Author: Scottish Mum

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Soupmaker: Cream of Sweet Potato Soup

Sweet potatoes are amazing, as well as being low Glycemic Index and great for me as a diabetic.  With several sweet potatoes in the fridge, it seemed sensible to use some up.  We need to add a fair bit of flavour to sweet potatoes as using them in this quantity can make for a very sweet soup indeed.  Most of my sweet potato recipes for soup, tend to have some tomatoes in it for some acidic balance, but for once, sweet was the way to go.

This was my third attempt.  The first one was tasteless and the second I overseasoned.

Soupmaker: Cream of Sweet Potato Soup

Lesley Smith
5 from 3 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Course Soup, Soup Maker
Cuisine Main, Starter
Servings 4 -6

Ingredients
  

  • 100 g Leeks sliced finely.

  • 50 g Onion sliced finely.

  • 550 g Sweet Potato chopped into small pieces.

  • 10 g Rapeseed Oil.

  • 1 Teaspoon Salt.

  • 1 Teaspoon Finely Ground Pepper.

  • 2 Vegetable Stock Cubes.

  • 1 Teaspoon Turmeric.

  • 1 Teaspoon Paprika.

  • 1 Teaspoon Nigella Seeds.

  • 1 Star Anise.

  • Half Lemon.

  • Water to top up to 1600ml Level.

  • 100 ml Cream – Optional

Instructions
 

  • Saute the leek and onion with the salt in the rapeseed oil.

  • Add all the other ingredients to the pot, apart from the lemon and the cream.

  • Select the chunky setting. For me, I remove the star anise before blending for a smooth soup.

  • When the soup is finished, squeeze in the lemon juice of half a lemon. I remove the star anise and eat chunky, or as my kids prefer, blended to a smooth puree as in the image.

  • If you are freezing any of this recipe, do so before adding any cream. The soup will be fairly sweet.
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Soupmaker: Cream of Carrot and Turmeric Soup

I haven’t shared too many recipes lately, so that needs remedied, especially as carrots are so easily come by and so versatile in any form of carrot soup.  I have loads of soups on standby, but not always with great images due to the pandemic and timeframes workwise too.

We’ve used turmeric a lot, as my youngest son has taken a shine to it as a favourite ingredient.  I’m always happy to oblige when it comes to soups, so incorporated it within this recipe for using up leftovers or just as a base soup.  It’s a very simple one and perfect for cold winter days.

Soupmaker: Carrot and Turmeric Soup 1.6 litre

Lesley Smith
5 from 1 vote
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Course Soup, Soupmaker
Cuisine Snack, Soup
Servings 6

Ingredients
  

  • 400 g Carrots chopped.
  • 150 g Leek chopped.
  • 200 g Potatoes chopped.
  • Tablespoon Rapeseed oil.
  • Teaspoon Salt.
  • Teaspoon Ground Pepper.
  • Tablespoon Turmeric Powder.
  • 1 Chicken Stock Cube.
  • 450 ml Chicken Stock – I used Tesco.
  • Water to maximum fill level for 1600ml soup.
  • 200 ml Heavy Cream Double Cream.

Instructions
 

  • Add your rapeseed oil to the pan or the soupmaker and saute with the leek, until the leek is soft.

  • Add the remaining ingredients, stirring well. The soup looks fairly unappetising at this point. Don’t let it put you off. See the thumbnail image above.

  • Choose your cooking setting. I chose smooth for my version, as I wanted a creamy, luxurious soup, rather than a meal in a bowl type soup.

  • When fully cooked, pour in the cream slowly then stir before eating. If you plan to freeze, do so before adding dairy, as soup with cream in it does not defrost well.

Video of finished soup is a little pathetic, but hey ho, I seriously need to do better with videos.

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What is Simple Candle Meditation?

Hope you are all well.

I do my own version of simple meditation if there are a few minutes to spare.  With the Coronavirus restrictions around, and so few opportunities to socialise or even work properly, I’ve been doing a little dabbling and learning, to help ease how I cope with the world.  With work being very different due to the restrictions, and life so altered, finding ways to push on through, is top of the priorities for many of us.  We cannot care for others, if we do not care for ourselves first.  Here in Scotland, things like facials are still banned, as we cannot remove face coverings, so my one and only little luxury to myself is not allowed to happen.

