Happy Birthday, me!

Well, that's another year over with, yet another year closer to the next existence - wherever or whatever that may be, if at all!

I get the feeling that maybe a belief in reincarnation would indicate that I'd return as something fitting to this blog - like a randy carrot, or a potato that looks like the Virgin Mary.

Birthdays are a PITA if you allow them to bug you. If no-one sends a card (despite the fact that you said you wanted no cards this year), you feel slighted; if they all ignore your pleas to help save the planet by reducing the amount of card and envelopes consumed, you feel as if they consider your entreaties as inconsequential. It's a lose-lose situation, really.

Despite the fact that I don't encourage cards, and don't actively discourage them either, I've had two real card ones this year (my mother and her next-door neighbour) and two electronic ones - one from my daughter (an emailed Powerpoint card) and one from Classic FM! My son, whose birthday was yesterday, tends to forget mine, as I almost forgot his. I did send him a txt msg and left a message on his mobile - neither have been answered, so he's obviously nursing a hangover - or something.

Later - I take it all back; got an SMS from him later this morning - make sme come over all warm and comfortable.

See what I mean about letting it get to you? It doesn't really bother me either way, but I gave up on birthdays on or around my 40th (which was sometime ago).

The picture? Part of the 'Ales Stones' an alleged burial place for a group of Vikings - see Land of the Swede II.

The land of the swede

We are soon off for a short break in the land that first gave us the swede - Sweden, suprisingly enough. Made me think of a couple of things related to this vegetable (and in its various other guises such as rutabaga, neeps or turnips).

At boarding school, where we had no choice in what was served up to us, we did get mashed swede occasionally, but not that often. At home in the holidays, though (well, my grandmother's house) we had it regularly. Unfortunately, she was the sort that put the sprouts for the Christmas lunch on at 9am in the morning (for lunch at 2!), so when swede was served, it was practically tasteless. I think that is what really put me off it, and can't recall having actually asked for it to be included in my diet for over forty years!

The Scots tend to serve it up (so I hear from the likes of Billy Connolly) mixed with spuds as 'neeps and tatties' - but I don't recall whether they're mashed up together or diced and mixed.

There must be some recipes around for this apparently filling vegetable (it was practically all they had to eat in Germany in the winter of 1916-17) that make it attractive to eat?

Will be attempting to find swede recipes (or at least restaurant dishes containing it) during the upcoming holiday. If I'm suitably impressed, I'll report back - otherwise I won't.