Just One Breath

An American girl in Scotland, figuring things out one step at a time

June 6, 2011
by heather
0 comments

The Reason

 

The reason for all of this. This is why there is a story. This is me and Jamie in Jan of 2011, days after he proposed. His family wanted pictures of us together so tripod setting up commenced and remote was in hand to catch cheesy posed pictures. This is not one of them. This was one that was not planned…this is a picture of happiness. This is my Life.         x heather

June 6, 2011
by heather
0 comments

The Middle of the Beginning

This blog is an experiment, something entirely new to me. I have a story that is not easy to write down because it spans nearly 16 years. It is a love story, it is a hard story, it is a true story. It is about friendship, loyalty, pain, enduring unshakable love, sacrifice and new beginnings…This is my Learning Curve. This is taking just one deep breath at a time to get through one moment. One moment… one breath that will lead to the next. This is how I get through my days now. This is how I am making my path and writing my story. One breath, one hope, one day at a time. So, here goes nothing.

The Middle of the Beginning is where I have begun this story. I am a 34 year old American woman living in Glasgow Scotland. Nothing so special there, there are a lot of Americans here. I am here because I am engaged to a Scottish man, nothing unique there either. But how I got to where I am and why being engaged and living in Scotland is something that may be interesting, inspiring, helpful or just silly entertainment for people…well, that is unique.

This blog will be full of daily goings on in the life of a workaholic who is not allowed to work. It will be about me and how I am adjusting to living in a new country and finding my way…maybe even finding myself. I will try to go into as much detail as I can about visa applications, marriage in a foreign country and eventually finding a job but I am not claiming to be an expert. I am just a girl trying to figure it out. I thought doing this might be helpful for me, to actually write it all down so I can see what I have accomplished so far. I am going to share everything from how I am really learning to cook to making new friends, as well as Shopping Size Hell and allowing myself to be still. I hope that this is as good for people as it will be for me. This is my contribution, this is my beginning even though it starts in the middle of it all… Welcome to my Learning Curve…and…Exhale.  x heather

March 25, 2011
by heather
0 comments

Adult Fish and Chips

I wanted fish and chips but I didn’t want to have all of the grease that came along with a fried fish supper. I had fish in the freezer so I enlisted Jamie to help with the chips… he is the Roast Master and this is what we threw together.

What you will need (this one is so simple):

  • fish (I used Haddock this time but I have used cod as well.)
  • olive oil
  • fresh basil/dried basil
  • rosemary
  • garlic salt or fresh garlic
  • salt and pepper
  • cayenne
  • cherry tomatoes
  • washed potatoes with skin on
  • Fresh Peas (we will NOT be mushing these)
  • Baking dish and roasting pan
Fish Preparation:
  • Preheat the oven to 220c/~380f so that you can cook the potato wedges at the same time.
  • Sprinkle some oil in your baking dish, a teaspoon is more than enough. Spread  the oil with a pastry brush so it is evenly coated and set it to the side.
  • Put a little olive oil in a shallow bowl and mix the dry basil, rosemary and garlic/garlic salt into it.
  • Coat each piece of fish in the olive oil/spice mix and place into the baking dish.
  • Tear off some fresh basil and scatter across the fish.
  • Quarter your cherry tomatoes and scatter across the fish as well.
  • Set your fish to the side so you can prepare the potatoes.
Potato Preparation:
  • Have your roasting pan in the oven preheating.
  • Cut the potatoes into wedges and put in a deep mixing bowl.
  • Sprinkle with olive oil, rosemary, a pinch of cayenne, salt and pepper over the potatoes and then toss.
  • Pour the potatoes onto the preheated roasting pan and shake gently until they are evenly spread out.
  • Bake for 35 to 40 mins in the oven that was preheated to 220c. This all depends on how crispy you like your wedges.
  • Periodically flip the potatoes so they get crispy on all sides.
Final preparations:
  • When your wedges have been in for about 20 mins put your fish in the oven too.
  • Bake the fish for 20 mins depending on the way your oven cooks. * Note: If you are cooking frozen fish it will add 10 to 15 more minutes to the cook time so you can add it to the oven sooner.
  • Cook your peas in a little water on the stove or steam them.
Pull your potatoes out of the oven and let them rest for a minute while you serve the fish and peas. Then pile on the fresh potato wedges. This is one meal that hits your taste buds in all the right places. The fish is so simple to prepare that I have taken the 5 minutes needed and done the prep work in the morning. I put plastic wrap over it and put it in the refrigerator. When I come home it is ready to bake for dinner time and the flavor is even better for having marinated for several hours.
If you have a particular variety of prepared potato wedges that you like and want to make this an even easier meal, go ahead and get them so all you have to do is pop both pans in the oven and walk away for a while. Make sure they are not fried, that would defeat the purpose of this healthier alternative. There is no reason why we can’t eat meals together and make the meals healthier and more flavorfull.
Go ahead, Give this one a try. Only a few ingredients are needed and less than 10 mins of prep-time. It is worth it. Dig in! Let me know what you think.  x heather