Merry Christmas All

May I wish all my readers a Very Happy Christmas and a Guid New Year.

Please view the following link on YouTube, it's a lovely musical greeting:  

Youtube White Christmas

Mince Pies

Doesn't that mince pie just look delicious?  Mouthwatering and the pastry, looking so crumbly and light, will surely melt in your mouth within seconds.

No, it's not a photo of my home baking - how I wish it was!  I've been struggling to buy a quality mince meat to bake my own, but yesterday I finally decided to make my own.

Emptying the contents of the baking cupboard it was a surprise to find plenty sultanas, raisins and cherries. Complimented by ground almonds and various spices the fruit was put in a pan and warmed thoroughly using generous tots of rum, amaretto, port and anything else to hand.  This was then cooled and put into the fridge in a covered bowl.  I've stirred it today and added more booze and have to admit, my fridge smells rather festive.  Overpoweringly festive, but at least I'm doing my best to get into the spirit of things (excuse the pun).

I'll leave the concoction to 'mince' ( or is it 'meat') until Sunday then do the pies. Hopefully I can manage a comparison photo with the one above, but I don't intend to 'break' more than two just to improve my photography skills as I would like to offer my New Year guests some.  So keep your fingers crossed!  

Christmas Markets

This photo was sent to me as a Christmas card and it took my mind back to my years of working in Europe.

Christmas in Germany, Switzerland and Austria was a wonderful experience.  The superb Christmas markets where you could buy all your food for the festive season, plus of course gifts for everyone.

Traditions were far more marked than they are here and Christmas Eve was the time to put up the tree which would be adorned with real candles.  I can understand why they've been banned I suppose, but seeing a Christmas tree lit by candlelight is a true joy.

We opened our presents on Christmas Eve too and Christmas Day was the day for food, food and more food.  Goose was a favourite rather than turkey and, to this day, I do enjoy goose for my Christmas meal.

The Europeans don't seem to over-hype Christmas or over decorate, it's all rather subtle and gentle.

Such treasured memories. 

Skiing at Glenshee near Blairgowrie

A heavy fall of snow overnight and now a great possibility of Glenshee opening for business.  As usual it's very picturesque here but cold (-3 outside earlier).  The cold is a 'dry' cold and if you're dressed warmly it's lovely outside.

I didn't take the above photo of Glenshee but I've borrowed it.  Such a wonderful landscape and skiing for all levels of skill.

Why have all the hassle of airports when you can access Glenshee easily.  Blairgowrie is at the south side of the Cairngorms and the last town before the slopes, so do stop and stock up with the painkillers and moisturiser!

Online Booking

The past couple of weeks I have been inundated with emails offering me online booking and/or credit card facilities.  I do hope the following explains the reasons why I do not use these services.

I do not accept online bookings as I find them too impersonal so please email me or telephone.  

Also online booking companies charge for the facility (including visitscotland) and this would increase my standard rate.  Why should a guest have to pay more than necessary?

Credit card companies also charge fees which would have to be passed onto my guests and that is the reason I do not accept them.

It is important to me that my guests receive value for money when staying here and I do my best to keep rates as low as possible.

St Andrews Day, Blairgowrie

Another year, another St Andrews Day.  Had a busy weekend guest-wise so it was a rush to get out to a party tonight.  Everyone had to wear something Scottish and there were some very well turned out people in attendance.  Kilts abound and the question 'why do men usually have better legs than women' sprung to mind - again.  Perhaps it's only men with shapely legs who wear kilts!

Blairgowrie gave a good show of entertainment this afternoon.  The Pipe Band were out in all their glory and the market was doing well.  I didn't manage to spend much time in town and also forgot my camera, so the above picture is from earlier in the year.

The town Christmas lights looked so smart tonight and I'll try to take some photographs very soon.

It's good to meet with friends but also good to be home in the warm.  Very cold again tonight but everyone says they are cosy so that's the main thing.  The new boiler seems to be working well.

Winter Weather Is Here Early.

November Snow

Woke up yesterday morning to a 2 inch covering of snow.  It looked very picturesque from inside the house where it was cosy and warm.  Eventually I did go outside to take some photos and the day was very pleasant, cold but dry and no wind.  Luckily the council looks after the roads well, so there are no problems travelling in this kind of weather.

The garden looked quite sculptural with the snow outlining the shape of shrubs and there's always a peacefulness about gardens and the countryside when it's covered in snow.

I'm being very brave this year.  The cordyline above has been nurtured by me for years, fed in summer and brought indoors once the frost appears.  This year, on the advice of a guest who is a gardening expert, I've left it outside.  He says it's a very hardy plant.  If it survives this snow then I'm sure it will survive anything.