Two links and some sad news

What would you do if you had one hour in London? Smitten by Britain is asking the question over on her blog and is giving away a new book, 24 Hours London. It looks ever so swish.

I've had some lovely entries so far for the DVDs I've got to give away. But I am still looking for more so if there is someone in your life who loves Scotland, tell me about it with a comment.

It's a very grey, wet day here in Edinburgh so my only adventures today will be a massage and a trip to the bookstore. I learned yesterday that my favourite Scottish storyteller died back in August. I have thought of Mr. Robertson often since I saw him at a local storytelling event and have been planning a post about him. It has me a bit down today - so I guess my mood matches the skies.

Wanted: Scotland-loving Elves

Welcome to my first "pay it forward" giveaway. Know any veteran organizations or someone who just loves Scotland? Give them something special.

I love Scotland. I love that I am able to live in this country. I love that this sense of gratitude has not once left me in the four and a half years I have been here.

Scotland for the Senses an extension of that appreciation, of the overall giddy enthusiasm I feel for this remarkable place. When I started this blog I decided I wanted to make what I have dubbed “the giving of treats” a regular feature.

Gift-giving is a special thing for me, which is why I don’t burden my giveaways with too many rules. No hoops to jump through, no special badges to post or links required (not that I don’t love links. I do, but it will never be a rule) Comment or email and you’re in the draw, unless (usually) you were last month’s winner. The only real rule is that the item about which I am rambling is something that genuinely gives your imagination a buzz or causes you to giggle uncontrollably.

Question: Have you ever given gifts that you just knew the receivers would love, and watched them open those gifts and seen their expressions change, as their hearts filled up with so much wordless joy?

WHAT I HAVE: Copies of the 2009 Edinburgh Military Tattoo on DVD (Not to be confused with a CD, which is just music, a DVD is both sound and picture). We’re talking ancient castle, massed pipes and drums, Robert Burns poetry and music, snare drum performances, Royal Air Force, Amazing Grace and the Lone Piper. AND the DVDs are region-free, which means they will play ANYWHERE.

WHAT I NEED: Delivery people.

The story behind this giveaway: Every year I send one of these DVDs back to Canada to the senior’s home in the town where I used to live. Following the Robert Burns supper they hold in January, they play the DVD on the big telly and they all sit around to enjoy it. It then gets added to the DVD library, available for people to borrow whenever they wish. In this way, one small thing = big impact.

This year I want to expand (as much as my wallet will allow), and while I have done some research I feel unsure about sending them out “blind.”

Which is where you, my lovely wee clutch of Scotland-loving readers, come into play. Please help me in my quest and put your hand up if you know a group or an individual who would truly benefit from this gift.

Perhaps you have an elderly neighbour who was born in Scotland and hasn’t been home for many years. What a nice surprise it would be. Maybe your mother’s grandfather was in the Black Watch, or perhaps the local legion could share it among its members. Or maybe someone you know simply loves the bagpipes, military music or Scottish history.

This month’s giveaway also differs in a couple of other ways. If there is a story or suggestion that really moves me, I give myself permission to pull rank and choose that person or group. That said, if there are too many good ones and I just can’t decide, I will draw names from the hat as usual. Finally for this month, last month’s winners are also welcome to include suggestions.

I can either ship the DVD to you to deliver or, if you are comfortable giving me an address, I can send it directly to the person or group you have chosen (I promise to include a wee card so they don‘t think some nutter is sending them post for no reason). The goal is to have all the DVDs at their destinations well in time for Christmas. Any more postal strikes in the UK have now been suspended until the New Year, so despite the reported backlog, I think I’m in with a chance.

The way to join in is to enter a comment (don’t forget to link back to your blog) or send me an email to scotland4thesenses@googlemail.com. Please include “Tattoo DVD” in the subject line. I’ll make the cut off Monday, 16 November and I’ll make announcements on Tuesday the 17th.

I realize that I may seem a bit silly or naïve, but I don’t mind. It is the feeling of gratitude I wrote about that makes me want to “pay it forward” as much as I can.

Ta very much.

In Remembrance

It is Remembrance Day Sunday. For me the minute of silence that is held to mark the eleventh hour always seems to lap over the sides of the moment and blanket my entire day with a sense of quiet gratitude.

