He has discovered the pleasure of growing his own vegetables since moving to Kilbrittain five years ago.

In autumn and winter, you’ll find Haydn walking the beach with a plastic bag, gathering the loose seaweed after a storm.

That seaweed is used to fertilise the garden, with as result, delicious tasting food all through the spring and summer, and even well into the autumn.

This year Haydn has an abundance of vegetables, especially lettuce, and he wants you to enjoy this as well.

This afternoon, Haydn is giving away his lettuces for free in An Tobairín, to all the health conscious people who come shopping there.

Make your way down this afternoon, and enjoy the lovely lettuce , fertilised by Garrettstown seaweed!

Green Room International has been set up by Ian and Belinda Wild to provide short courses for Actors and Theatre practitioners.

They provide an experimental and imaginative approach to theatre training which is relaxed, supportive and fun.

Green Room International is committed to the magic of live theatre and promoting a shared experience between actor and audience

• Develop new skills and absorb fresh influences.
• Meet people and make new contacts.
• Expand and experiment with other actors in a creative and positive environment.

The workshops take place in a spacious and specially designed theatre studio in Fionnuisce, in the centre of Bandon.

For further information and enrolment details;

www.greenroominternational.ie

Tel: 023 8847015

Mob: 0877990939

Shoppers in Bandon will enjoy discounts and special offers on goods and services and will have a chance to win one of six vouchers of 200€ , redeemable in any of the businesses taking part in the Happy Hour Day.

The weekly Farmers Market is offering great 5 €  deals.

It will be the right time to walk to An Tobairín from 12 to 3 pm. and sample the yummy , healthy snacks we are offering our clients. It is a great opportunity to try out various health foods that you aren’t used to, and find out what you can do with them, and how to prepare them.

Our staff is, as always, very happy to help you out with any questions you may have.

Snacks include Quinoa and Roast Vegetables Medley ,  Moroccan Millet, Roast Tomato Hummus, Tamari Nuts/Seeds, Sugar Free Lemonade ,  Flapjacks,  Gluten Free Carrot Cake and more.

Judging by the success of today, we’d advise you to come on time, the snacks are so irresistible that they disappear very quickly!

Call in, enjoy the food, have a chat, meet other health-conscious people. See you in An Tobairín!

The good news is that the URL is easier to remember, you can now reach us at www.antobairin.com.

A few other features are interesting too. You can comment on our blog with your Facebook or Twitter account, and it would be nice if you did, these comments can be shared on Facebook and attract attention to our blog and our shop.

We are hoping to make this blog a source of great information of both An Tobairín and anything to do with health food and healthy living.

We welcome your contributions;  if you’d like to see a topic covered or have an interesting recipe, do contact us. Comments are always appreciated, and will help this blog to become an interactive meeting place.

So, don’t hesitate, get involved!

The time of intensive gardening has arrived, and one of the toughest things to deal with in the garden are the weeds.

Stinging nettles  are one of those overpowering weeds, that we can’t seem to get rid off.

But maybe we shouldn’t get rid of them, and use them in the kitchen instead.

Nettles are a very healthy weed indeed. They contain a lot of Iron, are used in various remedies, as a hair tonic  to prevent hair loss,  for reumathism, and aneamia.

You can drink nettle tea, make nettle soup, or use nettles instead of spinach.

Nettles have a mild, herby taste.

As with spinach, you should never reheat a nettle dish. The high content of Nitrates makes it unsuitable for reheating, where the nitrates will turn into the toxic nitrites.

The trick to picking nettles is to lift them up from the bottom, so the needles don’t sting you.

Use only  the tops of the nettles with the young leaves.

Here is a mouth watering recipe I found for Nettle Cheese Cake.

You need:

• 200 gr plain white flour ( you could use spelt as well)
• a pinch of salt
• 500 ml water
• 100 gr butter + 10 gr to grease the pan
• 500 gr of quark
• 100 gr of nettle tops
• 2 eggs
• 3 tbs chives

I haven’t stopped drinking it since. I am relieved, because I have often started drinking green tea, but never realy carried on, because I don’t actually like the taste of it. I am not a natural tea drinker, but I know tea, and certainly green tea, is good for you.

This powdered tea is mixed with hibiscus, fructose and lemon, and it makes all the difference. It has a pleasant taste. I have (nearly) stopped drinking coffee now, and drink the green tea instead.

