ON A LIGHTER NOTE

Food in the UK is where we as consumers benefit most, with Fierce Competition between supermarkets and economic factors food is relatively inexpensive for the moment.

I had this discussion with an elderly relative the other day and she politely said yes but the food these days is not as good as when I was young.
When I was young you could taste the chicken and it didn’t shrink when cooked, your eggs had orange yolks not this peely waley yellow, your weekly shop not coming to more than a fiver, her broad Scots coming in there.

I had to laugh, but you know I had to agree as well.
Anyway this led her onto recipes that she used that didn’t cost a fortune to make.

Here are some of them and some of my own for you to try
You can find some lovely Bulgarian Recipes at
www.bis-perth.co.uk

STOVIES (A Traditional Scottish Dish)

INGREDIENTS:

Potatoes (Tatties in Scottish) about a large pot full
1 Large Onion
Carrots (Optional or any other vegetables you prefer)
5 slices of Corned Beef (or Sausages or any other meat you prefer)
Knob of Butter
Salt & Pepper to taste
Beef Stock (or Stock Cube)

Heat butter and sauté the onions until transparent.
Add the other vegetables if using (Turnip, peas whichever you prefer)
Add potatoes and beef stock (Stock level with potatoes)
Season with salt and pepper
Bring to the boil then simmer for about 10-15 mins
Add Corned Beef and simmer for approximately 10 mins

Serve with homemade Bread or Oatcakes

OATCAKES (A Traditional Scottish Biscuit)

INGREDIENTS

60G of Medium Oats
60G of Whole Wheat Flour
Knob of Butter or Lard (1 tbls)
5 Teaspoons of Boiling Water
A pinch of Salt
½ tsp of Bicarbonate of Soda

Preheat your oven to 200c
Grease and line baking tray
Melt the butter in a pan and remove from heat
Mix all dry ingredients and boiling water in the pan to a soft dough
Sprinkle your surface with oats and place dough on it

Roll dough into 2 flat rounds about ½ cm thick
Cut large circles out and place them on backing tray
Cook for about 10 mins or until the edges turn slightly brown

These are nice with a variety of toppings you could spread with butter, Jam or add your favourite Cheese

PORRIDGE (A Traditional Scottish Breakfast Dish)

INGREDIENTS

4 tbls of Medium Oats
450 mls of Water
150 mls of milk
1 tbls of Cream
½ tsp of salt
Sprinkling of Sugar (Optional)

Bring to the boil the oats, water salt and milk
Simmer and stir continuously for ten minutes to thicken watching for lumps
Add the cream to the thickened mixture
Top with your favourite toppings such as raisins, nuts, a sprinkling of sugar, fresh fruit or even jam.


RUMBLEDETHUMPS (A Scottish version of Bubble & Squeak)

INGREDIENTS

450G of Potatoes
350G of Cabbage
1 Large Onion
4tbls of Butter
50G of Cheese
1 tbls cream
Pinch of Salt & Pepper

Boil potatoes and mash add cream leave in pan
Shred cabbage & onions and sauté in pan with butter leave to soften slightly
Add ½ the cheese to the potatoes and mix in the cabbage and onions until covered
Season to taste
Place in a serving dish and cover with the remaining cheese
Cook in the oven until cheese browns
Serve as a side dish with fish or as a main meal


SHORTBREAD (A Traditional Scottish Sweet Buttery Biscuit)

INGREDIENTS

230G of Flour (Plain)
200G of Butter
85G of fine Castor Sugar

Preheat oven to 150c
Grease and line baking tray
Beat the butter and sugar until light and flurry
Gradually add the flour and knead
Flour a flat surface and roll dough into a round about 1 cm thick
Place on the greased baking tray
Mark the top with whatever pattern you like and mark segments
Cook for approximately 35-40 reduce times for fan assisted ovens
Leave to set for about 10 mins
Sprinkle with castor sugar
Cut segments you can serve hot or cold

You can add chocolate chips or nuts and raisins for an alternative just add these when forming the dough.

