- We're going stir crazy - literally and metaphorically
We're going stir crazy!
MacGillivray's
Hi, folks
I realise that the normal British winter doesn't really merit a second
glance in the news. For some reason, this year is turning out to be a
little more challenging than usual and, after three weeks of severe
frosts,
some snow and loads of ice, Sandy and I are going stir crazy.
We've had our shop shut...
- Lazy Shortbread - and a Happy New Year
Lazy Shortbread
MacGillivray's
Lazy Shortbread
How many times have you been asked to provide a contribution to a church
fete or fundraising event - and then rushed round looking for an easy
recipe?! I guess it's happened to most of us from time to time. It's
always good to have a reliable "Get out of Jail" recipe which
you can
turn to; one...
- It must be time for some mulled wine
Comfort Food
MacGillivray's
Hi folks
Brrr, the weather's freezing ... we've had a few cold days (and nights)
but the west coast of Scotland has escaped the snow so far. However,
because we've had a really busy run up to Christmas in the shop, we're
tired, grumpy and need a little bit of instant TLC ... tender loving
care!
Comfort foods come in many...
- Sorry, I meant to add a couple of links to my Twitter and Facebook accounts
Facebook and Twitter
MacGillivray's
Hi folks
Join me on Twitter and Facebook -
http://www.twitter.com/sablehost
Facebook This is another photo album.
The first is trawlers in the small harbor at Tarbert, Loch Fyne.
You can probably tell that the weather was sunny, although there were rain
showers
We had a quick snack in this coffee shop and were...
- Now that I'm 60 - some photos of our weekend in Inveraray
How can it be? I'll be 60 on Saturday
MacGillivray's
Hi folks
It still doesn't seem possible - but then I have to admit that it's true.
60 isn't so bad :) - and it's much better than the alternative. I just
heard the other day that a good online friend - Lesley Fountain (MaaMaw)
of
the Friendsinbusiness.com web site - died on 21st August after an
encounter
with...
- Celebrate my Sixtieth Birthday - a Coupon for you.
How can it be? I'll be 60 on Saturday
MacGillivray's
Hi folks
It doesn't seem possible - but then, we've run our shop in Helensburgh for
20 years, so, maybe, just maybe it's true! 60 on Saturday - just imagine
that.
The theory is that I should be retiring - the truth is that we're going to
keep the business running for a while yet (ok, a good lottery...
- Creamy Apple Soup - delicious!
I just had to try this soup recipe
MacGillivray's
Hi folks
Sorry - it's been a while since I dropped you an email - but one way or
another, life has been better than expected and for that I'm truly
grateful.
We've had some surprise visitors - including an Aunt who was visiting the
town with the other residents of Beith, Ayrshire. It was an organised
outing...
- Barbeque Buzz
The power of "Just one thing more"
MacGillivray's
Hi folks
As the weather warms up many people have barbeques on the brain. And it's
easy to see why. Outdoor barbeques have become a symbol of the perfect
summer.
Follow these tips for having the best barbeque ever, especially if you're
inviting a crowd..
Designate. Designate. Designate....
- Cream of Sweetcorn and Roasted Garlic Soup - yummy!
The power of "Just one thing more"
MacGillivray's
Hi folks
I'm in the middle of a "catch-up" phase - because for the last
few months my time was divided between being on duty in the shop and
baking, plus writing newsletters, and so the thing which was neglected was
the house. I decided I still don't have enough time to do all the...
- Susan Boyle and Scottish Millionaire's Shortbread
The power of perseverance
MacGillivray's
Hi, folks,
I think there can be few households now who haven't seen the amazing
performance of Susan Boyle in "Britain's Got Talent". She
absolutely wowed the crowd - as soon as she began to sing, she was
transformed from an ordinary, middle aged Scots woman to a diva. It would
be easy to say that...
- Partan Bree - and 1000 marbles
About those 1000 marbles
MacGillivray's
Hi, folks,
I just got an email from someone - and thought the story of the 1000
marbles was really nice - and a bit inspirational. I have absolutely no
clue at all to who originally wrote this - but the copyright still belongs
to someone - and I fully acknowledge this. If you know who it is, please
let me...
