Irish Traditions for the Holidays

UK is made up of England , Ireland , Scotland and Wales!! You would think all the holiday Traditions are the same, they are Similar and Unique Traditions, lets take a wee peak in to these !!

these unique Christmas traditions, as well as their own special holidays that no other nations or cultures celebrate. These holiday traditions can tell us a lot about our family backgrounds and give us insight into the lives of our ancestors. clues to family heritage, traditions of our ancestors is Huge, if we don’t carry on these traditions they die, people forget ! If you are of Irish descent, here are some unique Christmas traditions that you may or may not know about. Each one offers a little insight into the lives of ancestors both recent and long ago.! I love to learn about this and carry on traditions with my family!! Now Grand Children

Irish Christmas

A Candle in the Window:

This is one of the most common Irish Christmas traditions. It is exactly what it says it is… placing a candle in a window. For Sailors to find their way home..Irish would put a candle in the window in a position to make sure it was visible to anyone who was passing by. To light the path of those out on the streets after dark. This tradition faded away for a while, then came back to popularity in the 1970s. This still used by some families, both Irish and Irish-inspired. Today, those who use it do so as an homage to those seeking shelter, like Mary and Joseph when they were searching for a place to stay so Mary could give birth.

Holly on the Door: This is a common Irish Christmas tradition ( UK). It started after England took over governance of Ireland, Irish didn’t have much extra money to buy holiday decorations. Because holly was something that grew easily in cold climates, it was something they could acquire for free to decorate their homes and make them more festive. I remember Collecting Holly for our house, love the red and green..

Little Christmas: A fun fact of Irish Christmases is that it is considered bad luck to take Christmas trees or other holiday decorations down before January 6, ( We also did this in the England ) which is known in Ireland as “Little Christmas.” This “Little Christmas” is also traditionally a “girls’ night out” in Ireland, as well. Hmm I may have to start this one!! LOL

Santa Claus, Father Christmas, Jolly Old Saint Nick, Santa is a part of Christmas in Ireland, and all over the world, However, there are a few wee differences, how he delivers his gifts, on the Emerald Isle. The first difference is that he does not leave presents under the Christmas tree. Instead, he leaves them at the foot of the bed of a child in most cases he leaves them inside a pillowcase, and sometimes he leaves them in a special Christmas bag, we did this. Oh so exciting

Santas Snack, In Ireland the snack the children leave for Santa as in other parts of the world. Ireland had a wee twist , Instead of leaving milk and cookies out for Santa, children leave a mince pie and a glass of Guinness for Jolly Old Saint Nick as he makes his way across Ireland. A carrot is also often left out for Santa’s reindeer. After all, they need to eat, too. Hahaha We didn’t t leave a glass of Guinness it was usually a glass of Sherry!! And a Carrot for Rudolph.

A Celtic Kiss Mistletoe: A Celtic tradition? It is thought that it originated with the Celts. A pagan tradition, How it became associated with kissing isn’t clear, and may or may not be of Celtic origin. However, the celebration of the plant itself is definitely a Celtic thing. My Mom had a Plastic Mistletoe she brought our every year.. I remember our first house in Morton Street, I pout Ian in the Stroller he was only 2 yrs old. and walked up to Carlisle Market to by Holly and Mistletoe ,. I put up the Holly the phone rang, I got back to the mistletoe Ian had eaten some berries, I put him in his stroller and took him to the hospital Emerg, they gave him something to make him sick and said it will only give him the runs!! End of this story

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It’s commonly found in Wales, the West Midlands and the South of England, with particularly large populations in Gwent, Herefordshire, Worcestershire, Gloucestershire and Somerset.

Traditional Christmas Dinner this is from https://www.irish-genealogy-toolkit.com/Irish-Christmas-recipes.html Great info and recipes

To our ancestors, Irish Christmas recipes didn’t come in beautiful books filled with pretty pictures. They didn’t need to. The winter festival was a time to celebrate using cooking methods that had been handed down, usually orally, through the generations.

Christmas in Ireland : markets

In the 18th and 19th centuries, The Margadh Mor the Big Market kickstarted the countdown to Christmas in Ireland.

