Traditional Welsh Christmas Recipes: Traditional Wassail

 

Traditional Welsh Christmas Recipes: Traditional Wassail
Just as we drink mulled wine and punch at Christmas and New Year parties nowadays, a Welsh Christmas at the turn of the century involved drinking from the wassail bowl.
These bowls were often elaborate, ornate and many-handled. The bowl was filled with fruit, sugar, spices and topped up with warm beer. As it was passed around, the drinkers would make a wish for a successful year's farming and a bumper crop at harvest... time.
Ingredients
4 small apples
1 cup unrefined cane sugar
1 medium orange
13 whole cloves
2 quarts hard apple cider
1/2 cup brandy
1 tbsp powdered ginger
1 tsp grated nutmeg
6 allspice berries
2 cinnamon sticks
6 large eggs (separated)
toast (optional, to serve with)
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Scoop out the core of the apples without fully penetrating the apple – a melon baller works well. Fill each apple with about a tablespoon of unrefined cane sugar. Place the apples in the baking sheet. Stud an orange with thirteen cloves and place it in the baking sheet. Bake the apples and orange together for forty minutes.
While the apples and orange bake, pour apple cider and brandy into a heavy-bottomed stock pot and warm over moderately low heat. Whisk in powdered ginger and grated nutmeg. Do not bring the wassail to a boil.
Cut a small square of the butter muslin and place allspice and cinnamon into the square; tie with 100% cotton cooking twine and float this sachet of spices in the wassail as it warms.
Beat egg yolks until light in colour and set aside. In a separate bowl, whip egg whites until stiff peaks form. Fold egg yolks into whites, then temper the eggs by slowly pouring one-half cup wassail into the eggs. Remove the spice sachet from the wassail and pour in eggs. Transfer to a punch bowl. Float baked apples and oranges in the wassail and serve by the mug, topping each much with a small slice of toast if desired.See More

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Traditional Welsh Christmas Recipes: Taffy - a Christmas Eve custom

 

Traditional Welsh Christmas Recipes: Taffy - a Christmas Eve custom
This was a popular Christmas treat in Wales at the turn of the last century.
Got a sweet tooth? Why not re-live an old Welsh custom this Christmas? Taffy-making....
This is how families whiled away the dark hours of Christmas Eve's night, leading up to the Plygain service. Toffee was boiled in pans on open fires and - this is a nice twist - dollops were dropped into icy cold water.
The taffy curled into all sorts of shapes - like letters. This was a way of divining the initials of the younger, unmarried family members' future loves.
Ingredients:
1 lb of powdered loaf sugar
1 teacupful of water
¼ lb of butter
6 drops of essence of lemon
Put the water and sugar into a brass pan, and beat the butter to a cream. When the sugar is dissolved, add the butter and keep stirring the mixture over the fire until it sets, when a little is poured on to a buttered dish; and just before the toffee is done, add the essence of lemon.
Butter a dish or tin, pour on it the mixture, and when cool, it will easily separate from the dish.
Butter-Scotch, an excellent thing for coughs, is made with brown, instead of white sugar, omitting the water, and flavoured with ½oz. of powdered ginger. It is made in the same manner as toffee.
Time: 18 to 35 minutes.
Sufficient to make 1lb of toffee.
Credit to BBCSee More

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Welsh Recipes: Welsh oggie

 

Welsh Recipes: Welsh oggie
Ingredients
Makes: 8 oggies...
Shortcrust pastry
450g plain flour
1 pinch salt
250g chilled butter, diced
6 tablespoons chilled water
beaten egg or milk, to glaze
Filling
25g butter
1 onion, finely chopped
200g leeks, finely sliced
salt and pepper to season
350g lean lamb, finely diced
200g potato, peeled and finely diced
50ml lamb or vegetable stock
1 tablespoon mint sauce
Method
Prep:1hr › Cook:35min › Ready in:1hr35min
Make the pastry:
Sift the flour and a pinch of salt together into a mixing bowl. Rub in the butter until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Sprinkle 6 tablespoons chilled water evenly over the surface and start bringing the dough together.
Add a little more water if the mixture is too dry. Gather the dough together, then lightly knead on a floured surface for a few seconds until smooth. Wrap and chill in the fridge for 20 minutes.
Make the filling:
Put 25g butter in small pan and add onion, leek, salt and pepper and fry gently for 1 to 2 minutes.
Add the lamb, fry gently for a further 2 minutes.
Add the diced potato and stock, simmer for 5 minutes. Add the mint sauce. Set aside to cool.
Assemble:
Divide the pastry into eight pieces, then roll out each piece on a lightly floured surface to a 22cm round. Spoon an equal amount of the filling onto the centre of each pastry round.
Cover half of each pasty circle with the filling. Moisten pastry edges and fold pastry over the filling. Use your fingers to crimp the pasty all along to try to eliminate any leakage when pasty is cooking. Brush with milk or beaten egg before placing in the oven.
Cook in a pre-heated oven at 230 C / Gas 7 for 10 minutes and then turn down to 190 C / Gas 5 for another 20 to 25 minutes.
Pasty should be hard and golden brown.
Photo credit: eatingwales.com
Recipe Credit: http://allrecipes.co.uk/See more

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Cawl Cennin a Hufen

 

