Edinburgh with the Buissons

A couple of weekends ago we headed south for a relaxing weekend in Edinburgh with our good friends, Luke and Debbie. I had been to Edinburgh a handful of times, Debbie and Luke for a weekend but Ryan only for a night when we went in August for Tattoo Festival. Since most of us had done the touristy stuff and Ryan will get plenty of opportunities this summer with our guests, we wanted to keep it low key...hike Arthur's Seat, eat yummy food, drink yummy beer, walk the beautiful streets and just hang out outside of the norm in Aberdeen.

We arrived Friday afternoon after a few detours. You miss your exit in Scotland and you're screwed. However, we arrived safely and the sun was out in full force. We quickly dropped our things at the aparthotel and set off to hike Calton Hill to get some great views of the city.

National Monument of Scotland

view from Calton Hill

Luke being Luke

We then made our way to our first pub and then our second and then our third before ending at Under the Stairs for a delicious dinner. 

appropriate

 

Saturday we set out to hike Arthur's seat around 10:30. The weather wasn't quit as beautiful as Friday but it's mild and not raining so I wasn't complaining!

Total distance was about 3 miles with a 915 ft climb over the course. Some of the inclines definitely got your heart pumping but there were nice 'landings' to enjoy the scenery and catch your breath.


After the hike, we re-grouped and headed out to enjoy the city of Edinburgh which can only be done if a street performer, bag piper and the Edinburgh castle are included. This guy was really good...I mean he can swallow a sword for goodness sake! Definitely entertaining!

And after browsing Anthropologie and grabbing some gloves for skiing next week we grabbed a few brewskies before dinner at The Dogs. Again another yummy restaurant but if I had to pick between the two...Under the Stairs wins for this trip!

We left pretty early on Sunday since both of the boys had work trips to prepare for in the coming week. It was a perfectly low key weekend with a great hike, delicious food and wonderful company!

Stuffed with Love

Ryan and I aren't big celebrators of Valentine's Day. I really have nothing wrong with the holiday, it's sweet but it's just not for us. I try to do exceptionally sweet things for Ryan through out the year and the word romance gets lost in translation with Ryan (and this is one of the reasons I love him...it's confusing, I know). And this Valentine's Day was really no different other than I wanted to make him a yummy meal, not really because it was love day but because our lives have been so busy between his travel and my volunteering (and our social lives, did you see my last post?) and I couldn't remember the last time I cooked a yummy meal that wasn't one of my go-tos (ie tacos, spaghetti, taco soup).

Debbie loaned me one of her Food Network magazines a few weeks ago and the recipe on the front caught my eye immediately so I added it to my must try list. I had most of the ingredients except for the peppers and a few smaller things so this was a no brainer when deciding on what to cook...just needed a quick run to the grocery store. I omitted the dried currants/golden raisins but they didn't sound that good to be in the recipe and the bag at the store was way more than I'd ever use and I don't like wasting. I also did half brown rice/half quinoa...next time I'll go all quinoa, it's the healthier option and it is so yummy. And each pepper comes in at just under 500 calories. Enjoy!!

Turkey and Rice (or Quinoa) Stuffed Peppers (Greek Inspired)
Active: 40 min, Total: 2 hr 40 min
Source: Food Network Magazine

FOR THE PEPPERS
1 1/2 cups short grain brown rice (or quinoa)
1/4 cup dried currants or golden raisins (I ommited this)
Kosher salt
1/2 cup of walnuts
1/2 cup of dill (I didn't use this much)
1/2 cup fresh parsley (I didn't use this much either)
4 scallions, roughly chopped
6 medium bell peppers (any color)
8 ounces lean ground turkey
2 cups schredded part-skim mozzarella cheese (about 8 oz)
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon of fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
Freshly ground pepper

FOR THE SAUCE
1 15 ounce can tomato puree
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon packed brown sugar
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 cinnamon stick
Kosher salt and Freshly ground pepper

1. Make the peppers: Combine 2 1/2 cups water, the rice, currants and 1/4 teaspoon of salt in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low; cover and simmer until the water is absorbed, about 45 minutes. Let stand, covered, 10 minutes. Fluff with fork, then transfer to a large bowl to cool, about 20 minutes. *** Because I omitted the currants I just cooked my rice and quinoa as I normally would.

2. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350F (177C). Spread the walnuts on a baking sheet and roast until lightly golden, 6 to 8 minutes.; let cool, then finely chop. Pile the dill, parsley and scallions on a cutting board and finely chop.

3. Cut off the top of each bell pepper and reserve the tops; discard the seeds and white membranes. Put the turkey in a large bowl; add 1 cup of mozzarella, 1/4 cup feta, the rice mixture, walnuts, all but 2 tablespoons of the chopped herbs, the garlic, lemon juice, lemon zest, 1 1/2 teaspoons slat and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Gently mix with your hands. Stuff each bell pepper evenly with the turkey-rice mixture; cover with the pepper tops.