With meditation, I used to have a picture in my head of someone sat on a mat, legs in the lotus position, chanting ‘ummm,’ and arms out front, with thumb and middle finger touching and other fingers up in the air.  I find that a bit cringy, though each to their own, however, I’ve found that there’s nothing wrong with meditating by lying on the floor, waiting in the car, lying on the couch or even the bed.  We can do it anywhere we are comfortable and relaxed.

Disclaimer: Always ensure you are safe to meditate.  If you have any doubts, please contact a medical professional before trying meditation of any form.

This gorgeous wee cat could be meditating.  Don’t rule out meditation because we can’t do the lotus.

There are many different techniques to meditation, including guided and encouraging awareness, through to transcendal using our own mantra, sound, syllable or words repetitively to relax the mind.  Zen meditation is a form of Buddhist meditation and focuses on clearing the mind and many others, which also include movement, and/or prayer.  Personally, I like to chill out, relax and listen to soothing voices and focus on my breathing to help reduce stress of modern day life.  Raising challenging adopted children is fairly fraught on a day to day level, and finding a way to feel peaceful for at least a few minutes when I am stressed, helps me to concentrate and make better decisions in life.

Group meditation can be so relaxing, but isn’t the easiest thing to find at the moment with the covid restrictions, so here’s an easy one to do for yourself.

Simple Candle Meditation

Clear the Room of Negative Energy
This can be as simple as lighting your candle, or waving about a sage smudge stick, but not everyone needs to do this.  Clapping your hands before starting is enough.  If you can, reduce the lighting in the room you plan to mediate in.

Background

A little low music can help us relax when new to meditating.  Soothing and calm, with no vocals.  I have a smart speaker and tend to ask it to play a meditation mantra, which usually gives me some lovely options.

Take Your Position

Stretch your arms up high and if you can, then touch the floor.  Choose where you will sit, lie down, or use cushions to prop you in a comfortable seating position with feet on the floor.  If lying down, bend your knees to allow this and perhaps use a rolled up towel or bolster under your knees if needed.  Try and keep your spine straight while you focus on around 10-15 minutes at the beginning, to learn how to get your head into the mindset of relaxing.  I prefer to sit on the floor for this, with cushions at my back and under my knees, with a small table in front of me with my chosen candle.

We can bring in colour therapy with candle choice, for example:

  • Rainbow colours to signify hope, happiness, confidence.
  • Black to whoosh away negative energy and allow contemplation and respect.
  • White to signify new life, new beginnings.
  • Red for passion, action, love and courage.
  • Blue for healing, wisdom and strength.

Breathing

For simple unguided meditation, begin to focus on your breathing patterns, and how shallow your breaths are.  Concentrate to take slower, deeper breaths, concentrate on your breathing, breathe in and count to three, holding your breath and then slowly exhale, fully releasing that breath, pushing it out until you feel your abdomen contract.

Candle Flames

Try to have your candle at a comfortable level for your eyes to gaze into.  As you do your breathing exercises, begin to look into the flames, trying to keep your eyes on the flame at all times.

Look for:

  • Shapes of the flames as they flicker and move, dancing.
  • Look at the candle flames, think about the different colours you see.
  • Consider the thoughts come to the forefront of your mind, what are the images you see?
  • Try to let go of your problems and concentrate just on the flame.

Ground Yourself

Try to medicate for 10 minutes.  Don’t worry, as it takes a little practice to get right.   Before you are finished, it’s important to bring yourself back to reality and connecting with the physical life once again.

An easy way would be to:

  • Close your eyes.
  • Take a few deep breaths, imagining the breath travelling to the tips of your fingers and toes.
  • Raise your knees and place your feet flat on the floor, imagine them connecting with the earth, like the roots of a tree, solid, steady and secure.
  • Bring your knees towards your chest if you can, keeping your feet on the floor, and wrap your arms around your legs.  If you can’t do this, simply place your hands on your knees, feel the gentle peace surrounding you as you bring yourself slowly back to reality, imagining yourself strong, alive and aware.
  • When you’re ready, count down from 5,4,3,2,1, and open your eyes, and back to the room.
  • Take your time getting up, possibly have a pre planned glass of water for drinking before you stand up.

 

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7 Things to Consider Before Getting Your Child a Puppy

Collaborative Post

This was my lovely dog, Holly, a gorgeous yellow lab that shared our family for 14 years.  She went blind at the age of 7, and still lived a full life with lots of exercise.  She loved swimming, and lived for her lead coming out of the cupboard.  With the long lazy shut down for so many people, attention has turned to animals, but we need to be realistic.

