Don't Forget the January Holidays!

November has Thanksgiving, December has Christmas, February has St. Valentine's Day... but what about January? Although these holidays aren't necessarily as flashy and appealing as the others, January definitely has its noble holidays, too!

January 1st -- New Years Day -- Yeah, we all know about this one. Make a resolution and stick to it!

January 8th -- Elvis's Birthday -- Elvis Presley was born on January 8th, 1935 and would have been celebrating his 68th birthday if he were alive... or is he ?

January 21st -- Martin Luther King Jr. Day -- Think that his life was taken just to give you a day off each third Monday in January? Appreciate him because he fought for African-Americans' rights! Martin Luther King Jr. encouraged African-Americans to stick up for their civil liberties. Because of his efforts, the Civil Rights Act of 1964 was passed! YAY!

January 25th -- Robbie Burns Day -- Okay, most of us have never heard of this holiday unless we live in Scotland. Robbie Burns Day is a Scottish holiday in honor of poet and writer Robert Burns, who was born on January 25th, 1759 in Alloway, Scotland. He's famous for songs like Auld Lang Syn, The Banks O' Doon, and A Red, Red Rose. Celebrate this year's Robbie Burns Day by making his favorite dish: haggis! But beware, it's a bit more complicated to make than a hot pocket! :-P


Recipe for Haggis

Ingredients
1 sheep's bag and pluck (heart, liver, windpipe & lungs)
1/4 lb. suet
4 medium sized onions (blanched)
1/2 lb. pinhead oatmeal
2-4 level tablespoons salt
1 level teaspoonful black pepper
1 level teaspoonful powdered herbs

How to prepare this dish:
1. Wash the bag in cold water, scrape and clean it well. Leave it overnight in cold water.
2. Wash the pluck and put in a pan of boiling water and boil for 1 hour. Leave the windpipe hanging out. Place a small bowl under the windpipe to catch any drips.
3. Place the cooked pluck in a bowl, cover with the fluid it was boiled in and leave overnight.
4. The next day cut off the windpipe. Grate the liver and chop the heart, suet and onions.
5. Toast the oatmeal, but make sure the color doesn't change. Add the oatmeal, salt, pepper, herbs and just over half a liter of liquid in which the pluck was boiled.
6. Mix well. Fill the bag more than half full of the mixture, then sew it up and prick it.
7. Place in boiling water, simmer for 3 hours, pricking occasionally to keep from bursting.

The bag may be cut into several pieces to make smaller haggis; cook 1 1/2 to 2 hours.