Fellowship in Scotland

Fellowship dinner, potluck, linger-longer...they're all very similar and if you've ever attended church you've probably been to one.

Mark and I have been in church for all of our lives (a total of 71 years--don't you dare do the math) so we've been to quite a few.

Some dinners are laden with "salads" that have more calories than a steak dinner.
Some are teeming with desserts,
and then you have the yay-hoo who brings a butterscotch pie with RAISINS in it (shudder).

Yay-hoo, if you're reading: sorry to cause offence, 

I'm sure you accidentally bumped the raisin box and they all fell into that perfectly good pie.

In short, all fellowship dinners are different. Throw in a different country and a different culture and there's an entirely new dimension.

Today we're going to visit a fellowship dinner in Scotland--
with nary a broccoli salad in sight.

First: get a slice (or two) or Scottish beef.

Focusing on the wrong part of the photo helps let others know you're not going into baby portrait photography anytime soon.

Liberally pour on the gravy

Add a large helping of mashed tatties (potatoes)

These potatoes always taste buttery and delectable.

Add another liberal amount of gravy on the tatties

Scoop a nice serving of neeps and carrots.

Neeps are turnips if you'll remember and they are MUCH better than their American cousins.

Toss on some steamed (or maybe it's boiled?) cabbage...

And a Yorkshire pudding.

Which does not resemble pudding or Yorkshire 

but is equally scrumptious in a savoury way.

After this you need to pour more gravy over your Yorkshire pudding.

I did not, I felt it against my moral code to add any more gravy on that 'ol plate of mine.

Then add a scoop of cheesy cauliflower--

oh my the cheesy cauliflower, it's divine.

Unless your name is Mark Allen Anderson, 

then you protect your plate against that horrid veggie at all costs.

And you make lots of noises in the back of your throat if your wife tries to sneak it on your plate.

*sigh*

Go ahead and add more gravy whilst you're at it.

Shout out to my hand model, Miss Aitken.

My next model, Mrs. Campbell, showing the all important role of gravy in this meal.

And, there is your plate at a fellowship dinner in Scotland.

Viola!

HA! I just wrote viola, 

like the instrument!

And the funnier thing is, I left it!

It's like "Blogging LIVE" no correcting errors here,

we're raw,

and unedited,

and look uneducated.

I meant to say, voila.

Which, is often written: "waalaa"

Don't ever write it like that, 

learn your French, 

or talk about instruments...

I digress:

On to dessert,

or as they say here, "pudding"!

This is a lemon cheesecake.

Mrs. Moore is famous for it.

It's not as sweet as the American counterpart, but it's rich and has a vibrant citrus tang.

Jelly.

Or as Americans call it, "Jell-O" is very important because it's eaten with ice cream.

We Andersons haven't caught the hang of this combo yet, but it is highly popular here.

This is rhubarb crumble.

My very first taste of rhubarb.

Verdict's still out as to how I feel about this vegetable.

The dessert line.

Look sharp and pay attention, because I forgot to take pictures of the rest of the desserts.

There's the ice cream on there (next to the Jell-O!), and apple crisp, and a bread pudding.

Sorry I sounded bossy.

Ok, now here's a Scottish phenomenon:

pouring cream (heavy whipping cream) ALL over the dessert.

Keep 'er comin'!

Kiss, kiss to my lovely hand model, Miss Aitken.

AH HA! 

There's the UK duo.

And, to show you it's not just Hannah, here's another fine example of the cream topping.

Cream on ice cream?

Yes, yes, anything goes here.

Oh, and also there's warm custard to pour over your dessert if your heart so desires.

Also, you'll notice this is not an authentic Scottish dessert bowl, because of the lack of cream, 

that and that's my hand.

Again, I felt I had sufficient caloric intake without a good dousing of cream on there.

Fellowship at said fellowship dinner.

Also, the IRN BRU on the table is Scotland's pop (or "fizzy juice") of choice as it's manufactured right here in country.

However, it's not supposed to be on the table for the dinner, 

it's there for my cauliflower-hatin' husband.

For a fellowship dinner to be fancy get out the Shloer.

This is a carbonated juice of choice.

It's similar to American sparkling cider (non-alcoholic to all you UK readers) but again, not so sweet.

Also there are carafes of water on the tables.

Europe in general does not drink nearly as much during a mealtime as Americans do.

It's a change we're slowly adjusting to--that and no ice in the drinks.

There you have it:

a fellowship dinner Scotland style.

The good thing is that no matter the culture I can find something I like to eat.

It's a gift.

or maybe, 

a curse.