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Welsh Recipes: Cawl Cennin a Hufen (Welsh Creamed Leek Soup)
Ingredients:
Butter: 2oz...
Leeks: 1 ¼ lb
Roughly chopped onion: 1/2 lb
Roughly chopped head of celery: 1 bunch
Stock: 5 pints with 1 Knorr stock cube
Parsley: roughly chopped 1 oz
Salt and Pepper
Double cream: 5 oz
Preparation:
- Clean the leeks thoroughly, chop them roughly.
- Melt butter and cook onions and leeks and celery without browning
- Add the stock, bring to the boil, simmer for 1 hour, skimming if necessary,
- Rub through sieve or put in blender till smooth.
- Reheat gently.
- Stir in the parsley.
- Season with salt and pepper.
- Stir in the cream, correct seasoning, and serve with fresh baked bread.
Full credit to: pattayadailynews.comSee more

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The Great Backyard Bird Count

Traditional Welsh Cawl

Welsh Recipes: Traditional Welsh Cawl
2lb best end of  Welsh lamb
1 small swede
1 medium parsnip...
1/2 carrots
1lb potatoes
2 leeks
1oz parsley
1/2 oz flour
salt and pepper
METHOD
1. Place the meat in a large saucepan and cover with water, add salt and pepper.
2. Slowly bring to the boil and skim carefully.
3. Add the chopped carrots, swede, parsnip and whites of leeks and simmer for 2 hours. If in season cabbage, celery etc. can all be used.
4. Add chopped potatoes and simmer for a further 1/2 hour.
5. Thicken with flour and water and add the chopped parsley and green of leeks.
6. Simmer for a further 15 mins.
7. Serve hot.
8. Cawl is particularly tasty when left overnight and again served hot.See more

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Historical sites in Wales: Cilmeri

Historical sites in Wales: Cilmeri (sometimes given the anglicised spelling Cilmery) is a village in Powys, mid-Wales.
The village is famous for being close to the spot where the last native Prince of Wales of direct descent, Llywelyn ap Gruffudd, was slain in a skirmish by soldiers in the service of Edward I of England, on 11 December 1282.
A memorial stone to Llywelyn ap Gruffudd was erected on the site in 1956 and serves as the focal point for an annual day of remembrance on the anniversary of his death.

Lligwy Burial Chamber - Neolithic

 

The Huge capstone estimated to weight around 25 tonnes is supported by 8 side stones of locally occurring limestone. Described in 1781 and excavated in 1909, it contained numerous Neolithic flints and pots, along with the remains of 15-30 people including children. The Possible East, West and South alignment of stones suggest astronomical purposes
The pottery included Grooved Ware and Beaker suggests a later Neolithic date but could have been placed there at the end of the tombs life as a burial place . Grooved Ware is thought to have originated on Orkney and is often associated with ritual sites

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Cambriae Typus

Welsh History: Cambriae Typus (below)
Cambriae Typus, the "model image of Wales", is the earliest published map of Wales as a separate region from the rest of Great Britain. Made by Elizabethan polymath Humphrey Llwyd in 1573, the map shows Wales stretching to the River Severn, including large areas of what is now England.
Publication ...
Humphrey Llwyd (1527–1568), a Welsh historian, physician and politician, though not a professional surveyor, began work on the Cambriae Typus late in his life. In a letter shortly before his death he sent the manuscript of the map to Abraham Ortelius, who published it in the 1573 Additamentum to the 1570 publication of Theatrum Orbis Terrarum. The map was titled Cambriae Typus. The map of Wales appeared alongside a joint map of Wales and England, also by Llwyd. Cambriae Typus was subsequently revised and used in the Mercator atlas of 1607 and in later atlases.
Specifications
The original four-sheet manuscript of the map has now been lost, but original prints from Theatrum Orbis Terrarum still survive. Although often described as a 1573 publication, the National Library of Wales, which owns an original print of the map, place a tentative date of 1574 to the work. The original print of the map was 47.2 by 34.7cm, using Ortelius typeface. The scale was set at ca.1:520,000.
Features
Cambriae Typus is the first printed map to show Wales as a separate region. The map itself is a weak representation of the country, even for its time, with multiple inaccuracies that did not exist in contemporary maps. It has been suggested that the poor delineation of the coastline may be due to a mistake made by Ortelius in transferring the original or that Llwyd had based the original on an earlier inaccurate map.
Location names on the front of the map are given in Latin, English and Welsh, while the back side contains the equivalent text in German. Various features depicted on the map include a divider caliper in the lower left-hand corner, a cartouche, a sailing ship in Cardigan Bay, as well as a sea monster in the Irish Sea off the coast of Pembrokeshire. The map has a decorative border.
In total five revisions were made to Llwyd's map, including a copper etching by Peter Kaerius, published by Jodocus Hondius in 1603. This version retained the original features of the map, but the additional graphics were changed. In the 1603 print the dividers were replaced by a quarter compass radiating lines out across the Irish Sea, the cartouche was enlarged; while the original ship and seas monster were removed and replaced by two different versions of each. A 1612 version had a stronger more defined coastal outline based on the original, with a further edition using the same improved coastal outline on Hondius' map.
The map shows Wales stretching to the River Severn, land which is now part of England. This was because Llwyd was making a cultural and historical map, rather than one that showed the political situation of the time.

