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We’re all wining and dining at home for a bit longer, but that doesn’t mean we have to compromise on the best quality food – and with the sunny weather, Aldi has a whole range of BBQ favourites and recipes that the whole family can get involved in! Stock up now in time for the next few weekends of sunshine.

Why not try these delicious chicken fillets with Italien sauce for dinner this evening?

Serves: 4 people

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cooking time: 20 minutes

Ingredients:

1 pack Chicken Mini Fillets

500g Passata

3 cloves Garlic

20g fresh Basil

3 tbsp Olive Oil

2 Courgettes – €0.49 per 500g at Aldi from May 28 – June 3

Salt

Pepper

Method:

1. Place the passata into a medium saucepan.

2. Crush 2 of the garlic cloves and add to the pan.

3. Bring to the boil, then simmer gently for 15 minutes, stirring regularly.

4. Finely chop 10g of the basil.

5. Remove the sauce from the heat.

6. Stir in 1 tablespoon of olive oil and the chopped basil.

7. Add salt and pepper to taste.

8. Thinly slice the courgettes lengthways.

9. Season with salt and pepper, drizzle over 1 tablespoon of oil and add a crushed garlic clove.

10. Season the chicken fillets with salt and pepper.

11. Drizzle over 1 tablespoon of oil.

12. Barbecue or grill the chicken and courgettes, turning halfway through, until cooked.

13. Place the sauce into a serving bowl and put the chicken and courgette on top.

14. Sprinkle over fresh basil.

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‘Tis the season to gather with family and friends amidst the twinkle of vibrant lights, the warm crackle of a fireplace, and the nostalgia of red or green décor.

But with that hectic pace of the holidays just around the corner, this doesn’t give you much time to plan and execute the perfect seasonal soiree.

So whether you’re hosting an office social for your co-workers or a laid-back evening with your closest friends, these last-minute ideas will ensure a festive party atmosphere that’s both merry and bright—without the added stress.

Backyard Bonfire Roast Party

As the weather cools down and the daylight hours shorten, it’s an ideal time to huddle around a firepit with the people you love.

Host a bonfire in the backyard, complete with outdoor games, torch lights, cosy blankets and seasonal noshes.

For a sweet tooth option, provide the fixings to roast s’mores and simmer a batch of crockpot hot chocolate.

Or if you want to serve an entire meal for the guests, Midwest Living recommends hearty winter staples like fondue or chilli that can be enjoyed around a roaring flame.     

Tacky Christmas Jumper Party

What is the reverse of a swanky gala with a black-tie dress code? The obvious answer is a tacky sweater bash, and for this event, the quirkier your guests deck themselves out, the more hilarity will ensue.

So the choice is yours—either keep it G-rated, or make it adult only with jumpers that scream “naughty list.”

You can even reward the person, whose attire is the most outlandish, with a Christmas-themed mug and Starbucks gift card to savour a holiday drink (while rocking that sweater, of course).   

Around the World Potluck Party

If you’re curious about how other cultures show off their holiday spirit, then a global inspired celebration is an exciting way to find out.

Invite guests to prepare traditional foods which represent Christmastime all over the world and host a potluck where everyone can sample these unique, exotic dishes.

This streamlines the menu planning, so you can focus more efforts on other memorable touches such these decorations from various countries for an ambiance that’s culturally diverse and authentic.

Holiday Cookie Exchange Party

Since just about every person breaks out their oven mitts and dusts off their cookie recipes this time of year, it’s the perfect occasion to gather your loved ones for a cookie exchange.

Bake a few dozen seasonal treats, and request your friends or family do the same. Then invite the whole crew together to nibble on each other’s creations, swap their favourite recipes, and bring home a selection of these holiday desserts.

To pull off the ultimate cookie exchange, Good Housekeeping delivers some hassle-free ideas.

No matter how you decide to celebrate the holidays, these creative and festive themes are sure to enchant your guests and make them feel all the warmth this season has to offer.

Even if you’re short on time, there is no reason you can’t still host a meaningful experience for those you care about—and maintain sanity in the process.

