tips for keeping warm

It is sooooo cold! I am very glad I am off and not having to face the daily commute and can slob out in my hoodie. I hate hate hate being cold and so have various ways of keeping cosy. Here are my favourites:

Hot water bottle - yes, turning the heating on is a no brainer but a hot water bottle will heat you up asap and really helps to defrost toes. I have one from Boots that comes with a furry red and white spot cover. If I am really cold I tuck it up my jumper for an extra blast of heat!

Wooly leggings - if you have long johns wear them. If you don't, and can't quite bring yourself to buy some, the trend for leggings means you can get a wide selection of woollen leggings. You can wear them under your favourite comfy trousers.

Socks - wool walking socks are excellent for keeping toes cosy. The trick is to not have them too tight - in fact I like to steal Andy's as it means there is plenty of room for air to circulate and warm up. If they are too tight they will cut off your circulation which is already struggling as it is in the cold.

Layer up - loose layers are much better than one big thick layer. Layers trap air that gets warmed up and creates insulation. A merino wool base layer long sleeved top under a fleece is a good start.

Mittens - mittens are maybe seen as children's gloves but they are much more effective at keeping you warm. I prefer the ones you get where it is a pair of fingerless mits with a mitten covering you pull over your fingers. This means that if you have to do something that requires full finger movement, you don't have to either take your gloves off or struggle with woolly challenged fingers. The fact that your fingers mingle in the mitt mean they share warmth rather than being trapped in their own lonely chilly wool finger. I got mine from Monsoon Accessorize although you can probably get some that are more robust from outdoorsy shops.

Hot tea - I have posted before about making a right proper pot of tea. It is even more important when trying to conserve and create heat to warm the pot and your cup before making and serving your tea. In this weather dishes become very chilled and will therefore leach heat out of your food and hot drinks. So also warm plates before serving dinner etc.

Have a bath - having a lovely warm bath is often the only time when I feel completely toasty and warm. It works a treat in cold weather. My key tips are to swirl warm water arond the bath before starting to fill - like warming a giant pot for tea! - so the bath has the chill taken off it. Make sure the bath is warm but not to hot - you don't want chilblains. I fill 2/3 full to a medium temp, get in, then add hot water as required. If you plunge icy toes into very hot water you could end up with painful feet. To make the bath more special than just a way to heat up, I add bubbles and light the room with candles. Make sure your towel and pyjamas/clothes are hanging on the radiator so you don't go from warm bath to chilled clothes and have your slippers ready to avoid cold tiles!

An electric blanket - some people don't like these but I love them. You can get them with two sides if you have a partner that doesn't like them or has different temp needs. Mine has a pre-heat setting so that you can warm the bed safely before hitting the sack.

Slippers - I love slippers. But you do have to be careful that you buy good ones. You don't want to buy slippers that don't have good grips or support. You might just be wearing them in the house but you should still think about how safe they are for your feet. I love the sheepskin boots from M&S - they have in-built support, have a rubber sole and are super cosy. They are so good even my slipper-hating husband has been converted. After stealing mine for several weeks Santa brought him a pair for Christmas!

Soup - a bowl of soup is the most warming thing I think to have. A basic tomatoe soup is really easy to make and, of course, there is always good old heinz! Warm the bowl before serving so it doesn't cool too quickly.

A hat - not only does a hat keep you cosy and warm, it means you don't have to do your hair!!!

Fourth Element - this isn't a serious suggestion (unless you are keeping warm beyond nipping out to the shops) but I have Fourth Element arctic base layers for diving and I have used them for going out walking this Christmas and I think they might get an airing today. They are the warmest tops, leggings, hats etc ever.


So, as you can tell, I am very focused on staying warm! And, although it seems like going outside is madness in this cold, going for a brisk walk followed by hot chocolate will be a good start to keeping your system moving and keeping you warm alongside all my other wee tricks.

the sherrifmuir inn

Before Christmas, we went for dinner with my friend Michelle and her partner Rob. We are still finding our way restaurant-wise and Michelle suggested the Sherrifmuir Inn. I had heard the Inn mentioned as a good place to go and so it proved - tucked up in the wee hamlet of Sheriffmuir is a fantastic pub/restaurant that does really excellent food with a great ambience.

