Christmas at Barnacles

For some, being away from home at Christmas can be a tough time. Christmas is about getting together with your family and loved ones and sharing some festive cheer (along with a fair bit of booze and pudding of course). So for backpackers on the road, Christmas and the New Year can be sometimes a bit lonely.

But all is not lost! Barnacles Hostels areset to rock this Christmas! Full to the brim with festive cheer, Barnacles will be holding a Christmas like no other!

Of course there will be turkey.......... of course there will be mistletoe and most importantly .................. of course there will be SANTA!!

We will encourage even the Scrooge backpackers to take part in our Christmas festivities. From ice - skating, to Christmas video nights (it is not officially Christmas untill Willy Wonka is watched!) If this doesn't get you in the Christmas spirit nothing will!

So come and join us! Make new friends and experience a Christmas to remember! Click HERE to book our Galway hostel and click HERE to book our Dublin hostel.

20 Things for the Lazy Chef to Cook!

Having a microwave is nearly as important as having a bed! Not just used for heating left over's or making hot chocolate! They are (or should be) the best friend of the lazy chef!



15 Things to Cook in a Micro wave

1. Quesadilla: Easy, chessey. Lay a tortilla down, sprinkle some cheese on it, micorwave. Add salsa if you're feeling extra creative.
2. Microwave Dinners: They can be the diet kind, the healthy kind, the made for large appetite kind. And they can be tasty.
3. Baked potatoes: Grab a potatoe. Wash it. Poke it a few times with a fork. Wrap it in a paper towel. Microwave it for a few minutes. You'll know when it's done when you can easily poke the fork past the centre.
4. Popcorn: The old reliable - perfect for a movie night in.
5. Pasta (and sauce): Take yourself off down to the shop and buy a microwave packet of pasta and sauce. Mr Dolmio can't make it any easier!
6. Porridge: Perfect for brekkie on those baltic mornings we seem to be having!
7. Soup: Can > Micorwave > Bing > Bowl > Mouth > Hmmmm
8. Frozen Veg: Get your 5 a day! Toss frozen veg in a bowl with a little water. Microwave until they're hot!
9. Nachos: Always perfect for a late night :) All you need is taytos & cheese (and anything extra you feel like)
10. Poached Eggs: Careful these can turn out rubbery if you leave them on too long.
11. Rashers: Grab a plate, put down several paper towls, lay down some rashers, and cook until done. Instant hang over cure!
12. Scrambled Eggs: Crack some eggs, put in a bowl - mixing with a fork, and cooking. And feel free to throw in some of those rashers you also cooked, too, for some extra pizazz.
13. Hot Chocolate: We all know how to make this one!
14. Tuna Melt: Make some tuna (tuna + mayonnaise = tuna), sprinkle some mozzarella cheese on it, and voila! Tuna Melt!
15. Who ever said microwave things had to be meals? Heat up a chocolate muffin - get a massive bowl of ice-cream and there you have it! One of the best deserts/pick me up's ever - Enjoy!

So there you have it! Tell all your mammies to relax - you are not fading away from lack of food!