Christmas Preparations 2013
I made my cakes today. So far thats it for me. What have you done?
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I expected Aliantha to have listed things like sunscreen, bug dope, frozen margaritas, flip flops, etc.
Cakes look yummy though. :-)
They will look better when they are decorated. :)
The kids are giving little bags of their favorite granola to all their teachers this year. We already go through quite a lot of it ourselves, so I started doubling production way in advance so I wouldn't be killed in the first week in December. So far I have 6 of 13 bags ready and waiting.
Meanwhile I'm still looking for gift inspiration for the kids. I have a couple ideas, but I always have to come up with far more than I need so I can hand good ideas over to the various relatives who will otherwise buy them crap they will hate. I only have to come up with one gift for everyone else on my list, so they don't get to take up mental space for a few more weeks.
My office desk area as of yesterday. :-)
That doesn't look like the Christmas Cactus I'm familiar with. :haha:
That doesn't look like the Christmas Cactus I'm familiar with. :haha:
Define "familiar". :D
"I know too much about cacti to be familiar with them. "
I made my cakes today. So far thats it for me. What have you done?
I've almost started thinking about Christmas gift lists. I also dream of fruitcake, but there's no point making any - I'm not supposed to eat it right now, and my family hates it. Sigh.
I didn't think there were any of us left. Or maybe it's a Scots thing?
You're tempting me ... I may just throw caution to the wind and make fruitcake after all!
We used to make fruitcake with all dried fruits, none of the candied stuff, lots of nuts and a good rum soak. A lot of people would hear fruitcake and run away screaming, but I just figured more for me. :D
C9 ceramic LED lights. They will last 22 years at 3 hours per day. You can connect as many as 90 stands safely. $6.98 for 25b lights on a 14 ft strand. That's 8 in the picture. They are not quite as Jolly looking and warm as the traditional bulbs, but they're not as icy cold as the little clear lensed leds either.
I like the big c9 bulbs because they look festive in the daylight as well.
I need to decide if I am going to go with a full sized tree, or a little one on the coffee table. I think it might be smarter to go with a small tree this year so that I don't have to build up the ornaments supply in a hurry
The only candied fruit i use is ginger and cherries. The rest is rum soaked dried fruit. Also, almonds, walnuts and pistachios. I think this years cakes are going to be yummy. After baking, i sprinkled them with lychee liqueur. Now they are bundled up for a few days till i get my decorating supplies.
Wish I could have some.
I like fruit, nuts, cake, and rum. Someone local get the recipe and make me one. Stat!
American fruitcake is a whole different animal to fruitcake in the rest of the (alleged) English speaking world. Not sure what liking it is supposed to do with Scots either :/.
Do you think maybe I shouldn't bother finishing putting the decorations away from last year? :lol:
I have bought advent calendars for the rest of the clan
What is american fruitcake like? Recipe anyone?
The commercial stuff they peddle in tins and bricks, ranges from gross to crime-against-humanity.
Other than my ex, I don't remember anyone making their own, although I'm sure there are people out there who have old family recipes.
That looks very different to what we have here. Fruit cake is meant to be dark and rich.
Fruit cake is a "gag" gift in my family. :D Looking at the calendar, we'll decorate on the 14th or 21st.
see, I told you it was an animal
I didn't think there were any of us left. Or maybe it's a Scots thing?
You're tempting me ... I may just throw caution to the wind and make fruitcake after all!
You reckless hellion. I like the cut of your jib.
mark yourself tempted.
American fruitcake is a whole different animal to fruitcake in the rest of the (alleged) English speaking world. Not sure what liking it is supposed to do with Scots either :/.
Do you think maybe I shouldn't bother finishing putting the decorations away from last year? :lol:
I think we need to compare family trees, unless persistent christmas decorations are an English thing.
I have bought advent calendars for the rest of the clan
What did you get the rest of the sept?
I thought leaving the Christmas lights up all year had to do with being a redneck woman? :right:
You're tempting me ... I may just throw caution to the wind and make fruitcake after all!
I'd say you've earned a little sumpinsumpin for yourself.
FRUIT CAKE!!!
:jig::jig::jig:
The kind I've had could be used to sink a body in the river, or as a door stop, or to bludgeon someone to death. But it's tasty. I'd like a little snackerel right now with some tea, actually.
