Sunday, July 10, 2011

Erin goes to Arran, almost

Stay tuned for the tales of where I got this badge (aka pin)...
Since my trip to the West Coast Scottish Isle of Arran, one might call me an Arran Advocate. I will post my meal made of entirely Arran foods, show the pictures from the top of Arran's highest peak, and talk about the lessons learned amidst midgies (aka  noseums) and cheese makers.

Soon, but first...off to Sweden
erin x

Saturday, July 9, 2011

So long Scotland...

Bye bye Edinburgh, I am leaving you!
I am off to Sweden for five days! This Canadian has never said that in a sentence before. So off to the Continent for me and my Lumberjack where: eating cinnamon buns, Stockholm people watching, searching for skinny jeans, drinking of Swedish coffee, eating herrings for breakfast, enjoying the adventure, snapping of pictures, appreciating the architecture and meeting of Swedes is sure to take place!

Have a great weekend too! Hej då!

erin x

Friday, July 8, 2011

Farmers Market: Round two

We had a mission! Go to the Edinburgh Farmers market for two things and two things only- minced(aka ground) lamb to make minted lamb burgers with the mint we have grown, and milk to make cheese. We found neither this time around, but enjoyed ourselves as always. The meatiness of the market hung in the air and surrounded us with the rich, heady aroma of the mingling of cooked meats. We snapped a couple pictures, snacked on a couple samplings and went home with a full basket.  A strange mix of wares this time around, but another wonderful, and this time not so wet, afternoon spent at the market nonetheless. See for yourself!




It is a little later in the growing season now, which was evident in the increase of greens present at the market. We managed to find two pots of organic basil to plant in our window boxes for use in future pestos. We got a half dozen eggies from rare breed hens, two pre-minted lamb burgers and a kilogram of rhubarb. My favourite buy was  a book by Nichola Fletcher, the wife of the venison dealer who makes his own haggis. The book, titled Charlemagne's Tablecloth, is about the history of feasting and seemed to be rather fitting given my recent intrigue with the history of local food and the traditions surrounding it. At 3 pound 50 it was a steal.

What is at your local farmers market right now? What has been your favourite find so far? 
Looking forward to another fascinating farmers market soon,
erin

Wednesday, July 6, 2011

Jammin'


Farmers Market Round Two: There is my charity shop carry bag in action, filled to the brim with organic rhubarb!
Those crunchy, oh-so-sour stalks became this...
Rhubarb Ginger Jam mmm (Lumberjack jam helper not included, sorry)
So simple, I can't believe I have been buying jam all these years! Grow, pick or buy 2 pounds of rhubarb. It tends to grow like a weed, so if you ask nice, people tend to just give this stuff away! Cut it into chunks, add 2 lbs of sugar, the zest and juice of an organic lemon and place in a bowl. Leave it over night.
Bruise (just like it sounds) an ounce of fresh ginger and wrap it in a muslin bag. If you don't have a cheese cloth type material, a blue jay cloth wrung out with boiling water works fine. Look closely for the blue tint in my pot hee hee! So, add the bag to the pot with the now juicy fruit and bring to a boil. After 30-45 minutes the mixture should be pulpy. If it sticks to a plate that you swing upside down, its ready!
Add an ounce or two of chopped stem ginger, or crystallized ginger at the end and stir. Remove the sticky bag of ginger and pour the liquid into jars how out of the dishwasher. Cover with lids or wax circles (available at UK kitchen stores), and store in a cool, dry cupboard. And best of all, Enjoy!
To dress up my hodge-podge of recycled jars, I placed a bowl on pretty fabric I brought over from a quilting shop in Alaska, traced around it and cut out the circles. I then placed the fabric over the mismatched lids and secured them with an everyday elastic. Done!

Serve it on scones, alongside some cheeses or gift it over the summer.
A super cute way to serve this Super food. Sweet!
I hope you like jammin' too!

Monday, July 4, 2011

The Key

What is this a picture of?
I thought I would write a bit about one of the first things I noticed when I walked into my new flat (apartment) in Edinburgh that day!

First I made fun of the ancient looking skeleton keys that were handed to me. Granted, it is a 170 year old building, however key technology has changed quite a bit though apparently not in the UK! I found this pretty amusing, and a bit of a security issue actually. How safe would you feel if you had to lock your door at night with what girls adorn necklaces with in North America?

Second, this is the inside of my door. The INSIDE! I can't even count how many times I have locked myself IN my apartment! Dead bolts didn't make the cut in the UK it seems, so instead, you literally lock the door behind you when you come in. Which is all fine and dandy until the pizza man comes and you can't find the keys! 'Just a sec'-fumble, fumble. Heaven help us if there is ever a fire.

Our lock does happen to be a CHUBB brand lock however, the same I had back home. Hmmm. I guess I was under the assumption that there would be some kind of standardization amongst international locksmiths. Nope, there is not! Apparently after the war, America changed to the 'pin tumbler' lock we know and love, while the Brits stuck with the old faithful skeleton key system. So now I know.

Any how, who would have thought such simple things could be so different not so far from home! I can't exactly claim to be in a foreign country here! But, I thought you might like to know, perhaps it will prepare you the many charming idiosyncrasies that will confront you if you move to this country. Being aware of these differences has been key in helping me be open and tolerant to the less subtle diversities.

Friday, July 1, 2011

Cup of Tea Tuesdays- Shoesdays!

I would like to introduce you to my new sneakers. They are just my cup of tea!
 A Uk resident politely pointed out that it will be unlikely that I am to do any sneaking, hence why they call them trainers. I however, being self aware and knowing I require a little more support for my arches when training for triathlons, am more likely to be sneaking than training in the near future. So once again, Potato-Potahtoe-Tattie!
Anyhow, here are my new shoes! They are some kind of wonderful!

Kitschen shoes by Converse! And yes, I have a decorative stump just lying around for display purposes! You can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of my interior decorating!

It is no secret that I like me a good pair of Chucks, and in keeping with my recent keenness of primary colours, I was naturally drawn to these kicks. Pictured are little blenders,  very cute cuckoo clocks and  tiny curtains. I call them my housewife shoes, and the fabric designed by Michael Miller (though Cons give no credit) is called 50's Kitchen, so being the golden era for this term, I was not that far off!

Kitschy pattern + Kitchen paraphernalia = Kitschen! Bitchin'

These are perfect for my first 'summer in Scotland which has thus far included plenty of socks!

Ps. Many Scotland shoe stores will give you a generous student discount, just bring along that student card with your best studenty mug shot on!

If you loved the retro pattern and are looking for a new fabric site, don't look any further. Click this for a link to Michael Miller Fabrics! I especially like the Gnomes, Western and Sophia collections. Enjoy!

erin x edinburgh shoe stores