I like places where you get good food but in relaxed surroundings and that is what we got. The woman who runs the place - I didn't catch her name - was cheery and welcoming and even when we were the last table left she didn't rush us out the door.

The first course was garlic bread - but not as you would normally recognise it. Two thick slices of good bread were served with a tomatoe salad and a whole roasted bulb of garlic. The top was sliced off and to eat you squeezed out the soft roasted garlic and then spread it on your bread. The roasting had essentially turned each clove into a wee soft nub of garlic spread. Delicious. Rob had the garlic mushrooms - mushrooms grilled and popped on a kebab skewer and dressed with garlic - they looked amazing.

For our mains we had fish and chips. I have never liked mushy peas and usually ask for the peas to be left off the plate. I forgot this time and had a wee panic when I saw them on the plate. However, I am so glad I tasted them. These were not mashed beyond recognition peas that had been canned or frozen. The fresh green taste was like a wee mouthful of spring and cut nicely across the batter of the fish.

After such amazing food, I couldn't manage a whole pudding to myself and so shared a sticky toffee pudding with Michelle. It was truly yummy - hot, sweet and dripping in sauce. The coffees were also excellent - often it is the coffee that will tip me from pleseantly satisfied into heartburn territory as it is so often badly served, but this coffee topped off the meal to perfection. Strong but not 'burnt' it is clear whoever is working the espresso knows what they are doing.

The bill was £25 a head - which given the three courses, standard of food and the bottle of wine we had was an excellent price. We will definitely be going back.

book review - delia

I have always felt a bit hot and cold about Delia. Some people like her 'in charge' approach and certainly she sticks to a simple format - no Nigella-esque red silk dressing gowns raiding the fridge at midnight. But sometimes I do feel she can be a wee bit bossy. For example, in one of her recipes where you need to measure a liquid she doesn't just advocate a jug but a glass one at that. If I use a plastic one will Delia have me sitting on the naughty step?

However, I watched her Christmas TV programme and was inspired to buy her book. The recipes she showed the viewers were clear, not too difficult, and proper traditional fare for Christmas.

I found the book to be simple in layout and very clear in its instructions - not that I would expect anything less from Delia. I think what I liked about it best though is that the choice of recipes is extensive - usually in this sort of book you get several ways to cook and use left over turkey with a dull veggie option and perhaps one or two random 'not turkey' dishes that don't really sit well next to the main act of the Christmas Dinner. Not here.

The first thing is that the contents and planner are extremely helpful in theming the foods and also in reminding you of all those wee items you might forget when in a rush. I usually find other people's planners fairly pointless given I am cooking for two most of the time but I found this one helpful.

One of the features I liked best was the inclusion of snacks and nibbles that will see you through unexpected visitors or where a sit down meal is not appropriate. Parmesan twists, sausage rolls and the tomatoe tart with swiss cheese and rosemary are all easy to do and freezable - good for planning ahead or making up several lots and then using as you need them. I have never made sausage rolls and will be making some for coming home from the Nightwatch service.

The vegetarian section is strong - in fact most of the recipes I didn't identify as 'veggie' - with the luxuriant vegetable pie and oriecchiette and walnut sauce stand outs for me that will be getting a practice.

I also liked the inclusion of a hogmanay section - and one that doesn't offend a Scottish reader. Black Bun, Arbroath smokies, Cranachan, trifle and a haggis pie all feature. I am almost embarrassed to say that it is Delia who has inspired me to make Black Bun for the first time.

I would thoroughly recommend this book for anyone who is doing a Christmas Dinner for the first time, as the recipes are straightforward and without frills, but also for the experienced cook. I haven't really focused on the main event dishes as I am happy with doing a Christmas Dinner - but I found the other recipes inspiring for the rest of the Christmas period.

