Welcome back to Quine’s Weekend Guide – your curated list of the best events, food, shopping, festivals, and more across Scotland. Every week, we handpick the top things to do in Scotland.
However, this weekend’s guide is a little bit different. As Scotland and much of the UK has been buffeted by strong winds and lashing rain as a result of storms Isha and Jocelyn, you may not feel like venturing outdoors if it’s not absolutely necessary. And we definitely don’t blame you if you plan on staying toasty and dry indoors this weekend, as we’ve got some brilliant ideas to keep you occupied.
Whether you’re in the mood for some at-home pampering, fancy baking or cooking up a storm in the kitchen to save you ordering a takeaway or want to get your home feeling more organised, we’ve got you covered. Read on for our top picks.
Get baking
There’s nothing better than spending a day taking respite from the rain, wind and hail whipping up some indulgent baked treats. And Jules Grasekamp, owner of Bonni Bakery, has shared one of her most popular recipes with us.
Whether you’re a complete novice to baking or are looking to further impress your family and friends, you simply have to give these incredible coffee cookies a try.
Make your own coffee cookies
What you’ll need:
113g Unsalted Butter
100g Caster Sugar
110g Light Brown Sugar
1 Large Egg
3 tbsp Espresso Powder (instant espresso – not instant coffee granules)
1 tsp Vanilla Extract
187g Self-raising Flour
½ tsp Bicarbonate of Soda
½ tsp Salt
Method:
- Melt the butter in the microwave, then pour into a bowl with both the sugars and mix together.
- Add a splash of hot water to the espresso powder and mix together to form a paste. Add to the butter/sugar mixture and stir everything together.
- Add the egg and vanilla and stir until combined.
- Add the dry ingredients and mix together until a soft dough forms.
- Chill the dough for 30 minutes so it’s easy to handle.
- Preheat your oven to 180°C and line a baking tray with parchment paper.
- Spoon out walnut-sized scoops of dough and roll them into balls in your hands. Place the cookie dough balls on the baking tray, spaced well apart to allow for spreading.
- Bake for 12 minutes, then remove from the oven and let sit on the tray for at least 10 minutes before moving to a wire rack to cool.
Visit bonnibakery.com
Declutter and get your home organised
With January being a great time for new beginnings, this can also extend to your home. If you’ve been meaning to get decluttering or to put some storage solutions in place to set you up for the coming year, take advantage of spending the weekend indoors and get ready to reap the benefits of having a more organised home.
Joanna and Ali from Sorted Home Organisers have shared some of their top tips with us to transform one space in your home that could probably do with some reorganising; the kitchen.
From decluttering, to creating functional zones, there are several ways to transform your kitchen into a well organised and functional space that works better for you and your family.
Declutter
The first is decluttering. Get rid of any items you no longer use, such as chipped dishes, duplicate utensils or expired pantry items. When you’ve chosen what you’re keeping, “ensure that every item has a purpose and a place.”
Utilise clever storage solutions
Next, think of the areas that could be underutilised at the moment. Vertical space is often wasted or not used fully. “Use the inside of cupboard doors by attaching small racks or hooks to store spices, lids or utensils. You can also consider using stackable storage solutions that will make the most of vertical space within your cupboards.”
Turntables and tiered organisers also help to make the most of your space and allow you to easily see what you have.
Categorise and label
“If like items are stored together, contained and labelled it will make your life much easier.” And we certainly agree. It’s much easier to find the exact items and ingredients that you need, by storing similar items together. It will also save you purchasing something twice or even several times, simply because you didn’t realise that you already had some.
“Label jars, spices and containers to easily identify their contents. You can apply this practice to other items like Tupperware, drinks bottles and baking equipment too.”
Utilise drawers
It’s easy for our drawers to become a bit of a chaotic mess. Hands up if you have a junk drawer! But Joanna and Ali recommend investing “in drawer dividers and containers to keep utensils, cutlery and kitchen gadgets in order. This will make it easier to locate items quickly and maintain an organised space.”
Consider layout
This may seem like common sense but if you can, you’ll want to arrange your kitchen in a way that maximises its efficiency. What we mean by this is, by minimising the time you spend moving around the kitchen when you cook or prepare meals, you can streamline the whole process by creating specific zones. So, “consider storing cups and mugs near the kettle and fridge,” to make life that bit easier in the mornings. The same can be said for storing knives and spices near your food preparation area.