Most kids have dreamed of opening that gift on their birthday or Christmas morning and finding a cute puppy snuggled inside. But what many don’t consider is the years that will follow. Unfortunately, people tend to search for puppies to get for their kids around the holiday season or when a birthday is coming up, but once they face the reality of dog ownership, the dog ends up in a shelter or re-homed. If your little one has been asking you for a puppy for a while and you want to surprise her with a pet of her own, it’s important that you are clear on what dog ownership for your family will involve. Make sure that your household is the right fit for a dog. Here are some of the main things to consider before you get a dog for your kids. 

Dogs are for Life:

Thirteen years is the average lifespan for a dog, so before you get a dog for your children, it’s important to make sure that you are ready for this long, dedicated commitment. This means that you’ll need to be ready to continue loving and caring for your pet even after the cute and cuddly puppy stage is over, as they get into their energetic and boisterous teen years and then finally, the golden years of their life. When you research dog breeds, don’t just think about what each breed is like as a puppy but consider every stage of their life too. 

Finding the Right Breed of Dog:

Before you go out and choose an adorable puppy to bring home, it’s important to do some breed research and make sure that you are choosing a breed of dog that’s suitable for your family, home, and lifestyle. You don’t have to go and spend a huge ton of money on a pedigree puppy from a breeder; in fact, many crossbreed dogs can make perfect family pets as they have a lot of qualities combined from different breeds that they are mixed with. Consider the size of the dog breed; they might be small and cuddly as a puppy but they might not be ideal for you if they’re going to grow up massive and you live in a small house. And, think about how much energy the breed has and how much time you can dedicate to exercising them every day. 

Do You Have the Time?

Before you decide to bring a puppy home, be ready to sacrifice your time. Having a puppy in your home can be similar to having a small child. You will need to take the responsibility of looking after a living creature and putting their needs first. You will also need to be ready for the fact that you might need to sacrifice more time and energy into looking after your pet than you first thought or are used to, so be ready to make arrangements for them if you’re taking a family holiday, or if you and your kids are out all days at work or school and the dog will be left alone. 

Caring for a Dog:

Many parents get a dog for their children in order to teach them about responsibility, and there’s no denying that having a family dog growing up can teach kids a huge amount of things along with boosting their self-esteem and simply providing them with a friend that they’ll always be able to rely on. However, it’s important to bear in mind that as a parent, you need to be prepared to care for the dog rather than leaving it solely down to your kids. Of course, you can show your children how to feed and walk the dog and make sure that they do it daily, but ultimately it’s down to you as the adult to make sure that this gets done and that when your kids do it, they’re doing it correctly. 

Lifetime Costs:

Are you ready for the lifetime costs of looking after a pet dog? Dogs can be expensive, so make sure that you are going to have the funds available to care for them right through from puppyhood to when they are old. The expenses don’t end after you buy a puppy or pay an adoption fee to a shelter. You will need to factor in the cost of regular vet fees, plenty of food and water, a bed, collar, lead, toys, flea and worm treatments and anything else that your dog needs to make sure that they are happy and safe. On average, dog owners pay around £17,000 to care for their dog over their lifetime but this could vary depending on your dog’s breed, size, and health. 

Feeding:

Making sure that your dog has a healthy and balanced diet is just as important as eating the right foods yourself, and the food that you give your dog can have a significant impact on their health and wellbeing. It’s important to research your options to ensure that once your puppy is home, they are getting all the nutrients that they need to be a healthy and happy pooch. 

Raw feeding is an increasingly more popular option amongst dog owners since it is similar to what dogs in the past would have eaten and doesn’t contain all the fillers and junk in kibble and processed dog food. A good raw diet will include protein, vegetables, fruit, vitamins, and minerals to make sure that your dog is getting everything that they need for optimal health and energy. 

If you want to give your puppy the best start with a raw food diet, Bella and Duke have plenty of useful information that you might find helpful. Check out bellaandduke.com for pre-packaged raw food trays that are tailored to your puppy’s dietary needs based on their breed, size, age, and condition. 

Healthcare and Insurance:

Finally, there’s nothing more important than your dog’s health and happiness. So, be sure to factor in the cost of insurance and veterinary fees when getting a dog for your family. Dog insurance costs can vary depending on factors such as breed, current health condition, and any pre-existing conditions or risk factors. However, it’s important to have because if your dog falls suddenly ill or injures themselves, a good pet insurance policy will help you cover the vet costs involved in getting them back to full health. In addition, make sure that you know a good vet nearby and register your puppy with them as soon as you bring him home. 