I use this recipe in my strawberry tarts

QUICK STRAWBERRY TARTS ( My versions)

INGREDIENTS

10 Strawberries or whichever Berry you prefer plus extra for decorating
¾ tbls of Icing Sugar
I heaped tsp spoon of Strawberry Conserve
About 5 tbls of water

Heat 10 strawberries with the sugar and water then turn up heat and add conserve and bring to the boil.
Reduce heat and simmer for about 10-15 mins
Leave to cool slightly and then sieve all ingredients into a cold bowl, once cold place in the fridge until set.
Make shortbread base as above but cut into individual rounds
Place each round into a tart case and bake in the oven between 20-25 mins
Cool the tarts
Just before serving add a small amount of sauce to tart case the whipped cream
Place one of the remaining strawberries on top and cover with sauce

As an alternative make the base as above cook for required time then add sliced bananas, toffee sauce and nuts place back in the oven and cook for a further 5 mins.
Add whipped cream and sprinkling of nuts with a dusting of icing sugar serve immediately.

If you try any of the above recipes let us know how you got on and if you have any recipes of your own submit them for our visitors to try at home

www.bis-perth.co.uk
Working For Your Future

BIS-PERTH HOUSE & PET SITTING

BIS-PERTH HOUSE & PET SITTING

We now offer Free House & Pet Sitting at Home or Abroad, through our House Sitters Directory.

Home Owners can add their requirements to our database of Homes available for House & Pets sitters for Free.

House & Pet Sitting Free directory service is available to all who require a reliable House Sitter to maintain and care for their residential or vacation home for short or long term stays.

Benefits of House & Pet Sitting For the Home Owner

Free Life Time Membership to House & Pet Sitting Perth.
Free House & Pet Sitting Advert detailing your requirements.
Free Pet Care - No more struggling to find expensive kennels and less distress to you and your animals.
Property Security - Occupied homes are less susceptible to a break in.
Insurance Benefits - No increase in insurance premiums while you are away.
Peace of Mind - knowing your home, pets and garden are being cared for by a responsible House Sitter.

FREE Home Owner Advert

JOIN TODAY AND YOUR DETAILS WILL BE ADDED TO OUR DATABASE FOR OUR HOUSE & PET SITTERS TO VIEW.

If you are interested in becoming a volunteer House & Pet Sitter you can apply here and your details will be added to our database for our Home Owners to view.

Benefits of House Sitting For the House Sitter

Benefits of House Sitting For the House Sitter
Short or long term breaks for free.
An opportunity to travel and visit other countries and locations.
Save on your own rental expenses.
Increased Revenue - Rent out your own property.
Low yearly membership fee of £25

Enhanced Sitting Opportunities with Free CRB Report

House & Pet Sitter Registration Form

You can Contact our House Sitting Customer Services Team with any Questions You May Have.

Contact Us
by
Emai: info@bis-perth
or
Telephone: 01738800346

Home Owner Advert

House & Pet Sitter Registration Form

www.bis-perth.co.uk
Working For Your Future

Minding My Own Business

I don’t mind advertising at all, we all advertise but I have to say I get really annoyed at unsolicited phone calls.
Last Monday I received six calls offering me Loans, Double Glazing, Insurance and a free conservatory if I purchase ten Double glazed windows and an eight unit Kitchen Package. What a deal but I did try and explain I have those mentioned above but it fell on deaf ears so after their sales pitch I politely asked would you be so kind and remove my Business and Home number from your list as I have all the products you have to offer, only to be informed that I would have to write to them detailing the calls I have received with dates and times.
RUBBISH, no I didn’t say that but I was tempted!!
So for anyone else experiencing the same problems contact www.tpsonline.org.uk and they will remove your details.