4. Make the sauce: Whisk 3 cups water, the tomato puree, brown sugar, olive oil and cinnamon stick in a wide, deep saucepan. Arrange the stuffed peppers upright in the sauce. Bring the sauce to a simmer over medium-high heat. Cover and reduce the heat the heat to medium low; simmer until the peppers are soft and the filling is cooked through, 50 to 60 minutes.

I don't think my sauce pan was quite wide enough but it did the job with just a little mess.

5. Preheat the broiler. Carefully remove the peppers from the sauce and transfer to a baking dish; remove the tops and set them aside in the baking dish. Toss the reserved 2 tablespoons chopped herbs with the remaining 1 cup mozzarella and 1/4 cup feta in a small bowl and sprinkle over the filling. Broil until melted, about 2 minutes. Replace peper tops, Season the sauce with salt and pepper. Serve the peppers in shallow bowls with the sauce.

Catch Up Corner

Whew, it's been a while. The last 6 weeks have be CRAY-ZAY. Upon my return from my trip to the US in December/January I hit the ground running. There were birthdays to be celebrated (4 to be exact), meetings to be planned, Mardi Gras to be celebrated, ceilidh (k-lee) dancing to be had, runs to be done, volunteering to be started and of course my daily job duties as housewife. So, needless to say, blogging took a back seat to my life but I'm here to catch you up on all. So, grab some coffee (or a tottie) while I highlight the last 6+ weeks.

Late December 2012-Early January 2013

I went back to the US for a few very special events. My cousin, Trey, got married on a beautiful plantation in North Florida. Trey and I are only 4 months apart and basically grew up like brother and sister so, I never thought his wedding would be the first time I would meet his future wife. My moving overseas and us Trey being all grown up with a job (and living in Georgia) and all makes it more challenging to see each other when I'm in the US. However, when I met Lauren, it was like I'd known her forever and I knew they were perfect for each other. The wedding weekend was so much fun. It relaxing time with my family celebrating an amazing couple.

The beautiful chapel

The sweet couple

My next stop was to Houston where it was birthday celebration time!! My friends, Courtney, turned 30 on December 13, Laura on January 7 and me on January 21st. When I found I was going to be in town the weekend of Laura's birthday, I knew we had to try and get a celebration with us all! Court came down from Dallas and my friends, Kasey, Meredith and Faye, came in from Austin and Fort Worth. And not to mention, some of my Aberdeen girls were still in town from Christmas and they came and celebrated too! Court, Laura and I had massages at the Houstonian on Friday afternoon and then Saturday we started with a big group dinner at Colina's in the Heights before trying out the new wine bar, Crisp, and ending the night dancing away at Rebels. It's very rare that we get to celebrate our birthdays together with us scattered all over so this was an extra special treat for our 30ths!

 My last weekend in Houston, Ryan flew in from Aberdeen for our good friend, Clent's, wedding. It was another special day celebrating a very special couple. Ryan was in the wedding supporting one of his closest friends on his big day. It's usually me in the weddings so it was fun to be on the other side. I, unfortunately, didn't get many pictures, I was too busy chowing down on delicious Texas BBQ, gabbing and two steppin'.

January

I got back to Aberdeen and was welcomed with a fresh blanket of snow. My flight was delayed about 30 minutes because we had to wait for it to stop snowing(and the airport to open back up) before we could land. This was just the beginning of two weeks of non stop snow. It started to wear on me towards the end but Angus and I got some really good, snowy walks in none the less. He loves a snow ball fight and it's so funny to watch him try to get the snow ball in his mouth.

Flying over the Cairngorms into Aberdeen

On the 21st, I turned the big 3-0. I had a wonderful dinner with all the girls at my favorite Thai restaurant. Ryan was still in Houston for meetings but all my girls made sure my day was special!

On the 23rd, Ryan and I celebrated 3 years of wedded bliss (<-----hehe, bliss). It hasn't all been bliss but I wouldn't change it for the world. It's crazy to think we've already been married 3 years and have lived in two different countries. Lots of learning and loving goes on when you have to do so much adjusting and depending. Because he was in Houston we just exchanged sweet cards to each other to mark the occasion. We have lots of travel planned this year so I don't feel like I need a special anniversary trip, all of our trips are special! (<----cheesy? yes!)

February 1st-2nd

My dear friend, Kristin Jorene, turned the big 3-0 and we marked the day, the Bristish way with a lovely high tea at Rosie's on Thistle.

That night several of us headed to the Chevron Burns' Supper to celebrate the famous Scottish poet, Robert Burns. It's a big deal in Scotland and everyone gets decked out in their best smartest dress, dines on traditional Scottish fare of haggis, neeps (turnips) and tatties (potatoes) and ceilidh dances the night away. It was a lot of fun and I'm really glad we got to attend one of these and very pleased to see my hubby in a kilt!

The next night was the Totally 80s 30th Birthday Bash celebrating myself, Kristin, Debbie and Pam. We all turn(ed) 30 within a few weeks of each other and we thought it best to have one big bash! We started the night at Debbie's with a totally 80s birthday party complete with pizza, cupcakes and candy....just like when we were kids! We then headed out to Nox, a new night club in Aberdeen, to show off our best robot, shopping cart and Roger Rabbit dance moves. Other than a hiccup at Nox with the bouncers it was a fun night!