We didn't do fruit cake so much. Our tradition was date nut bread. Similar, but more like a banana bread kind of thing, but darker and heavier. My wife hates date nut bread, so I never bother making it any more.
The only candied fruit i use is ginger and cherries. The rest is rum soaked dried fruit. Also, almonds, walnuts and pistachios. I think this years cakes are going to be yummy. After baking, i sprinkled them with lychee liqueur. Now they are bundled up for a few days till i get my decorating supplies.
That sounds yummy.
Try Grandma's Fruitcake sold by Beatrice Bakery and Cabelas. It is soaked in rum, bourbon, and brandy. I swear it is the best you can find, plus you can get a buzz from just smelling it.
So today i went and got the last of the ingredients i will need for my christmas treat cooking. At least, i think i did. lol. I just need to get a ham and a turkey and we're all set now. May not worry about the turkey this year as we arent actually hosting any meals this christmas, but definitely will get a smoked ham and bake it with a glaze of some sort. I might make some rumballs tomorrow!
I bought a turkey. but that's for Thanksgiving. It's a really small one (11lb) because Thor felt the need for tradition but the rest of us have no special love for leftover (or even first-time) big bird.
I'm going to my moms for thanksgiving I have a tksgiv party 2 go 2 and a christmas party 2 so we'll see...
I forgot, I got sultanas/golden raisins for my Christmas Pudding a few weeks back. really should get on with that...
hurry, before they turn into grapes
Ran out of brown sugar making a large batch of cookies yesterday, so i guess i will need more of that. Apso, i need to tell maverick to stop using my brown sugar!
I'm going to my moms for thanksgiving I have a tksgiv party 2 go 2 and a christmas party 2 so we'll see...
Having a tksgiv party 2 go 2 is reason in itself to give tks. Have a happy holiday, JBK.
The icing for my cakes arrived today. Going to start the decos tonight!
I covered the first cake tonight. Need to look for boards for the other two.
we're having venison for thanksgiving.
Today we made rumballs and christmas crackles.
Ali, you seem to be in the Christmas spirit. I'm wondering about the weather though. So much of the imagery of Christmas features snow, and cold and mittens, scarves, gloves. ..etc...
But it's bastardly hot down there in December, right?
Does that weather make it harder for you to get into the spirit? Or are you just used to it because you've been there your whole life? Do they market Santa in Bermuda shorts maybe?
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Christmas is just hot. Always hqs been. :). Its not about the weather for me though. Its about tamily and friends and all the treats they love just once a year. I love christmas. Always have and always will. :)
I thought everyone around here knew that about me. One year i even did a 60 day countdown. New thread for each day! That was commitment.
I've mentioned before that we are having a complete break with tradition this year and having Chinese. Me trying to head some of the flashpoints off before they start. We all enjoy Chinese and are going to make a feast if it, with hors d'oeuvres about midday and a sit-down at about £2.00. Of course there will be crispy duck :)
Going to eye up handcarved turkey over the next few weeks and buy when it is discounted. It's wonderful meat, but free-range and all that jazz, so you do pay for it. Pop in the freezer, just enough for sandwiches on Boxing Day as that's all Mum says she will miss. And after all, very little washing up, no long cooking times, no overstuffed fridge. Oddly I think we'll be more in the spirit of a (family) Christmas by not having a roast at all.
The 'rents can do the Christian thing. I just want to do the not having it end in tears thing.
So no preparations immediately. Got nearly a month to pull it all together.
Just 4 x prizes left to buy, and some cards.
I'm enjoying the build-up vicariously through my customers :)
I just want to do the not having it end in tears thing.
That's my goal, too. Although my lifelong experience of Christmas, both in family of origin and family of procreation, is that 'It's not Christmas 'til somebody cries.'
First, we have to get through Thanksgiving. If nobody cries, threatens others with bodily harm, commits assault, or runs out of the house in tears to fall in a snowbank, I will truly give thanks.
Ali - that cake is beautiful.
Thanks ortho. This year i wanted to experiment with stencils. It worked ok, but i will do some things differently next time.
Lovely Ali. The stencils work beautifullt.
But you might want to watch the nativity cake around these parts; Joseph looks suspiciously hobo-esque to me ;)
Yes, Joseph looks like he might whip out a joint any minute. LOL. Just kidding Ali. Your cakes look fantastic!! Makes me want to hop a plane and eat your cakes. Yumm
Sundae,
How Long is a Chinaman.