Its alternative name the Live market was perhaps a better description because this is where the fowl (turkeys, goose, hens) were sold alive.

In the third week, the Dead Market took place. You can work out why. At this market, too, were bought new clothes, whiskey, sweets, tobacco and all the ingredients for a Christmas pudding.

The latter, which bears little resemblence to the modern Irish plum pudding, was boiled on Christmas Eve after the home had been decorated with laurel, holly and ivy.

Geese, ducks, great sides of beef, sheep and pork were turned on the roasting spit in the halls of chieftains in early Christian and medieval times.

In later centuries, the spit had become the kitchen oven and, by the late 18th century, vegetables and fruits began to feature more heavily on the table during the Irish Christmas.

Recipes using beef suet, mixed dried fruit and whiskey in cakes and puddings not terribly dissimilar to those that make an appearance on our modern festive tables every year started to acquire a seasonal status. I use suet in my Christmas Puddings they are amazing

Now little from my week , we have been keeping busy, its getting cooler and I love to be in the Kitchen when the weather is cooler , making soups and stews, Home Cooking!! I made some Home Made Macaroni and Cheese , oh my goodness it was amazing.. We visited our grandson Asher He is such a joy, we love being Grandparents, We have 3 grans Children Colin, Bailey and Asher.. Today I made a Guacamole Dip , this week I got 2 #HUGS4COPS blankets to 2 amazing First Responders on in Edmonton and one here is Fort McMurray!! I also started Crocheting Head Bands and a few Toques, David also fixed the hot tub that had a leak, now I am well i am able to go in the Hot tub, I listened to a little Luke Bryan!! my way of relaxing.. Love Y’all please stay Safe and keep that Social Distancing ..

Scottish recipes and traditions

England, Scotland , Ireland and Wales are steeped in traditions and great recipes. I will just touch on a few .. Soup of the day Cock a leek Soup!! After a long hard day hunting Haggis on the Highlands ( LOL) coming back to a hearty bowl of this amazing soup, consisting of leeks, Carrots, celery and chicken.. After we put a Hutterite chicken on the rotisserie, and had an amazing Family supper, I boiled the carcas, it is surprising how much meat is actually on the carcas!! Slice and dice all veggies, and bacon sauté in Veg Oil, add salt, pepper garlic and herbs ,and pearl barley ( or Rice) bring to boil then simmer for 1 hour..

1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 medium chicken, jointed into pieces
2 rashers smoked bacon
2 carrots, chopped
2 celery sticks, chopped
1-2 leeks, washed and cut into thick rounds
1 1/2 oz pearl barley
1/2 cup dry white wine
2 bay leaves
½ bunch thyme sprigs
fresh ground black pepper to taste
salt to taste
1/2 tsp minced garlic

Haggis a myth has a Haggis ever run the highlands wild and free!!??

Serve with a crusty fresh made bread!! All you need after a day hunting Haggis ( LOL )

If you believe a haggis is an iconic Scottish dish of sheep’s stomach stuffed with spiced innards and oatmeal, haggis’s Myth states the wild haggis: a creature with four legs and a shaggy mane. Not a Sheeps Stomach filled with oatmeal and sheeps innards ..

Legend surrounds the wild haggis. According to many cryptid directories, the wild haggis is an unbalanced beast whose legs of unequal length enable it to lope up steep Scottish hillsides with ease. for wild haggi, with their babies, hagglets to “graze along the steep mountain slopes and move through the heather. It is a 4 legged creature with 2 short legs on one side for walking on the Highlands ( LOL) found this pic on line of a full grown Haggis Mac-Haggi

35 Best Haggis images | National dish, Burns supper, Burns night

Tartan & Kilts. Kilts are one of the most iconic items associated with Scotland. …
Bagpipes. The sound of the bagpipes can often be heard all over Scottish towns and cities; whether it’s pipers entertaining passers-by, pipe bands in parades or at the world famous Highland games. …
Ceilidhs. …
Highland Games. ..
Weddings

For Robbie Burns Birthday we created a Bard Pie omg it was amazing Def doing this for Robbie Burns Birthday next year!!

