I alone in feeling extra happy in a clean house, particularly when it's cleaned in good time so that you have the rest of the weekend to enjoy it in?) I decided to treat myself to some blooms and picked up a bunch of gorgeous cheerful sunflowers. They're blooming beautifully in a vase on our kitchen table and seeing them has raised my spirits when I've come home every evening this week.

♥ Risotto... Luckily for me, my mister is a fabulous cook and does most of the cooking chez nous. But there's one dish that I can do better than him, which is risotto - I think you need the patience to give it all of your attention for a good while! We had a friend over for lunch on Sunday and decided to make a mushroom risotto with a gorgeous fresh green salad. A perfect combination and, despite stressing that I would lose my risotto magic and it would be a burnt crunchy mess, it came together beautifully. 100 top wife points to me.

♥ Soft water... Alas, not something I'm enjoying now that I'm back in London but  it was such a wonderful novelty in Ireland! My hair has never felt so soft.

Shameless Ireland photo spam...

♥ Great British Bake Off... The new series starts this evening! Need I say more?!

♥ Hazel Mountain Chocolate... While out in the car exploring last week during our holiday, we followed signs for 'The Burren Chocolatier', which led us to the Hazel Mountain Chocolate shop and factory. We popped into the factory shop to begin with where we tasted different types of chocolate and then picked up a few bars to take home. After that we decided to pop into the little tea room for some tea and cake (I was particularly excited as everything was gluten free). I chose a pot if tea and a slice of the orange blossom carrot cake. Honestly, I think it's the best cake I've ever tasted and that is not a comment I make lightly. If you're in the area, coeliac or not, you must go!

They were also advertising an event which I would love to go to - Yoga Bean - an early morning yoga session, followed by a chocolate mediation and then a gluten free cacao breakfast. Sign me up!


I hope you've all had a splendid week so far and are taking the time to enjoy some of this amazing sunshine! If you've taken this week off work, well played!

♥ Do let me know what's made your week a little rosier by leaving me a comment below (I do love comments!) or dropping me a tweet (I'm @happygoluckycat) or better yet, why not join the fabulous bunch of #WonderfulWednesday bloggers? Pop over to their blogs for a dose of mid-week happiness - Sally, Michelle, Helen, Kate, Jo, Emma, and the lovely Wonderful Wednesday newbies Samantha and Kerri - and then join me in counting down the days until the weekend. It's in sight! ♥