Home for Christmas 2013

In the first 24 hours I was home, I was kidnapped by my sister. She is in Edinburgh/Lincolnshire for Christmas with her boyfriends family.

SOOOOOOOOOO excited to watch Frozen with a gingerbread latte and brownie

She planned an early Christmas meal on the Sunday so we did it together...

This chappy had a nice brisk walk in the cold... We tired him oot wi all the hoose work

Nigel Slater's Christmas Trifle made by moi

One of my tasks was to draw up some novelty table decorations, was fun drawing again and considering it's from scratch it's no too bad if I do say so myself

She flew away on Monday so I was released back into the care of my parents where we cleaned the hoose, did a booze run to Mainland Stores, iced my Christmas cake, wrapped gifts etc.

My first ever Christmas cake, made by me (subtle ombré effect)

Once we wir finished we lit the fire and curled up in front of Scrooged with a dram. It's meant to be a rubbish day today (Christmas Eve) brally windy and rainy so I am hoping to get some serious knitting done even if I have to do it by candle light.

Molly trying very hard to get up on the new couch

What are you doing to keep warm this festive season?

51 Days of Summer: Week 3

I have set myself a challenge to take a picture each day of my holiday - to encourage me to do something exciting and help me remember what I've been up to.

Day 15

 

For Dad's birthday we went to the Scalloway Hotel it was good

 and appreciated after a big walk to Uyea

 

Day 16 

Book 2 of my Summer reading list

 

Day 17

  

Found this while I was helping my Mam take down a flower arrangement at the Kirk

its is my Grampa and Willie o' da Bouyn working at da cru

 

Day 18 

Frozen apples ready to make some cider

 

Day 19

 Watching Mam make potted mackrel

 

Day 20 

Cider is starting to ferment

 

Day 21 

 Was haunted by a GIANT black bumblebee

Auld School Granny Baking ... Take 2

On Saturday I decided that I needed a peerie nostalgic treat so I made my Granny's Beremeal Bannocks for the first time.

The only recipe that we have is a list of the ingredients with some measurements

so I used my memories

 

Beremeal Bannocks Recipe

 

Ingredients:

         4 oz       beremeal

         8 oz       self-raising flour

         1 tsp      bicarbonate of soda

         1 tsp      cream of tartar

         1 tbsp    treacle

         200 ml  buttermilk (roughly)

 

Mix all the dry ingredients together in a large mixing bowl and add the treacle. Once combined stir in the buttermilk until it just comes together then turn out on to a well floured surface and roll out. Try not to over work it.

 

Cut the dough into your desired shape then place on a hot griddle (dry frying pan) on a medium heat. Once they puff up and colour turn them over, the timings of this will depend on the heat of your hob.

 

Like my Gran I shaped the dough using my hands

(they look more authentic like this)

 

The wee corners are always a treat for the baker

Eat these with what ever topping you prefer, my two favourites are salt beef &English mustard or rhubarb jam & butter ... splendid!!

If you try these please let me know

what you think

xxx

Easter Weekend 2013

Home in Shetland for the holidays ... Yeay!

Went a wee walk to Bridge End with Meg this morning, hard to believe that folk down south are bothered with snow and ice and I went a walk in a t-shirt and fair-isle cardigan, not snow boots and waterproofs. Hope this weather lasts!

Took we walk past the house my Gran & Grampa used to live in and there are still signs of Gran's green fingers around the garden.

Me and Mam went for a peerie nosey in Nibble Fingers in Bolts Shopping Centre, this was the first time I've been there and I have fallen in love with it, so many possible crafting idea and new projects I could start... I bought some things in the sale to keep me busy.

On Easter Sunday me and Mam used the new Paul Hollywood Bread Book, we chosen crumpets, they took a peerie start to master but once we cracked it they tasted amazing.

How have you spend your weekend?

Happy Easter!! x

Wee Trip to Stromness

 

Yesterday I went through to Stromness for a peerie nosey and a change of scenery.

Main aim of the trip was to go to the Bayleaf Delicatessen and get some loose tea I had seen the last time I was there and more popcorn.

Black Olives, Pickeled Figs, Loose Tea, Popcorn & Manchego Cheese

The deli has lots of nice things in it and displayed a local artist sketches, John Cumming (my uncle) and Yvonne Grays's book.

I got a little carried away but made lots of yummy things out of my purchases.