Scottish ShortBread

Not a Bread, This is from Historic-UK.com thought it was very interesting

The History of Scottish Shortbread

Scottish cooks have always been famous for their soups, haggis (a dish traditionally served on Burns Night) and their baking, especially scones, pancakes, fruit cakes, oatcakes and shortbread.

The story of shortbread begins with the medieval “biscuit bread”. Any leftover dough from bread making was dried out in a low oven until it hardened into a type of rusk: the word “biscuit” means “twice cooked”. Gradually the yeast in the bread was replaced by butter, and biscuit bread developed into shortbread.

Shortbread was an expensive luxury and for ordinary people, shortbread was a special treat reserved just for special occasions such as weddings, Christmas and New Year. In Shetland it was traditional to break a decorated shortbread cake over the head of a new bride on the threshold of her new home. The custom of eating shortbread at New Year has its origins in the ancient pagan Yule Cakes which symbolised the sun. In Scotland it is still traditionally offered to “first footers” at New Year.

Shortbread has been attributed to Mary, Queen of Scots, who in the mid-16th century was said to be very fond of Petticoat Tails, a thin, crisp, buttery shortbread originally flavoured with caraway seeds.

There are two theories regarding the name of these biscuits. It has been suggested that the name “petticoat tail”

Traditional Scottish shortbread biscuits may in fact date back beyond the 12th century. The theory here is that the name may have come from the word for the pattern which was ‘tally’, and so the biscuits became known as ‘petticoat tallis’. to resemble the petticoat ary Queen pf Scotts wore alone with other ladies!!

Shortbread is traditionally formed into one of three shapes: one large circle divided into segments (“Petticoat Tails”); individual round biscuits (“Shortbread Rounds”); or a thick rectangular slab cut into “fingers.”

There are many different recipes and regional variations for shortbread. The following recipe uses rice flour to give a slightly grainy texture:

Scottish Shortbread

6 oz. plain flour ~ 2oz. caster sugar ~ 1 oz. icing sugar ~ 2 oz. rice flour ~ 5 oz. butter ~ pinch of salt Instead of the rice flour I use corn starch!

Preheat oven to 140°C (280°F or Gas mark 2). In a mixing bowl, cream together the sugars and the butter. Sift in the flours and salt: work by hand to a stiff dough. Roll out the dough to 1/2 inch thickness. Form either into a round or into fingers and prick with a fork. Bake in the oven until light golden brown, around 30 – 40 minutes.

How about Tattie Scones hmm Delish

Tattie Scones are made with mashed potato and butter , with salt to taste. Plain flour is added to make it into a dough which is then rolled out and put on a grill skillet to cook and are flat. They are traditionally served hot, and cold potato scones are often reheated by toasting or frying. Potato scones are made with a small proportion of flour to a large proportion of potatoes: one traditional recipe calls for two ounces of flour and half an ounce of butter to a pound of potatoes. A version of the scone is made in circles about 6 inches across and then cut into quarters. They are about an inch thick, more than what is usually considered a scone. They are served as part of the “full Scottish breakfast” (and England, Wales and Ulster have their own variations) with fried eggs, square sausage, black pudding, bacon usually Ayrshire bacon!! , baked beans and grilled or fried tomato with mushrooms. Mushroom are an option They are often eaten in a roll with “just” the fried egg, sausage and bacon Yummy I have made these and they are delish.. I feel a weekend Brunch coming on 🙂 Potato scones originated as a Scottish these are a type of quick bread. Originally made with oats and griddle-baked, today’s version is more often made with flour and baked in the oven. Some claim it comes from the Dutch word ‘schoonbrot’, which means beautiful bread, while others argue it comes from Stone of Destiny, where the Kings of Scotland were crowned, I think it is the stone of Destiny!! Sounds Romantic! According to Webster’s Dictionary, scones originated in Scotland in the early 1500s. I love finding out about these ethnic foods and traditions..

Christmas in Scotland

What is a traditional Scottish Christmas dinner?Dishes like Roast Pork, Glazed Ham, Roast Angus Beef, Steak pie, Roast Leg of Lamb are also served at the Christmas dining table. For dessert, the most traditional is the Christmas pudding, usually served with brandy sauce cream. Turkey is the Norm now!!