Don Johnson and Rainbow Brite

3 of 4 Birthday girls; me, Debbie, Pam

February 8th-9th

Debbie's official birthday was the 9th and since the AWA was throwing her a big Mardi Gras party in honor of it, we figured we would have a little girls' day on Friday. We went to Jo Malone's (an upscale fragrance store) for hand/arm massages and champagne before heading to Bistro Verde for a delicious lunch!

As stated above, Saturday night was the official AWA Mardi Gras party. It's the best party of the year and how convienent for it to be on Debbie's birthday. There was delicious Cajun food, dancing and Debbie was named Mardi Gras Queen and coincidentally, her hubby Luke, the king! How fun, not only because it was Debbie's birthday but because they're moving to Londonand this could have been their first and last Mardi Gras! They did a great shop tossing the beads, leading the 2nd line and wearing those big 'ol headdresses!

Whew, that's a lot and if you made it to the end of this post, I'll give you an "attagirl/boy"! Look out for a post about my delicious Valentine's meal for hubby, our trip to Edinburgh with the Buissons, hiking Bennachie and my marathon training soon! Thanks for catching up with me and I hope I don't ever get that far behind again!

ONE

Today marks one year since we moved to bonny Scotland and I spent it doing my favorite Scotland activity, hiking the beautiful countryside...how appropriate!! It's crazy to think it's been a year since we made the long journey from Singapore to Aberdeen but I wouldn't have it any other way. We have made some of the best friends and traveled to places we never imagined and we're not finished with this place yet. Can't wait to see how Scotland treats us over the next couple of years!

Leaving Singapore (man, I miss that airport!)

Arriving in Aberdeen

I set out with the AWA Explorers to complete the snowy Lost Art Gallery circuit in Donside Aberdeenshire. We started in the town of Strathdon, making our way across the River Don and through the foothills of the Cairngorms before a quick stop at an art gallery and an old stable turned amazing ranch style home for lunch (the owner graciously let us take over his porch) and then back through the foothills again. We covered about 9 miles and it was a perfect day for hiking!

There wasn't snow on the ground this time last year but the sun and skies were just as happy!

Here I Come, London!

Since running The Great Wall Marathon back in May 2011, I've had running another marathon on my brain. With the move to a new country and the 3 trips back to the US within the last 7 months it wasn't feasible for 2012 so I have made it a goal for 2013. I started thinking about what marathon I wanted to run way back in January 2012. Moving to Europe opened the possibilities for some pretty amazing marathons. I had pretty much made up my mind to run the Prague Marathon in May because it has been voted most beautiful marathon and Prague is at the top of my list for cities to visit. Well, then it came time to get serious about signing up and working out my training schedule. During this my husband informs me he has a big trip planned the week following the marathon and he wasn't sure he could swing both and I was not to go to Prague alone (and didn't want to go without my biggest fan!). I mentioned running/going with me to a couple of friends and it wasn't a good time for them either. So, I was back to the drawing board. I thought about the Paris Marathon in April or running a few 1/2 marathons in the Spring and doing the Berlin Marathon in September.

In the meantime, I heard from a former running buddy from Singapore, that has just moved back to UK, that she was running the London Marathon. I was baffled by this because getting into the London Marathon is a loooong shot. It sells out within minutes (which is why this marathon never occurred to me, there was no way I was ever getting in). I inquired how she got in and she told me she was running it through a charity. This peaked my interest but I just kind of left it at that and Berlin was looking like the better marathon option since the start of training for the Paris marathon wasn't going to be as friendly with my schedule. A few weeks later, I received a message from my friend asking me if I wanted to run the London marathon that a spot just opened up on her charity team. Without thinking, I almost messaged her back YES but I took a breath, thought about it for a second, ran it by Ryan and pretty much within 5 minutes told her YES. I took it as a sign. I was back and forth on what I wanted to do and she was pretty much telling me! How could I pass up this opportunity? Lots of people dream of running the Virgin London Marathon and I was given the chance of a lifetime.

I corresponded with my friend and the leader of the charity team to learn about just who it was I was running for and what all was involved for me to participate. The charity is called Relate West Surrey and is a counseling service for all types of relationships. You can read more about them on their website: http://relatewestsurrey.org.uk/.  Even though the charity is not local to me and I don't have any direct relationship with this charity, I do believe that charities are there for the betterment of the community and I know it will benefit someone in need. My responsibilities as a team member for relate are to raise 1000 GBP ($1600) that goes directly to the charity and train my hardest to represent myself and Relate on April 21, 2013 in London for 26.2 miles.

I am hoping that I can depend on you for support of this charity and getting me to London to achieve my goal. I promise to keep you posted on my training through out,  as well as a full recap after the marathon. To donate just visit the website below, every little bit helps. Thank you in advance!

DONATE HERE: