DIY Burn's Dinner

[IRISH]

began posting this on the off topic board, then figured what better place than on the diy board... for all of you procrastinators out there, there is still time to bang together a dinner tonight (or any night you please, for that matter...)

with money a bit tight and no proper burns dinner event in my immediate locality, we had a bit of a diy burn's dinner at home, sans haggis. i made our lamb and oats meatloaf, tattie/neeps suede and steamed carrots and barley. i taught my girls selkirk grace and then we watched address to the haggis on youtube. though absent was the jovial camaraderie of a public dinner, our version was not without its charms, topped off with a bit of ice cream and a few biscuits while we listened to prairie home companion on npr and i capped it off with a few belts of blended and single malt...

lamb and oats meatloaf
1lb each ground lamb and beef (as lean as possible)
2 eggs
1 cup uncooked oats
tsp each salt, pepper, thyme, basil, sage
1 medium onion diced
4 cloves garlic diced
1 half rib celery diced
1/2 carrot grated
3/4 cup ketchup
1tb worcestershire sauce
2 tb olive oil

1. heat oven to 350' f
2. saute onions, garlic and herbs in oil until onions are translucent
3. mix eggs, oats, salt and pepper in large bowl
4. add meat and mix with hands
5. add onion, garlic and herb saute and mix
6. add grated carrot and diced celery and mix
7. add ketchup and worcestershire and mix thoroughly
8. mold firmly into loaf shape and place in center of baking dish
9. bake on center rack for 1 hour, covered with foil for first 1/2 hour,
uncovered for last 1/2 hour.
10. remove when wooden skewer can be inserted and removed cleanly, as
well as when top of meatloaf is browned to satisfaction.
11. let cool for 5 mins and remove to cutting board

suede
1. cut 4 peeled or unpeeled potatoes and 4 peeled turnips into 2 inch chunks
2. boil completely covered in water for 15mins, until fork tender
3. strain in colander and rinse
4. return to warm pot and hand mash with one stick of butter
5. transfer to bowl of electric mixer and beat while slowly mixing in 1/2 cup
milk, 2tb sour cream and 2ts each salt and pepper. too much milk will
make for runny mash.
6. whip at high speed to desired thickness.
be sure to add salt and pepper to taste.

serve with steamed carrots, broccoli and barley, favorite stout or lager and finish up with tea and biscuits and your final final of whiskey. toast with your own readings of burns found online or with youtube videos by the pros.