If you’re getting a puppy, you’ll need to make an appointment for a health check and to get their initial vaccinations; don’t let your puppy go out for a walk until this is done as the risk of contracting diseases like canine parvovirus is quite high. Vaccinations will usually have already been given if you adopt a dog from a shelter, but it’s still a good idea to take them to your vet to register them, get a health check, and help them get used to the environment. 

Getting a puppy for your kids is a great idea, but before you bring your cuddly new friend home, be sure that you are ready for the commitment and work that being responsible for a dog will bring.

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A Beautiful Birthday Gift During Lockdown From Eternity Rose

I don’t know about all of you, but I’ve rarely been out of joggers for the last three weeks, which isn’t always good for the midsection and doesn’t bode well for getting my clothes fastened when the lockdown is eased.  My birthday passed recently, and since celebrations are all at home for the moment, there was no cake, which is not a bad thing when I think about my favourite jeans.  There was no flour in our shops, which also made making one a little bit on the tricky side, so I didn’t bother.  If truth be told, I was feeling a bit cheerless on the celebration front anyway.

My gift haul stuck firmly to chocolate and flowers.  ‘Hellooo, remember those jeans!!!!!!’

Seriously, every time one of my family goes out for essentials, they come back with chocolate…  For once, I’m almost at the point of never wanting to eat the stuff again.  Anyway, my cut price birthday flowers were beginning to wilt the day after I’d got them and soon ended up on the compost heap.  Disappointing to say the least, and I don’t want to fall out with the kids for the current chocolate bonanza, because at least they’re thinking about me for more than picking up dirty clothes and making endless pots of pasta..

Fast forward a day, and I had the opportunity to be gifted an item from Eternity Rose.   I was delighted, as it involved flowers and shiny things.  I don’t know why I didn’t realise at first, as I thought from the pictures, that I was looking at a flower mould which was dipped in silver, gold or platinum.  When I read further, I realised that it was far far more than I expected.

The lovely items include genuine roses, hand picked and dipped.  There are several options to choose from, including glazed roses with colourful petals, and several jewellery items, which is what I first went to look at.  From looking through the options, I realised I’d appreciate a silver item to match my lounge decor of pale grey walls, beige seats, wood floor and black units.  My lamp and clock are all silver in colour.

I chose the eternity rose silver dipped real rose and silver dipped vase, and happy I did.  Delivery in the UK was swift and wrapped beautifully.

The Eternity Rose Silver Dipped Rose and Vase Set, with Window Box

  • It’s gorgeous.  It really has a high shine finish, due to the rose and vase being dipped in fine silver.  My pictures really don’t do lovely rose the justice it deserves.
  • This is a geniune, real rose, one that the Eternity Rose team has grown in their own nursery, then picked to begin a three month process of preserving, sealing, electroplating and finally the silver plating which consists of dozens of thin layers built up over the space of a few weeks.
  • My rose came in a lovely display box with a glass lid, which gives me the option to store it securely for decades and definitely a lovely gift to pass onto future generations.
  • Comes with a certificate of authenticity.
  • Fabulous option for birthdays and anniversary gifts.

Eternity Rose say

During the history of man, there has been one iconic symbol of passion, beauty and love – the rose. As silver and roses have been lovingly represented in literature and art for generations, The Eternity Rose has now artistically combined these enduring symbols into a stylish and magnificent gift that lasts forever.

The lady in your life will love to receive a stunning Eternity Rose for any occasion. Whether she is celebrating a birthday, wedding anniversary or Valentine’s Day, you can show your loved one how much you care by presenting her with this gorgeous and thoughtful token of appreciation. Mom may even love an Eternity Rose for Mother’s Day. For any lady celebrating her 25th wedding anniversary, a silver-dipped rose & vase set makes a particularly appropriate and impressive present. Any woman is sure to be amazed by such a uniquely artistic gift that is a perfect combination of floral beauty with the lavish majesty of an ornament.

There is no stronger symbol of love than the single rose blossom. The Eternity Rose’s aim is to develop this love symbol into a meaningful art piece that can be displayed in pride of place for a lifetime as an eternal testament to love.

