Still In Transit

Greetings everyone! Just popping in to let you know that no, I haven't fallen off the face of the planet, the husband and I are still in the process of moving into our new place in Kodiak, AK. Our new house won't be ready for the next few weeks, so we're staying in a hotel till then, which means (sadly) no cooking for me. And I'll tell ya, I'm so sick of eating out!!

I will give you some recommendations for yummy places to eat in Alaska, if you're interested:

1. Crabbie's in Homer: Fantastic smoked salmon chowder. Their Crow's Nest chicken is super yummy, it comes with garlic mashed potatoes on top of their gorgeous sea glass plates. Their halibut & chips is to-die-for. They also have a great dish where they batter some crab and lobster pieces and fry them up. Very yummy.

2. The Sourdough Express in Homer: FABULOUS breakfast! Tons of organic choices. Their business started a couple decades ago when they rolled into town in a Sourdough delivery van with $48 in their pocket and a dream in their hearts. And here we are in 2008, and their Plain Jane breakfast had me wanting more and more. I also ordered a side of their French Toast, which was divine. If you go there, definitely have some of their jam on your sourdough toast, you'll thank me. Oh, and don't forget to grab a piece of their carrot cake on your way out!

I'll have more recommendations once we eat out a bit more at places I like (there have definitely been some lackluster dining-out experiences on this trip, I'll tell you what!!). Thanks for being so patient everybody. Oh, and I'm sorry I missed this month's Daring Bakers Challenge, but, fingers-crossed, we'll be moved into our new house in time for me to complete August's Challenge.

Cheers!
~Mehgan~

I'll Have The Haggis!

Greetings, ladies and gents! My husband and I just recently returned from a week-long holiday in Scotland, and I have to say, I completely fell in love with every bit of it. From the city to the country, it didn't matter, I loved the whole thing!

Before we left, everyone we know asked us if we were going to eat some haggis while we were there. I always replied with, "Of course!" How can you go to Scotland and NOT eat it? That's like going to Mexico and not eating a burrito, come on people!

The first place we ate haggis at was The Royal McGregor on the Royal Mile in Edinburgh. We saw a sign out front that claimed that it was "The best haggis on the Royal Mile", so naturally, we had to try it.

We were not disappointed. I loved all the different elements, the neeps (turnips), tatties (potatoes) and haggis combined so well together, and while the haggis itself was pretty spicy, it wasn't anything we couldn't handle. We found ourselves wrestling for the last bite.

A few days later, we had another opportunity to try some more haggis. This time it was at a lovely place in St Andrews (can't recall the name, I should have written it down), so if anyone from Scotland recognizes the plating of this dish and knows where we got it, feel free to let me know. It was in the hotel bar/restaurant across the street from Drouthy Neebers.

Again, we were not disappointed. I don't see why so many people shy away from haggis, it's really delicious! I'll admit that I was a bit nervous at first, but once I had it, I knew that I was nuts for having been so apprehensive. I've heard of people eating haggis for breakfast, too, and can totally imagine doing that myself, with some toast, eggs and coffee. Oh yeah, that sounds yummy.

So, take it from me, if you've ever wanted to try haggis, but have been turned off by all the rumours, have no fear. Just go for it! You'll thank me later.

Cheers!

~Mehgan~