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Hogmanay to New Years Eve!!!

Hogmanay is what we Scots call New Year’s Eve – 31 December – the big night that marks the arrival of the new year. Its origins reach back to the celebration of the winter solstice among the Vikings with wild parties in late December.

An English Christmas Is very much the same today!! This is pretty much how we used to celebrate Christmas minus the Wassail

Christmas crackers add a bit of pop to dinner! a def must have for the silly jokes and paper crowns ..

like the main staples of decorating your home, putting up a tree, exchanging presents and having a mid-day dinner. We usually have some one at our Christmas Table that is alone ay Christmas, no one should be alone at Christmas..

1. Letters to Santa
I children to write letters to Santa Claus. But, the Brits take it a step further and burn the letters in the fireplace so the ashes fly up the chimney and Father Christmas can read the smoke. I remember doing this, modern day the children write or email a letter to Santa.

2. Stockings
Rather than hanging stockings above the fireplace, British children hang them at the end of their bed hoping they will be filled by Christmas morning. That would be a nice surprise to wake up to. At the same time it might be difficult for “Santa” to fill without waking the wee ones. We also had a Pillowcase Santa filled with our Christmas Presents . in the stocking was usually Oranges.Nuts a fe candies and a Christmas Cracker today it is a little different

3. Crackers
The cracker is a paper tube, covered in foil, twisted at both ends. It’s shaped like a large sweet with hidden treasures inside. Each person crosses their arms, using their right hand to hold their cracker, and pulling their neighbor’s cracker with their left. POP! The cracker will make a bit of a bang with the contents spilling out which usually is a joke to be read at the dinner table, a small trinket and a paper crown. I Love the Cracker Jokes, LOL

4. Crown
Everyone is a king on Christmas! The paper crowns are made of tissue paper and unfold into an actual crown. Adults and children alike don the crown making it a colorful sight. The paper hat was added to the crackers in the early 1900s and the tradition has carried on. I believe in carrying on Christmas Traditions, it is very important for the children!

5. Mid-Day Dinner
Christmas dinner is similar to that of the U.S. with a roast turkey, goose or chicken and trimmings. But, there are some specialty items that aren’t as common such as parsnips which are a root vegetable similar to a carrot. It’s a familiar taste but it’s fun to incorporate a new veggie to the table. Brits love their pudding, I make my own Christmas Puddings , lots of dried and fresh fruit with suet, steamed for a few hours , add a Brandy Sauce oh my goodness.. I make a traditional English trifle or at least the way my mom did, delicious.

Our Family tradition now is Having Christmas Dinner at Kate and Aarons, I used to do Christmas Dinner , once Kate and Aaron got Married they took over this tradition and now Aarons family and Kates Family all enjoy a fabulous Christmas Dinner at Kate and Aaron house..

6. Wassail
Wassa-what? Wassail literally means “good health” or to “be healthy” and in this case is a hot, mulled drink. There are different ways to serve it like a hot cider but it may also be made with a base of wine. It was originally topped with slices of toast as sops (piece of bread to soak up the liquid.) We did not do tis but had Egg nogg yummy

7. Royal Christmas Message
The tradition of sending out a Christmas Message to the public began in 1932 with George V. Current day the Queen gives a speech on Christmas Day at 3pm in England. We always watched the Queens Speech!!

8. Tea
Christmas tea usually rolls around 6pm and it is round two of a sit down with family and treats. Pretty much, any proper English event involves tea. Mince pies or sausage rolls, various Cheese and crackers like Jacobs, or Carrs Water Biscuits.. and Trifle..