Each rose undergoes a three-month long, 60-step process in order to produce the final product. We use our very own processes and formulae, beginning with several layers of copper to produce a texture-sensitive base layer that provides the best surface to receive the precious metal coating. After being sealed and layered with copper, we then electroplate it with nickel to give the rose’s structure the necessary integrity to withstand plating with certified silver. During each step of the process, every rose is carefully inspected to ensure that it remains flawless, and that its plating quality and form are absolutely perfect. It is only once our rigorous quality control tests have been carried out that the rose finally moves onto the silver-dipping stage, which consists of dozens of very thin layers built up over the course of several weeks. The final result is a flower with a lustrous mirror finish and a brilliant appearance that can never corrode, but will retain its stunning elegance for literally thousands of years.

Amaze the love of your life with the gift of an Eternity Rose, and give them the luxurious token of esteem they deserve.

Find Eternity Rose on Social Media below:

Facebook

Twitter

Instagram

Pinterest

YouTube

 

 

 

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Babybel Nuggets Recipe

A little lockdown favourite that my son makes.  Cheese is such a versatile ingredient to use in cooking of all kinds, and Babybel adapts well as a replacement for meat in this type of fast food dish.

He loves cheese, and he loves fried food.  He had a go at these, just because he could.  I took some pictures along the way, as it seemed to be a nice simple dish.

He makes them in the same way as for other nuggets, but simply using small Babybel cheese rounds instead of chicken or fish.

‘Best nuggets ever,’ he says.  He would say that, since he made them…….

Babybel Nuggets 

Ingredients:

He didn’t measure these, so just use as much as needed, and use 1 egg at a time, giving it a quick whisk in the bowl with a fork.

  • Babybel Cheese
  • Egg
  • Flour
  • Ruskoline
  • Cooking Oil

Method – Pictures Below:

Step 1

Peel the Babybel Cheese.

Step 2

Prepare three small bowls.  One with flour, one with beaten egg and the last one with ruskoline.

Dip the individual Babybel Cheese rounds into the flour first to dry it, then into the beaten egg, rolling it around until fully covered, then into the ruskoline to coat the cheese.  He used gloves as it’s a messy business making nuggets.

Step 3

He used a small egg pan with about half to three quarters of an inch of cooking oil, pre heated, and fried three or four at a time for a few minutes each side, on a medium heat.

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Crepe Style Pancakes

This came about due to the lack of baking powder and plain flour in the Scottish Mum Household.  The boys wanted pancakes, but I knew I wouldn’t be able to make them rise like fluffy pancakes, so I bit the bullet and went for self raising flour ones.  They are more of a consistency like crepe style pancakes than the traditional ones that we are used to up here in Scotland, but they kept the boys bellies full.

Crepe Style Pancakes

Lesley Smith
5 from 1 vote
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
Course Baking
Servings 15 Medium Pancakes

Ingredients
  

  • 2 Medium Eggs
  • 30 g Butter or Margarine
  • 300 ml Milk
  • 250 g Self Raising Flour
  • 30 g Sugar

Instructions
 

  • Fold the ingredients until the flour is incorporated. Then whisk the ingredients briskly until it forms a smooth batter consistency.

  • Heat a thick bottomed pan on the hob. I don't use oil to cook my pancakes, but some do. I keep the temperature low, and cook slowly.

  • When the top of the pancake mix begins to show bubbles, it's time to flip it over and cook the other side. As I don't use oil, the pancakes don't have that smooth single colour, but they do have significantly less calories than an oil cooked pancake.

  • We get around 15 medium sized pancakes from this recipe. It will depend on how large you make yours.

 

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Slow Cooked Pulled Pork – in Zero Sugar Fizzy Orange

I had no idea how this would turn out.  I wanted to try in coke, but couldn’t get any.  I couldn’t get irn bru either, so zero sugar fizzy orange was all I could buy.  I wanted a fruity flavour, but without the excess sweetness that can come from using actual fruit or full sugar drinks.

Even getting meat at the moment is difficult, with the way the shop shelves are, so I count myself lucky to have bagged this beautiful piece of meat that sat alone and forlorn on the shelf.  I tend not to buy many joints of meat, as the price tends to be more than I’m willing to often pay to feed us all, but in this time of shortages, whatever is there, is what ends up in the shopping basket.  My fridge currently looks decidedly bare, which is unusual for me, as I always tend to have lots of fruit and veg in there, but I think I must be shopping at the wrong times these days.  I really must make an effort to be more adventurous about the times I try to get shopping, and with no online deliveries in the supermarkets, I’ve had to resort to a butcher delivery for the next few weeks.  Needs must.