Visit sortedhomeorganisers.co.uk
Have an at-home spa day
Why not make the most of a day spent at home by having a bit of a pamper session? And we have a feeling you’ll already have everything that you need to create a truly indulgent experience. Start by lighting a soothing scented candle or switching on an essential oil diffuser and pick out your products of choice. We could all probably do with a bit of me-time. So, grab your comfiest dressing gown, PJ’s and get ready to recharge.
Quine loves these Heart Satin Pyjamas, £38, Next
Winter is a great time to use exfoliants as our skin can become more dehydrated in the colder weather. Spend some time to slough away dead skin with a coarse body scrub or add a chemical exfoliant into your skincare routine to keep on top of any dry or textured patches.
Speaking of skincare routines, instead of rushing through a number of steps, like you may do before rushing out the door in the morning or before bed, take the time to make your routine more of an experience by doing it with intention this weekend. Using a number of different textures, when it comes to your moisturiser, serums, cleansers and essences, will result in a seriously sumptuous experience and give you that glowy, ‘I’ve just been for a facial’, look and feel to your skin.
Quine loves this Exfoliating Enzyme Mask, £79, Dr. Humble, and this Body Scrub, £39, Sol de Janeiro at Space NK
If you’re in the fortunate position to have a bath in your home, take advantage of it by running yourself a relaxing bath. And why not follow it up with a sumptuous foot mask and self guided massage or end your at-home spa day with a leave-in hair mask or treatment.
Quine loves this Restorative Bath & Body Oil, £36, and this Pink Hair and Scalp Mask, £36, both ESPA
Warm yourself up with some homemade Caribbean-style curry
If you’ve not had a chance to visit the newly opened Turtle Bay restaurant in Glasgow City Centre, let their Caribbean-inspired dishes come to you by trying out one of their recipes at home. It’s also a great way to transport yourself from the stormy Scottish weather this weekend.
How to make Turtle Bay’s Aubergine Curry (enough to serve 2 – with leftovers!)
What you’ll need:
1 litre of vegetable stock – if you’re vegan, most veg stocks are dairy-free but it is worth double checking
1 medium to large aubergine – or any veg of your choice – chopped into bite size pieces
2 medium potatoes – peeled & chopped into bitesize cubes
A handful of cherry tomatoes
1 chopped chilli (The Scotch Bonnet is Turtle Bay’s favourite but they can be pretty HOT – so, opt for half of one of these, if you choose to use it) – you can also sub both for 1 tsp of dried chilli flakes
4 tablespoons of curry powder
1 tablespoon of olive oil
1 diced onion
2 cloves of crushed garlic
1 tablespoon of garam masala
1 can of coconut milk
Salt – to taste
Method:
- Heat a large pan with a good dollop of oil
- Add the onion & garlic & fry on a low heat until they start to go translucent
- Add chilli, curry powder & garam masala and fry for another 30 seconds
- If you’re adding meat, such as chicken, add this now and fry for a couple of minutes
- Pour in your coconut milk and stock and then add the potatoes
- Leave to simmer for 10 – 15 mins.
- Grab a non-stick frying pan, and heat a dash of oil
- Fry off the aubergine until it’s looking nice and brown.
- Check your main curry – once the potatoes are just soft enough to eat, you can throw in your aubergine & cherry tomatoes. If you’re using fish, you can add this now
- Cook for another 3 – 5 minutes, and then – you’re ready!
- Finish with a sprig of coriander, white rice and maybe a roti or two to mop up the indulgent sauce
Enjoy with the Bru & Stormy rum cocktail.
Visit turtlebay.co.uk/restaurants/glasgow
Get a head start on your 2024 reading goals
If you’ve vowed to read more this year, why not use the stormy weather outside as the perfect excuse to curl up with a good book. You might have an overflowing bookshelf of books to be read but if you don’t, why not get some inspiration from Edinburgh-based book club and store, Rare Birds Books.
We’ve found so many great reads thanks to their monthly book club picks but they also do a brilliant Lucky Dip Generator which pairs you up with your next read simply by getting a feel for your favourite genres and giving you a few options to choose from. We’ll personally be grabbing our cosiest blanket and getting stuck into a steamy romance this weekend to get us in the mood for Valentine’s Day in a few weeks time.
Visit rarebirdsbooks.com
