A Very British Christmas Feast

   I think I will always remember our Christmas Feast in Cambridge. It was a massive feat of deliciousness. 

   We began with a "starter" of shrimp with Rose Marie sauce. Oh my word. I don't even like shrimp but this was delicious! And even better, it's extremely easy. The fancy Rose Marie sauce is really just ketchup and mayonnaise! Mix. Serve. Impress. (You don't have to tell them it's just ketchup & mayonnaise if you don't want to.)

   Then dad cut our bird (or birds, depending on how you look at it). Since we were in England we knew we had to do something special for our Christmas feast, so we got a three-in-one bird. Basically there are three birds (we choose chicken, pheasant, & duck) stuffed inside each other! And then there's bacon on top. Anna approves.

   Right before the meal we all stood in a circle & popped our Christmas crackers! We don't have crackers in America which is a real shame because they are so fun! If you have never heard of a cracker, they are little circular packages with treats & (very often) a paper crown inside. You pull them apart and they open with a loud crack! We donned our paper crowns and sat down to enjoy our feast.

   Mum really is spectacular. We had our three-in-one bird (chicken, pheasant, & duck), sweet potato casserole, bacon wrapped sausages, bread sauce (so British), & cheesy Brussels sprouts. The bread sauce was (unfortunately) only enjoyed by mum, but everything else was a winner! My favorite? The Brussels sprouts. Who would have thought. They were amazing! 

   We feasted. We laughed. We told the (endearingly lame) jokes from our crackers. We talked. We acted out the charades from our crackers. We laughed some more. We reminisced. We toasted mums amazing cooking. It was a good night.

P.S. Just as a disclaimer, that's Raspberry cordial, not wine. =)

P.P.S. After our feast, Joshua & I rushed off to watch the Doctor Who Christmas special! Goodbye 11th Doctor!

I'm in love . . . with BBC

   It's no secret that I adore the British Broadcasting Corporation. I thought I'd share my all time favorite shows & miniseries with you! Enjoy!

Doctor Who

   Oh how I love this show. I can't even put it into words how much I love it. I now have the difficult/impossible job every Whovian faces of trying to explain it in a few sentences. Saying it's about an alien that travels around and saves planets doesn't even scratch the surface of Gallifrey. It's about friendship, loyalty, love, loss, courage, & pain. And epic awesomeness. 

   If you don't know anything about Doctor Who, here's a brief overview (emphasis on brief). The Doctor is a Time Lord who travels through all of time & space in his time machine called the TARDIS. He gets lonely so he has companions that go on adventures with him. When The Doctor is mortally wounded he regenerates by changing every atom in his body. New face & personality, but same Doctor. Right now it's the 11th Doctor that's flying around saving the universe.

   Yes, there are some really cheesy episodes with bad CGI & a weird plot. But the further you get in the series the fewer and farther between those cheesy episodes become till they are pretty much nonexistent. Series 6 & 7 pretty much blow my mind every time I think about them.  

   Really it comes down to the characters. They are so deep & complex & you love them so much! You laugh with them & cry with them. Seriously. Lots of crying. But it's worth it. 

   The 50th anniversary special is on November 23rd. And I. Can. Not. Wait. It's going to be so epic I just . . .  I can't . . . I . . . yeah. (Sorry, that's my only fangirl moment in this whole post.)

   If you want to give Doctor Who a go I can't recommend it enough!

Sherlock 

   Another epic BBC show. It is exceptionally well done! It's Sherlock set in modern times. With most old books making a "modern" TV show of  it would ruin it at best. But not so with this! The writers have brilliantly managed to weave things like technology into Arthur Conan Doyle's original stories. And quite simply, Benedict Cumberbatch is incredible as Sherlock. He is Sherlock. At the moment all Sherlockians are freaking out because Season 3 has an air date. After two years we will finally, finally learn what happened!

Great British Bake Off

   Okay, complete change of genera. Baking. But seriously guys, this show is so much fun! It's not like American contest shows where everything is hectic & critics are harsh. Everyone is friendly & it's just good fun! The finale about a week ago & I'm so sad it's over!

Pride and Prejudice

   This is the only film version of Pride & Prejudice that my family acknowledges. It's exceptionally well done & captures the book perfectly. If you haven't seen this yet, you must watch it!

Emma

   I struggle to decide which is my favorite Austen story, Pride & Prejudice or Emma? I identify with Emma a lot, so she helps me see my strengths & weaknesses. I will say that I do not struggle with matchmaking. Anyway, this BBC version is lovely & the actors are perfect for their roles!  

Little Dorrit

   If you're in the mood for a dark Dickens tale Little Dorrit is an excellent choice. Dickens is a master of complex plots. This one features a stedfast heroine, a vile villain, a sweet love story, some laughs, & lots of people you just want to punch in the face. He's especially good at making those last characters. But that's part of what makes this a great watch!