It worked out great.  I cooked it on the low slow cooker setting overnight, for around 8-9 hours, and let it rest for half an hour.  I usually sear the meat before adding to the slow cooker, but this time, I just wanted to throw all the ingredients in and go to bed, as I was absolutely whacked.

I used a fairly large joint of meat, and wouldn’t use the high setting for this type of cooking, as I suspect it would toughen the meat somewhat.

I did soften the onions for a few minutes in pan, with a little butter, and mixed with a vegetable stock cube for a bit of salty flavouring.

About half a litre of zero sugar orange fizzy drink, and a little top of up of water and this was on the way.

When I got up in the morning, I simply transferred to a chopping board to rest, then sliced it so the boys could have pulled pork sandwiches for brekkie.  They were so hungry, I didn’t get any pictures of their sandwiches, but the meat was fabulous, not to salty, not fruity, and definitely not boring.

What unusual combinations, but oh so tasty.

 

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How are you all in the loo roll crisis?

I just wanted to put up a post due to all the messages, e-mails and news around the dreaded Coronavirus, or COVID-19.  I know with my teens that information can be too much, and at other times, just not enough to keep them sensible.  I’m not going to go into any depth on the things we’ve all seen a million times already, round hand washing, coughs and isolation.  We all know what’s being advised, but the messages can be conflicting too.  My special needs lad can’t process what’s going on at all, and my youngest plans on going on a session after it’s all over.  I’ve seen my shopping bills decimated as I don’t have huge groups of teen pals descending on me for food and juices, and I’m worried about finding loo roll when the time comes, like everyone else.

I’ve worked more or less alone for years now, and although I’ve closed my physical business for a few weeks, I still have so much I could be doing, that being at home more often as my husband is a serious asthmatic, doesn’t feel like a break from the daily grind.  Instead, I’ve decided to do some online courses I’ve been planning to do for ages, and never got around to.  I think being told I ‘can’t’ leave the house, would be far worse that choosing to stay at home.  It’d be a bit like me telling the teens to be home by midnight and them ignoring phone calls till 1am, by which time, I’m in a panic cloud.

What is the Scottish Mum house doing?

1 – Not Panicking Yet

At the potential scarcity of loo rolls, although I do have a sharp intake of breath as I see my regular loo roll pile diminishing.  Special needs boy seems to use a whole roll every time he goes to the loo, so might have to ration him as there’s no more to be had easily, and I can’t be bothered trailing to a dozen shops and mixing with more and more people to find them when we’re out….  They’re more precious than porcelain ornaments at the moment.

2 – Looking Out Microfibre Cloths and Face Cloths

Yup, has to be done.  I’ve got plenty old buckets in the garage that hub uses for washing or fixing the car, so if we have to go to using those as loo roll alternatives, I can stick them in bleach, like babies nappies, until they’re ready to be washed.  Don’t people ever wonder what our previous generations did in the war?  I remember the stories from my mum, so although it’d be a huge hassle, I’m happy to do what I have to, so those with hundreds of rolls, and a bedroom stacked from floor to roof, can happily wipe their behinds and spend so much money, they’ll never have to buy loo roll, ever again.

3 – Watching The News Less Often

Seriously, it’s damaging to public health.  A few days ago, I caught myself madly refreshing my sky news app, in case I missed some nugget of information that might be relevant.  Boris Johnson and his updates are enough for me now.  I know it’s serious, and I’m trying to educate my boys without terrifying them.  The young are often disinterested in anything that might not affect them much.   Kids on the whole, are insular and self serving.  We shouldn’t be shocked that older teens and young adults are still out whooping, because they either don’t care about what they see as a virus that is more dangerous to the elderly or those with underlying health problems, or can’t understand it.  Even most of their parents have never lived through a crisis.   I’ve never lived through a major crisis event.

4 – Shopping As Little As I Can

For people who are meant to be doing social distancing, the queues for shops are mental.  Seriously nuts.  There are no online shopping slots available at my usual store, for the whole time slots are open for.  No slot available for home shopping or click and collect.  How are people self isolating or with the virus meant to get their shopping when they can’t get any slots?  Today, stores seem to have added milk to their difficult to get items.  My kids may not get the food they’d prefer, but they won’t go hungry.   There is food.  Just not anything fresh at my regular store, though that might change as limits to amounts of purchases are started.   I have an online shop due, that I booked weeks ago, but doubting that much of what I ordered will actually appear.   I couldn’t get any fresh meat this week, so we have none at the moment, and there were no potatoes either.  I still have a few potatoes, but not worrying about that either.  We’ll manage with what we’ve got.  If we get ill, we’ll manage that too, somehow.  The major stockpilers must be about due to stop emptying the shelves soon.  I hope people don’t buy the mega expensively marked up necessities appearing online, as that would just enforce more panic buying, but panic does strange things to people.  I can’t blame them either.   The news isn’t helping.