- Wales ~ Land Of My Fathers. <3

 

 

 

Welsh connections to The Gunpowder Plot of 1605;

 

The Gunpowder Plot of 1605, was a failed assassination attempt against King James I by a group Catholics led by Robert Catesby. The plan was to blow up the House of Lords during the State Opening of England's Parliament on 5th November 1605. The plot was revealed to the authorities in an anonymous letter and during a search, Guy Fawkes was discovered guarding 36 barrels of gunpowder—enough to reduce the House of Lords to rubble—and arrested. He was sentenced along with seven other conspiritors to be hanged, drawn and quartered....
* Welsh spymaster Hugh Owen ( 1538 - 1618 ) who had dedicated his life to overthrowing the Protestant Order and to restore the Church of Rome to England and Wales is regarded by many as being the mastermind behind the Gunpowder Plot. He also helped plan the Spanish Armada and was involved in plots on behalf of Mary, Queen of Scots to assassinate Queen Elizabeth I, after which he had fled, firstly to Oswestry, then via Spain to Brussels, where he advised the Netherlands government on English affairs, frequently using Welsh in his secret correspondence. He made several journeys to Italy, Spain and France and maintained a succession of secret agents in England, and used Welshmen in the English regiments in Flanders for information and keeping in touch with Welsh affairs .
It is thought that it was Owen who originally introduced Guy Fawkes to the other conspirators, when Fawkes acted as a servant to him during his time in Brussels and if the plot had been successful, it was Owen who would have organised continental reaction. Owen was also named in Fawkes' trial as the man ‘whose finger hath been in every treason which hath been of late years detected’. Owen himself escaped retribution, operating from the comparatively safe haven of Catholic Europe. Despite many assassination attempts mounted against him by Elizabeth’s agents, including Sir Francis Drake and regular demands from the English government for his extradition, which were consistently repulsed, Owen died peacefully of old age in Rome,
* Father Robert Jones who resided at the Jesuits' South Wales Mission "Cwm" in Llanrothal, Herefordshire, was implicated in an attempt to save two of the Gunpowder Plot perpetrators.See more

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Leeks and the Welsh……………

Welsh Traditions: Leeks
The leek is one of the national emblems of Wales, worn by Welsh citizens on St. David's Day and it is still tradition for soldiers in the Welsh regiments to eat a raw leek on St. David's Day. According to legend, K...ing Cadwallader ordered his Welsh soldiers to identify themselves by wearing the vegetable on their helmets in an ancient battle against the Saxons. Another version refers to the Battle of Agincourt, where the leeks in their caps are said to have distinguished the Welsh archers from their enemies when they fought with Henry V against the French.See more

‘Nos Calan Gauaf,

All Hallows eve is by the Welsh called ‘Nos Calan Gauaf,’ meaning ‘the first night of winter;’ sometimes, ‘Nos Cyn Gauaf,’ the ‘night before winter.’ It is one of the ‘Teir Nos Ysprydnos,’ or ‘three nights for spirits,’ upon which ghosts walk, fairies are abroad, mysterious influences are in the air, strange sights are seen, and in short goblins of every sort are to be with special freedom encountered. They may be conjured to appear, by certain enchantments, and to give their visitors glimpses of the future, especially as regards the subject of marrying. On this night it is customary for the [281] young people, gathered in many a merry circle, to seek by tricks and charms of various sort to become acquainted with their future lovers and sweethearts. Not that it is always necessary to employ such aids, for on the Teir Nos Ysprydnos the phantoms of future companions have been known to appear unsummoned. There are many such stories as that of Thomas... Williams, the preacher, who slept in the hills on a Nos Ysprydnos, and although he used no charms nor tricks of any sort, he saw his future wife. As he was just about putting out his light, having jumped into bed, the door opened and the goblin mother of the young woman he subsequently married walked into the room, leading her daughter. ‘Here, Thomas,’ said she, ‘I am going, but I leave you Mary.’ And when he came down home out of the mountains he found that the old mother had died in her bed at the very moment he saw her goblin. To have done less than marry the girl, after that, would have been to insult the good old lady’s ghost, and cast reflections on the reputation of All Hallows eve.
WELSH FOLK-LORE, FAIRY MYTHOLOGY,
LEGENDS AND TRADITIONS. WIRT SIKES,page 281See

Link to the Welsh Osprey Proect-Please check it out!