- Clootie Dumpling - not as stodgy as it sounds!
A family recipe
MacGillivray's
Hi, folks,
Well, Easter came and went - it passed much to quickly for my liking, but
we had a really busy weekend in the shop and, considering how challenging
trading conditions are for some businesses, we truly appreciate the
support
from friends, family, visitors alike.
One of the nice things about this Easter was...
- Twitter-food - and a recipe for Scottish Tablet
A family recipe
MacGillivray's
Hi, folks,
We just had visitors - my niece, husband and their two-year old son. A
lovely time was had by all. The wee boy is adorable; he is being raised to
be nice and polite - his Mom and Dad are doing a great job.
We didn't have the best of weather - in fact, it was blowing a gale for
most of the time - but we were...
- Auntie Barbara's Hot Cross Buns
A family recipe
MacGillivray's
Hi, folks,
Sorry - I've just got a few minutes to type out the recipe so this
section's just to say Hello - and hope you're all having a good day!
Best
Margaret
Auntie Barbara's Hot Cross Buns
I came across this recipe the other day and it took me straight back to my
Aunts Barbara and Marjorie - and the cooking and...
- Chickpea and Lentil Soup - it was delicious
This Soup was new to us
MacGillivray's
Hi, folks,
This is just a quick note tonight - we tried a new soup today and it was
an unexpected hit. It may be one which you already know, but I'll give you
our version now.
Best
Margaret
Sandy's Chickpea and Lentil Soup
Quantities are approximate -
An onion
1 small leek
1 tin chickpeas
1 cup lentils
Chopped...
- Sandy's Salmon Chowder and Life on the Farm
Back to childhood!
MacGillivray's
Hi, folks,
I had a couple of hours to spare recently and I took a quick walk down
memory lane.
My father was a farmer - we had dairy cattle for a long time and it's a
hard, demanding lifestyle. As kids, we weren't exactly encouraged to help
out - but we did manage to sneak in and bring a gallon of milk to Mom for
dinner...
- People Watching - Spot the Married Couple.
Spot the married couple!
MacGillivray's
Hi, folks
I don't suppose that today was the busiest day in our coffee shop -
although the weather was reasonably good, we just had our usual Friday
customers.
The consequence of having regulars eating lunch in a small, intimate
coffee shop is that we all talk, laugh, get to know each other and have a
great...
- Are you looking for hotel deals?
Every now and again I come across some deals -
MacGillivray's
Hi, folks
This is a quick note to say that I discovered some travel deals - I don't
often check - however, I thought I would let you know, just in case
something catches your attention -
Margaret
ps - we just had another small blast of winter - clear frosty nights and
some hail and...
- How Neat is that?
I'm an untidy wreck
MacGillivray's
Hi, folks -
How neat are you? The reason I ask is because there are some days when I'm
a completely untidy wreck. As I'm approaching retirement age, I don't
suppose there's much chance of me changing my spots now.
However, in some things, I love neatness. It makes life easier when
everything is in its right...
- Frank Kern reminds me of ....
Frank Kern Lookalike!
MacGillivray's
.. erm, "Hey, Dude" - I finally figured it out. It's been
bugging me for days. I knew I would get it eventually, but today I finally
worked out who it is that Internet Marketing Guru Frank Kern reminds me of
- and that is ....
Donald Sutherland
... particularly in Kelly's Heroes
whew - now that I...
- Sizzling Prawn Toasties
Sell the sizzle!
MacGillivray's
.... ok, can you taste them yet??
One of the best toasties we do in our coffee shop is a sizzling prawn
toastie - a toasted sandwich (usually brown bread) with prawns sitting on
slices of tomato, topped off with a generous bit garlic butter, and then
cooked in our toastie machine - a bit like the Foreman grill
The...
- Extravagant high street banks - a Sunday morning grump
Shopfitting at your local bank?