 

 

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What is the difference between Swede, Neeps and Turnip

In Scotland, anyone over a certain age, will know them as fairly interchangeable, with simply a different colour to set them apart.  A comment on an earlier recipe post about cooking this versatile and really tasty vegetable, made me decide to do a post about the fundamental differences and why we Scots tend to refer to turnip as swede, or neep, or is it turnip?

It still begs to argue the reason for the different names.  Seriously, it could make a grown woman cry.  It’s not terribly straight forward, and an English/Irish/French/Scottish debate could grow in parliament to get a very uneasy stalemate as each side battled the other to come out on top.  This pair of root veg could cause utter chaos on a dinner menu.

Everyone knows who Rabbie Burns is, and that we die hards North of the border tuck into haggis, neeps and tatties.  So, are those neeps turnip or swede, or a mix of both?    The basics really came from days gone by, when vegetables were more locally sourced.  Scottish grannies knew about turnips versus swedes, but turnips were usually reserved for the more well heeled families that could afford to import them when weather was poor.  Prices were higher.  As a child growing up, the greengrocers always had bins and bins of huge swedes on sale, but never a turnip in sight.  Turnip, when cooked, has a more white fleshy appearance, where swede, when cooked, is a more yellow/orange colour.   Cooking with turnip used to be seen as a sign of wealth, due to the small size and difficulty sourcing in winter months.  Knowing all this though, really doesn’t help much to determine what neeps are either.

In Aberdeen, we often still use the name neep to describe swede.  We also call swede turnip.  Who knows what most people call the white turnip?  I grew up thinking it was a posh veg with no taste.  Maybe they grew more white turnip down south, where the weather is warmer, and crop growing needed to be faster for higher population densities, but I’m seriously guessing.

Growing up, my grannie cooked ‘turnip,’ or ‘neep,’ every week, but it was always actually, very orange, 2 hour steamed swede.  I was clueless.  Neeps, turnip and swede were all the same thing to me then.  Not until our first major supermarket opened it’s doors a few decades ago, did I ever see one of those strange white things in person.

In Aberdeen, and most of Scotland, a burns night supper is really haggis, swede and mashed tatties.  What other nationalities or generations do, I have no idea.  Some may be more politically correct in the terms they use, but I know what I mean…not that my knowing counts for anything much.   In some countries, swedes are pig swill, but they don’t know what they’re missing out on.  Honestly, swedes/neeps/turnips of the orange variety are ultra tasty indeed.  A bit like a cross between a potato and sweet potato to my taste buds.

Just to make this difficult, my grandfather, who was raised on a farm, called both white and orange varieties neeps, which he was adamant was simply a shorter nickname for turnips of any colour, ie both white and orange, and also called them greentops or greenies.  Young ladies now tend to use the name greenies as a term for nail fungus…..  Confused much?  I’m not.

In America, they tend to call swedes – rutabaga.  I spent ages one day trying to figure out what on earth a rutabaga was.  So disappointing to find out it was just a plain old orange neep.

In short, I dislike the little white round things, and love the bigger yellow/orange things.

The major differences:

White Turnips

  • Smaller and more round than swedes,
  • White flesh when cutting into the turnip.
  • Fast growing, but are very small.   Can be grown in around 6-8 weeks.
  • Need more fertiliser, and are higher maintenance to grow than swedes.
  • Do not do well with frosty weather and must be harvested before the first heavy frost, which can be fairly early, and unpredictable in Scotland.

Swedes/Neeps/Rutabaga/Orange Turnips

  • Often very much bigger than turnips, with a longer shape.
  • Yellow or orange flesh, depending on cooking time.  The longer swedes are cooked, the darker colour the flesh achieves.
  • Are very hands off, and low maintenance to grow.
  • Do very well in frosty weather.  The swede is said to be best after the first winter frost.
  • Came from Sweden originally, where to grow, vegetables need to survive heavy winters.
  • High yield per swede, made them a favourite for Scottish grannies.
  • Sweeter in flavour than a turnip, to which they are indeed, related.
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Instant Pot Baked Potatoes – Pressure Cooker Baked Potatoes

I used to use my slow cooker for baked potatoes, and a few times, I also used an air fryer, but that wasn’t as successful.  I suspect that would have worked better with tin foil.  My new favourite go to for baked potatoes, to save me waiting three hours for the oven, or four in the slow cooker, is now my Instant Pot.  I bought it on a whim a while back, and have used it a fair bit to be honest.