Contact shirley@bis-perth.co.uk

www.bis-perth.co.uk
Working For Your Future

Bulgarian Properties from £2,500

IT'S ALL GOOD

Ok so I have introduced you to the company, the reasons why I set up my Business and shown you what we at www.bis-perth.co.uk can offer, now lets compare Bulgaria.
I love Bulgaria as do so many others, 500 000 UK holiday and property buyers visited Bulgaria in 2006.
There has been a dramatic increase in residency applications over the last year and we can all see why. The cost of living the scenery, the beaches, the people and the list goes on. But I think and research has shown that the biggest influence encouraging UK people to make the move is their disillusionment with Britain.
I have found that it is not just high earners who can afford to make the move a lot of working class who have sold their council houses and used the income to purchase in Bulgaria because they can get a lot more for their money.

Is this about to change?

The European Commissioner on Consumers’ Protection Meglena Kuneva said that the liberalizing of markets is necessary, and suppliers will be carefully surveyed
Then a report stated that energy prices may rise by 31% now at the moment this would not seem a lot to us in the UK where we are charged some of the highest rates in Europe, but to the Bulgarians whose average wage for the middle class is 375€ per month, is quite high, however discussions are now in place on income. According to statistics salaries have gone up by 11% but trade unions in Bulgarian are said to be unhappy with this figure and the Podkrepa trade union put forward a 25.4% increase.
The Confederation of Independent Trade Unions in Bulgaria president Zhelyazko Hristov’s claimed that keeping in mind the positive changes in the tax and insurance tariffs we are set to propose a 15% increase in the salaries in the real sector of the economy. We also believe that the negotiations within the separate sectors ought to become a steady trend in Bulgaria. This would in turn contribute to company negotiations and would facilitate the discussions about the minimum income and insurance tariffs.
The Prime Minister Sergei Stanishev pledged the cabinet would update its priorities and would work towards an income increase and that the incomes in the private sector have gone 15% up over the first three months of the year.
Experts tend to explain this fact with the country’s EU membership and the opening of the common European market to Bulgaria, while at the same time the employers have tended to protect their staff. At present a total of 10 EU member states have removed the restrictions to Bulgarian labour, the rest have still partial limitations that are due to be revised.
So it’s all good then?
Definitely!
When compared to the UK.

Reports revealed that first time buyers are being priced out of the property market. Figures show that first time buyers now make up 35% of all home buyers down from 50% at the start of 2007. Figures released from the Council of Mortgage Lenders show that UK buyers have to earn an average salary of £35,000 that’s £10,000 more than the national average wage just to get a foot on the property market ladder. Statistics revealed that typical buyers are being forced to borrow a record 3.37 times their salary compared with a little over double 10 years ago.
Another added burden is two out of three buyers will have to pay Stamp Duty because of Britain’s soaring house prices. The average first time buyer’s house now costs £154,394 and is rising by 10% a year. Many buyers are borrowing loans 5 or 6 times more than their salary. This is staggering and unaffordable and this is another reason I have chosen to invest in Bulgaria.
On my last visit over to invest I stayed in a beautiful Villa with private pool in a small rural village that cost only £300 for a fortnight the cost of the flights for 2 was under £200 and we spent £200, yes that’s all we spent and we had a wonderful holiday, we ate out twice a day, our weekly shop cost us £15 and this included fresh fruit and veg, wine, beer, juice, milk, delicious cheese, ice cream, bread and the list goes on but my favourite has to be the meat, they have the best tasting meat I have ever tried (no added water) you may remember this type of meat, when cooked it stays the same size as uncooked.
I am set to return quite soon to approve building works on my plot, well that’s my excuse, I am looking at the full cost of a Villa holiday including car hire, flights and spending to come to no more than £700 for a two week break, what an amazing bargain Bulgaria is, I just can’t wait to get back.

CONTACT US

or

VISIT US AT www.bis-perth.co.uk

Working For Your Future