Elaborate side-Burns

Happy Burns Night.
For Scotsmen everywhere a chance to cut out a lot of messing about and just pour the whisky straight on to their food. 
Rabbie Burns is the unofficial nation poet of Scotland.  Hugely celebrated - possibly because the Scot's dialect makes his poems and songs almost impenetrable to the English.  I mean, Auld Lang Syne.  What is all that about? However, you can't deny that he made a remarkable legacy for himself having lived in harsh poverty for the majority of his life.
Hands up who likes haggis? I know.  It is delicious but its quite a hard one to sell to the kids. 
The veggie alternative makes a great stuffing, thus:

Sassenach Chicken

1 vegetarian haggis
1 chicken breast per person
4 rashers of streaky bacon per person


Really simple to do and really delicious and moist chicken.

Cut a deep slit in the chicken but not all the way through and fill with a generous amount of the veggie haggis - no need to pre-cook the haggis.
Now bring the chicken back together and wrap in the streaky bacon to hold it all in place.
Line up the sassenachs in a roasting dish and sprinkle with olive oil.
Cover with foil and cook in a pre-heated oven at 180 degrees for 25 minutes.
Remove the foil and roast for a further 15 minutes to crisp up the bacon.

Serve with neaps and tatties.  (I combined these by doing a sweet potato and swede mash).

Really nice with cranberry sauce.

Around the Grounds

The Common Puffball
Solid, milky white and edible when young.
At this mature stage, spores are released through the hole in the top. 
The puffball relies on heavy rain falling on it to distribute the spores but I find that children's feet are much more effective.





A walk for the weekend.

Selkirk to Melrose.  10 Miles, linear.

Begin in the market place, noting the lovely statue of Sir Walter Scott - another legendary Scotsman.
The route takes you alongside the golf course and out across the fields on the Old Drove Road.  This section offers fantastic views of the Royal and Ancient Borough. You will then pass Caulshields Loch descend to the river and follow the riverside path all the way to Melrose.
For the full map visit:  http://www.scotborders.gov.uk/downloads/file/437/borders_abbeys_way_selkirk_to_melrose

Funny of the Week

That why I don't like cricket

http://youtu.be/Hlk6TIeN0U4