Dedicated to MaryAnne Ysabella Brave and Friends

This was me next to two plates of food (one was various meats, the other a variable salad), at a party thrown for my grandfather, off in the kitchen signing the photo book they put together for my Grandfather's 80th birthday.

There was a bit of a road trip to get there.

Always glad to have the opportunity to pig out, and finally got to see a lot of my extended family.

I'd a good time, wish I could have shared it with more people.

Oh, and this was held at my Aunt Cathie's, who is my Mother's youngest sister.

Greetings:

What is for dessert?

Your Pal,

Clamchucker

Greetings:

Your Spambusters are most pleased to note there is no spam on that meat plate.

Your pals,

The Spambusters

There was a big cake, but I did not partake.

A bit of liquor was my dessert.

And yep, no spam, there was salmon, beef and turkey though.

Oh, and haggis if you could brave it. /shudders

There was many other foods as well, but I try to eat simply and healthily. If I don't know what's in certain foods, I don't risk it.

• Address to A Haggis •

Fair fa' your honest, sonsie face,
Great chieftain o' the puddin-race!
Aboon them a' ye tak your place,
Painch, tripe, or thairm:
Weel are ye wordy o' a grace
As lang's my arm.

The groaning trencher there ye fill,
Your hurdies like a distant hill,
Your pin wad help to mend a mill
In time o' need,
While thro' your pores the dews distil
Like amber bead.

His knife see rustic Labour dight,
An' cut you up wi' ready sleight,
Trenching your gushing entrails bright,
Like ony ditch;
And then, O what a glorious sight,
Warm-reekin, rich!

Then, horn for horn,
they stretch an' strive:
Deil tak the hindmost! on they drive,
Till a' their weel-swall'd kytes belyve,
Are bent lyke drums;
Then auld Guidman, maist like to rive,
"Bethankit!" 'hums.

Is there that owre his French ragout
Or olio that wad staw a sow,
Or fricassee wad mak her spew
Wi' perfect sconner,
Looks down wi' sneering, scornfu' view
On sic a dinner?

- Robert Burns

A translation of the above from Gaelic to modern English:

• Address to A Haggis •

Fair is your honest happy face
Great chieftain of the pudding race
Above them all you take your place
Stomach, tripe or guts
Well are you worthy of a grace
As long as my arm

The groaning platter there you fill
Your buttocks like a distant hill
Your skewer would help to repair a mill
In time of need
While through your pores the juices emerge
Like amber beads

His knife having seen hard labour wipes
And cuts you up with great skill
Digging into your gushing insides bright
Like any ditch
And then oh what a glorious sight
Warm steaming, rich

Then spoon for spoon
They stretch and strive
Devil take the last man, on they drive
Until all their well swollen bellies
Are bent like drums
Then, the old gent most likely to rift (burp)
Be thanked, mumbles

Is there that over his French Ragout
Or olio that would sicken a pig
Or fricassee would make her vomit
With perfect disgust
Looks down with a sneering scornful opinion
On such a dinner

- Robert Burns

Lol!

A minute before they started having cake, Grandpa looked at the food spread, and the haggis caught his attention.

He said something like "The haggis looks like a corpse."

And everyone lawled that day.

Greetings:

I should add that modern day haggis is quite delicious. The original recipe calls for the heart, lungs, and liver of a sheep to be mixed with oats and other grains and cooked in the sheep's stomach.

The modern recipe uses better cuts of lamb with liver and other offals (it is illegal to sell the lungs of any animal in the US, due to concerns regarding tuberculosis) along with the customary grains. The stomach is no longer used as a casing. Sheep casing or extruded collagen is used and presented in a shape to suggest the original recipe.

The flavor is reminiscent of braunschweiger, with a lighter flavor and great difference in texture (due to the grains). It is customary to pour a single malt scotch over the haggis when served. I find it to be quite yummy!

Your pal,

Clamchucker

Ya, I just drank the scotch by itself.

I might give it a go one day.