Lark Lane Market

I arrived home on Thursday afternoon from Ireland tired and anxious for company. Mark and I had no special plans for the weekend, but it ended up being just what I needed.

Saturday morning Mark had a big run as part of his training for the Belfast marathon, and I dragged myself out of bed to do two miles. We ground some fresh Dancing Goats coffee (thanks, Kerry!) and spent an hour or two enjoying the slow-paced morning and reading before gathering up our dirty laundry and heading to the laundromat.

Our normal path was obstructed by a giant farmers market, set up at the end of Lark Lane and due to return the last Saturday of every month. We hurriedly put the laundry in and then began to explore the market... And made a few impulse purchases.

Mark went off to switch the laundry and I scurried home to put the food away. By the time I met him back at the library, he was carrying a bouquet of spring daisies - perfect for the vase he brought home last month with tulips. 

The rest of the afternoon was spent wrapped in blankets on the couch watching recorded TV and just relaxing. I had made a big batch of baked shells with ricotta and mozzarella, and it was the just the way to celebrate the end of February.

The next morning was spent attacking the overgrown clump of weeds we called the backyard. We had stocked up on gardening supplies (including his and hers wellies, pictures of us looking ridiculous to come) at the local shopping center and we wasted no time getting them dirty. We now have six large garbage bags filled with assorted rubbish, the remains of a very overgrown ivy, and lots of snail shells, weeds and twigs. The daffodils and crocuses can now bask in the sunlight, and a whole fleet of other unknown plants are on their way up - and we're looking forward to seeing what, exactly, they become.

And finally, I attempted a giant Sunday roast yesterday afternoon. Mark and I both recently finished reading Michael Pollan's The Omnivore's Dilemma, and we've been making an effort to be more conscious of where and how we get our food. It was great to be able to support some local farmers at the market, and the meal yesterday afternoon was absolutely delicious (and would have been guilt-free, if not for the massive amounts of butter used for each dish).