Celebrations

I am sorry I missed the party! I was weighed down with health issue worries but am having them dealt with. I need to spend LESS time on Facebook, where I see a lot of stressful stuff, and MORE time on Spark, where I learn healthy habits and interact with friends in a happy way. I am glad to be on this team. It's the closest I can get to a return visit.

Resurrecting this strand, as my birthday's coming up!

My birthday is 20 September, and that just happens to be a Saturday - so . . .
How's about a party?
If we have it all day, that leaves most folk free to come and go, and get back again for more chat.

Basically, we come here and chat live, real time, with each other - and hopefully a few of us can be on-line at the same time. But the main point put is that we're here and here abouts off and on all day.

If we say 2.00pm to midnight, my time, that's 9.00 am to 7.00 pm Eastern. You're welcome to continue beyond midnight/7.00 pm - just I may not still be up and chatting!

Any Birthdays or anything coming up?

Our next Chat-Fest will be on Saturday, 15 February - a get-together for St Valentine's Day.
I'll mail the team beforehand,
But if you check-in with the team and have a read through what's happening - make a note in your diary or on your calendar.

Has anyone got some suggestions for together-time?

This HAS been fun! A bit of a challenge at times, not wanting to spend ALL the time in front of the computer but not wanting to miss anything! I've been cutting fabric strips for my mystery quilt and doing some advance prep for dinner with our son and family tonight. Have a great weekend, Christine, and we DO need to do this again!

This has been fun!
However, I have to get ready to go out now - just grocery shopping to use up a voucher and get any sell-by's!

Let's do this again, soon?
I know there's St Valentine's Day on 14 February. So maybe Saturday 15th?
Or is there some other celebration we could do?

No, I'm afraid sewing is a bit like ironing for me - sometimes it has to be done, but I'll out it off as long as possible!
Cross-stitch, on the other hand, I find very relaxing - something I must start making time for again.
Also, my sons gave me an inkle-loom for Christmas a couple of years ago, but I haven't got started with weaving yet. That is something I must make a priority, so they stop thinking that they wasted their money.

I need to check a local grocery that has a wide cheese selection to see if I can find the cheeses you mentioned. I'd forgotten to check for that Scottish bakery in the next town, but it has been cold and/or snowy all month, so I haven't gotten out much. I am getting a lot done in the house, though, and am beginning a mystery quilt. I forgot: are you a quilter? Is there a fabric shop near enough to you to look into it if you aren't (yet)?

Cheese - my favourite would be a toss up between a good Orkney cheddar, or a Highland brie. But I like lots of others, just not keen on blue cheeses or very strong - even brie or Camembert if they get a bit too ripe I won't eat any more.

Yes, shortbread has to be one of the easiest things to make - it's just flour, cornflour, sugar and butter.
The word "short" here is used in the same sense as pastry. The shorter it is, the more difficult it is to roll. I can't roll my shortbread mix (like for cutting with cookie cutters). I just have to put my lump of mix into the prepared baking tray, then knuckle it down and smooth it over!

For yourself, do you prefer sweet or savoury?

Edited by: CMFARRELL36 at: 1/25/2014 (12:14)

We can get large tins of Walker's Shortbread at Christmas at Costco. It's hard NOT to keep opening new packets! VERY yummy! During the rest of the year, it can be rather expensive but is still available. It's easy to make, though, I believe. I just like the tins because they can be reused and are very pretty.

What's your favorite cheese?

Edited by: JANET1012 at: 1/25/2014 (12:07)

Oatcakes with a bit of butter and some good cheese - mmmmmm.

Do you know shortbread? It is definitely a sweet biscuit (cookie).

Time to broaden my cuisine to make more international recipes! I didn't have any bacon fat on hand but may try the unsweetened version using it. I like the sound of your mum's turkey stuffing, too.

My knowledge was enlarged just now when looking up what a "tray bake" was. I love learning new terms!

Sorry - I followed your link for the Corries, then got caught up watching an item called The Duelling Pipers! Brilliant. LOL

I haven't heard of making oatcakes with maple syrup, but I know that sweet oatcakes, or oatcake biscuits, do exist.
That's biscuits in the British sense!
Lard or bacon fat is probably the most traditional, as everyone had that.