MacGillivray's
.... ok, maybe I shouldn't be annoyed. Maybe I haven't earned enough
brownie points to be able to criticise. I visited my local bank sometime
in
October last year and again at the start of February. In that short time,
there have been changes in the shopfittings in my local branch.
This branch belongs...
- Most of my recipe books are ancient!
Tried and Tested Recipe Books
MacGillivray's
.. erm, cough, splutter - most of my recipe books started off as brand new
editions of the latest "must have" books when I first got
married. Almost 40 years later, several have stood the test of time - some
of the recipes are in constant use and, although presentation of food has
changed,...
- Weird stuff for sale on eBay! (sorry, I needed a chuckle today)
Odd Auctions on eBay.
MacGillivray's
I haven't had time to have a quick look at the bizarre stuff which
sells on eBay - but I needed a little chuckle this morning and, wow,
there is some really amazing stuff!
For instance, there's an auction
for a Janet
Jackson Bra Superbowl 2004 - plus some authentication and
newsreel footage to go with...
- Robert Burns is 250 years old on 25th January
Burns Supper? Some alternative recipes.
MacGillivray's
I don't know if you celebrate the birthday of Scotland's bard - Rabbie
Burns. We sometimes do - and we have attended some great Burns' suppers
over the years, where the haggis was piped in and addressed by someone
with
Robert Burns' famous words.
Fair fa' your honest, sonsie face,
...
- Dratted Diets!
The food versus exercise debate
MacGillivray's
Hi - Did I make a New Year's resolution - well, this year, the answer to
that is "no". Perhaps that is a mistake on my part. I should
probably have made it a mission to run or walk a mile a day. You'd have to
be sitting in my office just now and looking out of the window to see that
it's...
- Our best Turkey drumstick recipe
Turkey Drumstick Soup
MacGillivray's
Hi,
folks - Happy New Year - I hope you all had a great time and that you've
missed the usual bouts of cold snd flu. We had a lovely break in rural
Perthshire - and this year the weather was good enough for us to go out
and
explore the Perthshire countryside - we even strayed into Angus as well.
We returned...
- Jamaican Pumpkin Soup and Spiced Bean Soup
Jamaican Pumpkin Soup and Spiced Bean Soup
MacGillivray's
Hi,
folks - at this time of year, the weather in Scotland can get a little
frosty (or at least, that's the way it's playing out this year.) I'm
always on the look out for some soups which will provide some inner
central
heating. I hope you liked the other recipes I sent - and here are two...
- Winter Soups
Winter Soups
MacGillivray's
I love soup- the very thought of it at this time of year warms me up. Here
are a couple of soup recipes I came across recently and thought you might
enjoy.
Dutch Country Bean Soup
Ingredients:
1 lb. soup beans
1 ham bone
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 cup diced celery
1 can tomato sauce
1/2 cup diced potatoes
2 tsp....
- - Our Hebridean Wedding Party! - Part 2
Hebridean Wedding Adventure - Part 2
Dear
I apologise for the delay in writing to you again - I have been struggling
with a problem with my pc which is taxing me. I can't figure out what is
wrong, but sometimes when I move the mouse, I am getting multiple windows
opening and closing - and it's freaking me out.
At the moment, I have installed a new...
- - Our Hebridean Wedding Party!
Hebridean Wedding Adventure
Dear
We were lucky enough to be invited to a family wedding recently - and even
more fortunate that the wedding was to be held on Friday, 17th October in
South Uist- one of the islands off the north west coast of Scotland.
We accepted the invitation and made arrangements to travel by ferry from
Oban to Lochboisdale - a...
- - MacGillivray's Recipe Mailing List - It's Soup Time
Dear
There's nothing like a warming plate of home-made soup with
delicious wholemeal bread and butter to warm you up on a cool
autumn day. I love Cock-a-leekie soup; you can make it quite
quickly, using convenient ingredients and, as long as you don't use
too much butter on the bread, you've got the start to a lovely,
healthy meal.
Ingredients...