Cranford

   This miniseries is set in the village of Cranford & follows the lives of it's residence. It's a sweet story about love, loss, & the struggle of everyday life. You grow very attached to the characters & long for everyone's story to have a happy ending.

   So there you have it! These are just some of my favorite things produced by BBC. It's amazing how stories can capture your soul. To BBC: thank you.

   Do you love BBC as much as I do? Have I left off your favorite show or miniseries? Let me know in the comments!

P.S. I will mention that I'm also a Downton Abbey fan! But even though it is a British show it is not made by BBC, so I didn't include it in this post.

My Cheery Abode

   I love decorating. Before we even got to Cambridge I was dreaming up ideas of how to decorate my room to make it happy. I've done a lot to it since I last wrote about it here. I'm quite please with how it's turned out! 

   I've mentioned a couple of times how I was sewing a bunting. Well I'm pleased to say I finally finished it this past Monday! It's been in the works for like, three months. In my defense, I sewed it all by hand. This is no wimpy bunting either, I'll be able to take it home with me. It was a labor of love, but worth it. It adds so much lovely color! 

   One of the reasons why I wanted to sew a bunting was because it would be a cheap & easy way to add lots of color! Well it turned out to be neither cheap or easy, but it was worth it in the end.

   Another new addition to my room is my Favorite Things wall! I'm hanging photos, cards, & anything I find inspirational or cute there. This project was much easier and cheaper than my bunting (no offense bunting). All you need are:

• A few thumbtacks
• Some string
• Mini clothespins
• Stuff to hang up! 

   It makes me so happy. I plan on adding another string & changing out the cards & photos often.

   Also, my seriously awesome dad bought me this beautiful comforter! It's pretty much my favorite. I'll be able to take it back home too, since it's just a duvet cover.

   Aaaaaand he also bought me twinkle lights! You remember my sob story about my twinkle lights I brought from home & burned up? Yeah, well dad was sweet & got me some new ones. (I'm slightly obsessed with twinkle lights, in case you haven't figured that out.) 

I have seriously awesome friends who send me owl post and hedgehog cards. Mah fave. 

Flowers are always a good idea. Especially zinnias. 

   I'm super happy how cheery my room looks now! Doing DIY projects is my fave. Here are a few other DIYs I'm thinking about trying out!

• This cute Book Page Bunting
• Fluffy Pom Pom Push Pins
• Happy Scrap Fabric Tassels
• Pretty Fabric Hoops

   Are there any brilliant decorating DIY projects that you've done in the past or are dying to try out? 

Please Sir, Can I Have Some S'more?

   I'm going to tell you something that will shock my American readers and confuse some of my British readers. I was talking with Hannah, one of my European friends, & I learned that she had never heard of a S'more. If you're American you are now probably thinking something along the lines of, (to quote my friend Emily) "They aren't universal?!" And if you're British you're probably thinking, "What's all the fuss about?" This is what all the fuss is about.

   Well, not technically. But this is the best I can do while I'm in England. When I learned Hannah had never had a S'more, I decided to do something about it. It's not her fault she's been deprived all her life. 

   First of all, they don't have gram crackers over here. I had to explain what a gram cracker is! It's surprisingly difficult to do. Basically, it's like a slightly sweet bread cracker. With a distinct taste. That I can't describe. 

   So I looked up a gram cracker recipe, picked this one, & we got together & made S'mores!  

   What makes gram crackers gram crackers is the gram flour that goes in them. That's probably something even my American friends didn't know. Now everyone does. I feel so accomplished. Anyway, there's a certain kind of flour that's called gram flour. And you use it to make gram crackers. Makes sense, right? 

   The gram crackers turned out more like a cookie. Like a gram cracker, a snickerdoodle, & a molasses cookie had a baby. (You might tell me three cookies can't have a baby, but I'm telling you no cookies can have a baby, so I do what I want.) I've named them Gramdoodles. My mum loves them. 

   To make the gramdoodles into S'mores we, of course, needed chocolate & marshmallows. We only had mini marshmallows and we had to toast (really just heat) them in the oven. (Normally you toast big marshmallows over a fire and they get all crispy on the outside & gooey on the inside.) Then we scrapped them onto a gramdoodle with a piece of chocolate on it & added another gramdoodle on top! And there you have it, a European S'more! =) 

   They definitely didn't taste like the S'more I know & love, but they were still quite delicious! And now Hannah has been introduced to the wonders of S'mores! (Thanks for being willing to try my strange American food.) =P And I hope that any of you readers who are British will try out this scrummy American staple!