Sundae - are you going to bake anything special? I think you a fabulous baker and I haven't seen any lately.
Thanks guys. Heres a secret. The red one is going to my ss recipient. Just hope customs doesnt wreck it.
Thanks guys. Heres a secret. The red one is going to my ss recipient. Just hope customs doesnt wreck it.
OHMYGOD!!!!!! Please let it be me!! Haha.....I know I live an ocean too far away for you to be my Secret Santa. But one can daydream, right? :-P
By the way, love all our cakes. :thumbs up:
(I can't get my emoticons....grrrrr...)
gorgeous cakes Aliantha. nomnomnomnom
Just beautiful, Ali! Thank you for sharing ... and your ss recipient will be so lucky!!
Nice cakes!
We've just put the decorations up with the kids. Now they'll go into Christmas overdrive!
Bought the cake ingredients today. Will set the fruit to soak in rum from tomorrow. First of umpteen Christmas gigs with the Brass Band tomorrow. Bought chocolates for our Advent Calendars as well. :)
Sent by thought transference
the stockings were all hung by the chimney with care....
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Noice. We're putting out tree up today. At least, that's the plan. May not get there though. I am having a war with the big boys this weekend, so it might not be the best time for it.
Jim, obviously you've seen what I meant by decorating the cakes now. Does no one you know do that?
Damn, Ali, those cakes are pro grade. :thumb:
Haha...i wish Bruce. Thanks for the compliment though. Xx
I now have the fruit soaking in rum. We've wrapped the swanky chocolates that we prime two advent calendars with (one each) and later today we'll put up such decorations as we dare with a lively kitten about the place :)
Sent by thought transference
Ali, I don't know what kind of crazy-ass Suzie Homemakers you guys are used to having over there, but in the US, those cakes are definitely professional-grade. Anything with colored fondant is beyond the skills of 99% of American home bakers. I've been to way too many kids' birthday parties, and I promise you, people here pay good money for far lower-quality cakes.
Hmmm...well thats interesting. Maybe i should move to the us and.bake.cakes.for a living. Haha
Go on, you got me
Statement, not question.
;)
Noice. We're putting out tree up today. At least, that's the plan. May not get there though. I am having a war with the big boys this weekend, so it might not be the best time for it.
Jim, obviously you've seen what I meant by decorating the cakes now. Does no one you know do that?
No no. We decorate most cakes. Fruit cakes are typically Un frosted.
New digs needs new decorations. Been working on new sculpey ornaminks
Brekkers
Lunchy munchy
dinner and dessert
Philly cheese steak, jersey hawt dawig, and neopolitan ice cream
very nice sculpty ornaments!
dang. Huge pics again. Is this better? I can't tell when I look at them on tapatalk.
Rudolph
peanut butter jelly time
Candy Canes are quick and
easy
peanut butter jelly time
Where's the baseball bat?
According to some, Christmas is under attack
... now even in The Netherlands via the United Nations :eek:
I didn't know about "Black Pete" until today's article in the NY Times.
And what first caught my eye was this faux-logic and mis-direction of
"Party of Freedom" vs "must not be tampered with" in one sentence:
Such traditions are even more important today, given the view that, in order to safeguard
the Dutch national identity, homegrown culture and folklore must not be tampered with
— a view expressed primarily, though not exclusively, by the extreme right wing [COLOR="DarkRed"]Party for Freedom[/COLOR], run by Geert Wilders.
But then, reading further into the article, I found the traditions interesting... with other incongruities.
Here are a few paragraphs about current events there...
NY Times
ARNON GRUNBERG
December 4, 2013
Why the Dutch Love Black Pete
Sinterklaas arrives from Spain by steamboat in late November, travels farther on horseback,
climbs onto roofs and on Dec. 5, known as “Pakjesavond,” drops presents through the chimney
with the help of the Black Petes, a crew of dark-skinned helpers wearing large earrings
who cavort and entertain and, as Dutch parents often tell their children, owe their blackness to chimney soot.
Black Pete and Sinterklaas also conspire to form a punitive team.
In the traditional holiday songs, Sinterklaas brings gifts for good boys and girls;
naughty children get a spanking with Black Pete’s bundle of twigs<snip>
But just as the defense of traditions has grown stronger, so has the criticism that
Black Pete is a racist holdover from the Netherlands’s colonial past.
