Dec 31st The last one Barassie gloomy day

Today is the last day of the year and it is the final entry for this blog. The blog began with a weather snap looking out to sea from Barassie with Arran in the background. It only seemed appropriate that the final one should be a similar shot. After all the good weather this afternoon has been a wet, blustery afternoon with some bursts of light. Good bye 2016 and a Happy New Year to all for 2017.

Grey gloomy view from Barassie

Dec 30th Enterkine Viaduct

As I walked under this magnificent viaduct I was struck by the similarity to the Finnieston crane snap published a few weeks ago. They are also similar in that both are relics of Scotland's industrial past. This viaduct, over 150 years old and still in use. Used as a passenger and freight route another great example of Victorian engineering.

Enterkine Viaduct

Dec 29th Green fields of December!

The undoubted memory of this winter has to be how unwintery it has been so I make no apologies for another reminder snap. I walked past this field and was struck by how vibrant green and spring like it looked, we are just after Xmas. It is probably a traditional winter barley crop or suchlike but it did stand out as unusual to me.

Winter greens

Dec 28th Swan Lake

Swans are such elegant and beautiful creatures and mute swans in particular are abundant on our local estuaries and inland waters. They are inquisitive as they are used to being fed in places. But when they are resting or sleeping as this one is they are still a thing of beauty. In Xmas past they would have been the main bird on the table of the upper classes, nothing as common as turkey for them.

Mute Swan

Dec 27th Buzzard

After the Xmas business and too much time indoors it was a short walk up to the woods to clear my head. At this time of year buzzards are looking for ground food including things like worms. They sit patiently on poles and trees, low down, staring at the ground for their prey to move and are relatively relaxed with people around. Common now but still a raptor.

Buzzard

Dec 26th Boxing Day snappers.

This is the day that the family mob arrive at our house. All the cooking has been done. Just required to take great joy out of watching the kids rip open many more presents than they can take in, but they are delighted. The days of a piece of fruit and a selection box are long gone. But this one pleased me with one of them taking a picture of me taking a picture.

Dual snapping

Dec 25th Trifle & Xmas cake

After all the cooking bits and bobs the big day has arrived and finally the sour cherry trifle and the Xmas cake have come together successfully. It was a great Xmas day and my good lady must think my culinary talents are not up there as she gifted me a day at a cooking school. I am delighted and looking forward to it.

Cherry trifle & Xmas cake

Dec 24th Xmas trifle coming together

I have decided to make this year's trifle from scratch as best I can. I have baked a jammy sponge for the base, made some amaretti biscuits to be crushed over, and this morning it was the sour cherry cherry jelly and the vanilla custard. All coming together and a full recipe will appear on my 'Simple cooking' blog.

Cherry jelly and Vanilla custard

Dec 23rd Storm Barbara approaching

So far we have missed the new Storm Barbara but I suspect we are going to be hit soon. The clouds are building up over Arran, lookout. In Troon we live in a micro climate where the surrounding countryside gets a lot more rain than we do but not this time.

Storm Barbara approaching

Dec 22nd Inspired by Masterchef Raspberries 4 ways

Masterchef has been excellent again this year and as always I am so impressed with the contestants. First of all to have the imagination to think of these dishes with their multiple components. Secondly to have the skill to cook their ideas into perfectly executed plates of food that satisfy the judges. It was rhubarb 4 ways the other night and as my tribute to these stars I raided the cupboard and got these ingredients. Not sure I will get by Marcus and the scary woman Monica.

Raspberry 4 ways

Dec 21st Amaretti cookies

Well the good weather had to end and the storms are on their way just in time for Xmas. An indoors day. My Xmas trifle required a layer of amaretti biscuits but Tesco had none today. I was not facing the shopping mayhem again so I decided to make my own (see simple cooking blog for recipe). These worked well for a first effort. They are going to be crumbled anyway so made these cookie style not domed. Still there were some left over and lovely with coffee this afternoon.

Amaretti cookies

Dec 20th Sheer Greed

Xmas is a time to enjoy with friends and family and yesterday I had a really good few hours in Glasgow with an old friend. We visited Miller & Carter for a late afternoon bite to eat. My first visit and a nice place. We omitted starters in favour of dessert. After a filling main course I had ordered this banoffee bakewell tart. Delicious but by the time I was finished I knew I had too much. Did not help having to run for a train after the food and drink. Still the joys of Xmas and a good day.

Banoffee bakewell

Dec 19th What a sunset tonight

Another day where the afternoon was so mild for this time of year despite the clear sky. I suspected I would get a good sunset so walked along the beach to take advantage and I was not disappointed. The west coast is as good as it gets.

Barassie sunset

Dec 18th Aldi Value & Quality

A couple of days ago I posted my pear chutney. For my lunchtime roll tomorrow I will be having it with this excellent smoked duck, a match made in heaven. When we go to Pitlochry we always go to the food shop in the House of Bruar, look it up a very posh store. They sell the duck pictured, same product. But so does my local Aldi supermarket and guess what, it is almost half the price compared to Bruar. So you can get quality products at value prices in a basic store.

Smoked duck

Dec 17th Xmas choir

It was the last day that I will be braving the Xmas crowds in Glasgow for this year. Although one of the perks is listening to the choirs that are dotted around the city centre. This lot were very good but very loud drumming was making a few kids cover their ears, I'm sure it wasn't the singing.

Xmas choir Glasgow

Dec 16th Pear and date chutney

A damp and overcast day so full on with Xmas cooking again. To go with the glazed smoked ham joint I like to prepare a home made chutney. This years version included pear, dates, beer, raisins and cranberries. Full recipe will appear on my simple cooking blog. It will develop but yesterday with mature cheddar delicious.

Pear & date chutney

Dec 15th New Rose bud end December!!

Our climbing rose is a very old plant but is still holding on to the remains of its last flower. For the middle of December that is staggering enough for us but on closer inspection I noticed that it has this bud coming through. The relatively mild climate is definitely causing issues for nature. 

Climbing rose bud December

Dec 14th Venison casserole

A grey wet day for a change so time to get ahead of the game and cook and freeze some food for our Boxing Day invasion. Too many people coming to leave the cooking until the day. One of the main dishes is the venison casserole. The supplier of the locally shot roe deer was sold out so the local supermarket stuff will do. An easy dish to prepare, very slow oven cooked, delicious.

Venison ingredients

Dec 13th Stair Weir

Another crisp day but the forecast for the middle of week is a bit grey and damp so take advantage of it. I think the birds are confused with the unseasonable mind weather, the blackbirds are chasing each other around the garden and a song thrush was singing its heart out at the top of a tree. Still a lovely day to walk the River Ayr. The weir at Stair is a salmon leap but they should be out of season and none to be seen today.

Stair weir

Dec 12th Xmas Tree

The kids were over to assist the good lady in decorating the tree and a fine job they made of it. Mind you a significant number of the chocolate decorations didn't quite make it to the tree, rewards for their endeavours I suppose.

Xmas tree