Wednesday, April 29, 2009

Be a Green Tea Beauty!


"Better to be deprived of food for three days, than tea for one. (Ancient Chinese Proverb)

The benefits of green tea in a human body are so remarkable that it is believed that the key to a longer and healthier life may just be brewing in your cup!
Green tea can be used as a drink such as in tea or it can be applied to the skin through lotions. The benefits of green tea use can cover areas of health, weight loss and ageing reduction.

Skincare Benefits: Green tea extract is 20 times more antioxidant powerful than vitamin C and provides superior protection from free radical damage. This defense against free radicals is especially important for sun protection. Studies have shown that a product containing at least 5 percent green tea extract may help prevent skin cancer. The Yonka after sun tan prolonger contains three teas: green tea, white tea and red tea. This combination of teas helps combat free radicals while also helping maintain skin balance and leaving skin soft satiny and shimmered.

Check back regularly for more beauty tips from the team at the White Pebble Spa!

Tuesday, April 21, 2009

Talbot Hotel Carlow's Salmon Wrapped in Filo Pastry Recipe

Ingredients:
6 oz Salmon fillet
1 oz Philadelphia cream cheese
1 oz Butter
3 Sheets Filo pastry
3 Sticks asparagus
Seasoning


Method:
Cook the 3 sticks of asparagus in boiling water for 3mins take out and cool in cold running water. Chop the tips of asparagus into small pieces and mix with the Philadelphia cream cheese. Melt the butter in a microwave.
Lay out one sheet of the filo pastry on a damp tea towel then paint the melted butter on to it and repeat with the other sheets. Then fold the filo in half.
Place the seasoned salmon fillet on one end of the filo pastry and add the cream cheese mix on top. Fold the two ends of the pastry on to the salmon then roll pastry on to the salmon making sure that the cream cheese mix is on the top when you finished rolling
Cook in a hot oven at 180c for 20mins serve with baby boiled potatoes and tossed mixed salad.

Enjoy!

Wednesday, April 8, 2009

Easter Ginger Bread Recipe from Stillorgan Park Hotel's Head Chef Enda Dunne

Ingredients:
¼ lb butter
½ lb brown sugar
2 eggs
12 oz flour
1 teaspoon lemon rind
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon bread soda
½ teaspoon salt
1½ teaspoon ground ginger
½ cup boiling water
8 tablespoons treacle


Method:
Sift the flour, soda, salt & spices. Cream the butter, add the sugar gradually, beating well. Beat in one egg at a time. Combine the treacle & boiling water. Add alternately with the flour to the creamed mixture, mixing well after each addition. Pour into a greased tin & bake for 45 minutes in a moderate oven at 180Âșc. Enjoy!

Monday, April 6, 2009

A note from the General Manager of the Talbot Hotel Carlow


Hello, this is Larry Bowe, General Manager of the Talbot Hotel Carlow. I am originally from Waterford the ‘Deisce County’ and am currently living in Carlow with my wife & family. I have recently been proudly appointed as a board member for the National Council for the Irish Hotel Federation. I have an exciting & challenging year ahead which I am very much looking forward to.
I started my career as a porter in the Ryan Hotel in Killarney at the age of 16. I immediately loved the hotel industry & enjoyed looking after the various customers from home & abroad that stayed in the hotel. Over the years I have worked in many fantastic hotels such as the Granville Hotel in Waterford, O’Callaghan Hotels in Dublin and the Stillorgan Park Hotel.
For me a hotel should be a ‘home from home’ for our customers, with a warm & friendly atmosphere. This is easily created by the staff in the hotel with their friendly & welcoming approach to all our guests. Our customers are the most important aspect of our day and when a customer is happy so are we! The highlight of my day is definitely the busy lunch trade when I am up & around the bar chatting to all the regular customers. It’s a great way to find out what is happening in Carlow and how all our customers are doing! The day just fly’s by!
The beginning of the year has been very busy for us; we had a very successful VAT promotion whereby we paid the VAT on all our customers’ food which was great value to our customers. We also had a room sale in January & February; we sold out the available dates within 2 hours of it being live on our website.
As we create a home from home experience our customers certainly do feel at home here at the Talbot Hotel Carlow. Our WOW for the family special offer is still operating. For only €198 for 2 nights B&B & 1 Dinner for a family of 2 Adults & 2 Kids with a €35 voucher for the Dome its now better value to stay at the Talbot Hotel Carlow rather than at home.
We recently were awarded the Silver Award for the Green Hospitality Award, we are the only hotel in Carlow that achieved this award so we are very proud. Plans are already underway to with our Green Team for next year’s award and we are going for GOLD!!

Thursday, April 2, 2009

A note from the General Manager of The Stillorgan Park Hotel

Since taking up post as General Manager of The Stillorgan Park Hotel in April 2008, one of the first projects undertaken was a refurbishment of 110 bedrooms to a higher “Club Class” standard which have since been completed and welcomed by our guests. This year has been a challenging & exciting year so far & now more than ever before we need to make the experience at The Stillorgan Park extra special and exceed the expectations of all our guests. A satisfied guest who has had a “WOW” experience is better than any advertising we could ever buy.
Over the last year we have seen a nationwide drive in improving the Environment. The Stillorgan Park Hotel has set up “Green” initiatives within the hotel, including our very own “Green Team”& we have been making our contributions to improving our carbon footprint. Our efforts have been recognised with the Silver “Green Hospitality Award” for the second year in a row & the Envirocom Award for “Best Example of Sustainable Tourism in the over 50 employee’s category”. These accolades are the basis from which we can grow our Environmental programme as this will continue to be an important part of our business in the future.
Irish Guide Dogs for the Blind hosted its annual Golden Ball on March 6th at the Stillorgan Park Hotel. The event was aimed at raising much needed funds for the organisation’s Assistance Dogs Programme for families of children with Autism. The Stillorgan Park Hotel has been the official sponsor of the Golden Ball for the past three years and looks forward to supporting this very important cause for years to come. In 2008, Irish Guide Dogs for the Blind trained 27 Assistance Dog partnerships & we were delighted to have raised over €12,500 for the Assistance Dogs Programme at this year’s ball, which goes towards the plan of training 30 partnerships in 2009.

Signing off for now.

Daragh O'Neill