I am a BIG fan of shortbread and so is my Mother.  She remembers being a little girl standing next to her Aunt Lottie in the kitchen while Lottie made shortbread from a recipe that originated with our family from Scotland.  She loved the heavenly smell as it wafted through the house and made her mouth water. When she got older and moved away thoughts of homemade shortbread fell into memory as childhood things do.

When I came on to the scene and grew into my “OMG THIS OUTLANDER BOOK IS AWESOME” phase [(which has been going strong since 1991)(and doesn’t look like it is going to end any time soon)] I wanted to learn more about my Scottish heritage and the culture. In that “Scottish Awakening” we came across Walker’s Shortbread. Of course, Mom had to try it to see if it resembled anything like what her Aunt Lottie had made. My Mom is a tough ol’ bird and occasionally has an opinion on things. One of those things is shortbread… That first bite of Walker’s Shortbread transported her right back to that kitchen in Michigan and that buttery goodness. YUMMO!! We have been fans ever since.

The opportunity to receive the OUTLANDER inspired box and it did not take me long to say YES, PLEASE!! It also did not take me long to rip that box open and dive inside when it arrived!

I took the container out of the box, opened the plastic, and that buttery smell made me run to the kitchen for a glass of milk. Does “store in a cool dry place” mean MAH BELLAH?

The box says that the serving size is “2 pieces.”  …um, per day?? Or hour??? I don’t think that I have ever opened a box of Walker’s Shortbread and only had 2 pieces.  I just don’t posses that strong a will power.

My Mother did teach me to share, though.

If you haven’t grabbed a box, I highly recommend it.  Your taste-buds will rejoice!  I’m going to eat mine now will a nice glass of milk as an afternoon snack.  If you have a few after dinner, I’ve been known to pour a wee dram to go with them.

You can find a wide variety of items on their website: walkersshortbread.com  There are even gluten free options that are just as good!

(Text from Amazon UK press release)

Outlander season two launches on Amazon Prime Video

11^th February 2016, LONDON – Amazon has today announced the UK launch date for season two of Golden Globe nominated Outlander as April 10^th. Amazon Prime members in the UK will have exclusive access to the new episodes as they are released weekly, a day after they air in the US on Starz.

The eagerly awaited second installment will be thirteen episodes long and will once again star Caitriona Balfe and Sam Heughan as Claire Randell and Jamie Fraser. Based upon the second of eight books in Diana Gabaldon’s international best-selling Outlander series, entitledDragonfly in Amber, the new series is again executively produced by Ronald D. Moore (Battlestar Galactica, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Star Trek: The Next Generation).

The new season begins as Claire and Jamie arrive in France determined to infiltrate the Jacobite rebellion and stop the Battle of Culloden. Instead of swords and guns, they’re armed with political savvy and the finest 1700s Parisian fashion as they embark on their new mission – infiltrating the French aristocracy and rewriting history.

Thrown into the lavish world of French society, political gains prove tricky as Claire and Jamie endeavour to alter the course of history, amid challenges weighing on the fabric of their relationship. With the help of his cousin Jared, a local wine merchant, Jamie and Claire are thrown into the lavish world of French society, and armed with the knowledge of what lies ahead, Claire and Jamie must race to prevent a doomed Highland uprising and the extinction of Scottish life as they know it.

Season Two Trailer

Sophie Skelton (Doctors, Waterloo Road, Casualty) joins the cast and returning actors include Tobias Menzies (Casino Royale), Graham McTavish (The Hobbit, Creed, Rambo), Gary Lewis (Gangs of New York, Filth), Duncan Lacroix(Vikings, Game of Thrones) and Rosie Day(The Seasoning House).

Ronald D. Moore, Jim Kohlberg, Andy Harries, Maril Davis, Ira Steven Behr, Toni Graphia and Anne Kenney serve as executive producers of “Outlander,” which is produced by Tall Ship Productions, Story Mining & Supply Company and Left Bank Pictures in association with Sony Pictures Television.

Diana Gabaldon’s eight-book series has sold more than 26 million copies worldwide and all eight books in the series have graced the New York Times best-sellers list.

New episodes of Outlander will launch weekly exclusively in the UK on Amazon Prime Video from 10^th April 2016

Curiosity has us asking: How far would you travel to a Con to see Diana, Ron, Sam, Caitriona, or any other member of the Outlander cast/crew?

I personally have traveled to both sides of the continental United States and across the Atlantic pond to attend an Outlander related event.  Could I afford it? Weeeeellll….. 😉  Was it worth it? OH, HECK YES!  Out of the four events I attended, there was only one where I got to shake Sam’s hand.  (Yes, eventually…I DID indeed have to wash the hand) And to my GREAT SURPRISE, the UK Gathering Admins worked their tales off and were able to get Ron, Terry, Maril, Ira, Ronnie, Liz…etc, etc, etc to attend the Gathering in Crieff, Scotland this past May.  The best part of traveling to these different places was being able to meet with my fellow Admins and put many Heughligan faces to Heughligan names!

Through all the trial and tribulations you Heughligans have really made it lots of fun to be a part of this group. Thank you all for being a part of it and helping support all of our charities! ❤

If you have a moment, please take our survey and we will post the results in a few days.

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/MZWYW86