9. Boxing Day
Boxing Day follows Christmas day and is a nationally recognized holiday in the UK, also called a bank holiday. It was originally the day for servants and tradesman to receive presents from their employers but it’s now basically a big shopping day for Brits. For Us this was anther family day, David and I usually have a high Boxingday Supper for Family and friends , Turkey

10. Next Year
Brits say you need to take your tree and decorations down within 12 days of Christmas or you’ll have bad luck for the next year. Don’t be that house on the street with blinking lights that go on through Valentine’s Day! Get that stuff down and get on with the New Year!

will be making my Christmas Cakes again this year , family and friend receive a small one, made with Dried fruit and lots of other goodie, I usually bake the one from The Marks and Spencer Cook Book.. I love Christmas and get so excited at the preparation, for this amazing day!!! Stay Safe Y’all

Edible Flower Ice cubes, tea and Coffee

A summer BBQ with amazing Edible Flower Ice Cubes, Roses, Nasturtiums, pansies even a dandelion, This is not my photo it is from Garden Therapy, isn’t this amazing .. I am so researching the Edible flowers I could plant in my garden .. I am def going to try this …

Make these edible flower ice cubes for guests - the even taste a bit sweet!

Edible flower garden, first off please make sure that these have been grown organically by you or whom ever you get them from, me I am a fan of growing my own edible summer garden flowers..

Nasturtiums
This is a popular edible flowers, I have grown in the garden and in pots n planters.. . Nasturtiums, can grow up right plant version or a trailing plant Amazing colours oranges, reds, and yellows. All parts of a nasturtium are edible: petals, leaves, and seeds. They have a peppery, spicy flavor; a cross between watercress and a radish. This weekend Im making a Nasturtium Pesto and Pickled Nasturtium seeds ( A poor and Capers)

Roses!! I have not had to much luck growing these, I remember my Nana’s Garden back in the UK, her roses were old and had huge stalks and thorns, but the small was out of this world.

Roses
roses have a sweet, slight spicy flavour, strength will depend on the type of rose and colour, soil conditions. If you have a darker coloured rose the flavour will be pronounced a little more. All roses are edible, there is a bitter white piece please take this out before eating!! You can also make a rose petal water.. I remember as a youngster in elementary school we would pick Rose-hips once a year , in the winter when they were soft a little over ripe maybe .. There are many different ways to use Rose Hips !

How to Prepare Rose Hips this info is from Gardentherapy.ca a great web site

Use rose hips whole to make tea, but it’s best to remove the seeds before you use them to make syrup, jams, and jellies. Trim off the two ends and slice them in half to remove the seeds.
You can dry rose hips to keep them for use all year. After harvesting, wash the rose hips and cut off the blossom end and stem. Set them out in a single layer on a cookie sheet to dry for a few weeks in a cool, dark place. Or if you are in a hurry, add them to a food dehydrator until they are hard, wrinkly, and darker in color.
Add dried rose hips directly into hot water for tea, or grind dried hips into a powder using a food processor.
Lavender I love this flower

Lavender
Like all herb flowers, lavender blooms are edible. They have a distinctive floral taste with a hint of rosemary/mint combo. Use sparingly in sweet dishes; a little goes a long way. I remember my Mom drying lavender and putting the dried flowers in to little linen sacs and hanging them in her closet and draws, beat Mothballs ..

Dandelion

Dandelion Benefits

Reduces water weight
Promotes Liver Health
Being a Bitter Dandelion stimulates digestion
Relieves constipation

Anti-Cancer Benefits
Aids in the Prevention of UTI
Balances cholesterol
Rich in Antioxidant

Surprisingly Dandelions are one of the most nutrisious dark leafy greens you can eat. They beat kale or spinach for a nutrition value, woo would have guessed. . Dandelions are full of vitamins and antioxidants. Calcium to.. Dandelions have a high diuretic value, also known as a blood detoxifier.. Every part of this beautiful Super Food Flower is edible..

Dandelion Tea Never made this but I am going to try it..

How to Make It found the recipe on line, I can’t wait to try it

Fact dandelion tea is that it’s easy to find and make. Just make sure the plants have not been treated with any chemicals before harvesting them.

Pick young Dandelions, After cleaning thoroughly and preparing the plant, pour hot water over the top of greens or roasted and ground roots, steep, strain, and enjoy!