I used four huge potatoes in this version, as opposed to smaller ones, and it needed a fair increase in time cooked.  I first cooked on high pressure for 20 minutes, but then had to cook again for another 15 minutes.  In total, I know if I am using such big potatoes, I need to set my cooker to around 35 minutes on high pressure.

There’s no need to use foil for the pressure cooker and skins aren’t baked hard, they’re just perfect and the insides are baked and fluffy, and not waxy in the way they come out of a microwave.

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Instant Pot Baked Potatoes Recipe - Pressure Cooker Baked Potatoes

Lesley Smith
Fabulously fluffy and mashable baked potatoes from a pressure cooker.
5 from 1 vote
Print Recipe
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Course Mains, Snacks
Servings 4
Calories 93 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • Four large baking potatoes.
  • 2 cups water or to the minimum amount in your pressure cooker instructions.

Instructions
 

  • For this you will need the trivet from your Instant Pot, or a metal grille to sit your potatoes out of the water needed for the pressure cooking.

  • Make sure you wash the potatoes thoroughly. I remove eyes to please fussy teenagers, which is why I have some white spots where I've removed them on my potatoes.

  • Put the trivet or metal rack on the bottom of the pan, and sit the potatoes on top.

  • Put on the lid and slide the valve to the sealed position on the lid.

  • With an Instant Pot, select manual, and adust the time to suit your needs. My cook time for the future for these, will be set at 35 minutes on high.

  • If you can, wait for the natural release to happen for the pressure from the cooker, but if you are in a hurry, protect your hands and slide the valve on the lid to the release setting.

  • Remove the potatoes and serve with your choice of toppping. Here, we simply use butter and coleslaw.

 

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10 Quick and Easy Dishes for the Busy Festive Season

This time of year is always difficult to manage juggling kids, work, elders, shopping, leisure time, chores and so much more.  I find myself running around like a headless chicken trying to sort everything out.  I get home after 5, then the thought of food isn’t always the first thing on my mind, but there are hungry teens to feed, and they like plenty food.   Making burgers and soups is something I do often, as they are just so filling as the teens all like to fill up on meat, preferably in a bun, and I like something more light in the evening.  These are my top picks of quick snacks from my recipes for this xmas.  Enjoy.

1 Home Made Burgers with Red and Orange Peppers

A fabulous meal and make quickly and easily from simple mince, fill up bellies with the wholesome goodness of red and green peppers, and make a healthy fast food option.

2 Cheesy Meatball Muffins

Made from mince, onions and cheese, with some seasoning, this is one of the simplest recipes around.  Fast and a change to regular mince options.

3 Egg Pizza with Ham and Tomato

Been shopping and looking for a recipe to quickly fill an empty belly?  Egg pizza is easy and any fridge ingredients do the trick.  Don’t stick to just ham or tomato.  Get creative and add anything you have.  Chicken, beef, peppers, onions, meatballs, mushroom and much more.

4 Garlic and Cheese Stuffed Mushrooms

One of my favourites, this takes little to no time to make at all.  Don’t miss out on great food when you’re busy.

5 Vegetarian Haggis Soup

I made this in a soupmaker, but it works just as easily in a pot.  Just cook the vegetables in the stock first, then add in the haggis until piping hot by following the instructions on your haggis pack.  This is lush and filling, making a whole meal in a pot.

6 Coconut and Lime Soup

This was incredibly popular when I first posted it.  A really unusual flavour to a simple soup, making the day aromatic and fragrant.

7 Fresh Limeade

Lovely and refreshing after a long tiring day.  Light and zesty.

8 Raw Strawberry and Banana Ice Cream

Have chopped bananas and strawberries in the fridge, and follow this recipe for some lush deliciousness.  Best eaten freshly made, with the bananas adding a luxurious creaminess.

9 Strawberry Cheesecake

A good favourite of the kids.  The colours look lovely and it’s speedy to make.  Good enough for a dinner party.

10 Sugar Free Chocolate Mint Avocado Mousse

I can’t finish without something chocolately.  A little more work involved here, but it’s soo worth it.  A recipe by kitchen sanctuary, this is well worth a try.