December 28th 2008 Tayview North Fife

December 28th 2008 Tayview North Fife. A sunny day over the River Tay, At home the sun is screened by the north facing hill for about eight weeks in mid winter. Frost and snow remain much longer on the ground though the view may be sunny. These are the fields of Ballinbreich and Logie farms with a misty view of Dundee in the distance at the end.

Tayview North Fife Dec 27th 2008

Dec 27th Tayview North fife 2008, This was at 3-30 pm today, rather dull but still, on the way to my studio in Newburgh. There I continued to scan, clean and A2 print portraits of people and happenings from the 1970s. There's nothing like memory lane!

Christmas Dinner North Fife

Christmas dinner North Fife. We live in a modest dwelling but tend to eat well. Growing as much as we can, cooking every day and we naturally have an interest in cooking programs and books. This year we came by a goose and plumbed for a roasting method I recently watched on Jamie Oliver's cooking program.
The goose is oiled and smeared with a couple of desert spoons of Chinese five spice powder, pierced in the fatty areas and with a couple of pierced oranges inserted inside the bird, all placed on a bed of :-
3 sticks of celery
2 carrots halved length ways
2 parsnips " " "
4 or 5 inches of crushed fresh ginger, just a few heavy blows
The giblets, gizzard, neck, heart and liver
A good bunch of fresh sage with a little fresh thyme
A bulb of garlic, cloves squashed
2 onions sliced and sauteed till soft in a little fat
An apple quartered, all in a roasting tin.
Anything else you might have, like fresh plums, sultanas, whatever, enjoy the possible tastes.
Place in a preheated very hot oven for 10 minuets or so reducing to 180 centigrade for 2 to 3 hours depending.

A little water was added from time to time to the roasting tray. When the goose is removed the tray contents are strained and the fat separated from the sauce. There was nearly a litre of goose fat saved to be used at a latter date. A few choice pieces of the cooked giblets were blended with the liquid to create a fantastic sauce.

Before this a red cabbage was quartered and finely sliced with a few cloves and juniper berries added and sauteed in a little fat for several hours with a shot of grape juice and vinegar half way through with salt and black pepper.

The roast vegetables were:-
Potatoes, par boiled to nearly done, added to the hot water were , carrots, parsnips and jerusalem artichokes to warm, all drained and then tossed in the goose fat and added to a roasting tray with orange zest and flaked nuts.
Brussels Sprouts to accompany

A reviewer has said:-
I was a real sceptic to cookbooks a few months ago. 'It's alright for these celebrity chefs', I would say, 'It's their job to cook up gastronomic epics. We just don't have the time or money for it.'
However, I've admired Jamie Oliver ever since the infamous school dinners campaign, and I thought that I'd give this book and a few recipes a try, if only to confirm my cynical attitude.

Well, I'm converted. Contrary to my previous belief, it's all about proper, honest home cooking with foodstuffs that are readily accessible (from supermarkets and farmers markets), and the recipes are realistic and well explained in Jamie's endearing matey, lad-round-the-corner tone. Hardly pretentious like I first thought.
And, the incredible thing is; they work! Honestly, you'd think that it'd be of a 'maybe I'll get it right next time' affair, but it isn't. If you follow the instructions, you'll end up surprisingly close to the glossy photos you see in the books. And, of course, the end result is delicious.

As I said, I'm converted, and I feel genuinely enthusiastic about what I eat now. It really doesn't take up as much time or money as you think (perhaps even less when you get into the swing of things), and this will be a New Year resolution that I will eagerly stick to. And I have Jamie and this book to thank for it. Fantastic.

Oh, and I will never have my tomatoes any other way again.

Catherine Greene North Fife

Catherine Greene North Fife, a friend who called by to my studio today in Newbugh North Fife with her wee pooch. Change, We are all faced by change, in fact the next president of America, Barack Obama came to win promising change. We have climate change, economic change, environmental change. There has always been change, always will be, it's just that they are rather bIG changes the now. Catherine is up there on the point of moving home and enjoying the process due to the adjusted view and insight given by reading Deepak Chopra books. It can only be helpful to find a way of embracing positive change, a situation unfolding as I type. Yes, we are all at it..
One could of course consult the Book of Changes, a similar but different food for thought, if ancient oracle.