http://www.dyfiospreyproject.com/history-of-british-ospreys/welsh-ospreys

Snowdonia National Park

Snowdonia National Park was established on 18th October 1951
It covers 827 square miles in area and may be divided into four areas:...
1) The northernmost area is the most popular with tourists, and includes (from west to east) Moel Hebog, Mynydd Mawr and the Nantlle Ridge; the Snowdon Massif; the Glyderau; and the Carneddau. These last three groups include all Wales' 3000-foot mountains.
2) The second area includes the mountains around Blaenau Festiniog.
3) The third area includes the Rhinogydd in the west as well as the Arenig and the Migneint (an area of bog). This area is not as popular with tourists as the other areas, due to its remoteness.
4) The southernmost area includes Cadair Idris, the Tarren range, the Dyfi hills, and the Aran group,
* The Park attracts over 6 million visitors annually
* The Welsh name for the area Eryri, probably derives from eryr ("eagle"),
* In the Middle Ages the title Prince of Wales and Lord of Snowdonia (Tywysog Cymru ac Arglwydd Eryri) was used by Llywelyn ap Gruffydd; his grandfather llywelyn Fawr used the title Prince of North Wales and Lord of Snowdonia.
* Unusually, Snowdonia National Park has a hole in the middle, around the town of Blaenau Ffestiniog. This was deliberately excluded from the Park in order to allow the development of new light industry to replace the decimated slate industry.
* The Park's entire 37 miles of coastline is a Special Area of Conservation, as it contains valuable sand dune systems.
* Northern Snowdonia is the only place in Britain where the Snowdon Lily and the rainbow-coloured Snowdon beetle are found, and the only place in the world where the Snowdonia hawkweed grows.
* Rare mammals in the park include otters, polecats and the feral goat.
* Rare birds include raven, peregrine, osprey, merlin and the red kite.
* Crib Goch is the wettest spot in the United Kingdom, with an average rainfall of 176" a year. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SnowdoniaSee more

Pillar of Eliseg

 

 

1. The Archaeological Background of the Pillar of Eliseg
   Edward Lhuyd noted that the monument was ‘erected on a small mount’(Gunther 1945: 307) and Pennant records that the base was still lying on the top of this (Pennant 1778-83). It is there...fore likely that this was its original location. The height of the mound, a barrow, would have given additional prominence to the monument in the landscape. This may be compared with the cross Llanfynydd 1 (Carmarthenshire), which originally stood on a cairn of stones (Edwards 2007, no CM24). Fifth- to early-seventh-century inscribed stones in Wales were also sometimes erected on top of, or beside, prehistoric barrows or cairns (Edwards 2007, no. CD28; Redknap and Lewis 2007, nos B46–47, G7, G27, G77; Knight 2001, 14). The monument is not associated with any known early medieval ecclesiastical site, though the alternative Welsh name associated with the abbey, Llanegwestl, hints at the existence of an earlier foundation (Evans 2008, 3). It should be noted, however, that at least some Cistercian houses in Wales, notably Margam (Bridgend) and its granges, were on the sites of early medieval ecclesiastical foundations indicated by the presence of early medieval sculpture (Redknap and Lewis 2007, 576–7; see also Strata Florida and Llanllŷr, Ceredigion, Edwards 2007a, nos CD1, CD20). Even if there was no earlier ecclesiastical site, the presence of the monument may well have been influential in the choice of location for the later Cistercian abbey of Valle Crucis.
   http://www.projecteliseg.org/?page_id=13See more

   

    

Cross of Conbelin

 

 

No. 7. Cross of Conbelin
The largest of the Margam Stones, and with the most decorative and figurative carvings, the RCAHMW describe it as "the most impressive of the monuments of this category in the county, if not in all Wales". It has an immense stone wheel-cross with knot-work arcs, plaitwork cross, and a central boss. The shaft includes carved figures flanking the cross, taken to be St John ...holding his gospel, and the virgin Mary. This is set into a massive stone pedestal block with intricate geometrical patterns and a hunting scene which would originally have formed the front, but was at some point reversed, so is now at the back of the pedestal. Both parts are made from Pennant sandstone and it has been known traditionally as 'The Sanctuary Stone'.
Date
Some time between 950 and 1050 AD.
Inscriptions
1, within the top-left quadrant of the cross: CONBELIN P[O]SUIT HANC CRUCEM (P[RO] [A]NIMA RI[C?])
'Conbelin erected this cross for the soul of Ric...'
2, on the upper left ring margin: + SODNA + CRUCEM FECIT
Sodna made this cross.
Location
It was first documented in 1690 and in 1798 it was leaning against the wall of a cottage outside Margam churchyard. By 1879 it had been moved by the Talbot family into the Chapter House ruins of the Abbey, and in 1932 was transferred to the Museum building.

Por la conservación de todas las construcciones históricas y antiguas del pueblo de Gaiman, en la Provincia de Chubut.

 

Por la conservación de todas las construcciones históricas y antiguas del pueblo de Gaiman, en la Provincia de Chubut.

SIGN THIS PETITION

This petition is awaiting approval by the Avaaz Community

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233 signers. Let's reach 10,000

Why this is important

Es sumamente y especialmente importante aplicar YA este criterio en el pueblo de Gaiman para evitar la continua y creciente pérdida de identidad histórica de sus construcciones, relacionada con sus primeros habitantes galeses y de otras nacionalidades. Las recientes demoliciones, cambio de fachadas tradicionales de casas y construcciones históricas, retiro de árboles históricos en el canal de la plaza del pueblo, y construcción de edificios y casas nuevas que nada tienen que ver con el estilo tradicional y único de nuestro pueblo original, están llevando a la pérdida de la identidad histórica del mismo, provocando el desagrado de sus habitantes, y además a la pérdida del interés de ser visitado y disfrutado por el turismo nacional e internacional.
Demandamos que todas las construcciones futuras en Gaiman y sus alrededores se encuadren dentro de este pintoresco y hermoso estilo, el que primó en la segunda mitad del siglo XIX, desde la creación del pueblo, hasta principios del siglo XX, año 1920 aproximadamente, con el énfasis en las construcciones en este estilo y con materiales similares a los originales, de piedra y ladrillo. Esta demanda está originada en el reclamo de la gran cantidad de sus actuales y pasados habitantes, de los descendientes de galeses que fundaron Gaiman, de todas las colectividades que lo habitaron y contribuyeron a su crecimiento, de los habitantes del Chubut, de los turistas que han conocido o esperan ir a conocer un pueblo típico singular y especial, y de todos los argentinos que deseamos conservar todo lo bueno de nuestro país y de sus asentamientos originales históricos.

