Halloween, Castles and Curling...

It's hard to live and blog. This I have realized. It has been a week since I last updated and SO much has happened! Halloween came and went and now we are full into the Christmas season! I, however, am not mentally into Christmas mode because Thanksgiving has yet to come. Despite that fact, it's nice to see Christmas cups at Starbucks and lights being put up in the streets. My Halloween was very low-key...my friends and I had a chocolate mousse-off. It all came about because I was shooting my mouth about the fact that I used to make chocolate mousse all the time with my first host mother in France. Apparently I failed to mention that I have yet to successfully make it on my own. In fact, I've had 6 failed attempts. Current score: French chocolate mousse: 6, Cat: 0.  I'm pretty sure the odds were against me from the beginning. Needless to say, I had to come up with my own recipe in a matter of days. I competed against my South African friend Simon, who made an incredibly delicious traditional chocolate mousse. I came up with a "healthy" version that made me feel much better about eating it...only chocolate, honey, tofu and a little whipped cream. (Naturally, there were other secret ingredients) There really was no winner, the crowd was split between the two mousses! Regardless, it was a good time! To complete my halloween, I received a package from my mom with halloween peeps in it! :) It doesn't get better than that!

That weekend, I also took a trip to Sterling Castle with the University! It was really good to get away for the day and to see another place in Scotland!

I also have joined the curling team! I wouldn't quite call it a team just yet, as we are all still learning how to do it, but it's a ton of fun! We drive to Perth, which is about 45 minutes away, and there is a beautiful facility there for us! Our coaches name is Claire, and she puts up with our shenanigans, including falling all over the ice and forgetting to sweep, followed by us running down the ice after the stone! My shoulders are sore this morning but it was such a good time! I'm excited to do it again!

learning to curl

an ode to St Andrews

I've had my nose stuck in a book this week, which has made me very absent! To make up for it, here's an ode to the things that make me happy about my life here in St Andrews...

Golf bag flower pots...

...stumbling upon weddings, complete with bagpipe players...

...walking down the pier by East Sands (even if you do risk being splashed by a wave)...

...sunrises over the cathedral...

...wine and cheese parties with friends...

...outfit planning for a French Society event...

...and I can't forget my books! :)

Photo du Jour

After a few very dreary days, the weather has been gorgeous! Yesterday, we took a walk out on the pier and although the wind was blowing and the waves were huge, you couldn't help but love the fact that the sun was in the sky!

Photo du Jour

Recently, I seem to have fallen into the role of "model" in my spare time. Need to hear that again? Yes. Model. You know, those girls who pose for pictures in magazines or walk down the catwalk. Models. Well, I may not be 6' tall or have the jawbones of a model, however, I have become the subject of a potential photography exposition that my friend Matthew is putting together. At my urging, Matthew, a PhD student in International Relations, is submitting photos for a local art festival being held in St Andrews. Since I am volunteering at this festival, which is meant to spotlight student artists, I told him that he should submit some photos. I have seen his work before (which is fabulous, by the way) and I knew he would be perfect for this. I didn't know that that would turn me into one of the subjects of these photos, but I am delighted and flattered to be a part of the process. This little photo session was incredible impromptu, as leggings, rain boots and frizzy hair are hardly things you seek out to be the center of a picture. This picture is not going to be used because it isn't just right...in Matthew's words it's not perfect...but I enjoyed it anyway and felt the need to share it with you.  If you like what you see, I'll put the link to Matthew's flickr page! He's quite the talented photographer (though he'll gladly argue otherwise)! 

I walk through this arch every day on my way into town, which makes this picture even more special. 

Matthew's flickr page

fall is in the air...or is it?