How to Make It If your garden is already flooded with dandelions, you don’t need to rely on store-bought tea Make sure these have not been treated with a herbicide, or any kind of weed killer..
Flowers and Leaves: Wash, then let steep in hot water for 15-20 minutes.
Roots: Wash thoroughly, chop into fine pieces, and heat on high in an oven for about two hours. Steep 1-2 teaspoons in hot water for about 10 minutes.
If you roast the roots of a Dandelion and ground it make a coffee!! Cant wait to try this

Dandelion Coffee Recipe

To enjoy dandelion is by making dandelion coffee with the roots. This doesn’t contain the caffeine found in coffee, but has a very rich, dark taste similar to coffee.

Prior to taking the rough bark off the dandelion root, roast the dried chopped root in a cast iron pan until it is fragrant and has changed color from being off-white to light and dark brown.
For each 8 ounces of water you are making, use 1 to 2 teaspoons of the roasted root.
Add the root to simmering water and continue to simmer while covered for 7 to 15 minutes. The resulting brew will be dark in Colour. You can have this just like Coffee, black with cream or add honey!!
Pansys

A pansy are such a beautiful flower recognisable by its bright colours they vary from purple and dark blue on the top petals, slightly lilac, blue and yellow on the two outer petals and yellow white on the bottom one. Apparently the Pansies taste like Lettuce, hm I feel a Pansy Salad coming on lol . The petals look like a face!!

Pansy Salad

This simple arugula ( Dandelion leaf) salad is a fun and colourful way to use edible flowers, Prep Time 10 minutes

Ingredients

6 cups baby arugula or fresh dandelion leaves
1 apple very thinly sliced Pear is also good sliced..
1 carrot
1/4 red onion very thinly sliced
handful of assorted fresh herbs such as basil, thyme, leaves only
1-2 ounces creamy goat cheese
pansies stems removed

vinaigrette

juice of 1 blood orange about 1/4 cup or a reg Orange
3 Tbsp olive oil
2-3 Tbsp mild white vinegar for a nip add apple-cider vinegar
pinch salt

Instructions

Whisk together the vinaigrette, adjusting any of the ingredients to your taste.
Pile the greens into a wide salad bowl.
Peel and shave the carrot into thin strips using a vegetable peeler. Add to the greens along with the apple slices, onion, and herbs. Toss. with the dressing and garnish the salad with crumbles of goat cheese and the pansies. Serve immediately. Enjoy!!

After starting to research edible flowers I would love to have an acreage, be self sufficient These are just a few edible flowers, do your own research, let me know what your fave is.. Please be careful , make sure they are edible and have not been sprayed with a pesticide …… More Edible Flowers to come Stay Safe Y’all

Eat, sleep, and be healthy

Today’s culinary delight !! good for our The gut microbiome A bean stew with White Kidney beans h haricot beans , some leafy greens Swiss Chard, Parsley and thyme, tomatoes green and red from my garden..

Yesterday I made a Texas Caviar made with Black eye peas, a home made tomatoe basil soup did use 2 cans of tomatoes but everything else was fresh, then made home made scotch Baps omg

Diet and gut health are very closely linked. Try to avoid processed foods, high-fat foods, and foods high in refined sugars this is very important in maintenance for a healthy microbiome, as these foods destroy good bacteria and promote growth of damaging bacteria. There are also a number of foods you can eat that actively promote the growth of good bacteria, contributing to your overall health. We started to change our Diet 2015, adding theses foods to our diet as I had a lot of gut problems.. After 2 surgeries I am watching my gut health more than ever.. Eat a High Fibre Diet, legumes, beans, peas, oats, bananas, berries, asparagus, and leeks have shown a positive impact on gut health, I love all of these. Garlic and Onions, may have some anti-cancer and immune system-enhancing properties . I cook with lots of these!! Another great food or foods are Fermented ones such as kimchi, sauerkraut, yogurt, tempeh, miso, and kefir are great dietary sources of probiotics, also are in many varying ways their benefits on the gut microbiome big fan of these foods..!! I am a fan of making my own broths, bone broth, or Salmon, fish stock may be beneficial to overall health and gut health !! Cooking from Scratch..