Breakfast & English Muffins

These muffins almost became an in progress moment when I sat down and forgot

what I was doing thankfully the 'caramalised' muffin smell got my attention

 

When I woke up on Saturday I knew I wanted something nice for breakfast and decided that I'd either make muffins for breakfast or eggs Benedict, thought both may be too much so early.

I made half the recipe as I realised 20 muffins

might be too much for the two of us

 

I founds this recipe from AllRecipes for English muffins and decided these would be lovely with butter, fruit and a coffee... And they were!

When I was doing my shopping list I thought I should get something nice to go with them this morning (Sunday) I thought eggs Benedict but after Duff telling me on 'Best Thing I Ever Made' told me the first time I made hollandaise it would be crap, I thought I'd wait for a weekend when I had plenty time and eggs.



So then I thought Rachel Khoo's Croque Madame Muffins but because I had already made the English Muffins I looked at baked egg recipes on Pinterest and I found this recipe.

The baked eggs were SO easy and tasty I may leave out the Parmesan next time

as I used prosciutto and it is salty enough

 

I think these would be perfect for Christmas morning.. What do you normally have for breakfast on Christmas Day?

£1 Blackberries

Served warm over frozen yoghurt ... mmmmmm!

 

When at the shop I noticed a bargain but had so many other things going on in the kitchen they got ignored ...

So quick to make - 30 mins max

So I found this recipe for Blackberry & Brandy Sauce on allrecipes.com and thought it must be fate considering I had leftover brandy from the stroganoff.

I'm thinking Sunday pancakes

Really easy - you have got to try it ...let me know how you get on!

Monsterous Birthday Cake

It's my friend Lynn's birthday this week and since she is in the middle of moving hoose I thought I could have her over for tea, away from all the boxes and moving paraphernalia. And of course you can't have a birthday tea without cake... My train of thought went cake ... Halloween ... Monsters ... Red velvet ... Cookie Monster.

 

I have made mini cookie monsters in the past but this is the first large one I have tried or red velvet cake so a little concerned about how it will turn out.

 

I found the red velvet recipe from Pinterest ... It is a strange recipe as I have never put buttermilk and vinegar in the same recipe before. But they seem popular recipes and i liked the challenge.

Cakes turned out good, although next time I'm gonna try more food colouring as these are more pink velvet cakes.

 

The BLUE icing is a cream cheese frosting with lots of blue food colouring

 

The eye was made from fondant and the pupil

is a chocolate button

 

Ii think I can safely say that the cake was a success.. We had very full bellys and a bit if a sugar buzz.

Auld School Granny Baking ...

 

I have been missing my Gran's baking recently and been intending to bake her oatmeal scones for many weekends but never gotten round to it. So today I made a point of not picking up my knitting and baking early.

This was not difficult as Fearne Cotton was  on Radio 1 with Jessie Ware in the Live Lounge, it was amazing!!!

Oatmeal Scones

First put your oven to Gas mark 4, then weight out 8 oz of self-raising flour and 8oz of pinhead oatmeal and mix together.

 

Then rub in 6oz of margarine then 4oz of sugar and 1 egg.

 

 

 

Roll this out and bake in the oven on baking trays, dusted with oatmeal, until golden - turning half way through.

I like them with butter and jam or cheese, brought me right back to sitting in my gran's kitchen with my sister and cousins having tea and oatcakes when we came home from school.

Jeans for Genes UK

 

As well as other activities we have planned at work I thought I would raise a little extra for the charity doing what I love the most ... Cooking & Crafting!!!

When playing on Pinterest I discovered this photo and thought I might bake something similar and sell it in the staff room.

 

I made a simple sponge and icing and used coloured icing and rolled it out to make the pockets, very simple but hopefully effective.

October holidays start on Friday and so I am trying to use up food in the cupboards and fridge before I go north. I bought a huge bag of carrots from my local shop when I only needed one and they are still good so I wanted to use the rest up. I don't like carrot cake (I know I'm weird) so I typed in carrot relish and carrot jam into Pinterest and a recipe for Carrot Cake Jam caught my eye. Even though I don't like the actual cake, I tried the jam and it was nice, I really liked the walnuts in it.

I will decorate the jars with denim and hopefully get some generous donations for this Jeans for Genes UK.

 

Here is a picture of the decorated jars