It is extremely and specially important, to apply now this criterion in the village of Gaiman to prevent the continued and increasing loss of historical identity of its buildings, related to its first Welsh and other nationalities's inhabitants . Recent demolitions, change of traditional facades of houses and historic buildings, historical trees removal in the channel of the town square, and construction of new homes and buildings that have nothing to do with the traditional and unique style of our original town, are leading to the loss of his historical identity, causing the displeasure of its inhabitants, and in addition to, the loss of interest to be visited and enjoyed by the national and international tourism.
We demand that all future Gaiman's buildings and their surroundings fit within this quaint and beautiful style, which prevailed in the second half of the nineteenth century, from the creation of the town until the early twentieth century, about 1920, with the emphasis on the buildings in this style and with similar materials to the original ones, stone and brick. This demand is based in the claim of the large number of its current and former inhabitants, descendants of Welshmen who founded Gaiman, and of all communities who lived and contributed to its growth, of the inhabitants of Chubut, of tourists who have known or expected to visit a typical village unique and special, and of all the Argentinians who want to preserve all the good of our country and its historical original settlements.

Mae'n hynod o bwysig ac yn arbennig, i wneud cais nawr maen prawf hwn ym mhentref Gaiman i atal y golled barhaus a chynyddol o hunaniaeth hanesyddol ei hadeiladau, yn ymwneud â thrigolion ei Gymraeg ac eraill cenhedloedd cyntaf. Dymchwel diweddar, newid ffasadau traddodiadol o dai ac adeiladau hanesyddol, coed symud hanesyddol yn y sianel y sgwâr y dref, ac adeiladu cartrefi ac adeiladau newydd sydd ddim i'w wneud â'r arddull traddodiadol a unigryw ein tref gwreiddiol, yn arwain at colli ei hunaniaeth hanesyddol, gan achosi anfodlonrwydd y trigolion, ac yn ychwanegol at, colli o ddiddordeb i gael ymweliad a mwynhau gan y twristiaeth cenedlaethol a rhyngwladol.
Rydym yn mynnu bod adeiladau pob Gaiman dyfodol a'u hamgylchedd yn addas o fewn y dull hen ffasiwn a hardd, a oedd yn bodoli yn yr ail hanner y bedwaredd ganrif ar bymtheg, gan y dref chreu hyd at ddechrau'r ugeinfed ganrif, tua 1920, gyda'r pwyslais ar yr adeiladau yn y dull hwn a gyda deunyddiau tebyg i'r rhai gwreiddiol, cerrig a brics. Mae'r galw hwn wedi ei leoli yn yr hawliad o nifer fawr o'i thrigolion presennol a chyn, disgynyddion o Gymry a sefydlodd Gaiman, ac yn yr holl gymunedau a oedd yn byw ac yn cyfrannu at ei dwf, o drigolion Chubut, o dwristiaid sydd wedi adnabod neu a ddisgwylir i ymweld â phentref nodweddiadol unigryw ac arbennig, ac o'r holl Archentwyr sydd am gadw holl da ein gwlad a'i aneddiadau gwreiddiol hanesyddol.

Por la conservación de todas las construcciones históricas y antiguas del pueblo de Gaiman, en la Provincia de Chubut.

Collect for the Feast of St. Michael & All Angels

Everlasting God, you have ordained and constituted in a wonderful order the ministries of angels and mortals: Mercifully grant that, as your holy angels always serve and worship you in heaven, so by your appointment they may help and defend us here on earth; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen. - Collect for the Feast of St. Michael & All Angels

                                                                         

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Earl T. Williams Jr

A sketch of Owain Glyndŵr

 

A sketch of Owain Glyndŵr as he appeared to William Blake in a late night vision. This is one of a number of such sketches known collectively as the Visionary Heads

                                    

Welsh Recipes: Teisen lap

Welsh Recipes: Teisen lap with Welsh whisky sauce
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 45 min
Serves:4-6...
Ingredients
For the pudding
300 g sultanas
freshly brewed tea, for soaking
385 g unsalted butter
385 g caster sugar
6 eggs, beaten
385 g self-raising flour
3 tsp mixed spice
1 lemon, grated zest only
1 orange, grated zest only
For the whisky sauce
85 g butter
85 g muscovado sugar
200 g double cream
1-2 tsp Welsh whisky, or to taste
whipped double cream, to serve
Method
1. Preheat the oven to 160C/140C fan/gas 3. Grease and line a large rectangular baking tin.
2. Cover the sultanas in freshly-brewed tea and set aside to plump while you prepare the pudding batter.
3. Using an electric whisk or wooden spoon, cream the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy. Slowly pour in the eggs and continue whisking, adding 1 tablespoon of the flour to prevent splitting.
4. Fold the rest of the flour and the mixed spice into the creamed mixture, followed by the drained sultanas, lemon and orange zest.
5. Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking tin and bake for about 40 minutes or until a sharp knife inserted into the middle comes out clean. While the cake is baking, prepare the sauce.
6. For the whisky sauce: put the butter and sugar into a small, heavy-based saucepan over a medium-high heat and stir until the butter is melted. Boil for 5 minutes, until the sugar is dissolved.
7. Pour in the cream, bring back to the boil, then stir in whisky, to taste.
8. To serve, cut the warm cake into wedges and accompany with a dollop of whipped cream and the whisky sauce.

