meet cute:)

 "journeys end in lovers meeting."

shakespeare 

the holiday

Storyline

In London, Iris Simpkins writes a wedding column in a newspaper and nurtures an unrequited love for her colleague Jasper Bloom. Near Christmas, she is informed that Jasper is engaged to marry another colleague, and her life turns upside down. In Los Angeles, the movie-trailers maker Amanda Woods has just split with her unfaithful boyfriend Ethan and wants to forget him. Through a house exchange website, Amanda impulsively swaps her mansion for Iris' cottage in Surrey for the holidays. While in Surrey, Amanda meets Iris' brother and book editor Graham and they fall in love with each other. Meanwhile, Iris meets her new next door neighbor the ninety year old screenplay writer Arthur, who helps her retrieve her self-esteem, and the film composer Miles, with whom she falls in love. Written by Claudio Carvalho, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

"i have found almost everything ever written about love to be
true."



this may be more of a christmas movie but i thinks it's about love...
and since it's february
i thought it was fitting...

plus, i love it!

it's available on netflix...

bye...
more later...

a misst ye sae muckle!

a misst ye sae muckle!

means 

"i missed you so much!"

we should totally have a scottish tea!...

maybe some of this...

 what i learned about 

"scottish breakfast tea" 

is that it is one degree stronger than 

"english breakfast"...

and one degree weaker than 

"irish breakfast":)

seriously fascinating 

right?...

we should have it with scottish scones...

what i learned about scones is that there really is no difference between scottish and british...

i made these with currents and also made some with blueberries...

both were fantastic...

however,

they weren't super pretty:(

i guess i need practice:)

the scottish prefer

confectioners sugar sprinkled on top

and the british prefer sanding or granualated

sugar...

and the scottish prefer their clotted cream to be runny and to "soak" the scone...  

whereas the british prefer 

"soft clotted cream" 

to run gently down the sides...

"lang may yer lum reek"

live long and prosper

guid eenin!

good evening!

bye...

more later...

easy peasy 

scottish ale bread

apparently this is the kind of bread the scottish make when  traveling ... 

the 3-ingredient kind. 

the kind that makes delicious use of local scottish ales. the kind that provides us with a satisfying medium for the tangy marmalade we picked up at that farmer's market,

 or the fresh strawberry jam we made in the fall... 

The no yeast kind.

***********

Scottish Ale Bread

makes 2 lovely loaves

recipe taken from here
http://www.easypeasyorganic.com/2011/07/scottish-ale-bread.html

The time
5-10 min prep + 30-40 min baking + 10 min cooling


The ingredients
5 teacups* unbleached self-raising flour 
3 teacups beer and/or ale and/or cider **(or substitute milk or orange juice for part of this)
3 spoonfuls of honey or sugar

*if you don't have teacups, use whatever you do have. Just use a ratio of 5:3 of flour:liquid, with a bit of sweet added.

The process
1. Preheat your oven to 180C (360F). Grease two large bread/cake tins with butter (or line with baking paper).

2. Measure the flour out into a large bowl, then use a heavy spoon to gradually and completely mix in the beer and honey. Then, tip the dough out onto the bench and use your hands to finish the mixing process. You'll end up with a very sticky dough - just divide it into your baking tins and pop it into the preheated oven.

3. Bake for about 30-40 minutes, or until the top is golden and firm and a tap on the crust produces a hollow sound. Take the bread out of the oven, but leave it in the tin until it cools down a bit.

Slice it up and serve ... this bread will taste amazing with sweet or savoury accompaniments.

(i love the teacup measurements)

perfect for us:)

but...

this is the exact same thing as the beer bread that i make all time.

i will always admit it when i cheat

but this is what i use...

http://www.tastefullysimple.com/shopourproducts/allproducts/bountifulbeerbreadmixvaluepack155007.aspx

it's perfect with the 

potato soup with clams:)

i hope you are enjoying our book...

it's soooo good!

bye...

more later...

potato stew with clams...

potato stew with clams

here is something to make during our 

freezing cold february...

the scottish (and irish) are famous for the use of potatoes in everything...

in the 18th century during the conflicts,

 they were the difference between families surviving and families perishing...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

clam chowder was called 

"potato stew with clams"

i used grandma j's recipe for clam chowder

this is excellent!!!

to make it super scottish you could add leeks...

it's in our cookbooks...

it is delicious with 

scottish ale bread

(beer bread)

thanks grandma:)

bye...

more later...

bootie call:)

mr. blue bug...

okay...

so i am the last to be a grandma...

i can live with that:)

meet benjamin blue...

(i think he's pretty cute)

i have spent the last 10 days watching my chloe` bug

learn how to be a mommy...

to this little bug...

reminded me a lot of this

grannygrumpasaurus...

and this one...

this one too...

hope you had a happy valentines day...



bye...
more later...

after all... i'm just a girl, standing in front of a boy, asking him to love her."

"for june who loved this garden from joseph who always sat beside her."

some people do spend their whole lives together.

can the most famous film star in the world fall for just an ordinary guy?

Storyline

Every man's dream comes true for William Thacker, an unsuccessful Notting Hill bookstore owner, when Anna Scott, the world's most beautiful woman and best-liked actress, enters his shop. A little later, he still can't believe it himself, William runs into her again - this time spilling orange juice over her. Anna accepts his offer to change in his nearby apartment, and thanks him with a kiss, which seems to surprise her even more than him. Eventually, Anna and William get to know each other better over the months, but being together with the world's most wanted woman is not easy - neither around your closest friends, nor in front of the all-devouring press. Written by Julian Reischl <julianreischl@mac.com>

i have to watch this every time it is on...

love, love, love it:)

bye...

more later...

"surely as cometh the winter, I know, there are spring violets under the snow."