In January the [COLOR="DarkRed"]United Nations High Commission for Human Rights[/COLOR] sent a letter to the Dutch government
stating that Black Pete perpetuated the image of people of African descent
as second-class citizens and constituted a “living trace of past slavery.”<snip>
Emotions were running so high that a popular singer, Anouk, who is white and
had called for the abolition of Black Pete, received numerous insults and threats via social media.
A plan for a Sinterklaas parade with a proposed compromise, Green Petes,
[COLOR="DarkRed"]had to be canceled after threats[/COLOR] were made against its planners.
During the triumphal entry of St. Nicholas into the Netherlands this year,
a national happening whereby a sort of street theater is performed on the children’s behalf,
the Black Petes were in attendance once again, albeit this time with less ostentatious golden earrings.
For security’s sake, [COLOR="DarkRed"]the saint himself was accompanied by armed Petes in bulletproof vests.[/COLOR]
<snip>
I guess you weren't around when a Cellar member from Holland was filling us in on Krampus, Sinterklaas, Zwarte Piet, and some other European holiday traditions.
I dont remember that discussion either Bruce. Dark Pete seems like the one that does all the work in that duo though!
So all the cakes are done now. I have rumballs and some fudge in the fridge. I have gingerbread and shortbread in the pantry. Also some christmas themed choc chip cookies. I have some brownies in the oven, although I suspect they wont see the day out. They will possibly be eaten for desert with icecream! Later I might make some maple walnut fudge and some coconut ice. Time will tell on those ones.
Ali, your baking schedule sounds so familiar! I won't be back in my own kitchen until Dec. 20 (Saturday the 21st, really), but at that point I'll make my traditional recipes. Creme de Menthe squares (a variety of Nanaimo Squares that is to DIE for), rum balls, mocha truffles, Russian wedding cakes, gingerbread, frozen peppermint cheesecake (our traditional Christmas Day dessert). I sometimes steam an actual plum pudding and make some hard sauce for Christmas Day dessert, but I'm the only one who likes it. I also make at least one mince pie or a batch of mince tarts with the knowledge that I'll be the only one appreciating them ... but that's how it goes. Most people hate them, and I try to get people hooked on them.
Well I got the Land Rover decorated! This year I added the lights up on the roof rack and it totally overwhelmed the little voltage inverter I had so I got a bigger one. It has to be hard wired to the battery instead of just using the cig. lighter so I ran some 6 gauge stranded wire from the batter through the firewall and to the floor of the second row, I can reach back and turn the inverter on and off that way. I got my garland and the bell ornaments and the poinsettias at Walmart for $20. Lights were ones we had lying around. The wreath is an old one we didn't use anymore.
It looks best at night or dark drizzly days and I get lost of smiles and waves from other drivers. :p:
Ortho, very impressive christmas food. would love to get my hands on that cheesecake recipe.
Chris...omg! I have never seen a car decorated like that. How freaking cool! Kudos to you!!!
Rum balls in Oz, rum balls in Canadia: you guys have inspired me. There'll be rum balls in Scotland, too!
Sent by thought transference
The dog looks unsure. :haha:
Ortho, very impressive christmas food. would love to get my hands on that cheesecake recipe.
I don't have it here in Charleston but can pm you with it once I'm back in smalltown Dec. 21. It's not exactly an old family recipe; I got it out of a magazine years ago. But it is YUM. If you can remind me? My memory has more holes than it used to ...
Pecan, coconut candy. I made 3 more pans, 1 Almond w/cnut. 1 Walnut w/cnut, and 1 pistachio, dried cherries and coconut.
Oh my aching blood sugar level. :smack:
You guys are making me feel bad. I'm slacking so bad this year in everything. I haven't even started to get Christmas gifts yet. :-(
Oh. yes. All the gift-shopping is done. Done. :)
I made my flight plans! Does that count? Hello? Bueller? (backs away slowly to melt into the scenery ;) )
Where ya goin', kid. :apimp:
Where ya goin', kid. :apimp:
Home to da burgh! Hoping for NO snow :)
Need to make my bro & SIL's present yet.
Had to rethink after something I ordered came exactly as described, as opposed to the way I pictured it... The measurements were correct, I just read them wrong.
I can see a way out of it, but I don't want to jinx it.
I'll post a pic when it's done.
Damn. No I won't.
I'll make sure my bro takes a pic when I give it to him!