Draws on ancient Confucian commentary, which emphasizes applying practical wisdom in everyday affairs. The "I Ching" is the oldest and most profound of the Chinese classics, used as an oracle of fortune, a guide to success and a dispensary of wisdom. Wisdom revealed by divination. Deepak Chopra's book is through working with ones mind.I Ching: Book of Change (Shambhala Pocket Classics)

This is the book that Catherine recommended to me and others who maybe feel the need for positive change. A review, This book is a must read for all Deepak Chopra fans. Firstly, it helps the reader gain a deep understanding of the mechanics of synchronicity in every day life. Secondly, it contains guidelines for the reader of how to gain insight into his/her deepest desires and through that insight, teaches the reader how to work along with synchronicities and coincidences in order to make the most out of their occurence. Having realised why things happen in a certain sequence, the reader learns how to see the greater meaning hidden behind a chain of events and, hence learns to respond to exterior events in the most fruitful way possible. Great help for periods of stress and uncertainty. Enjoy! Synchrodestiny: Harnessing the Infinite Power of Coincidence to Create Miracles.

Winter Solstice North Fife

The winter solstice marks the shortest day and the longest night of the year. The sun appears at its lowest point in the sky, and its noontime elevation appears to be the same for several days before and after the solstice. Hence the origin of the word solstice, which comes from Latin solstitium, from sol, “sun” and -stitium, “a stoppage.” Following the winter solstice, the days begin to grow longer and the nights shorter. Thank goodness, we are now into another period of growth and rebirth. Celebrations of many kinds are taking place the now. This book elaborates on this festive season starting with the Winter Solstice.The Winter Solstice: The Sacred Traditions of Christmas

Dark North Fife

Tonight peering out front and back, before me a very Dark North Fife, with only the brightest stars glimmering through. Yes, dark and blustery, slightly disturbing and uncomfortable such is the view from here tonight.

Tay Day North Fife

A still Tay Day North Fife. On leaving home to drive to England on Sunday this was the calm beauty of The River Tay.

As I turn westwards this is the ever changing view.

Biggar Scotland

Biggar Scotland. On my journey south from North Fife my preferred route is through Biggar, a quiet scenic amble to the motorway at Abington on the A702.

Wind Turbines

Do you see the propellers? Here just around the corner travelling south on the M6 by the lake district wind turbines come into view. A really heartening site. Energy conversion of benefit.
There are proposed sites in Fife and existing in North and South Scotland. It's true they can be seen to despoil natural habitats but that's what we humans do, out of necessity and hopefully a more balanced pragmatic approach.

Almost surreal, like sculptures these propeller driven wind turbines look incongruous yet no different to the motorway.

Amaryllis Lily

Amaryllis Lily, a stunning flower and this one has just come into bloom in my new studio in the Steeple Arts, Newburgh North Fife. I have a white one also which is slightly behind in coming into flower and will post it soon. There are many hybrids and you may find this book below a mine of information.


The hybrids of Hippeastrum, also known by gardeners as amaryllis, have long been popular indoor plants, their flamboyant blooms bringing cheer during the dark winter months. Published in association with the Royal Horticultural Society as part of our Plant Collector Guide series, this book for gardeners describes the astonishing range of hybrids now available and explains how to get the best results from these rewarding plants. A wealth of practical advice accompanies the plant descriptions, including a specially formulated growing medium used by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, an effective "hot water treatment" for pests, and essential advice on feeding, watering, and lighting.Hippeastrum - the Gardener's Amaryllis (Royal Horticultural Society Plant Collector Guide)
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East West North Fife

Looking from home in North Fife to Dundee in the East over the Tay River this rather frosty December Day.

The other view west to the mountains of Perthshire and beyond.