Another important benefit is to Eat, sleep, and be healthy!! The human gut is more complex than previously thought and has a huge impact on whole-body health. A healthy gut contributes to a strong immune system, heart health, brain health, improved mood, healthy sleep, and effective digestion, and it may help prevent some cancers and autoimmune diseases. There are a number of lifestyle changes you can make to positively affect your gut health and your overall health as a result. Whole foods, cooking from scratch, do a little research in to gut health and the way you eat, making small changes along the way .. We do eat out once in a while, order in once in a while for the most part we love cooking from scratch, its funny , once you start doing tis, your outlook on grocery shopping !! We do buy canned goods Tomatoes, some canned varieties of beans, we are loving eating this way!! it is truly amazing how your tastebuds change, Must admit I still love a burger or a sun sandwich once in a while..

When ever I am in the Kitchen cooking I always think of my Mom, she was an amazing lady, who taught me a lot about cooking , being a good person and always to help others.. We have taught all our kids all 3 of them, or at least shared recipes and traditions. I look forward to teaching my Grandkids, Today is the first Day of the rest of your Life.. A Random Act of Kindness is one of the most amazing things you can do

Salad Bouquet

There is something very satisfying about going in to your garden and picking supper or lunch with a varying in salads!! I pick a Salad Bouquet, I love using different herbs and leafy greens.. I am going to figure out if I can do anything with the ferns, I know we have to be careful as most are not edible..

The 3 pica above is a Stroganoff I made from scratch!! I had a small piece of pork left over from the roast, I sliced cooked with onions, Garlic, peppers a little Swiss Chard , and garnished with Parsley , mushrooms and noodles serves with a mixed salad!!

Our Garden is our sanctuary, def lot more this year, the year of Covid 19.. We play relaxing music, have a glass of wine and play board games mostly Scrabble and Backgammon. We laugh a lot!! This is helping us through these stressful times. Having our Grandkids and kids with significant others close by, really is a plus.. .

Board Games are a great way of receiving stress Here is some info I found on the web!! re Board Games

Here’s the top health benefits of board games https://howgameareyou.com/health-benefits-board-games/

Have fun and feel good. One of the effects of playing board games is laughter and it has be found out that this increases endorphins. This chemical in our body is known to elevate the feeling of happiness
Family time. Nowadays spending an uninterrupted time with your family may be quite impossible given the different schedules each family member has. Yet playing board games after a family dinner is one excellent way to get together and strengthen your family bond.
Memory formation and cognitive skills. The areas of the brain that are responsible for complex thought and memory formation are the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex. These parts most benefits when playing board games.o get together and strengthen your family bond.
Reduces risks for mental diseases.Playing board games keeps your mind engaged by exercising it and building it stronger. It’s good to note that stronger brain has lower risks of cognitive decline.
Lowers blood pressure. As playing board games effects to laughing and endorphins. This things can help lower or maintain blood pressure.
Speed up your response. In a study at the University of Toronto, they found out that students who regularly played video games were far quicker in locating than those who don’t. Get yourself into board games and sometime soon, you’ll be able to find those hard-to-find car keys without searching the whole house.
Reduce stress. According to an online survey by RealNetworks, Inc., 64% of the respondents said they play games to unwind and relax. 53% play to relieve stress.
Grows your immune system. Research shows that negative thoughts and feelings can reduce the ability to fight disease whilst positive thoughts and feelings. The enjoyment and laughter you get from playing board games prevents effects with the chemicals being released by the body.
Child development. Playing board games help children develop their logic and reasoning skills, improve critical thinking and boost spatial reasoning. The ability to concentrate and focus for a longer period of time is also developed with just playing board games.
Therapy treatment. Most types of board games require players to use fine motor skills to pick up or move pieces which are actions that both involves coordination and dexterity. And have been found out that can really be helpful when added to occupational therapy treatments. Try not to be constantly watching the news, limit yourself to once a day other wise this will increase your stress… Live , Laugh and Love .. Eat a healthy diet and keep a healthy mind..
Virtually any form of exercise or movement can increase your fitness level while decreasing your stress. The most important thing is to pick an activity that you enjoy. walking, stair climbing, jogging, bicycling, yoga, gardening, weightlifting and swimming, walking the dog.. Music also is a great way to relieve stress , put on a great playlist and sing, cook, what ever you love to do!! Stay Safe everyone