Haggis!

I failed to make it in time for Burns Night, but better late than never I say!

We didn’t have neeps, but mashed butternut squash is very good

Leftovers fried for breakfast. Even better!

Mango Chutney

 This is the many many manyth go at creating the perfectly balanced mango chutney which is nice and sweet but sharp too without tasting too vinegary (Doug doesn’t like vinegar too much)

1kg ripe mangos (weight after peeling and taking the stones out)

500g sugar

3 tblsp vinegar

1 tsp citric acid (or 2 if you like it really sour)

Zest of a lemon grated or chopped small

Juice of a lemon

(I used a seville orange for this batch instead of the lemon)

The spices can vary quite a lot and I tend to just use what I have...

2 tsp turmeric 

1/2 tsp each of cinnamon, black pepper, nutmeg

4 cardamoms, 3 star anise, 5 juniper berries, a bit of cinnamon bark, 2 tsp of mustard seeds, 5 cloves all crushed up, not to powder, to kind of reasonable sized bits. You can powder them but the chutney goes more brown and I prefer the look with it orange, you have to pick the bits out as you eat! Alternatively you could boil them for a while in water and then strain the water in to the mango.

Cut the mango in to chunks (I do about 1cm to 1.5cm, but larger or smaller as you fancy). Add the lemon juice and zest and a little water and cook over a low heat until the mango is quite mushy (probably an hour or more). Add a little water if it seems too thick and it might start sticking.

When there are just a few in-tact lumps of mango remaining, add the sugar, citric acid, spices and vinegar. Cook on a slightly higher heat until the remaining lumps go clear/translucent all the way through and the mix is thick. It will set slightly more as it cools, but not like jam so it needs to be quite thick when you stop cooking it.

Put in to clean jars, cool and eat!

Lots of walking a little skiing

A sunny day in amongst the rainy ones. Time to go skiing, or really we should call it walking with a little ski at the end!

There were quite a few people around despite the area not really being open. But we went up the (somewhat) shady side and mostly avoided them.

Doug’s tracks!

Poppy ran sooooo far. Hard work in deeper snow!

Now she is very very tired!

Chocolate Brownie Recipe

140g butter

3 eggs

60g plain chocolate

90g plain chocolate

120g plain flour

100g sugar

50g golden syrup (or 30g brown sugar)

5tbsp plain cocoa (unsweetened)

Baking tray around 20x20cm (mine is 18x27cm so a bit bigger than that)

Melt the butter, sugar, golden syrup and 60g chocolate till soft, don’t ever heat.

Add the eggs and stir until well mixed.

Add the flour and cocoa powder and stir until mixed, don’t over stir.

Roughly chop the remaining 90g of chocolate and stir in.

Put in to a brownie tin (approx size 20x20cm) and cook at 180°C for about 10 mins until cooked (skewer comes out clean and the center doesn’t wobble when gently shaken)

Snowy Animals

 It snowed a few days ago. Fortunately we had just got hay for the cows and horses so everyone has a full belly or warming hay. The sheep even accepted a little, generally if they have any grass at all they reject hay...

It’s melting off a lot now, but much colder than it has been here for years. The last two winters were very warm and even the few before that, though we had snow it didn’t freeze so hard.

The ducks don’t seem to mind the cold and go swimming as soon as I break the ice on their water. Nutters!

The chickens aren’t too bothered either. Apparently if it gets really really cold they can get frost bite on their combs, but not seen any sign of that

Buttercup always used to feel the cold, but the remaining ones don’t so much

The horses have their run in and plenty of hay as well as wooly winter coats

The sheep have plenty of wool, they only accept hay when they can’t get at the grass at all.

Cow Rampage!

 I was going to do the UK tax return today and Doug had useful wood chopping plans. However the cows decided to go on the rampage as I tried to move them from one field to another and we instead spent the day recapturing them and repairing the damage to two gates and a fence caused by Dorne trying to return to the others having decided to go a different way...

Looking all innocent in the field as they calmly came up 

Heading the wrong way and just before they started crazy running to and fro in the orchard, fortunately not crushing any saplings

After running in the road several times and half way to the neighbors and through one of the neighbors fields as well as a fence crushing frenzy by Dorne, they now look all innocent again. Shortly aftr this the condescended to return to their field and their nice hay.

We had beef stir-fry for dinner!

Happy New Year!

 Wild boar with butternut squash and kale (also with Champagne) for Hogmanay.

Little walk and a ski on New Years Day

Wishing you all a Happy New Year. Hopefully this one won’t be as eventful as 2020