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When the Irish sun shows its face, so does the Irish BBQ.

And with news that the sunshine is planning on staying this week, we thought we'd scour the Internet for some fab BBQ recipes.

So, instead of grilling the usual beef burgers and frankenfurters, here are a few ideas to make 2017's summer BBQ a little bit more memorable.

Fajita Chicken Kebabs

Succulent chicken, juicy peppers and spicy onions, all cooled down with a squeeze of lemon. This Well Plated recipe looks too good to eat (almost!).

Smokey Grilled Sweet Potato

Leave the frozen chips behind and make yourself some delicious smokey sweet potatoes. Taking only four minutes to cook, you can check out the recipe here.

Smokey Grilled Sweet Potato Wedges

Glazed Country Ribs

With prep taking one minute, and cooking time under five minutes, you can't go wrong with these ribs. See the juicy Country Living recipe here.

Grilled Avocado Caprese Crostini

If you're having people over, these are great for a starter or side dish. Grill over a medium heat on the BBQ and you're good to go.

Coconut Pineapple Shrimp Skewers

If you want to really impress your friends, go for these sweet and spicy skewers. You can find the Well Plated recipe over here.

Tabasco Grilled Veggie Skewers

If you want to opt for veggie skewers, these are definitely the ones to pick. The Country Cleaver recipe is smokey and full of summer flavour.

Grilled Potato Salad with Bacon Vinaigrette

Another impressive side dish, just grill some baby potatoes on the BBQ and add the fab bacon vinaigrette. Find the yummy recipe here.

Now crack open the cans, and enjoy! 

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We probably only get 3.5 days of pure sunshine in Ireland, so it's safe to say we all get a little excited when the temperature rises above 20C.

And since the whole weekend was filled with an enormous amount of glorious sun, most of us probably did a few things on the list here.

1. Checked the weather app on your phone

Because you never believe the weather woman on TV. Plus, you need to screenshot that sh*t for Instagram.

2. Announced your delight that the sun is out to everyone

'The weather's gorgeous, isn't it?' was uttered to your mam, neighbour, milkman, dog.

Image result for chatty gif

3. Made extravagant BBQ plans

Then you found out that the BBQ was broken or rusted… Trip to IKEA it is!

barbecue, beer, cutlery

4. Pulled out your holiday clothes

Because we might as well be in Costa Rica. Short shorts, crop tops, flowy dresses, sandals; all made an appearance.

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5. 'Forgot' about applying sun screen

Because we're all stupid and never learn. Cue farmer's tan.

6. Tried to be ~*adventurous*~

Hiked up mountains, dived off cliffs… tried to let your inner Bear Grylls out.

Person Standing in the Cliff of the Mountain during Golden Hour

7. Thought it was a good idea to go day drinking

Sure, what else would you be doing when the sun is out in Ireland?

Image result for the barge dublin

8. Regretted your decision to go day drinking 

Come 4 o'clock, you're already langers and don't know what to do with the rest of your day.

Image result for hangover

9. Decided to do it all over again the next day

The short shorts, the beer, the regret… the fun.

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It seems that Pro Green is wasting no time getting over Millie Mackintosh.

He's currently celebrating being signed on to the Sony record label, and it seems the party is going to go on ALL weekend.

The rapper took to Twitter, and in a now-deleted tweet said: "Daniella and Emily, didn’t get your numbers. If you happen to be on Twitter there’s a BBQ tomorrow shout me.”

Meanwhile, it looks like Millie is having a ball in her rekindled relationship with Hugo Taylor.

The couple were non-stop posting pictures of their holidays on Instagram during the week, and it looks like things are going well between them.

All is fair in love…

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Nothing beats a 99 on a summer’s day in Ireland. Yes, come rain or shine, the balance of gloriously cold, sugary ice-cream; crumbly, chocolatey Cadbury’s Flake, and fresh, crispy cone is positively second-to-none.

But world-class frozen confectionery isn’t the only perk of staying on home-soil during June, July and August.