Fall seemed to only last for a week or two here. The leaves haven't changed much and they have all mostly fallen off the trees already. As halloween approaches, I am trying desperately to get in the fall mood! Winter weather is upon us as the days are getting shorter and shorter and the temperature is already in the 40's. I have officially been here for a month and I am settling in nicely! I'll be making my first trip outside "the bubble" this weekend to Dundee, our closest city, just for a little diversion. I now know this town like the back of my hand and I have my favorite places to shop, study and just browse. Despite all of this, I'm still finding new things every day that take me by surprise! For example, even with all of the times I have made the 20 minute walk into town each week, I have never noticed my street sign before!

I really love that streets have such cute names! My favorite is Argyle Street :)

Also, last night because I had been studying like crazy and needed a mental break, I attempted to make homemade caramel and chocolate dipped apples. They are my favorite fall treat from a small candy store at home called Hilliards. Since I won't be able to get one this fall, I tried to make them myself. I was inspired to do it because of Christine's attempt...see her blog. I, luckily, didn't burn my caramel. However, it wasn't thick enough and kind of dripped off of the apples. I must say, a little bit of a let down. Maybe I should leave caramel apples to the professionals. Regardless, the apples were finished and are now sitting in my kitchen. I generally don't eat the sweets that I make, so my roomies will have a field day! Trust me, they probably look a lot better than they taste!

my finished product!

happy fall! 

all I need now is a pumpkin spice latte from starbucks! anyone want to send me one?

broccoli deliciousness

As the weather starts to cool down (significantly!) and the layers are being piled on, we need to warm ourselves up. At the request of my friends, I've actually typed out the recipe for the broccoli potato and cheddar soup that I made last week. It still needs work, but give it a try! I took my inspiration from this recipe but I decided to change it up a little to make it mine.
It's a delicious fall soup!

photo compliments of {here}

Broccoli Potato Cheddar Soup Recipe

Makes 6 to 8 servings

Ingredients:

1 tsp. Olive Oil

1/2 Cup Onion, chopped

1/4 Cup Butter

1/4 Cup Flour

2 Cups Chicken Broth

2 Cups Semi-Skimmed Milk

4 Cups Broccoli Florets

1 Cup Potato, Cubed

Salt and Pepper to taste

8 oz. Mild Yellow or White Cheddar, shredded

1/4 tsp. Nutmeg

1/4 tsp. Italian Seasoning

1/4 tsp. Garlic Powder

1/2 tsp. Cayenne Pepper

Directions:

In a small skillet over medium heat, add the olive oil.  Sauté the onion for 5 minutes and set aside.

In a large Dutch oven over medium heat, melt the butter.  Whisk in the flour, stirring continuously for 4 minutes, then add in the chicken stock and milk.  Turn down the heat to simmer for 20 minutes.

While doing this, soak the potatoes in cold water for a few minutes and drain. Bring a small pot of salted water to a boil and drop the potatoes in. Cook for approximately 10 minutes just to soften them. 

Add the broccoli, onions, potatoes, cayenne, Italian seasoning, and garlic powder and let simmer for another 30 minutes.  Season with salt and pepper to taste. 

If you like a chunkier soup, transfer 2 cups of the soup to a blender and puree, and then return it to the pot.  Otherwise, use a handheld emulsion blender to blend the whole pot of soup until it is smooth and creamy. (the way I prefer it). Stir in the cheeses and nutmeg, until the cheeses are melted. 

Serve with a crusty piece of baguette and enjoy!

Photo du Jour

This weekend has been full of nights with friends and quality time with my books. Naturally, all of this studying has caused me to neglect my laundry. This morning, I literally had to drag almost all of my clothes, every towel I own, my sheets and my duvet cover down to the washing machines because they were too heavy to lift. Needless to say, I did multiple loads of laundry and emptied my wallet of its contents. Much to my chagrin, when I took my clothes out of the dryer, I found that the dryers were in fact broken and all of my clothes were still wet. Sooo....

My room is now one giant clothes rack! 

But...when I sit back at my computer and look up above me, I have my wall of travel photos to keep me sane! :)

and I could NEVER forget my Holy Cross banner!