My Mum's stuffing for turkey was a kind of Skirlie - oatmeal, finely chopped onion, suet (which is basically grated lard).
Skirlie would be fried in the pan (in dripping or bacon fat) or done in an oven tray like a cross between roasting potatoes and making a tray bake!
Delish with a fried egg, some bacon and a helping of mushrooms.

Yes, I used the Spark recipe that has maple syrup and lard/bacon fat but used butter instead. They are quite tasty, I think!

recipes.sparkpeople.com/recipe-detai
l.
asp?recipe=2259148

Still listening to The Corries. I found a YouTube video that has several songs:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=rl86mZqDzTg&
li
st=PL92E01A0A37161D4C

Edited by: JANET1012 at: 1/25/2014 (11:32)

I never thought of that, but it's a good idea.
If they show videos of FechtKampf s that my older son goes to, I'm pretty certain there should be some Scottish country dancing!

Did you make your oatcakes yourself!

I should look on YouTube to see if there are any videos that show the various Scottish dances.

There are a lot of similarities between some Scottish country dances, your square dances, and barn dances.
In fact, one dance commonly enjoyed at a ceilidh is what we call The Canadian Barn Dance! Walk forward, walk back, out to the side, back together, then a "waltz" round and start again.
Very similar to our Gay Gordons.

I had my haggis, neeps and tatties last night, followed by shortbread and a piece of birthday cake.
The cake wasn't for Rabbie, though. One of our men celebrated his 70th birthday yesterday, so it was a Burns' Night cum Ceilidh cum Birthday Party!

I have read about Scottish country dancing in Rosamunde Pilcher's book, September, and it sounds like LOTS of fun! In America, some forms of square dancing are kind of related to it, as I understand it. Maybe as part of a fitness plan, I should look up local Scottish country dance classes. I think I've read that there are some nearby.

I am not sure how this will work. I think I have to keep refreshing the page, since new comments don't seem to show up automatically. I have been sipping tea, taking bites of my oatcakes, listening to The Corries sing "Flower of Scotland," and have "Tam o' Shanter" on an adjoining tab. So, I"m ready!

Had a lovely time last night at the church Burns' supper and ceilidh.
The band is run by one of the guys at church, a full-time maths teacher by day, church organist and ceilidh band keyboard player in his spare time, and a husband and father.
The music was most enjoyable though hubby and I don't dance. I don't like the crush. He's terrified he gets banged in the shin and ends up with another several months of leg ulcer.

Drank the water in the kitchen and brought another one through!

Hi there, I've just finished a 10-minute cardio video, so I'm away for a glass of water.
Back in a minute.

It's almost time! I'm going to make a cup of tea. Oatcakes have been made!

Just put Saturday down on my Calendar, since we are expecting more snow Friday into Saturday afternoon I'm be home. Burn night I'm familiar with through my grandfather. but cellich I'm not. Could someone fill me in on cellich.

Thanks ahead of time.

Thanks! I'll do that!

Given that Burns Night is a celebration of things Scottish - there could be a few alternatives.

If you are not going to do check-in anything -
Make up a pan of mashed potato, swede and carrot.
Have a few bowls of grated cheese, sliced tomatoes and sliced cucumber, and whatever.
Grill or oven-bake some sausages. Then serve with the various mashed veggies.

That is just one set of suggestions.
Remind me nearer the time and I'll give you more ideas.

For Burns night, I COULD get some canned haggis, but I think I'd rather make scones. Perhaps I'll consult a cook book to see what I could have instead of haggis. Any suggestions?

I did check the Spark recipes and did a search for "haggis." This is what I came up with, and why it is linked to haggis I cannot tell: recipes.sparkpeople.com/recipe-detai
l.
asp?recipe=1939930

Edited by: JANET1012 at: 1/7/2014 (17:09)

In January, apart from birthdays or anniversaries or stuff - Burns Night.

I'll be going to a ceilidh on the Friday evening, organised at church.
What about you?