                      

Rowland Ellis (1650 – 19 September 1731): Welsh Quaker leader.

19th September
Rowland Ellis (1650 – 19 September 1731) was a Welsh Quaker leader.
Ellis was the owner of the farm of Bryn Mawr near Dolgellau. He became a Quaker, along with a number of other inhabitants of Dolgellau, after a visit to th...e town by George Fox in 1657. As a result of religious persecution, he and others emigrated to Pennsylvania in 1686. The town of Bryn Mawr there is named after Ellis's farm. In 1688 he briefly returned to Wales to set his affairs in order, but went back to Pennsylvania, where in 1700 he was elected to represent Philadelphia in the provincial assembly.See more

Welsh Recipes: Strawberry-Rhubarb Caerphilly Crumble

Welsh Recipes: Strawberry-Rhubarb Caerphilly Crumble
Ingredients
For the filling:
750g rhubarb...
300g strawberries
100g sugar
2 tablespoons preserved ginger - chopped
For the topping:
225g plain flour
100g butter
75g Caerphilly cheese
zest orange
75g demerara sugar
Equipment
chopping board
tablespoon
sharp knife
mixing bowl
large oven proof dish
table knife
grater
Method
1. Heat the oven to 190C/Gas 5.
2. Top and tail the rhubarb, remove any tough skin. Cut the rhubarb into 1.5cm pieces. Place the rhubarb in the ovenproof dish along with the ginger and sprinkle with sugar.
3. Cut the strawberries in half and place on top of the rhubarb.
4. Place the flour in a mixing bowl. Cut the butter into small pieces using a table knife. Rub in the butter using your fingertips until it resembles breadcrumbs.
5. Crumble in the cheese and stir in the orange zest and demerara sugar. Spoon the topping evenly over the fruit.
6. Bake the crumble for 30 minutes until golden. Serve warm with honey and a little thick yoghurt.See more

16th September: Today is Owain Glyndwr Day, and the anniversary of the proclamation of Glyndwr as Prince of Wales.

1. 
   The revolt of Owain Glyndŵr began as a local dispute with his powerful neighbour, Sir Reginald de Grey, during 1399 and 140...0. The cause of this dispute was a piece of common land that Glyndŵr asserted had been stolen by Grey and he appealed to the new king, Henry IV, for justice. None was offered and after repeated appeals, all ignored, Glyndŵr raised his standard outside Ruthin on 16 September 1400, effectively proclaiming himself Prince of Wales. To the men of Wales who followed him, however, Owain Glyndŵr was the symbolic leader of a resistance movement that turned into a widespread national uprising. Glyndŵr wasn't the only one with grievances against acquisitive and arrogant Marcher lords like Grey; many Welshman had long harboured a similar sense of frustration at unjust and oppressive English rule. Such men flocked in droves to Owain's banner and by 1401, the revolt had spread like wildfire the length and breadth of Wales.
   Owain Glyndŵr was a Welsh landowner, and a direct descendent of the dynasties of Powys Fadog (through Madog ap Maredudd, his great, great, great, great Grandfather) and Deheubarth (through his maternal Grandfather) and indirect descendant of the Gwynedd dynasty (through his connection with Owain Gwynedd and Gruffudd ap Cynan). Owain owned a manor in Sycharth and owned lands in the lordship of Glyndyfrdwy, a part of the commote of Cynllaith and lands in Cardiganshire. The Glyndŵr rebellion began in 1400, following years of increasing resentment among the Welsh people, at the English’s treatment of them. The rebellion marked a change in Wales, as the Aristocratic families of Wales, who came to be Glyndŵr’s main supporters, were traditional supporters of the Crown. The Glyndŵr rebellion began with an attack on the town of Ruthin in 1400, followed by attacks on Rhuddlan, Flint, Holt, Oswestry and Welshpool. The revolt was supported by the Welsh people and many Welsh people in exile returned to join the revolt. In 1404, Glyndŵr held a Parliament in Machynlleth and signed agreements with Scotland and France. In 1406, Owain Glyndŵr sent a letter to King Charles VI of France, asking for his support to the rebellion and outlining his visions for Welsh independence, establishing an independent church in Wales and establishing two Welsh universities.
   The Welsh poets professed that Glyndŵr was in fact the prodigal son, who had been sent to free the Welsh people from the English crown, and Glyndŵr was also immortalised by William Shakespeare, in his play ‘Henry IV: Part 1. Owain Glyndŵr certainly had a tenacious personality and excellent leadership skills: he was never betrayed by his army and his rebellion went on for more than a decade. He succeeded in overcoming the English army several time, taking Harlech and Cricieth castles in the process, but in 1409, he was cornered in Harlech Castle, bringing an end to his rebellion. Owain somehow managed to escape but paid a heavy price for his political ambitions: his wife, two daughters and grandson were captured and imprisoned in London until their deaths. Owain Glyndŵr refused the offer of a pardon by the English Crown and it appears that Owain himself died in 1416, in his daughter, Alis’ home.
   Owain Glyndŵr’s Day is now celebrated annually on September 16th. 

