Carrot Cake Recipe

June 10, 2015

Nobody goes hungry in an Irish Farmhouse bed and breakfast! It’s a lovely start to any holiday to be met with fresh home-made treats on arrival at your chosen Farmhouse B&B. This carrot cake recipe was kindly given to me by one of our Farmhouse B&B homes that’s located along the Wild Atlantic Way. Why not try to make it at home? I think you’ll agree that it’s delicious…

Ingredients

butter for greasing
115g/4 oz self-raising flour
pinch of salt
1 tsp ground allspice
½ tsp ground nutmeg
175g/6 oz soft brown sugar
2 eggs, beaten
5tbsp sunflower oil
175g/6 oz grated carrots
1 banana, chopped
25g/1 oz chopped toasted mixed nuts

Frosting

3 tbsp butter, softened
3tbsp cream cheese
175g/6 oz icing sugar, sifted
1 tsp orange juice
grated rind ½ orange
walnut halves or pieces, to decorate

Method

1. Grease an 18-cm/7-inch square cake tin with butter and line with baking parchment. Sift the flour, salt, allspice and nutmeg into a bowl. Stir in the brown sugar, then stir in the eggs and oil. Add the carrots, banana and chopped mixed nuts and mix together well.
2. Spoon the mixture into the prepared cake tin and level the surface. Transfer to a preheated oven, 190˚C/375˚F, and bake for 55 minutes or until golden and just firm to the touch. Remove from the oven and cool. When cool enough to handle, turn out on to a wire rack to cool completely.
3. To make the frosting, put the butter, cream cheese, icing sugar, orange juice and orange rind into a bowl and beat together until creamy. Spread the frosting over the top of the cold cake, then use a fork to make shallow wavy lines in the frosting. Scatter over the walnuts, cut the cake into bars and serve.

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Tags: bed and breakfast homes in Ireland, Farmhouse recipes, Farmstay B&Bs, Irish Farmhouse holidays

Irish Farmhouse Holidays Guest Reviews

April 29, 2015

Before you book your Farmhouse holiday B&B accommodation it helps to read reviews from fellow travellers who have actually experienced a farm-stay break in Ireland. Below is a selection of guest reviews in relation to B&B Ireland’s Farm-stay bed and breakfasts.

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Farmhouse: Cahergal House and Equestrian Center
Location: Shannon, Co Clare

Review: Staying at Cahergal house was one of the highlights of our trip. Noreen and Michael are excellent hosts. The property is lovely and the hospitality wonderful. Our 9 and 18 year old children both enjoyed the farm and the wonderfully friendly dogs. The home made scones, fresh fruit and farm eggs were lovingly prepared. The walk through the farm and the Irish history lesson were an added bonus.
Guest Name: Jody Lowe
Star Rating Awarded:

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Farmhouse: Ardfield Farmhouse
Location: Cork City

Review: We stayed at a few nice places on our trip around Ireland but this one was at the top of the leader-board. After a very warm welcome we first enjoyed a nice relaxed dinner in a pub nearby, then admired the horses, played with the dogs and then relaxed in the living room with a great cup of tea from one of the biggest tea pots that I have ever seen Bernadette made us feel completely at home and we enjoyed every minute of our stay. If I could give more stars, I would … the five should have a golden shine to it.
Guest Name: Werner
Star Rating Awarded:

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Farmhouse: Murphy’s Farmhouse
Location: Castlemaine, Co Kerry

Review: Quaint, cozy, charming… these are the words that come to mind with regards to our stay at the Farmhouse. The house is immaculate and perfectly kept, the property is spacious, off the beaten path and quiet; yet very easy to find. The breakfast was just perfect. Could not have been any better – thank you for a lovely stay.
Guest Name: Jeff & Kristin Eldridge
Star Rating Awarded:

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Farmhouse: Cherryville House
Location: Kildare

Review: Un très bon accueil, chambre spacieuse et confortable, le petit déjeuner est excellent. Tout près de Kildare où il y a pubs et musique pour la soirée.
Guest Name: Fred Leblanc
Star Rating Awarded:

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Farmhouse: Ross House
Location: Riverstown, Co Sligo

Review: Oriel and Nick were fabulous hosts. Very accommodating, warm, charming, and chatty. From the moment we arrived until we left we felt like extended family members. Their place is definitely in the middle of nowhere, making it a bit tricky for us to find at first, but we really enjoyed walking the long farm road in either direction looking at nothing but rolling hills, farms, and ruins of old stone buildings. The evening chat in the parlor with Nick and the other guests was so engrossing before we knew it it was after midnight!
Guest Name: Richard Higgins
Star Rating Awarded:

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Farmhouse: Glasha
Location: Ballymacarbry, Co Waterford

Reviews: This was our fourth B and B in Ireland and, by far, the best! What a beautiful place! The gardens are lovely with many statues, a water feature, and lots of flowers. The large patio makes it a wonderful place to sit and relax. The rooms are exceptional and decorated quite nicely. The house itself features beautiful decor and Olive is the BEST hostess ever!! She was so accommodating. We arrived late one evening and she was so willing to fix dinner for the weary travelers. It was much appreciated. The experience we had at Glasha was one that will always keep the memory of our trip to Ireland alive. Olive is an A+ hostess with a beautiful B and B.
Guest Name: Max and Vicki Stites
Star Rating Awarded:

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Our Farm-stay B&Bs are located throughout Ireland

Tags: Farmhouse B&B Guest Reviews, Farmstay B&Bs, Farmstay Guest Reviews, Irish B&B Hosts, Irish Farmhouse holidays

Top 5 Reasons for Staying in an Irish Farmhouse B&B

March 9, 2015

There are so many reasons why an Irish farmhouse B&B is the perfect choice of accommodation when visiting Ireland. Here are my top 5 reasons why it could be the ideal choice for you…

Farmhouse B&B Hosts

From the moment you arrive at your farmhouse B&B, your hosts will be the ones that make sure your holiday is the best it can be. They’ll be there to welcome you and make you feel at home from the moment you arrive. You will be greeted with refreshments and as all farmhouse B&Bs are family run, hosts will be on hand throughout your stay to ensure personal attention. They have a wealth of local knowledge and will be happy to share this information with you. From local history to tourist attractions, restaurants to pubs they’ll point you in the right direction.

Home-cooking

Home-cooking is a specialism of the farmhouse B&B. Hosts like to grow their own crops, keep their own hens for eggs and use their own produce in food they prepare for guests. The full Irish breakfast is a tradition of Irish B&B, but menus are always varied. From pancakes to smoked salmon and scrambled eggs you’ll be spoilt for choice. Homemade scones, brown bread
and fruit preserves will delight your taste-buds.

Working Farm

You have the opportunity to be part of the whole working farm experience. Pull on a pair of wellingtons and enjoy a variety of farm activities from collecting eggs to feeding the farm animals. A farm holiday is the perfect way to get away from it all and get back to nature. You’ll leave the stress and strains of life behind with a stroll across the open field of the beautiful Irish countryside.

Authentic Irish Experience

If you are looking for an authentic Irish experience, you’ll find it by staying in a farmhouse bed and breakfast. Farms are run by Irish families who have been welcoming guests into their homes for many a year. Irish traditions are very important in the country areas of Ireland. Most families have members that sing, play an instrument or Irish dance, so don’t be surprised by an impromptu music night. If you choose to stay in a Gaeltacht region, the Irish language along with English will be used in the home.

Countryside Location

Choosing a farmhouse holiday means you are surrounded by natural beauty, scenic landscapes and green pastures. Bed and breakfasts in Ireland are conveniently located close to lots of must-see attractions, from historical ruins to sandy beaches along the Wild Atlantic Way. No matter which county you choose to stay in, there will be a wealth of activities just waiting for you.

Tags: authentic Irish experience, Farmhouse B&B Hosts, farmhouse countryside locations, Farmhouse home-cooking, Farmstay B&Bs, Irish Farmhouse holidays, traditional Irish breakfast, working farms