Green tea is rich in polyphenols, and  flavonoids and is low in caffeine.

Green tea has been claimed to be helpful for atherosclerosis, LDL cholesterol, cancer, inflammatory bowel disease, diabetes, liver disease, weight loss, neurodegenerative diseases, and even halitosis.

Currently you can buy the Natures Pharm green tea powders with a 20 % reduction in An Tobaoirín.

Have a look here

IBS is a common disorder. It occurs mostly in early to middle age and is suffered by twice as many women as men.
Non-sufferers often underestimate the discomfort this disorder can cause. You are left with a diagnosis, but often little or no advice on what you can do about it.

A combination of stress and oversensitivity to stressful situations might be what causes IBS.
We would like to give some advice here on what might help, although we are aware of the fact that every person seems to respond differently to the remedies out there.

What helps:

• Adding probiotic bacteria to your diet.

A lot of research has been done in which strains of bacteria help alleviate the IBS symptoms.
Lacobacillus Plantarum can be found in fermented foods products including some cheeses, sauerkraut, pickles, brined olives and sourdough.
Supplementation of the diet with a highly specific strain of Lactobacilli called lp299v ( available instore from Quest vitamins) has been found to have remarkable results.

• Other nutritional aids

Peppermint oil has naturally antispasmodic properties; enteric-coated peppermint oil after meals is recommended.

• Life style

There isn’t a specific diet for IBS sufferers, but in general
a healthy diet of fruit, vegetables and high quality protein is recommended. Moderate consumption of alcohol and caffeine works as well.
Some sufferers find that spicy foods trigger cramps.
Avoid artificial sweetners.

According to Quest Health Library: “It is often recommended that IBS patients reduce their intake of insoluble fibre (found in grains such as wheat and rye) while increasing intake of soluble fibre (found in oats, barley, legumes and vegetables); the benefits of this vary with the individual and for long term gut health a balance of both fibre types should be consumed.

Many people experiencing IBS may benefit from an elimination diet; this involves removing foods you eat regularly for a period of 7-10 days. If symptoms significantly improve food intolerance may be causing the problem, if this is the case then only after about two months should foods gradually be re-introduced. Do not permanently cut out food groups without professional advice. In some cases the underlying cause of IBS is insufficient production of the enzyme lactase, needed to digest the sugar, lactose, found in milk and other dairy products; this can be verified by a GP and managed by eating dairy alternatives such as soy milk or taking a lactase supplement with meals containing dairy.

Regular exercise can improve symptoms, particularly constipation; a brisk 30 minute walk most days of the week is sufficient.”

If you suffer from IBS, why don’t you share with us what triggers it for you, and what helps you to alleviate the symptoms?

We are very happy to announce the arrival of the organic handcrafted Grenada chocolate bars in An Tobairín.

Grenada chocolate must be one of the coolest chocolates around.

The Grenada Chocolate Company Ltd. was founded in 1999 with the idea of creating an Organic Cocoa Farmers’ and Chocolate-Makers’ Cooperative. The company produces high quality Organic dark chocolate in Grenada with the world famous cocoa beans. The factory is nestled in lush cocoa groves in Grenada’s pristine rainforest.

Producing the chocolate where the cocoa beans grow, makes it possible for Grenada ltd to do their own fermenting . This gives them the advantage of creating the finest, most complex tastes from the beans.

The Grenada Chocolate cooperative now has 150 acres of cocoa bean farms.

They perform every activity involved in the production of the chocolate,  from the planting and growing of the cocoa trees, the fermenting of the fresh cocoa beans to the processing of the fine dark chocolate. They grow cocoa totally naturally without the use of any chemical pesticides, herbicides or fertilizers and have been Certified Organic.

The company uses solar-electric energy to power their machines.

Have a look at this cool video, and come and try out this delicious chocolate in our shop.

image by Hanspeter Klasser

You Need:

• 180g of natural yoghurt
• 100ml of milk
• 2 tablespoons of water
• 1 tablespoon of spelt flour.
• 16 dried apricots, or 12 dates chopped
• 4 apples
• 4 tablespoons of spelt flakes or spelt muesli

Blend the yoghurt, milk, water and spelt flour. Add the chooped apricots or dates and add to the mixture.

Allow to cool overnight in the fridge.

In the morning, chop the four apples and add.

Add 4 tablespoons of the flakes or muesli just before consumption.

Have a great day!