P.S. Don't forget to enter The Cambridge Scarf Giveaway! Tomorrow is your last day to enter! 

The Scottish Countryside (St. Andrews Part II)

   The place we stayed on our first few days in Scotland was actually right outside of St. Andrews in Dundee. We drove through beautiful Scottish countryside to get to our lovely B & B. Dad went for a walk that evening and came back with some stunning sunset pictures!

   September 5th was full of traveling all over the Scottish countryside. We had one of our favorite meals at the cutest farm shop in Dundee! It was cozy, they had excellent food, & we had the best time exploring the shop after lunch. Aunt Kim & Mum bought various food goodies & I bought some chocolate (of course).

   That afternoon we went shopping in St. Andrews. It was rather cold again, so I stayed in a book store while everyone else went to view the St. Andrews castle ruins. I wish I could have gone, but I was still feeling poorly, so I knew all the wind & cold wouldn't be the best.

   I rejoined them for hot drinks after they were done exploring. We went to the cafe where Kate Middleton met Prince William for coffee! How cute is that?! They are properly proud of their adorable couple here in Britain!  

   We enjoyed the farm shop so much that we went back to their Steak Barn for supper! It was such a unique place, there were these huge crates stacked up for walls, which gave it an outside-but-inside feel. The food was excellent (again) & we had a absolutely delightful waitress. If you ever make it to Dundee you should visit the Balgove Larder Farm Shop!

   We explored one other place that afternoon, which was another one of my four favorite events from the trip. I got lots of pictures, so it's getting it's own post. Stay tuned!   

 P.S. All pics in this post were taken by dad (except the last one, since he's in it). =)

The Home of Golf (St. Andrews Part I)

   On the 4th of September I woke up sick. Bad timing, right? It was just a cold or virus, but I still felt poorly. It lasted the duration of our trip, but I managed to survive.
   Since I was feeling under the weather I stayed in our hotel room to rest while everyone else went out to tour York for the morning. (But I got to watch Netflix, so I think I had the better end of the deal.)

   Despite my illness, late morning we grabbed a train bound for St. Andrews, Scotland! The first game of golf was played in St. Andrews in the 1400s. Also, the beach is where the famous running scene in Chariots of Fire was filmed. It was also very cold.
 

   Since the sky always looked like rain was imminent, it gave St. Andrews a majestic & wild feel. It's amazing how the weather effects your view of a place. Later in our travels we had one day that was absolutely freezing, rainy, & miserable (more on that day later) which obviously colored our view of that place. But on this trip overall we were blessed with decent weather. I find it interesting how weather effects your mood & your view of a new region. 

Tea & Trains (York)

   Early Tuesday morning we left Cambridge for the city of York. Two of my four favorite experiences from the whole trip happened on this lovely day.
   The first of these favorite experiences was our train ride to York. It was about four hours long, so we were able to settle in and enjoy the ride. We got Yorkshire Gold tea & shortbread when the tea trolly came by. (I've always been partial to fruity herbal teas, but I've made myself acquire a taste for black tea since I am in England.) I knitted on my fingerless gloves & daydreamed most of the trip. Train travel is my favorite, it's like a relaxed version of flying. And you get to view pretty scenery.
 

Photo Credit: Dad

   Once we arrived in York we went to Bettys for tea! This was the other favorite experience of the day. Bettys Cafe Tea Rooms was established in 1919 & is world renowned. The food was excellent & the setting charming. If you ever get a chance to visit York you must visit Bettys!

I ate French Toast with bacon! The fluffy toast & savory bacon was a delicious combination.

Dad had a cheese & potato Rosti with eggs, bacon, & the best mushrooms ever (I know, I tried them). He hasn't quit talking about his Rosti for the past week . . .

Aunt Kim got the traditional Afternoon Tea, which must have been good since she ate almost all of it herself. =)

There was also a shop in Bettys, which was simply delightful to browse. Mum spent a good portion of her saved Birthday money on a tea book, a bag, a mug, & (of course) tea!

Their autumn window display was just too pretty not to attempt some pictures! If you can't tell, those are leaf & macaroon garlands hanging up. 

   The rest of the day we spent shopping & sightseeing around York. There is a really old section of the city called The Shambles which is now an ally of shops. Back in the medieval times it was the street where the butchers sold their meat. 

   We also admired the York Minster, a massive & intricate cathedral. In the evening, when we were walking around the medieval wall that still goes around part of the city, the Minster's bells started ringing. It was beautiful to listen to & the songs went on for a good hour.

This is a column that the Romans built when they occupied the area that is now York!

   Overall this first day in York was one of my favorites from the whole trip! A delightful blend of shopping, tea, rest, history, & delicious food!

P.S. I had the most shocking realization at the end of the day. I realized where New York got its name.