Work in Progress Wednesday - Crochet Baby Blankets

Last week I finished my first ever crochet baby blanket.

It's basically a super-giant-sized granny square, all in the one colour.

Here it is being modeled by David, who has taken rather a shine to it.

This week I have started another baby blanket. This one is a different pattern, all V-stitch throughout and it will have a picot border added at the end. I think this pattern is nicer, so any more I make will probably be the same pattern. Although, I love trying out new designs so who knows!

Our little Bible-study group has a few blankets on the go now for The Mercy House. Knowing they are heading off to someone who really, really needs them makes them all the more special.

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'It makes football look like hairdressing'

The title of this post comes from a comment I read someone make about shinty.

Shinty is the forgotten national game of Scotland. Less famous than the over-priced football, rugby or golf, but it's supporters and players are no less passionate about their sport.

Rumour has it that golf is actually derived from shinty. Long ago, shinty players would practise their swing and this then turned into golf. I'm not sure if this is remotely true but it's a nice story!

Traditionally shinty was a west highland game. Although the central belt now has teams as well, the west highland ones still seem to be the most successful.

My husband was brought up in one of the shinty heartlands, Oban, and so is a keen player and supporter of the game. His playing days have actually turned to coaching days, and he is now one of the coaches at the boys' school.

Shinty sticks are known as camans, which comes from camanachd, the Gaelic for shinty. They come in extra small sizes too so that your littlest man can get an early start. Alasdair obviously has the game in his blood, as he likes nothing better than hitting a ball around with a stick. Indoors he will find any object to use as a stick, from a pencil to a penny whistle, and any little ball he can get his hands on, and then is quite content chasing the ball up and down the living room with his stick.

He's his daddy's boy.

The three oldest boys all go to shinty training on a Saturday morning. Calum is a keen little player. David is also keen and suitably fearless for such a game. James enjoys the run around but you can see he would rather be at home making some animation or reading a book! Oh well, his mother was never really the sporty type either, so we can let him off with that!

When playing shinty, all the boys wear helmets that kind of look like ice-hockey helmets, with bars protecting their faces. The shinty ball is extremely hard and travels very fast. My husband bears a few scars from his playing days, when helmets weren't worn and when there would usually be a player or two sporting a blood covered strip! 

All the youth players wear the helmets, but plenty of the adults still don't. It certainly separates the men from the boys, in more ways than one! The clip below is excellent. The commentary is in Gaelic and just listen for the whack of the shinty ball as the keeper saves the penalty with his head with NO helmet. And wins the game for his team!

Give me a rugged shinty player over a pampered footballer anyday.

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Decisions, decisions........

A couple of weeks ago it was school photo day and today the boys came home with the proofs for us to choose which we want to order.

Let me apologise now for the quality of the following photos, as they are only scans of the little proofs!


I don't usually buy the individual photos of each of the boys, for the simple reason that it would just work out too expensive.



Calum's are both very good this year though. I love his new glasses that he chose about a month ago.

If I were choosing one of these I think it would be (a)








I will probably get David's individual photo as it is his first year at school, and I bought James and Calum's first ones too.

Normally they get sent home with two, maybe three, slightly different proofs each for you to choose from but David was given ten!!!!!

Perhaps it's just because they weren't sure which captured that mischievous little smile the best!

I'm veering towards (a) again here, although I'm swithering betweent that and (b)

The photo I always choose is the one of all of them, and I know which I am going to pick no problem here, it's (b)

Alasdair, being his usual shy self, took fright when I sat him on James' knee and the photographer lady started  speaking to him!

Please also note in the photo above how neat James' tie is, as this was taken first thing in the morning.


Compare that tie to the photo below.

Obviously the school photograph the younger children first, in the hope that perhaps the older ones can remain neater for longer.

Perhaps not.

Thankfully, I think a schoolboy is more authentic with a squinty tie and his shirt half hanging out!


Gaelic word of the day:
dealbh (jalav) - photo or picture
dealbh chluich (jalav chl-ooyee) - a play

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Things I'm loving Friday ♥

This week it's all about the boys.


Firstly, James (11) found out the other day that he has made it onto the school team for the Inter-Schools Swimming Gala. He was so excited, as last week after the trials he didn't think he had made it through. I told him then that I was proud that he had even volunteered for the trials.


He has also entered the school talent competition next week, where he will play Pirates of the Caribbean on his trombone.


Thursday is school assembly day. Each week there is a pupil of the week from each class. The head-teacher reads out why their class teacher chose them as pupil of the week, they go to the front and get their badge, and then later on they go with the head-teacher and have a treat.



Yesterday, not one but two boys came home with pupil of the week badges.

David (5) was given the badge for being so good at learning his letters and doing his homework so well every night.

Calum (8) was given the badge for being always friendly to everyone, working so hard and putting so much effort into all the work his class are doing on their current project, the Jacobites.

The treat with the head-teacher was making, and eating, fruit kebabs!

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Recipe of the Week - Crepes & Chocolate Sauce

It wouldn't have been right of me to post the pictures of our crepes the other night and then not to share the recipe, so here we are.

It is best to make the mix about half an hour or so before making the crepes so that it has time to settle. You might notice when it's time to make them that the mix has thickened slightly. If so, just add a little more milk. You want this mixture on the thin side or else your crepes will be too stodgy.

Neither of these recipes need to be adapted if you want to make them with 'normal' ingredients.

