Sunday, January 26, 2014

Burns Supper


Alex and I were delighted to get an invitation from some of our new sailing club friends to a Burns supper. 

Then we fired up Google to see exactly what a Burns supper is and got a little nervous.

 But, as it turns out our nerves were totally unfounded and the food and evening was fabulous!

Our hosts Janet and David are amazing cooks and wonderful hosts.
 It was a sit down dinner (with assigned seating, that seems to be the norm here) and each course was better than the next. 
Every time my glass was empty it was refilled without hesitation. We had Cock-a-leekie soup (delicious) for a first course. Then came the neeps, tatties (turnips and mashed potatoes) and cabbage and finally out came the haggis. 
Janet had prepared a beef dish for those that didn't like haggis, but it really wasn't necessary. I tried the haggis, and it was tasty but I couldn't really get past the psychological barrier I have against eating it. I ate about a third of it and Alex ate all of his, he liked it! 
I was so full by dessert I couldn't finish the dessert of raspberries, whipped cream and oats which was also delicious.

Liz and I had agreed beforehand that we would devise a plan to put the haggis into a potted plant on the windowsill since she had never tried it before either and wasn't sure if she would like it, but as it turns out we didn't have to resort to that plan at all. Liz's husband John who was sitting next to me politely inquired if he could finish mine for me, and I politely accepted! Of course we were kidding about the potted plant, but we were having fun and it was that kind of evening. We also devised my next potential business adventure: "The Haggis Baggis"! A lovely bag made from tartan on the outside with a removable plastic bag on the inside to deposit your haggis if you are in a situation where you don't like haggis but don't want to be rude about it. (Do you think it will be successful?)


David addressed the haggis before we ate and I have no idea what he said because his Scottish accent was pretty convincing. I think usually there are poetry readings and such but we had a slightly more low key evening than that with lots of good conversation. Liz and Bernice both have Bernina sewing machines and love to sew so we had plenty to talk about and the boys  of course talked sailing.

It was really fun and now I can check eating haggis off my list. 

10 comments:

  1. Hey Karen! Glad you are back to posting updates... I've really missed reading your entries! Life on the dock just isn't the same without y'all. We're having an unbelievably cold winter so far and we miss Nani's fireplace to hang out by on weekends. It sounds like things are picking up (yay!) and you are settling in. Must be such an adjustment.
    OK, I don't want to even talk about the haggis,(except that the purse idea is brilliant) but I am curious about the "neeps". What are they?
    Love to all of you, Alicia

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    1. I can't believe how bad the weather has been in GA since we left, we have had much better weather over here, go figure! We miss you guys too, and when hanging around our fireplace at the marina in Woodbridge we wish our Lake Lanier friends could be magically transported over for a night of debauchery, alas. We are making new friends, but definitely miss the old. (that's a song, right?)
      Neeps are mashed turnips, they were yummy!

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  2. Hooray for Alex! When you grow up Spanish you learn to eat (and love) a whole bunch of stuff that to Americans is unthinkable.

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    1. that is funny Gloria! It is true that in Spain they eat lots of stuff American's wouldn't touch, but my husband is a notoriously picky eater, he just happened to like haggis, go figure!

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    1. It has taken a while to figure out how this works. I guess you never received any previous posts. Now we can talk. JM/Carina

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  4. I found your past comment interesting. Guess where I am working, and what I am doing. Working in the Sail Loft, repairing and modifying sails. I AM HAVING A BLAST. THIS IS SO MUCH FUN. i should have done this long ago. I have even applied some of the things I learned from you about sewing. Keep up the blog. JM/Carina

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    1. John, I haven't received any of your other comments, but now that you have it figured out we are good to go. You have the perfect skill set to work at the sail loft! Congratulations! So glad that the sewing classes are helping you out, I just may have to post some of the manly pictures I took of you sewing!

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  5. Sounds like a lot of adventure going on over there! I love reading about the culture.

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  6. lots of adventure and lots of plain old working days too, Teresa. Living in England is just like life anywhere, just with more tea, and haggis and drizzle!

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