In fact, we’d take blissful, weeks on end of beer-gardens, of road-trips, of festivals, of long hikes and even longer evenings over the sweltering heat and uncomfortable air of warmer climes.

Yes, you can have your year-round sunshine Florida; take your balmy beaches, Costa del Sol – there's an awful lot to be said for even the most dreary and overcast of summer days on the Emerald Isle.

In short: craic doesn’t need to be tropical… it only needs the right attitude.

So without further ado, SHEmazing! looks at the top six reasons why our humble Irish summers are the absolute best… 

 

1) Festivals

The festival scene in this country has positively exploded over the last few years. And it’s no longer just about music and comedy. From food and farming, to yoga and music and pets, there truly is something for everyone.

Even less-than glamorous campsites are an, ahem, experience not to be missed. Tent mishaps, toilet misdemeanours and just a load of near-misses – the tales live on long after the weekends have ended.

2) The beach

After a promising outlook from the good folk at Met Eireann, temperatures hit a tropical 18C – meaning only one thing: a mass exodus to the nearest stretch of sand.

The tailbacks will be horrific (sunny-day traffic going to Rosslare builds up around Bray) but the waiting packets of warm Tayto, sand in your pants and random encounters with half of your year from school make it all worth it.

3) Summer fashion

We won’t let a little rain stop us from donning our finest summer attire. No siree. And if in doubt, just ‘accessorise’ with a giant tote bag.

After all, at his time of year it’s the only thing in which we can carry around our requisite jumper, jacket, sunglasses, sun cream, umbrella, makeup, flats or flip-flops, chewing gum, nail varnish, a packet of popcorn, and a pair of dangly earrings. #Sorted.

4) Road-trips

You gather up your four always-up-for-it mates, and bungle yourselves into a car: you’re hitting the open road.

No trip is ever complete without Westlife's greatest hits or the Dirty Dancing soundtrack, but you'll all end up belting out Ten Green Bottles anyway.

Granted someone will always be "bursting" for the loo, and all of your phones WILL die at once (why did no one bring a USB charger?) – still, so long as you have a family-sized bag of sucky sweets, you're seriously sorted.

5) The forecast-defying BBQ

"We’ll just go for it": a definitive, game-changing phrase heard around the country from the months of May to September. But it wouldn’t be an Irish summer without a confident throw of the barbecue dice.

Some poor soul (probably one of the guys) is inevitably left in the rain turning a half dozen sad-looking sausages (while you and the rest of the girls retire to the conservatory for a natter) but that gorgeous smell of charcoal and singed meat is matchless. 

6) The spontaneous 'why not?' soiree

A true Irish summer wouldn’t be complete without a spontaneous party thrown for no reason at all. It's late afternoon, there's mischief in the air, and you get the word out: you're kicking off a bit of a session. 

In fact, so long as you’ve got your squad, a playlist, plenty of food and the right tipple by your side, it won't even matter if it rains. 

 

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Rejoice! One recent poll has revealed that 100 percent of us Irish ladies (that's all of us, allegedly) think less of a man who can’t light the BBQ when the time comes.

We honestly don’t care that there’s only one weekend in the year where the grill can actually be dusted off and put to good use; we still appreciate a man who’s prepared for any and all food cravings. It’s not that difficult, lads!

In a shock turn of events, the smouldering Christian Grey himself has been tossed aside as 37 percent of the country’s women would much rather share a BBQ evening with funny man Chris O’Dowd.

Well, you can’t deny Chris would be better banter; Christian meanwhile would be too busy fantasising about braiding our hair.

It’s furthermore been discovered that stunner Georgia Salpa is the lovely lady Irish men wouldn’t mind toasting marshmallows alongside. Someone should probably let the lads know that Greek salad could be a winner there, so maybe lay off the hot-dog innuendos.

The poll, conducted by Iceland, confirms that women really do appreciate the more traditional BBQ-loving man who isn’t afraid to take charge of firing up the grill.

So those hipster guys with their kale smoothies and flammable scarfs can sit themselves back on their yoga mats, thanks all the same.

Interestingly, nine out of ten of those asked said that the women of the household are more likely to be in charge of the side-dishes during BBQ season. 

