Burns Night

Last night, we held a Burn's Night Supper in honor of the 250th anniversary of the birth of Robert Burns, Scotland's National Poet (He wrote Auld Lang Syne.) These suppers are held formally and informally every year in Scotland. The common ingredient being Haggis and Whisky. Our guests were mainly lads from Euan's work and our neighbors from across the street (so the kids and I had friends to play with.)

Euan started the evening with The Selkirk Grace:

Some hae meat and canna eat,

And some wad eat that want it;

Bue we hae meat, and we can eat,

Sae let the Lord be thankit.

This was followed by a starter of "Cock-a-Leekie" soup (chicken and leek soup.) Then the Haggis was brought in. It is traditionally supposed to be piped in but we substituted with the Braveheart Soundtrack playing in the background. Euan recited an abbreviated version of the Address To a Haggis (written by Burns) followed by a whiskey toast. We then all dug into the haggis served with "tatties and neeps". I also had some salad and chicken sausages on hand for those who didn't feel up to the haggis but surprisingly almost everyone gobbled theirs up.

Dessert was "Tipsy Laird". My first ever attempt at a trifle...

And some other sweets for those who do not like their desserts so tipsy...

The meal...

The Whisky...

After dinner, our neighbors headed home and I left the men to their whisky and business talk around the table. All they needed was cigars. I'd like to say I retired to the sitting room to drink some sherry and do needlework but no I cleaned the kitchen and then retired to my bedroom to watch sitcoms on TV.