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Sunday, bloody Sunday. Not much to report here. After feeling like I was coming down with a cold, and much to the shock and horror of my traveling companions, I swallowed a clove of garlic to give my immune system a bit of a boost. I learned this trick from my favorite natural medicine lover back in the states. He's been known to eat anything from echinacea pellets to fish oil pills to ward off a cold. A green tea and gogi berry guzzler, he would rub homeopathic Traumeel (comprised of 12 botanical and 2 mineral substances) on bruised and battered limbs after lacrosse games rather than popping some Advil. Needless to say, his garlic trick worked. I might not have been kissable for the better part of Sunday afternoon, but I felt great Monday morning.

Natural medicines are a fascinating field. One of the Ballymaloe House chefs is married to a natural herbalist, and he hasn't had a pharmaceutical drug in nine years! I am currently trying to set up a night class with her at the school for any interested students. I will be sure to write about it if and when it happens!