For the crepes you will need:

400ml rice milk

2 eggs

2oz sugar

6 oz Doves Farm Wheat Free Plain Flour

~Heat your frying pan up while you are making up the mix. Lightly oil it too.

~Measure the milk out into a large jug/bowl and whisk in the eggs.

~Add the sugar and flour and whisk by hand until you have a smooth batter.

~Pour either a ladle-full or a wee dollop into your hot pan, swirling the pan around as you do so that you have  a very thin layer of batter right round the pan.

~Once the mix starts to bubble then flip it over with a spatula and cook the other side. 

~Best served warm.

For the chocolate sauce you will need:

200g dairy-free chocolate

200ml dairy-free cream substitute (Alpro Soya or Oatly)

~Just break the chocolate into chunks and add to a pan with the cream.

~Melt over a gentle heat, stirring occasionally.

This sauce is so quick and easy to russtle up for a mid-week treat. We often have it with banana and ice cream, or just the ice cream, or chocolate puddings, or fruit salad, or..............

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It's Pancake Day!

Never ones to pass over any celebration of food, the boys and I made pancakes tonight in celebration of Shrove Tuesday.

Technically they weren't pancakes but crepes, but that is what everyone associates with Pancake Day so that's what we had.

Here is little man with his little pancake.

Now here is Calum, eager to get to flip his pancake.

And here is the flipping.....

It was then James' turn to flip his pancake, and it was at this point that I realised that without a fancy camera, it's not really possible to take a good photo of a pancake being flipped!

In order to share their skills at flipping these pancakes/crepes I then took a couple of wee videos but first I thought I show how I had my pancake.

Smothered in warm chocolate sauce, and stuffed with bananas (and a little more sauce!)

Onto the flipping.

First Calum and then James & David.

Gaelic word of the day:

spòrs (as it looks) - fun

Bha tòrr spòrs againn a nochd (va tor spors ag-een a noch-g) - we had a lot of fun tonight

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A perfect Saturday

Sun streaming through the bedroom window.

Saturday morning pancakes and syrup.

A coffee morning to raise funds for the Boys' Brigade.

The boys got a few bargains since everything is for sale for about 50p.

David went to the cake stall to buy himself some cakes and bought back the ones I had made!

Watching the first shinty match of the season.

(OK, so you can hardly see the players but I was trying to get the whole vista in!)

A bit of shinty practise behind the goals.

You need to start them young!

A walk along the beach in the dimming light of the late afternoon.

To me, this is not a proper beach at all compared to the ones from where I come from, see here. But it still has sand and sea, and that is what matters to little boys.

And then a chippy tea to finish off the day.

In my hunger, I didn't take a photo of our actual chippy, so I  looked online for a photo. When I was doing so, I found this discussion board by ex-pat Scots about the humble chippy, which I thought would be a useful explanation of what I'm on about for my overseas friends!

And if you read it, as a West Coast girl who is now living in the East, I am still horrified at the thought of that runny brown sauce on my chips that the East seems to love. We West Coasters are far more civilised with our vinegar. 

:0)

Gaelic word of the day:

teaghlach (chi-lach) - family

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Things I'm loving Friday ♥

Spring flowers.

Ok, so the daffodils are not growing outside yet, only the brave snowdrops are peeking out so far, but I did get these daffodils the other day, reduced to 25p a bunch!

I bought 3 bunches.

A 2 for 1 pizza voucher which meant we had a lovely dinner at Pizza Express.

We don't normally go there as Calum and Alasdair can't have the pizzas, but they were happy to give them cooked chicken and salad instead.

Another voucher.

This time for the Body Shop.

Allowing me to buy £30 of stuff for only £12!!!

Especially loving my most favourite scent of all, vanilla.

Have a great weekend everyone.

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Recipe of the Week - Lime, Ginger & Coconut Loaf

This week's recipe has a touch of the tropical about it. Lime and coconut make me think of white sandy beaches with clear water. 

This cake is a new one and has proved to be a big hit, especially the sugary topping!

You will need:

7oz dairy-free margarine

6oz sugar

4 limes

3 eggs

7oz Doves Farm Wheat-Free Self Raising Flour

1tsp baking powder

1 tsp ground ginger

2 oz desiccated coconut

2 balls stem ginger, finely chopped

2 tbsp rice/soya milk

an extra 3 tbsp sugar

3 tbsp stem ginger syrup

~Cream the margarine and sugar together until light and fluffy.

~Grate in the zest of 3 of the limes.

~Gradually beat in the eggs, one at a time.

~Add the flour, baking powder and ground ginger and fold in gently.

~Now fold in the coconut, chopped stem ginger, milk and juice from 2 of the limes.

~Spoon the mixture into a lined loaf tin and bake at 180C for around 45 minutes.

~Cool the cake in the tin for about 10 minutes then make a few holes in the top with a cocktail stick.

~Mix the extra sugar with the juice from the other two limes and the stem ginger syrup.

~Carefully pour this sugary syrup over the top of the cake.

~Leave the cake in the tin until cooled.

~Enjoy with a nice cup of tea.

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Something else to watch and listen to....

Another video today, but not one of ours.

One of my friends posted this link on her Facebook page a while book and I've been meaning to share it ever since.

Back in the days when I was a music teacher, before little boys took over my life, I used to do the rainstorm effect with groups of children, but not to this level and the song that follows is just - amazing!!

Enjoy.

And if you enjoyed that, then watch them sing Mas Que Nada.

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