The Winter Sea

by Susanna Kearsley

from goodreads

In the spring of 1708, an invading Jacobite fleet of French and Scottish soldiers nearly succeeded in landing the exiled James Stewart in Scotland to reclaim his crown.

Now, Carrie McClelland hopes to turn that story into her next bestselling novel. Settling herself in the shadow of Slains Castle, she creates a heroine named for one of her own ancestors and starts to write.

But when she discovers her novel is more fact than fiction, Carrie wonders if she might be dealing with ancestral memory, making her the only living person who knows the truth-the ultimate betrayal-that happened all those years ago, and that knowledge comes very close to destroying her

“Men who watch, and say little, very often are much wiser than the men they serve.”
― Susanna Kearsley, The Winter Sea

~~~~~~~~~~

we are here finally...
february...

as you all know
i hate january...
getting to february is monumental.

 

i am excited for our new book and
robyn helped me find some great food to along with it.
she is the only one who has already read the
"the winter sea"
and had a little insight. since it happens
"across the sea"
i am going to make grandma j's
clam chowder
and rolls
and i will highlight some scottish tea and treats...
also since it's february and
love is in the air,
i picked some romantic movies that take place
"across the sea"
i hope you like them...
also dallys has started the book and says it is a great followup to
"the other boleyn girl"
and continues the drama of court life
but in the scottish court...

i hope you like it:)

we are still on baby watch
and anxiously waiting for spring...

my latest painting on paperby53

bye...
more later...

penny and i have a crush!!!!

if you are enjoying

"the other boleyn girl",

you might like this series

the tudors

penny and i have a hugh crush on

jonathan rhys meyers

who plays king henry

you might also like him in

august rush

he also sings really good:)

Lyrics :
When the one thing you're looking for
Is nowhere to be found
And you back stepping all of your moves
Trying to figure it out
You wanna reach out
You wanna give in
Your head's wrapped around what's around the next bend
You wish you could find something warm
'Cause you're shivering cold
It's the first thing you see as you open your eyes
The last thing you say as your saying goodbye
Something inside you is crying and driving you on
It's the first thing you see as you open your eyes
The last thing you say as your saying goodbye
Something inside you is crying and driving you on

'Cause if you hadn't found me
I would have found you
I would have found you

So long you've been running in circles
'Round what's at stake
But now the times come for your feet to stand still in one place
You wanna reach out
You wanna give in
Your head's wrapped around what's around the next bend
You wish you could find something warm
'Cause you're shivering cold
It's the first thing you see as you open your eyes
The last thing you say as your saying goodbye
Something inside you is crying and driving you on
It's the first thing you see as you open your eyes
The last thing you say as your saying goodbye
Something inside you is crying and driving you on

'Cause if you hadn't found me
I would have found you
I would have found you

It was your first taste of love
Living upon what you had

It's the first thing you see when you open your eyes
The last thing you say as your saying goodbye
Something inside you is crying and driving you on

'Cause if you hadn't found me
I would have found you
I would have found you
I would have found you
I would have found you

both are on netflix



january is official over!!!!!!

yay:)

bye...

more later...

the other boleyn girl

the other boleyn girl

by Philippa Gregory

from goodreads

Two sisters competing for the greatest prize: the love of a king When Mary Boleyn comes to court as an innocent girl of fourteen, she catches the eye of Henry VIII. Dazzled by the king, Mary falls in love with both her golden prince and her growing role as unofficial queen. However, she soon realizes just how much she is a pawn in her familys ambitious plots as the kings interest begins to wane and she is forced to step aside for her best friend and rival: her sister, Anne. Then Mary knows that she must defy her family and her king, and take her fate into her own hands.

A rich and compelling tale of love, sex, ambition, and intrigue, The Other Boleyn Girl introduces a woman of extraordinary determination and desire who lived at the heart of the most exciting and glamorous court in Europe and survived by following her own heart.

this is fiction.

it is basically a political thriller at its best which includes betrayal, intrigue and passion and ambition.

told from the narrative of a child. it is also accurate enough (but not too accurate) to lend color and depth behind the actual historical events.

the realization that these peoples entire lives revolved around position. it seems to be the only real reason to have children, on the hopes that they will somehow award the family with it.

but there is always someone who emerges with a heart.

in this case it was mary.

only fourteen and probably the only one who really loved king henry, the man, as opposed to the King. only to discover that she is just a pawn inserted there by a family that cares more for position than for her.

sometimes it appears as though there is no real loyalty to family or love because without position, there is no chance.

mary boleyn’s family seems to care nothing for their children at times and only for the status that their daughters can afford them.

anne seems to have that same ambition.

mary, on the other hand, seems to be the only one who truly loved. and since I am a junkie for the romance side of this book, 

i loved her.

she seemed to adore king henry and was heartbroken when his attention was diverted to anne.

these women seem to be cast in the role of having no power

and all the power at the same time.

mistresses of temptation used to rise in society. only to end up again with no power. it is kind of sad to realize that mary was only fourteen and was placed in the position of grown woman. but her determination and strength and ability to eventually see beyond her family obligations make her such a lovable and compelling woman. i loved how she followed her heart with william and survived in the wake of all that. i also loved george. i think he was funny and inspiring and i wish he could have followed his heart as well.

it seems as though it would have been much easier to be a commoner and able to follow your heart rather than have to fight tooth and nail to insure your family a position in the court.

whether any of this is accurate or not it certainly makes for a great story.

i enjoyed it very much.

i give it 4 stars

here is my review on goodreads



The Other Boleyn Girl by Philippa Gregory
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I enjoyed this book so much! I love historical fiction and although it may not be extremely accurate, it was so interesting and for the second half of the book i could not put it down. I can't wait to read more in the series.

View all my reviews