Celtic Cook Goes Home

With just over a week of a new year behind us we’ve seen sun, rain, experienced horrendous winds and of course ice and snow. Welcome to a Scottish winter 😂 It’s the time of year when I start to think of fresher foods. Fresh fruit and veg and salads sound just what the Dr.ordered but the cold and wet is telling me something different. I fill the fruit bowl and salad drawers but it’s warm stews and soups that my heart really desires. A happy medium required.  A shop for fresh fruit and veg was in ordered. A butternut squash would make a good soup. With the addition of some Indian spices, garlic and ginger it would certainly be warming. I’d received Nigel Slater's new book for Christmas. I love his books. This one is so much more than just recipes. Anecdotes and stories of his life as a cook. I’m sure it will be used a lot in the coming years.  On the subject of soups he suggested adding different things to make them a bit different. Using what you had to hand. I decided to add  a ti

 It’s here at last. Can’t believe I’ve managed to blog my way through it. Todays post is like the last door on the advent calendar no more to open for a bit at least. Thanks to everyone who has been following my ramblings  you can take a rest from it now………. Today was the big day for preparations. Ham in slow cooker covered in apple juice and cider with cloves and cinnamon sticks. Didn’t take long for it to fill the air with a delicious aroma.  Before I could really get started I had to do a Sainsbury's run for a neighbour who is shielding. I didn’t mind as I had an hour sitting with Oliver while Carrie and Matthew went for PCR tests. They’re headed for Dubai on Boxing Day. Thankfully test came back negative. So from there headed to Sainsburys. Not too busy so got everything on the list to be delivered to neighbour.  Soon the kitchen was filling up with pots and bowls and Robin was in utility room doing the veg. I prepared pigs in blankets and put them on spears of rosemary. Stuffi

 A wet and miserable day again but it wasn’t going to be a problem as I had today marked out as the start of Christmas Day preparations. I was going to start some cooking. Cranberry relish, thanks to Delia Smith. I’ve been making it for more years than I care to remember and as I no longer use the cook book I think I may have strayed a little from the original. But main ingredients are all in there. Cranberries, of course, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, orange peel and juice, sugar and of course a splash, or two of port toward end of cooking.  Soon it was bubbling away and the kitchen was beginning to smell a lot like Christmas. The red cabbage was next. I always think it tastes better after a day or two as the flavours all fuse together. Easy to heat up too in the microwave on the big day. I just stir in a tablespoon of cranberry jelly to give it a nice shiny appearance Something else I don’t need to worry about on the day  Red cabbage and red onion, dash of red vinegar to set the colour o

 Nearly there! Bit of baking this morning to fill the tins, again, and a trip to town for lunch. It was quiet for this time of year and restaurant also quiet, although had started to get a bit busier as we left. As it was now pouring with rain we just headed straight home.  By the time we got to the car we were soaked and chilled. Couldn’t wait to get home and into dry clothes. Yes, we had gone out without raincoats, but added to the issue was that it was sleety rain. Not pleasant at all.  We were no sooner home and into dry clothes than we were enjoying hot drinks and choosing our daily movie. It has become a daily ritual this week. I think as I was so organised with nothing much to do it just seemed the perfect way to pass an afternoon. Today we chose Love Actually. Love it, even although I’ve seen it so many times. Luckily we’ve been able to find a movie that we both enjoyed. Let’s hope we can find another couple over the next two days to take us to Christmas Day.  Hot chocolate had

 Two positives today. The first being we have now reached the shortest day of the year and from now on the days will start to get longer. Won’t happen quickly but it’s a start. The other positive is that this Christmas there are no sudden decisions meaning we can’t be together with family on the big day and for that I am most grateful. Last Christmas was a very difficult one for a lot of people so I hope this year people can make up for the disappointments.   Today was cold and miserable. We took the dog for a walk on Glasgow Green. I needed some fresh air and a good walk and was wrapped up well but it was damp and no amount of clothing could keep the cold out. Took me forever to warm up even when back in the warmth of home. Hot tea and mince pie was the order of the day.  However even in the dull grey day I managed to get some nice photos. No blue skies and sunshine but great reflections in the river. Even the pigeons were reflecting in it.                          Made some dough up

The turkeys in the bag! Well fridge actually. A trip to M&S today to pick up an order so decided to have a wander round to see what was sell by dates were on the products. For the most part they were after 25th, and many to end of the month, so was able to buy the turkey 🦃 and put a few extra treats into the trolley while I was there. So we are now well and truly ready for the big day. It feels so good to be this organised  I even ironed the table cover today. Not my favourite job. But now it’s done. I am aware that everything is on a bit of a knife edge at the moment and keeping my fingers crossed that we all stay healthy.  Hoping too that all our friends manage to enjoy a Christmas that so many of us missed out on last year.  Keeping social contacts to a few people and testing regularly  is our way of life at the moment. Who knew this would become part of the Christmas preparations, let’s hope it’s one that doesn’t become a long term tradition and we can go back to our carefree