holding you over

yeah, yeah, I promised a big update about last weekend's shenangigans, but things got busy: a birthday dinner, some overnight guests tomorrow, and one potentially huge development that I won't know more about for another week.

Plus I've got Starbucks shifts and Dean and I are going to Glasgow on Sunday-Monday. So all the goodness will have to wait.

And there is goodness - in fact, I've got the makings of three separate editions of Good Things just waiting for some loving words to animate them. Stay tuned.

In the meantime, I've done some more flickering: our autumn trip to Dublin, and our LAST trip to Glasgow, complete with pics of my sis and her new Scottish Beau :)

tripping stateside

On my day off this week I plan to indulge in one of my very favourite activities: travel planning.

However, this time as I'm dreaming of Manhattan shopping, Brooklyn brunching and quality time with my two best friends, it's actually a close reality!

But there's even better news:
My lovely Lorah got engaged this week! Not only do I have a stateside trip to anticipate, but also the wedding of one of my favourite people in the world. The date is set, and these kids know how to not waste time (taking a cue from Amanda and Dean perhaps?) - the wedding is in May!

I'm stashing away my pennies for an extra long weekend with Jules in NYC before catching a bus to Philly for pre-wedding festivities with the fabulous couple.

If you threw my hubby in the mix it would add up to the perfect week. Alas, he'll be polishing off his dissertation while I'm spending his tuition... ;)

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And while Lorah was getting betrothed, Dean and I were enjoying one of the more memorable weekends we've had in Aberdeen. Stories and photos tomorrow!

the one legged poet

Tonight's a special night in Scotland AND in the Regier household.

Burns Night: a night for haggis, a night for 'Neeps and Tatties, a night for poetry and Scottish pride.

Well, I may not be Scottish, but I'm pretty sure I studied this fine nation's favourite poet in Lit 12 (something about a flea, I believe), and frankly who can turn down a night of Scots cookery and cheer?

Ahem, in fact, Dean turned it down.

We were invited to a bonafide Burns Supper, complete with a piper ushering in the Haggis and reading of a fitting piece of rhyme, but Dean was feeling shy.

Since I couldn't go to Burns Night, I brought Burns Night to KinGier. I was feeling rather chuffed with my cooking skills and fancy presentation - layers of potatos (tatties), turnips ('neeps) and haggis, respectively, surrounded by a moat of gravy. As it happens, while I'm not much of a baker, I've become a darn good cook in the last couple years. Dean polished most of his off, but it's a dense meal (and sooo tasty, contrary to popular perception)... I made it half way.




So why the 'one legged poet'?

Well, here in Aberdeen there is an effigy of Burns, towering above a park in the city centre (not far from the requisite William Wallace statue). Approaching from the west it always looks as if Mr. Burns has suffered an amputation. No matter how many times I walk by it, I always have to double check once I'm squarely in front, to ensure that the great poet still has his left leg.

crappy cam revisited

Before my inlaws so generously gave me... er, I mean us, our treasured Canon Powershot, I was running around town using the cheapo Starbucks' Bean Responsible cam - only a slight step up from Trev's famous "crappy cam."

Thus with dual pleasure and embarrassment, I've flickred a few of them.

culinary school

After a year (or more) of ill-equipped baking in a "foreign" country, I'm destined to return to Canada as one of the most resourceful chefs on the great wide continent.

My problem is, of course, that not knowing how much longer our tenure in the UK will last, I'm always reluctant to purchase the supplies I need.

Thus, last week I found myself attempting to bake two large baguettes on a cookie sheet, using fingernails in place of a spatula, guesswork conversions on yeast (it seems my pinch is smaller than Martha's pinch) and measuring cups that are more decorative than accurate. THe end result was almost pretty, but essentially dense, doughy and disgustingly salty (see below).

[looks okay, but it's hard as a rock]

Tonight, in an attempt to redeem myself, when Dean suggested we make sugar cookies (at that point I didn't realize that by WE he actually meant ME) I dashed off the supermarket with a list of ingredients.

hrm. well, they weren't the addictive replicas of my sister-in-law's Christmas baking Dean had hoped for... But at least some more good learning experiences came out of it:

Lesson 1: Sugar cookies are never ever to be made with wholewheat flour
Lesson 2: British flour contains enough baking powder without adding more
Lesson 3: every kitchen needs more than one mixing bowl
Lesson 4: a wine bottle can stand in for a rolling pin BUT,
Lesson 5: a fork and knife CANNOT step in for a hand mixer
Lesson 6: for gosh sake, buy some proper measuring cups!

[dean looks unimpressed, but that didn't stop him from eating four of these bad boys!]

it's a scientific fact

Today is the worst day of the year.

What a relief! My mood is justified.

(thanks for the link Deano!)