Monthly Archives: January 2015

Raspberry Cranachan

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For the Burns dinner Saturday night, we made Scottish Raspberry Cranachan.

Original recipe called for:
6 TBS porridge oats (steel cut oats)
150 ml whipping cream
6 TBS good honey (purchased from Natural Grocers for non-pasteurized)
4 TBS good single malt whisky
1 punnet of fresh raspberries (about 14 ounces)

We tripled the recipe, except for the whisky (which we only used half of) and the raspberries (which we could have used quite a bit more of). We had a few more porridge oats than we needed, but not a lot more.

This was supposed to make 4 servings originally, so when we ended up with about 14 small cups, that was good. They were gone after the first 3 tables went to eat, though, so next time we might should make a big tub of it. (Like the aluminum foil pan I took the full cups in.)

From allrecipes.co.uk, the recipe said:
Method
Prep: 10 min › Cook: 10 min › Ready in:20 min

1. Toast the oats in a hot dry pan over medium heat until browned and fragrant. Leave to cool.
2. Mix five tablespoons of honey and 2 tablespoons of the whisky into the cream and whip until thick but still floppy.
3. Mix the rest of the honey and whisky into the oats. Layer the oat mixture, cream and raspberries into shallow individual bowls. Decorate with a little oatmeal and one raspberry. Serve chilled.

We skipped the mixing of the rest of honey and whisky into the oats. We thought the whipping cream was plenty sweet and potent.

Next time I make it, I would say probably 9x the oats and 9x the whipping cream, 3x the honey and 3x the whisky, and at least 3x the raspberries.

Having the rest of the honey and the whisky in the oats probably would have made the oats taste better. They would have been less crunchy too and, while I didn’t eat them, they probably were very crunchy. So maybe next time I will add some honey and some whisky to the cooled oats.

It’s a pretty dessert and everything in it except the whisky tastes good, so it should have tasted good, too.

R walked around to make sure that no children received this as a dessert. (Even with as little as we put in, for a wee one, the whisky probably would have been too much.)

SFF Christianity

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Thinking about M Lackey’s Valdemar series, where she goes from Christianity as positive but minor, to only chastising the views that are Christian.

When we were reading Mark 9:2-13 it talked about Jesus’ clothes becoming dazzling white. This is an image from the Christian faith and Lackey uses it for the Heralds of Valdemar.

Something to think about, consider, bring up in class…

Thoughts from Our Wedding

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I told R that I was going to be content.

His definition of content is “giving up for good enough, because it takes more energy than you want to expend to do something else.”

My definition of content is “a decision to accept and rejoice in whatever circumstances and work in and through and beyond those.”

Very different.

He told me what he remembers from our wedding service is that he said, “I ain’t going to stop love you for nothing.”

He has kept that vow.

Thank you, God, for 26+ years of blessings.

Church Today

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From the Lord’ Supper comments:
I am in the presence of greatness every day because God/Jesus/the Holy Spirit is/are with me.

From the sermon:
What if the voice of God had spoken to you? Why to me, when there are others who long for it? I don’t know, but I am very grateful, God. Thank you.

I know God has spoken to me multiple times, though I only remember a few of them.

“an amazing relationship with God”
I have been blessed with an amazing relationship with God. I have not kept up my end of that relationship, but he is always faithful and willing to meet me where I am whenever I come back.

We all want to stay in the most enjoyable time/place/moment. We want to build a house and stay right in that awesomeness.
But we have to come down (off the mount of Transfiguration, Mark chapter 9) because there’s a cross that needs to be carried.

Jesus is our safe place.
He wants us to become safe places for those around us.

Question:
Jesus said (Mark 9:2-13) that Elijah has come. Is this reincarnation or an archetype?

When I am giving a talk:
I try to do too much at the same time. I wonder if I do that with my teaching as well? I need to focus on making my speeches short and about only one thing.