Mulling it over

Mulled wine is, literally, Christmas in a cup. The aroma and taste of warmed red wine, fruits and spices is a classic first brought to us by the Romans to arm themselves against the cold winters. By conquering much of Europe they spread the good cheer of mulled wine and warmed the cockles of many a heart.

So here were are on New Years Eve raising a toast to one and all. It's a time to reflect upon the year behind us and make plans and resolutions for the year ahead. For me, it has been a good year with highlights including time spent with family and friends and enjoying holidays. Vegetarian food hasn't been a particular highlight but maybe next year ...

Anyway, raising my glass of mulled wine to you all - have a happy, healthy and fun filled 2018.

New Year's Resolutions!

Another year older, another year wiser!  Hm maybe.  The wise thing would be to not make resolutions as they are always so hard to keep.  For some reason we always feel the need to restrict or deny ourselves, ie giving up alcohol, getting fit or going on a diet.  Wouldn't it be more fun to learn a new skill, give time to a needy cause or just to go out every single Friday night?

My resolution a few years ago was to go running regularly.  Good one, you may think.  Well yes but a tricky one for a vegetarian running on beans, pulses and vegetables.  With every step I became more and more wind-assisted with the sound of a woodpecker hot on my heels!  This caused my running partner to laugh so much that she would wee herself.  Needless to say, our running relationship was not an ideal pairing!

In a job many years ago I worked for a Consultant Gastroenterologist and shared an office with secretaries to an Endocrinologist and Rheumatologist.  The latter came back from clinic one day with a tale about a rather well-to-do-lady whom he had been asking to do straight leg raising.  "Oh no doctor" she said "if I raise my leg any higher I shall surely fart!"  I am guessing she was probably a vegetarian.

So yes it is a well known fact that vegetarians are usually a little on the windy side but, in a roundabout way, carnivores actually produce more methane gas.  Each year 300 million cattle are slaughtered and consumed.  Each adult cow can produce 500 litres of methane from their burps and farts every day!  Well, you do the maths!  Methane is a potent greenhouse gas and it has been calculated that an adult cow produces the same effect on global warming as a family car!  Even I can't compete with that.

Christmas - New Year!

So, here we are in the lull time between the excitement of Christmas and the expectation of a new year.  My Christmas Day was spent with family; they eating turkey, pigs in blankets(!) and chipolatas and ... yes, sharing my nut roast!

I have to say it was a triumph.  The recipe I used was from an old Cranks recipe book as follows:

1  medium sized onion

1oz/25g butter

8oz/225g mixed nuts

4oz/100g wholemeal bread

1/2pt/300ml vegetable stock

2tsp/10ml yeast extract

1tsp/5ml mixed herbs

Salt & pepper to taste

Basically you just blitz the nuts and bread finely.  Chop and saute the onions.  Boil the stock and yeast extract.  Combine everything.  Place in a greased shallow baking dish and bake at 180 degrees/Gas Mark 4 for 30 mins until golden brown.

It looked a little like very dark stuffing and not particularly appealing but tasted absolutely delicious!

Around our dining table jokes and stories are shared, old and new.  Every year we await a mention of the RAF by my father and father-in-law (both of whom did National Service) and my mum shares a tale of a friend who would fry left-over Christmas Pudding with his cooked breakfast.  It's our tradition to share these stories and Christmas is all about tradition.  New Year, on the other hand, is all about resolutions and new beginnings.

My resolution, as always, is to be a better person.  I have already resolved to write this Blog for a year and, as part of that, aim to try out more vegetarian recipes.  Happy New Year and watch this space!