Monmouth pudding

Welsh Recipes: Monmouth pudding
Ingredients for the pudding
90g/3¼oz fresh breadcrumbs...
2 tbsp soft light brown sugar
450ml/1 pint whole milk
1 lemon, zest only
2 tbsp caster sugar
25g/1oz salted butter
3 large free-range egg yolks
For the topping
175g/6oz raspberry jam
150g/5oz fresh raspberries
75g/3oz caster sugar
3 large free-range egg whites, whisked until soft peaks form when the whisk is removed
Preparation method
For the pudding, preheat the grill to a medium setting.
Sprinkle the breadcrumbs and brown sugar into a roasting tray. Shake the tray to mix the two together, then grill until the breadcrumbs are lightly toasted and the sugar has started to melt. Set aside.
Preheat the oven to 150C/300F/Gas 2.
Heat the milk, lemon zest, sugar and butter in a pan over a medium heat. Cook, stirring regularly, until the butter has melted and the mixture is well combined, then stir the toasted breadcrumbs and sugar into the milk mixture and set aside, off the heat, for 30 minutes.
Once the milk and breadcrumbs mixture has stood for 30 minutes, whisk the egg yolks in a bowl until pale and fluffy, then add them to the milk and breadcrumb mixture and whisk gently until well combined.
Pour the pudding mixture into a 20cm/8in ovenproof serving dish and bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes, or until the pudding has risen and is just set. (The pudding has set when a skewer inserted into the middle of the pudding comes out clean.)
Remove the pudding from the oven and increase the temperate to 180C/350F/Gas 4.
For the topping, spread the raspberry jam in an even layer over the pudding. Sprinkle over the raspberries.
In a bowl, add the sugar to the whisked egg whites and continue whisking until the mixture is glossy and stiff peaks form when the whisk is removed.
Spoon the meringue over the pudding and return to the oven for 8-10 minutes, or until the meringue is golden-brown.
Serve immediately.

                             

Leek and Potato Soup

Welsh Recipes: Leek and Potato Soup
Ingredients:
30 grams (1 oz) butter...
2 large leeks
450 grams (1 lb) potatoes
570 ml (1 pint) vegetable (or chicken) stock (Note: add double the stock if you want a thinner soup)
280 ml (1/2 pint) milk or cream
1 rasher (strip) of bacon
salt and pepper
some sprigs of parsley
How to Make Leek and Potato Soup:
Cut bacon finely and fry in the butter in a deep skillet or saucepan.
Wash and cut the leeks into thin pieces - this is best done by first cutting the leeks lengthwise a couple of times, then slicing across thinly.
Add the chopped leeks to the pan and simmer on a low heat.
Wash a peel the potatoes and dice them as small as possible and add to the pan.
Stir in the stock and add salt and pepper to taste.
Cover pan and simmer over low heat for 20 minutes, until the vegetables are tender.
Use a masher to break down the potatoes in the pan and stir well.
Just before serving, stir in the milk or cream and place a sprig of parsley on top.

Saint Deiniol of Cymru Wales

11th September
Today is the feast day of Saint Deiniol (died 584) the first Bishop of Bangor (print is of Bangor Cathedral)
Saint Deiniol was the grandson of Pabo Post Prydain a King of Yr Hen Ogledd, and when the family lost their land ...in the North of England, they were given land by the King of Powys, Cyngen ap Cadell. Deiniol is said to have studied under St Cadoc and to have been later given land by Maelgwyn Gwynedd to found a monastery on the site where Bangor Cathedral now stands. He attended the Synod of Llanddewi Brefi c.545 with Saint David and was also consecrated by David the same year. He is buried on Bardsey Island, and is also venerated in Monmouthshire, Herefordshire and Brittany.See more

    

Welsh Recipes: Glamorgan sausages

 

