It's Tartan Day!

If you just clicked in here and think the bagpipes are a little louder and the kilts a-swinging a little more vigorously than usual, there's a reason for that! It's Tartan Day!

For anyone with a drop of Scottish blood in their veins, this is the day to wear your clan colors with pride! Even if you just wish you were Scottish, most Scots don't care if you wear a clan color, as long as you wear it with pride.

"Americans of Scottish descent have played a vibrant and influential role in the development of the United States. From the framers of the Declaration of Independence to the first man on the moon, Scottish-Americans have contributed mightily to the fields of the arts, science, politics, law, and more. Today, over eleven million Americans claim Scottish and Scotch-Irish roots -- making them the eighth largest ethnic group in the United States. These are the people and accomplishments that are honored on National Tartan Day, April 6th."
--Source: www.tartanday.org

Through my mother's side of the family, I can claim connection to not one but two Highland clans - the MacPhersons and the MacNaughtens. A few years ago, I even had the pleasure of visiting the MacPherson clan museum in my ancestral "home town" of Newtonmore. Although my husband and I pulled into the parking lot right at closing time, the docent on duty delayed his dinner to walk us personally around the museum for almost an hour. All I remember thinking was that he looked remarkably like my grandfather, right down to the shape of his nose! The area of North Carolina I come from is well-known as an area that a lot of Highlanders came to settle in order to escape British rule.

If you'd like a peek at our trip to Scotland, visit my web site, click on "Fun Stuff", then go to the photo gallery.

Below is a fun, easy and decadent traditional Scottish recipe for Drunken Crumble. Enjoy!

DRUNKEN CRUMBLE

Filling:
1½ pounds raw rhubarb
3 fluid ounces of whisky (about 6 tablespoons)
Grated lemon and orange rind to taste
4 ounces light brown sugar
1 teaspoon allspice

Topping:
2 cups flour
Half a stick of butter
about a half cup sugar
Grated rind of one lemon
One teaspoon ground coriander
One teaspoon allspice

Method:
Clean and chop the rhubarb into pieces and put in a 2-pint pie dish. Add the other ingredients for the filling and stir well.
Sift the flour into a large mixing bowl and rub in the butter - the mixture will eventually look like small breadcrumbs. Add the sugar, grated lemon rind, coriander and spices and mix well. Sprinkle the topping over the rhubarb.
Bake in a pre-heated oven at 400 degrees for thirty minutes or until golden brown. Serve hot with ice cream.

Enjoy!


MacPherson Tartan


MacNaughten Tartan

So what is it about Scotland that you find so compelling? Why can we not resist a fine-looking man in a kilt? Leave a comment and you could win a hand-beaded bookthong. Thanks for visiting!