I usually have my folks over on Boxing Day but as we couldn't all make it that day, it will be on the 4th. And with Delia I have reached my goal of revitalising by repertoire. All of the dishes for my family will be entirely new and from Delia's excellent book. I am a picky so-and-so - so this outcome proves how much I like this book!

christmas planning

This year I have been very bad at organising for Christmas. I was going to be off on leave from the 16th but work issues meant today - the 22nd - is in fact my first day off. I had thought I could do most of my food prep on leave and so because of the changes am now very behind. I am the sort of person that finds being organised quite hard but very necessary to keep my sanity! So I have felt in a bit of a panic. But Andy has made the mincemeat and we are going to my in-laws on Christmas Day - so a lot of the pressure is now off. I will be doing a Christmas Dinner for Andy and I on Christmas Eve and trialling on Boxing Day the menu I hope to do for all my folks coming over on the 4th January.

So, to get my menus together, I have bought Delia's new Christmas book, watched her programme and Jamie Oliver's on TV and written a bunch of lists! I wanted to update my repertoire and not just trot out the old menus I usually do so have been on the hunt for some new dishes.

I am going to try several new recipes:

Chicken Liver Pate
Amazing Garlic Bread
Irish Soda Bread
Red Cabbage
Beef en Croute
Queen of Puddings

I will update as I go along!

taking delight in life

Today I Saw blog...



One of the things that sometimes Andy laughs at (but that I think everyone should try to do) is how much I still retain a childlike approach to life. I get very excited over things most would associate with being a kid - scrunching and kicking through Autumn leaves and splashing through puddles, licking the spoon after baking a cake, and being quite fascinated when I discover something new, running like a mad thing across a deserted beach being lashed by the wind and waves, skipping along a summer sun lined lane etc etc.

Part of this is enjoying all of the little stories that make up your day - the man on the train who has his flask of coffee with him each day that steams up the train window, the chat I share with the guy who I buy my morning cuppa from at the station, the sight of two older women walking down Sauchiehall Street arm in arm discussing where to go for a cuppa.

This is why I like this site - it captures what the blogger sees each day on a postcard and they send it to someone they are friends with. It reminds you of how many small moments make up your day and your life and that you can find something interesting every day. I think it is important to keep that excitement about the world around you - I don't think that being adult should be about being jaded and failing to notice anymore how cool the world can be. In fact, if anything, adults who eschew such a world view to my mind aren't adult at all - they are still stuck in that teenage stage of figuring anything that is fun is 'not cool'. Imagine being stuck there for the next 50 years!!

books

I love books. I think they are more than just static objects - they get passed down, sold, written in, studied and shared. And there is a blog I found called forgotten bookmarks where a guy posts up the scraps and notes and other ephemera found in the second hand books that find their way to his shop.

marimekko

I love bold, graphic and colourful patterns and marimekko do some of the best.



They do amazing fabrics but they also do ceramics. And they don't stick to one design motif - except high quality excellence - and so you can always find a design that is different and funky. Here are my favourites.

In Good Company



When I did art at school I stuck to a lot of ink line drawings with maybe a dash of one bold colour. This was mainly because I am colour blind and I found dealing with too many colours confusing. But while it started off as being about practicality I discovered I like the precision of a clear black line and how versatile it could be. Which is why I love this design.

Pikku Bo Boo


You can get lots of cool kids ceramics these days but I tend to prefer designs that are not 'brands' such as Disney characters etc. This design is bold and unisex - and stands apart from the usual gender specific or latest movie or cartoon character and therefore is timeless too.

Serpentine


From kids fun to serious sophistication, this black and white graphic woudl look great against my dark wood table. Usually I would steer clear of corckery where the dominant colour is black but I think this works.

Fishes [umi]


This is ace - Andy and I do diving so this appeals. This would make a good daily set - fun but still good enough if you get someone dropping by.

And, if all of that wasn't enough, they also do clothes! This dress steers well away from the usual bold use of colour but I think is really beautiful - it is silk and the draping looks exquisite. I can see myself wearing this and floating around the house serving afternoon tea on a set of Serpentine perhaps with the dotty teapot breaking up the Serpentine swirl.


Some other sites that you can get marimekko and other designs from are skandium and funktionalley along with lots of other cool stuff.