1. Welsh Recipes: Glamorgan sausages with red onion and chilli relish
   These vegetarian leek and cheese sausages are delicious and full of flavour. Perfect comfort food.
   Ingredients
   For the sausages...
   25g/1oz butter
   115g/4oz leeks, trimmed, finely sliced (prepared weight)
   175g/6oz fresh white breadcrumbs
   2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
   1 tbsp chopped fresh thyme
   150g/5oz Caerphilly cheese or Welsh Cheddar, finely grated
   2 free-range eggs, separated
   1 tsp English mustard
   ½ tsp flaked sea salt
   5 tbsp sunflower oil
   freshly ground black pepper
   For the red onion and chilli relish
   2 tbsp sunflower oil
   2 medium red onions, finely sliced
   1 red chilli, finely chopped
   2 garlic cloves, crushed
   75g/2½oz light brown muscovado sugar
   5 tbsp white wine vinegar
   Preparation method
   For the sausages, melt the butter in a large non-stick frying pan and fry the leek gently for 8-10minutes, or until very soft but not coloured.
   Put 100g/3½oz of the breadcrumbs, the parsley, thyme and cheese in a large mixing bowl and mix until well combined. Beat the egg yolks with the mustard, salt and plenty of freshly ground black pepper in a separate bowl.
   Remove the frying pan from the heat and tip the leeks into the bowl with the breadcrumbs. Add the egg yolks and mix together well with a large wooden spoon until well combined.
   Divide the leek mixture into eight portions and roll into sausage shapes. Place the sausages onto a tray lined with clingfilm.
   Whisk the egg whites lightly in a bowl with a large metal whisk until just frothy. Sprinkle 40g/1½oz breadcrumbs over a large plate. Dip the sausages one at a time into the beaten egg and roll in the breadcrumbs until evenly coated, then place on the baking tray. Chill the sausages in the fridge for 30 minutes.
   Meanwhile, for the relish, heat the oil in a large non-stick saucepan and fry the onions for 20 minutes, or until very soft and just beginning to colour. Add the chilli and garlic to the pan and cook for a further five minutes, stirring regularly.
   Sprinkle with the sugar and pour over the vinegar. Bring to a simmer and cook for five further minutes, or until the liquid is well reduced and the relish becomes thick and glossy. Remove from the heat, set aside to cool for a few minutes then tip into a serving dish.
   Heat the oil into a large non-stick frying pan and fry the sausages over a medium heat for 10-12 minutes, turning regularly until golden-brown and crisp. Serve the sausages with a good spoonful of chilli and onion relish and some thinly sliced runner beans.See more
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Wales ~ Land Of My Fathers. ♥

Historical Monuments in Wales: Pillar of Eliseg

Historical Monuments in Wales: Pillar of Eliseg
The Pillar of Eliseg also known as Elise's Pillar or Croes Elisedd in Welsh, stands near Valle Crucis Abbey, Denbighshire, Wales. It was erected by Cyngen ap Cadell (died 855), king of Powys in honour of his great-grandfather Elisedd ap Gwylog. The form Eliseg found on the pillar is thought to be a mistake by the carver of the inscription.
The Latin inscription not only mentions several individuals described in the Historia Britonum, but also complements the information presented in that text. A generally accepted translation of this inscription, one of the longest surviving inscriptions from pre-Viking Wales, is as follows:...
† Concenn son of Cattell, Cattell son of Brochmail, Brochmail son of Eliseg, Eliseg son of Guoillauc.
† And that Concenn, great-grandson of Eliseg, erected this stone for his great-grandfather Eliseg.
† The same Eliseg, who joined together the inheritance of Powys . . . throughout nine (years?) out of the power of the Angles with his sword and with fire.
† Whosoever shall read this hand-inscribed stone, let him give a blessing on the soul of Eliseg.
† This is that Concenn who captured with his hand eleven hundred acres which used to belong to his kingdom of Powys . . . and which . . . . . . the mountain

[the column is broken here. One line, possibly more, lost]

. . . the monarchy . . . Maximus . . . of Britain . . . Concenn, Pascent, Maun, Annan.
† Britu son of Vortigern, whom Germanus blessed, and whom Sevira bore to him, daughter of Maximus the king, who killed the king of the Romans.
† Conmarch painted this writing at the request of king Concenn.
† The blessing of the Lord be upon Concenn and upon his entire household, and upon the entire region of Powys until the Day of Judgement.

                       

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Arthur's Stone

Historical sites in Wales: Arthur's Stone
Just north of the ridge summit of Cefn Bryn, in the heart of the Gower Peninsula, there is a neolithic burial ground, known as "Arthur's Stone" (Welsh: Maen Ceti). Its name comes from a legend that the ancient British King Arthur threw a large stone from Llanelli which landed on this spot.
It is believed that during the Bronze Age Cefn Bryn was used extensively for ceremonies and rituals. Beneath the bracken on the hill over sixty cairns have been discovered. Most of these are likely to be no more than collections of stones cleared by local farmers; but just north-west of Arthur's Stone three prominent cairns have been excavated that prove their ancient role - the largest being Great Cairn, a circular heap of stones above a central grave.

      

 

Sept. 3rd history…………………….

On this day in 1783, the American Revolution officially comes to an end when representatives of the United States, Great Britain, Spain and France sign the Trea...ty of Paris. The signing signified America's status as a free nation, as Britain formally recognized the independence of its 13 former American colonies.

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Traditional Welsh Recipes: Welsh Rarebit

Traditional Welsh Recipes: Welsh Rarebit
Ingredients
50g/2oz flour...
50g/2oz butter
250ml/9oz strong beer, warmed
250g/9oz strong cheddar, grated
2tsp mild mustard
2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
black pepper
4 large slices bread
Preparation method
In a small saucepan melt the butter and make a roux with the flour. Cook for a couple of minutes, stirring to prevent the roux from burning. Stir in the warm beer by degrees, until you have a thick but smooth sauce. Add the grated cheese and stir until melted. You should now have a thick paste. Mix in the mustard and Worcestershire sauce and season well with black pepper.
Lightly toast and butter the bread, then pile up the cheesy mixture on each slice. Cook under a hot grill for a few minutes, until browned and bubbling.See more

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