MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE FROM SCOTLAND

Here is some news about Christmas in Scotland.

We finish school on Thursday 23rd December and return on Wednesday

5th January 2011. School closes at 2.30pm on the last day instead of

3.30pm. The weather is very bad here at the moment with lots of snow and

you can see a picture of our school in the snow on our website at

http://www.ea.e-renfrew.sch.uk/stlukes/

The temperature today is -8 degrees and we have a lot of freezing fog. It

does look very festive though!

To prepare for Christmas we have been doing a lot of work in school and

in our parish during Advent and trying hard to think of others who do not

have as much as we do. Every pupil in the school has brought in an item of

food and we have made food parcels to be distributed to the needy in our

community.

Unfortunately, due to the weather, we have had to cancel our Christmas

concert but hope to have it ready for the pupils in school on the last day.

On Christmas day we go to church in the morning after we open our gifts.

Sometimes we go to Midnight Mass on Christmas eve and sing carols in

the church.

Our traditional meal on Christmas day is turkey which is served with

stuffing, vegetables and sausages and we also have cranberry sauce or

bread sauce to go with it. For dessert, we have a Christmas pudding which

is a dark fruit cake. We aren't too keen on the pudding so we have Yule

Log which is like a chocolate Swiss roll. Delicious!!!!!!

Our big event in Scotland is Hogmanay which is our name for New Year's

Eve. Families get together and wait for the 'bells' at midnight. we sing the

song 'A guid New Year' and someone from our family has to be the 'first

footer'. This is someone who is your visitor of the New Year and they

bring a gift to bring good luck for the coming year. In Edinburgh, there is a

huge street party where hundreds and thousands of people come form all

over the world and there is a huge fireworks display from Edinburgh

Castle.

Over the Christmas holiday, we do a lot of visiting friends and family and

try to take things easy! New Year is a very busy time.

We are all really excited about Christmas here and the snow makes it even

more special if not freezing cold!!!!!!!!!!!!

We have attached some recipes that we use in school in our Home

Economics class. There is a recipe for Cranachan shortcake which is

normally eaten at New Year as well as clootie dumpling which can be

given as a gift, and Stovies, which is a Scottish potato dish that normally

accompanies a meat dish.

We hope you have a fantastic Christmas and we are looking forward to

2011 when we will all meet up again.

Merry Christmas from Scotland.

Slàinte

Here are some Scottish songs that we sing at New Year and Christmas

The first is the most famous and most popular, Auld Lang Syne by Robert

Burns.

http://www.ltscotland.org.uk/scotlandssongs/secondary/genericcontent_tc

m4555466.asp

http://www.ltscotland.org.uk/scotlandssongs/primary/todayishogmanay.as

p

http://www.ltscotland.org.uk/scotlandssongs/primary/genericcontent_tcm4

554649.asp

Cara and Niamh xx

Clootie Dumpling

Ingredients

500 g plain flour

500 g mixed dried fruit

1 x 15 ml spoon treacle

100 g mixed peel

1 apple grated

1 x 5 ml spoon bicarbonate of soda

1 x 5 ml spoon mixed spice

100 g brown sugar

100 g vegetable suet

2 slices bread grated

Milk to mix

Method

1. Place all ingredients into a large bowl and add enough milk to mix to

a dropping constancy.

2. Scald a large cloth.

3. Pile the mixture in the centre and tie just above the mix.

4. Boil in a large pot for 4 hours.

5. Remove from the pot and cloth.

6. Place on a plate and dry in the oven for 30 minutes.

Cranachan Shortcake

Ingredients

60 g Medium oat meal

100 g marg

150 g plain flour

50 g caster sugar

1 egg

50 g frozen raspberries

defrosted

150 ml double cream

15 ml clear honey

Method

- Set oven gas mark 4, 170 oC.

- Dry fry 10 g of the oatmeal over a medium heat till golden. Set

aside to cool

- Sieve the flour into a large bowl, add the remaining oatmeal and

rub in the butter.

- Stir in the sugar and add enough egg to bind to a smooth paste.

- Bring the paste together into a ball and flatten slightly. Wrap and

chill for up to 30 minutes.

- Rollout the paste on a lightly floured surface to a thickness of

about 5 mm.

- Using a 7 cm cutter cut out 8 (or more) circles.

- Store the remaining paste appropriately.

- Transfer circles carefully to a baking tray and bake for 10-15

minutes until golden brown, leave to cool.

- Drain the raspberries.

- Whisk the cream to soft peak.

- Incorporate the honey, being careful not to over whisk.

- Fold in the reserve toasted oatmeal and raspberries. Sandwich 2

biscuits together with a quarter of the raspberry cream

- Repeat to give 4 creamed shortcakes.

- Serve on 4 individual, clean, cool plates and decorate appropriately.

Stovies

Ingredients Equipment

1 potato Chopping board

½ onion Sharp knife

15 ml oil 2 pots and pot stands

150 -200 ml water Measuring jug

½ stock cube

Salt and pepper

parsley

Method

1. Wash the potato and cut into 2-3cm cubes.

2. Place in a pot with the water, stock cube, salt and pepper.

3. Bring to the boil and cook till soft. Add 50 ml more water if the

potatoes seem to start to dry out.

4. Slice the onion and fry gently in the oil till soft.

5. Add the onions to the potatoes and cook till tender. There should be a

thick sauce or gravy forming as the potatoes begin to soften and

break up slightly. Do not stir them all into a mush.

6. Season and serve with some chopped parsley.