In Praise of Dumplings

Hey everybody, here comes 2012!  The last one in's a sissy.
Imagine.  A whole new year stretching out in front of us. 
It is great to see this as a wonderful opportunity for change and new experience. 
Of course, any time can be seen this way but we feel a sense of new beginning with the simple act of putting a new calendar up on the wall.  This is quite a strange phenomenon since time is constant and steady and yet we like to parcel it up into sections.
Anyway, lets embrace our new parcel of time and see every day as an opportunity for change and experience. 
A wise man once told me that you can change everything about your life in a few months. 
If, like me, you only want to change a few small things, it shouldn't take too long. 
Good luck with those resolutions.



Dumplings

There are two types:
Floaters and sinkers.
The floating ones on top of this savoury mince are light
and fluffy in the middle and crunchy on the top.

The recipe calls for equal volumes of flour and suet - not equal weight.
For 10 dumplings:
6 des. spoons self-raising flour
6 des. spoons shredded suet
2 tsp mixed herbs
12 des spoons cold water

Stir up the dry ingredients, add the water and then combine with a fork.

Divide in to 10 rough balls and add to the top of a cooked and hot casserole,
stew or in this case, savoury mince.
Cook in a preheated oven at 180 degrees for about 20 minutes.




Incidentally, to make dumplings that sink for putting in clear soups, substitute the self-raising flour for plain.
This type is better in smaller, smoother rounds.




A Walk for the Weekend

Now that January is here, time to get out and burn a few calories, breathe some fresh air and stand in a few sheep droppings. 
How about here?

The Broadford Marble Line, Isle of Skye.
8 Miles. Circular.

This route that starts and ends at the Broadford Hotel. (Excellent for a cheeky pint).  From the hotel car park, take the road out of Broadford towards Torrin. After a short uphill section, take the signed path to the left that takes you down to a dis-used railway.  You can now follow the railway along the side of Strath Saurdal. (If you are feeling energetic, have a hike up the hill for a look at the brilliant view of the surrounding geology).

Across the road from Strath Saurdal is Kilchrist Kirk, and beyond that, the Broadford River.

Their is a riverside path that will lead you all the way back to Broadford. 

An afternoon very well spent.

Funny of the Week

Some of these look very painful but others are really good.

Perfectly timed photos.

http://youtu.be/bMP9TdrLywo