We all know that turmeric has great anti-inflammatory powers and health benefits, but have you ever tried juicing it? Say hello to a yellow tinge on all juicer elements that no amount of washing will fix - not to mention yellow hands, worktops and any other surface the turmeric touches! Instead, check out these turmeric shots from Discover Juice in Donegal. Keep them in the freezer. Take them as a shot or in a juice or heat one up for turmeric tea. Ingenious, and no mess. SC
Discover Juice Turmeric Root Shots, from €9.99, selected SuperValu stores, or see discover-juice.com
Joy has been in pretty short supply lately but one Instagram account building a steady fan base is @dublinbricks. We might not be able to raise a glass in our favourite city-centre pubs, but the page s creator has been managing to raise plenty of smiles with his lovingly crafted micro versions of much-missed bars around the city, all brilliantly recreated in Lego form.
The boozers built from bricks and filled with Lego customers quaffing tiny pints of Guinness have had Dubs in tears in the comments section of the @dublinbricks Instagram page, but a glance through the account s Lego creations reveals a rich tapestry of Dublin city life - from Brennan s Bread sangers to Tayto crisps and the Lady on the Rock - entirely rendered in tiny, multi-coloured bricks.
The Middle East has some of the best food on the planet as well as being home to some rather unpleasant governments. Politics and Covid-19 mean that the region is, by and large, closed to travellers for now, but you can always turn to cooks such as Yotam Ottolenghi for a lockdown escape. Recently, I have begun to play around with drinks to match his intense flavours which rely heavily on coriander, aubergine, tahini and harissa.
A cold lager remains a good drink to accompany Middle Eastern dishes but cocktails are also worth considering if you want something as fresh as the food.
Of all the curious internet rabbit holes I ve fallen down over the past few months, tap to tidy has to be the most oddly satisfying. If you re not familiar, it s when someone posts a picture of a messy space on their Instagram stories and, as you tap and advance to the next story, you get a shot of the same space, taken at the exact same angle, but this time magically tidied up.
The trend was popularised by reality-TV star and Loose Women presenter Stacey Solomon, and has become so beloved among her four million-plus followers that she has written a book titled, aptly, Tap To Tidy.
While interiors fads come and go, some aesthetics are in perpetual orbit, with a steady coterie of dedicated fans, until the stars align and the look returns to the mainstream spotlight, ready to be appreciated by a wider audience once more.
An overriding theme across many trends this season is going to be designs that help create zen, calming spaces - an understandable reaction to the chaos that has reigned beyond our front doors. From tranquil, grounding colour palettes to interiors styles that help bring a sense of harmony and order. After serving double duty as work and play spaces for months, clean, clutter-free home designs start looking like the ultimate luxury.