5 Minutes with Life On Hushabye Farm

When we want to be inspired by someone living the good life, we look to Elizabeth MacDonnell of Life on Hushabye Farm. As well as being  a very lucky mother to four gorgeous, sometimes crazy, always busy children, she works full time AND fits in blogging in between. She and her husband have the pleasure of raising their children on their Alpaca Farm in the midlands of Ireland, and Elizabeth documents their life and adventures in food at her blog Life On Hushabye Farm.

My first food memory is…soup. My mother makes the most amazing soup and my childhood is filled with memories of returning home to a big bowl of it. There are few things in life as comforting as soup.

I cook because…I love food. I love discovering new flavours and tastes, I could not live in a world where food is merely functional.

The recipe I would teach the entire world is…Beef stew, as the daughter of a farmer I have a huge respect for Irish beef and beef stew is the ultimate comfort food and a perfect one pot wonder, everyone should know how to make this.

You can always make a meal when you have…eggs. We have our own hens and I just love eggs, from the simplicity of a poached egg to the unending possibilities of an omelette.

I blog because...my husband stopped listening to me so I decided to share the love with a wider audience, joking, kind of! I started to give an insight into our unique type of farming but was quickly addicted. I have met some fantastic people though blogging and I cant imagine not blogging now.

The most important part of my kitchen kit is…my Kenwood mixer, its over 50 yrs old and still going great. I inherited it from my grand aunt and while I sometimes look wistfully at the beautiful colourful new ones, I wouldn’t be without this family heirloom.

If I were to share one of my recipes with the world it would be…Sweet and Sour pork because it is so easy and quick and is a great way of introducing children to different flavours.

My secret food shame is..a Tayto sandwich on white bread, simply unbeatable!

If you looked in my cupboards right now you would see that I hoard…Puy Lentils,not always easy to get in the midlands so I tend to bulk buy them when I see them and panic if they are running low…love love them ( but not in a hippy, tree hugging kind of way)

I’m happiest when…I have the kitchen to myself and have an hour or two of uninterrupted cooking ahead of me, accompanied by a glass of wine and some Paolo Nutini in the background.

My three favorite recipes are:
Chorizo & Gnocchi Pesto Bake
Sweet & Sour Pork
Lemon Drizzle Cake