And almost half of the population also admit that they’ve thrown a few more unusual items on the barbie: popcorn being one, alongside Mars bars. 

If you do fancy branching out this sunny season and expanding your foodie horizons, definitely take a trip to your local Iceland.

They’ve gone ‘wild’ this summer and are launching a range of speciality meat for all your BBQ needs. Sorry Skippy, but kangaroo is an option. So is crocodile, swordfish and wild boar.

We’re feeling a Bear Grylls vibe coming on…

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Regardless of how summer 2015 pans out weather-wise (though we’re quietly confident it’s going to be a scorcher), we’re still intent on holding a heap of barbecues.

So get in a bag of charcoal; order another cylinder of gas – the great Irish climate hasn’t stopped our love of al fresco dining yet, and we don’t intend to start now.

And for garden soiree devotees looking to keep costs down (sausages, burgers, salads, and skewers can cost a pretty penny, after all) we are seriously impressed with what’s on offer at Aldi.

There are Irish Angus burgers, gourmet bread-buns, lamb spare ribs and rack chops, Irish buffalo mozzarella, jumbo BBQ sausages, and chicken skewers in delicious ginger chilli lime or piri piri flavours.

We also tucked-in to Aldi’s beetroot slaw earlier, and let’s just say after sampling this, you’ll never go back to plain old, regular coleslaw again.

Included below is a recipe for Aldi’s finger-lickin’ BBQ chicken so you can hone your outdoor cooking skills this weekend before the main events really kick-off.
 
Ingredients (serves 6):

  • 1 packet chicken thighs
  • 1 packet chicken wings
  • 1 packet chicken drumsticks
  • Olive oil
  • 1 pack of sesame seeds, toasted
  • Fresh coriander
  • 2 fresh limes
  • A tub of coleslaw
  • BBQ sauce

Method:

  1. Remove the chicken from its packaging and place on a plate. Cover with tin foil and let it stand for 30 minutes to allow it to come to room temperature.
  2. Heat the BBQ grill to a high heat. Brush the chicken drumsticks, thighs and wings with a little extra olive oil. Place the thighs and drumsticks in the centre of the grill and cook for 25 to 30 minutes, using tongs to turn regularly.
  3. Place the wings around the thighs and drumsticks, on a slightly cooler part of the grill, and let them cook for 20 to 25 minutes, turning regularly. When the chicken has cooked through, remove from the grill and allow to rest for 5 minutes before serving.
  4. Meanwhile, chop the coriander leaves and cut the lime into segments. Serve the BBQ chicken with a sprinkling of sesame seeds, a scatter of fresh coriander leaves, some lime segments on the side for squeezing, a bowl of our Specially Selected coleslaw for extra crunch, and some BBQ sauce for dunking.
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Everyone in this country loves a barbecue, what a pity then we don’t always get the weather. Still, a battered old disposable BBQ or seriously weathered-looking garden furniture hardly inspires you to throw your own al fresco soiree when the sun eventually does shine.

Still, with investing in pricey equipment seeming ill-advised considering we have no idea how summer 2015 will pan out, we reckon Aldi can solve a few outdoor entertainment dilemmas…

At €49.99, Aldi's dual burner gas BBQ is a bargain buy, and perfect, along with it's €1.79 tools and brushes, for a yummy dinner under the sun. 

The €99.99 drinks fridge holds approximately 48 litres and and has an adjustable shelf for various sized bottles. Fill it up with a range of your favourite beverages and be spoilt for choice. 

Aldi's variety of chairs includes the US lounge chairs for €19.99 which are available in beige, dark green, and dark blue.

The €19.99 plastic chairs can hold up to 110kg and are perfect for sitting up to the €39.99 aluminium folding table while on a camping trip with friends.   

To add a touch of colour to the table, the premium bamboo tableware range of salad bowls, fruit bowls, small bowls and oval trays are available in three colours and are €14.99, while the quirky glass drinking jars are €6.99 per pack. The drinking jars are available in four colours, and the milk bottles with straws and lids are available in three colours. 

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