In Scotland there are many opportunities to visit monuments and sculptures dedicated to the men and women who sacrificed their lives in battle for their country. Even as I write “sacrificed their lives” I feel lazy, using a borrowed phrase because I cannot think of anything else to describe these people, many of whom are frozen forever in their youth.

The Scottish National War Memorial is located in Edinburgh Castle and while most people see it during their visit to the castle, the memorial itself is free. If all you want to do is to visit the memorial, simply ask at the ticket desk and you will be taken through to see it.

The following are a few of my favourite monuments from around Scotland, perfect for helping to still your mind and find a new sense of perspective.

The Royal Scots Grey Memorial, just off of Princes Street in Edinburgh:

In a remarkable spot overlooking rolling green hills near Stirling, the monument dedicated to Sir David Stirling, founder of the Special Air Service and, later in life, the Capricorn Africa Society:

The Cameronians (Scottish Rifles) War Memorial in Kelvingrove Park in Glasgow:

And possibly the most dramatic, the Commando Monument near Spean Bridge in the highlands. The memorial sits high above the rugged landscape where members of this elite force trained during WWII.

For those with British ancestors, there was good news this past week as the WWI army service records of more than two million British soldiers have been made available online. You can find this and much more at the Military Records section of ancestry.co.uk

Many events will be taking place on 11 November itself, and no doubt the silence will once again pervade my day. I will take the opportunity on Wednesday to announce my giveaway for the month of November, although it will be more like 50 per cent gift giving, 50 per cent asking a favour. It will all make sense - I promise.

Coming to terms with kale

It is dark and pouring with rain. Above the clouds the moon glows like a nuclear pearl.

Now that we have landed on 1 November, it is official. The long, dark days are no longer approaching; they are here. No more fresh strawberries or peas, no more bags of soft butter lettuce from the farmers’ market.

Sure, you can dodge around the inevitable by heading towards the glut of root vegetables now available. Parsnips, Potatoes, Carrots, Turnips - all that starchy goodness waiting to be roasted, mashed or stewed.

But there is no ignoring the green monster forever. The vegetable than can strike even greater fear into the hearts of children now that it has been dubbed a “superfood.”

That’s right - it’s KALE.

Its ancestry is a wild cabbage in Asia, and is thought to have been brought to Europe by the Celts. Before the potato arrived in Scotland in the 18th century, you can imagine just how important kale was. Even in the 1800s the word “kail” was a generic term for dinner in Scots dialect. People grew it, stored it through the winter, and even fed it to the livestock. If there was no kale to be had, there really was nothing left.

In Scotland, kale is abundant and cheap. It can stand up to rain, frost (it even gets sweeter after it has been through a frost - how thoughtful), and half-frozen earth. On top of this it contains beta-carotene, Vitamin A, C, and K as well as minerals like iron, potassium, phosphorous, manganese, magnesium, and calcium to name a few. It is even a good source of protein!

I admit I have had a hard time coming to love kale. I tried steaming it and stir-frying it, but I just couldn’t get past the tough texture and the lingering bitterness. Many people cook the hell out of it and eat it with lashings of butter and salt, but for me that defeats the purpose of something so highly beneficial.

However, I have found a way to way to cook kale that I absolutely love.

I bake it.

First you need some cut up curly kale. Get rid of those stems - juice them or feed them to someone’s pig because it’s like chewing on the encrusted underbelly of a combine harvester. Then you need a bit of olive oil and a pinch of sea salt. Careful not to over-salt!

Toss it all together in a bowl, then spread onto a baking sheet and bake in a 350 oven (gas mark 4) for about 20 minutes, depending on the size of the pieces. You’ll have to keep an eye on it and flip the pieces a few times.

Before:

After:

I’m telling you, it’s tastier than popcorn and about a thousand times better for you. If you like the deep-fried crispy seaweed you can get in Chinese restaurants, this is a perfect substitute. Best eaten straight away to get the best crunch factor, but you can pack it up for a lunchtime snack as well.

Thanks for joining me on yet another Scottish culinary adventure. Carol has asked whether I will be making a Scottish trifle and the answer is yes, I do have a recipe for such a creation. Sometime this month hopefully but if not it will make the perfect Christmas treat for the manboy and I. In the New Year I also hope to make the infamous and staggeringly rich Orkney Fudge Cheesecake.

Finally, hello (*waves frantically*) to the new people in the wee followers box! I don’t know where you’ve come from but I think you’re just super.

Welcoming the dark season with you all,

Sophia