Whit’s fur ye’ll no go past ye...

     The time has come for me to leave this crazy land and all I can think is that I have to come back. Although it's breaking my #1 rule of not traveling back to places I've already seen, Scotland has gon' stole my heart. In the last week I've managed to get to the Highlands as well as take a day trip to Glasgow, meaning I met my goal of seeing the four corners of the country...for the most part. It's a wee land, but it's filled with so many sublime things to see. Here are some of the pictures I took this week.

 Loch Ness

 Loch Ness

 Loch Ness

I hope your April hail storms in fact bring more May flowers, you terrible beauty. 

    Biddies Who Brunch

    As much as I love brunch and all of its glorious offerings, it has also taken on a darker side. Who's to blame, the patrons or the providers? You know what doesn't make my heart flutter anymore? Hollandaise on everything. Neither do after-thoughts like poorly made bloody marys or bad brunchie puns. You can drown the other biddies under a waterfall of bad prosecco, lies, and deceit, but I'm not buying it. As a firm supporter of lunch, with brunch coming in a close second, I can't understand the general lack of creativity and love for this poor, misunderstood beast of meals. Don't settle for sub-par my friends, if good brunch won't come to you, go to it, and never look back. Let your freak flag fly and celebrate brunch as it was meant to be: with reckless abandon and plenty of alcohol.  

    Weekend Brunch

Green juice, rhubarb and citrus pudding

Swede cake and all the libations

Baked eggs and beet juice

     Swede Cake

     Swedes, or rutabagas, as they're known in the states, are knobby little critters that just need a quick peel before use. This recipe is similar to that of a zucchini bread in the sense that it uses grated produce as a source of moisture and flavor. 

     To start, grate one cup of the rutabaga and store any leftover veg in the fridge. Combine the eggs, sugar, yogurt, oil, and vanilla (I used coconut oil) in a bowl. Next, add in the grated swede and stir to combine. Into another bowl, sift in the flour, baking powder, baking soda, nutmeg, and salt and toss to combine. If you don't use fresh nutmeg I reckon the Swede gods will not be pleased. Gently combine the flour mixture into the wet one and be sure to not over-mix. Pour into a greased 9x9 baking dish and bake for 25-30 minutes at 350 F. The recipe came with a frosting,but for brunch I decided these gems were best left naked. 

Recipe

(adapted from Veggie Desserts)

25-30 min, 350 F

1 C packed, raw peeled and grated swede (rutabaga)

3 eggs

3/4 C sugar 

1/2 C plain full-fat yogurt

1/2 C vegetable oil

2 teaspoons vanilla 

2 1/2 C plain flour

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

2 tsp ground nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon salt