Walking, that sounds an excellent idea. Do we need to start trying to walk monthly again?
I've been making sweets: chocolate truffles, rum & raisin things and peanut butter fudge that's supposed to taste like Reese's pieces cups. I need to enrobe the last in chocolate tomorrow, together with some Lebkuchen I will be making. These chocolates are mostly for presents, but the peanut butter fudge has been adapted to make it dairy free (it's automatically gluten free) so some will be for home consumption.
No, I'm not making homemade mincemeat this year, but I have in the past. My daughter is reacting to apple at the moment. Mincemeat, including homemade mincemeat contains apple, a lot of apple. I also have a jar of mincemeat from last year that needs using up, so one of the things to make tomorrow is a batch of pies.
I don't think she's ever tried that, nor Christmas pud. In the past she bought a large tub of cheap mincemeat, for making pies for church and school; and a small jar of expensive stuff for our own pies. (We've never been more than 3 or 4 over Christmas, so we don't consume dozens).
We Had The Neighbours* Round this afternoon, for mulled wine and ostensibly mince pies - but must note for next year; the ladies don't eat anything and the men prefer sausage rolls!
* most of them came in the end, Piglet, if only to see inside the house!
It was actually lovely and I think we earned a few Brownie points just for having the idea. It was nice to chat to people, other than out in the lane with the rain dripping down one's neck...
Tomorrow, off to visit the Dowager with Master S, and then some presents with The Intrepid Grandson and his family before Midnight Service. I would seriously welcome an 8 pm service, but 11.30 will be our only chance to get to church over Christmas.
Decent carol service this afternoon/ Choir was issued with candles, along with far too many sheets of paper. Amazed that the tenor behind me didn't set fire to my hair.
We had a very good carol service this afternoon too; D. was well pleased, there was a decent congregation who also seemed well pleased, and afterwards there were very nice drinks and nibbles at the home of one of the altos.
Am now vegging out on the sofa and trying to ignore The Hobbit on TV*, which D. insists on having on (and will probably be on a loop - alternating with Star Wars - for the next fortnight ).
* He's got the bl**dy DVD - it's not as if he has to have it on ...
We used to make mincemeat occasionally (once we tried it with meat in - to be honest, it really made little difference) but haven’t done for a long while. Christmas puds are always home made, although not made every year (the one we’ve got this year is 2 years old).
When I was about 10, mum offered to ‘let’ me, as a special treat, make the Christmas pudding, and I fell for it. It became my job for all subsequent years I lived at home & I’ve been Chief Christmas Pud Maker ever since.
What did it taste like, Boogie? Can't help thinking that meat is such an important part or sausages! Otherwise I am quite happy with vegetarian food. Not too sure about Vegan, though?
Some vegan stuff can be very, very tasty. The partner of one of my cousins is a vegan, and her chocolate soup (I have no idea how it's made, so don't ask) is to die for....
Also, I've tried vegan CHEESE, a sort of pseudo-Cheddar, and it took a while for the inside of my mouth to recover, the CHEESE was so strong and piquant!
Mind you, I'm not too sure that yer normal English sossidges actually contain much real meat....
We've been contemplating making Glamorgan sausages for a while - we happened upon a recipe in the old Delia books and thought they sounded rather nice - thanks for reminding me! Might give them a go some time over Christmas and the new year.
Have you ever had Welsh Dragon sausages? Admittedly they breach the Trades Descriptions Act as they're not actually made with dragon-meat, but their "bite" (chili, I guess) is quite refreshing,
Have you ever had Welsh Dragon sausages? Admittedly they breach the Trades Descriptions Act as they're not actually made with dragon-meat, but their "bite" (chili, I guess) is quite refreshing,
I sort of feel that remark is is worthy of kenwritez. I am rather glad Welsh Dragon is not involved
Have you ever had Welsh Dragon sausages? Admittedly they breach the Trades Descriptions Act as they're not actually made with dragon-meat, but their "bite" (chili, I guess) is quite refreshing,
I sort of feel that remark is is worthy of kenwritez. I am rather glad Welsh Dragon is not involved
Interesting news from 150 miles east of where I am, and where I’m headed in 2 days time (or that’s the plan)
Crikey! But hats off to Catania airport for getting back to normal so quickly - remember the hassle we had when that unpronounceable volcano in Iceland went off? I remember it very well - we were on holiday in Orkney at the time and got stuck in Edinburgh for three days, and eventually had to hire a car and hot-tail it down to London to catch our flight home.
Not that we'd mind a few days in Edinburgh in the usual run of things, but we had to get back to Newfoundland for a special service that was being attended by the Princess Royal. Apparently she had made contingency plans that involved hitching a lift with the Royal Navy; D. said that if the planes were still out of action by the end of the week, he'd try and do the same ...
Today, chez Master S and his Lovely Wife, we're having Wild Boarlets in Blankets! * (That's as long as I don't forget to take them out of the fridge and into Miss S's car...)
*among other things, that is...
Mrs. S, almost as excited as The Intrepid Grandson
Went to my belovéd little Anglican church, far away in the uplands, where some years ago they proposed putting me on the electoral roll - rather regular attendance of mine back then. Unfortunatley, this didn't come to pass as my work schedule changed considerably, which made attending a bit of a problem.
Still, back I was, as almost every Christmas Eve since, and a good time was had by all. The church, which I think seats somewhat over 200 or 250, was packed to the rafters (ok, not quite literally, but you get my drift). And after that, mulled wine was served, and was enjoyed by a multitude.
As occasionally I used to be an usher at these services, though not this year, I felt called upon to - ehem - get up and talk to a middle-aged man across the aisle, who was composing a lengthy text message on his mobile phone, and in full view of everyone. I said, do you have to do this, and as predictable he replied, yes, I do - hint to self: never use phrasings that leave a way out for them! -, though frankly I do not know what message of importance one would have to txt to anyone in the middle of a lovely and intense Carol Service! (The usher at Big Town Anglican church would have killed us if the kids from school or, as a matter of fact anyone else, had done alike, a few weeks back!)
The same guy, who was there with his wife and three liddle girls, one of whom a baby, later thought it appropriate to take a selfie of wife and baby, again throughout the service! I mean, the whole thing was only about an hour and a quarter, ... and you can't even abstain using that dreaded, curséd electronic thing which dictates our life anyway day in, day out? VERY strange!
Another thought that struck me, is, why do people decide to take their babies and toddlers to a not particularly family-friendly - and definitely not announced as such! - Carol Service? All the churches I know have at least one special, lighter, but not less uplifting family service in the season. Last night, as in Big Town two weeks ago, some parents with screaming babes left the kirk after a while... much to the relief of many, I guess. Ach well. But that's a theme for another board.
It was great to have so many visitors, who come especially for the occasion, and having vicarious Vicar delivering a full-blown, brief evangelistic sermon - he's brilliant at that! After listening to King's College Carols on BBC Radio 4 Sounds this morning, I feel Christmas has begun for real!
Have you ever had Welsh Dragon sausages? Admittedly they breach the Trades Descriptions Act as they're not actually made with dragon-meat, but their "bite" (chili, I guess) is quite refreshing,
I sort of feel that remark is is worthy of kenwritez. I am rather glad Welsh Dragon is not involved
Well, the predicted Christmas Dinner on the Episcopal Palace-Ark came to pass, thanks to my getting up at 7am and again at 9am to make sure that the stove was burning properly...
It's hard to believe, perhaps, but one sometimes gets a batch of coal that doesn't burn as hotly as it should - I could tell a Cautionary Tale about firing steam locomotives on a Welsh narrow-gauge railway some years ago, when we found that the locally-mined Welsh 'steam coal' was useless*, and that imported Polish coal was far better.
On that especially disastrous day, we were reduced to quickly buying a couple of tons of house coal from the local merchant, resulting in palls of Black Smoke across the village, station, and countryside. But at least the engines liked it, and responded accordingly by providing the required steam!
(*it burned brightly, but with not enough heat - IIRC, the local Coal Board asked the railway's Manager why this was a problem.... )
Hmm, Midnight Mass, tick. Christmas Day Family Service, tick (Macarius got a spontaneous round of applause at our usually restrained shack for the talk). Bottle of champagne, tick. Canapés, tick.
Wishing everyone a Merry Christmas from a cold, but relatively snowless, Fredericton - as D. pointed out, it's probably the first non-white Christmas we've had since we came to Canada!
The duck's cooking merrily in the oven, and we're now chilling out with some GIN and candied nuts from one of the members of the choir - if I carry on eating them at this rate I shan't have room for any duck ...
Evening service last night, followed by annual lock-in in the parish centre, then morning Mass today. Unfortunately I developed a hacking cough yester, just before I was due to lead the music. Just about managed, but the psalm this morning had to be read out. Am now wrapped in a duvet drinking doctored hot blackcurrant (with RUM) and watching TV, listening to MuminElmet roast a duck. There are worse ways to spend Christmas, but am officially not in favour of the lurgy.
@Baptist Trainfan There is a café in Whitby which does Welsh dragon sausage toasties. They're delicious.
Had a lovely day yesterday. Muntjac saddle served with mushy peas and onion comfit, followed by lemon sorbet, then goose with all the trimmings and a Heston Christmas pudding with candied orange. We ate so late that we didn’t have tea, just cheese, biscuits and wine for supper whilst playing family tournaments of Super Smash Bros on the Switch.
In a few minutes we’ll be off to walk to Grantchester for the annual barrel race, where my husband is representing Trumpington - his team are currently defending champions in the village heats.
I got up to make breakfast to go with offspring's meds at 6am, then went back to sleep, now making gluten free blinis* to go with the other half of the smoked salmon and cream cheese (one pot is dairy free) we ate on Christmas Eve evening (to be eaten with midday meds.)
*Following a gluten free recipe, but I am going to miss the buckwheat flour in this mix, compared to the ones I used to make.
I love your Advent windows - what a splendid idea. Are most of them windows in parishioners' houses?
They are. Each family getting involved had a text to base their window round so the Christmas story was told in order (more or less) through the month of December. We had the shepherds this year so of course we included a washing line with socks on it.
I (said he, smugly) got up and went to Mass at our friendly neighbouring MOTR church, to mark the Martyrdom of St. Stephen.
Actually, it was held at the civilised time of 11am, and the congregation of a Baker's Dozen, including priest and server, was about what they normally get at their regular Thursday 930am service. They'll be duly celebrating St. John tomorrow, I understand, but Holy Innocents just at Morning Prayer on Friday, this being a public Daily Office place
The church in question, BTW, has had something of a minor revival - in the up-the-candle direction, as well as in Sunday attendances! - since the arrival of their new Vicar a year or so back. By the Grace of God, he is a priest-associate of Walsingham, and so has been kind enough to help us celebrate our own monthly Walsingham Masses, to which a fair few of his own congregation faithfully come.
Happy St. Stephen's Day! Though, given his martyrdom, that's something of an oxymoron. It reminds us, perhaps, of the possible cost of following the Christ of Christmas....
Comments
I've been making sweets: chocolate truffles, rum & raisin things and peanut butter fudge that's supposed to taste like Reese's pieces cups. I need to enrobe the last in chocolate tomorrow, together with some Lebkuchen I will be making. These chocolates are mostly for presents, but the peanut butter fudge has been adapted to make it dairy free (it's automatically gluten free) so some will be for home consumption.
O Joy! All is not lost! I have been given CHOCOLATE for Christmas, so Tuesday can bl**dy well wait.......
Though she complained that the mincemeat, from W**tr*se, was Not As Good As It Might Have Been.
No, I'm not making homemade mincemeat this year, but I have in the past. My daughter is reacting to apple at the moment. Mincemeat, including homemade mincemeat contains apple, a lot of apple. I also have a jar of mincemeat from last year that needs using up, so one of the things to make tomorrow is a batch of pies.
The biggest batch of mince pies I made was with homemade mincemeat.
* most of them came in the end, Piglet, if only to see inside the house!
It was actually lovely and I think we earned a few Brownie points just for having the idea. It was nice to chat to people, other than out in the lane with the rain dripping down one's neck...
Tomorrow, off to visit the Dowager with Master S, and then some presents with The Intrepid Grandson and his family before Midnight Service. I would seriously welcome an 8 pm service, but 11.30 will be our only chance to get to church over Christmas.
Mrs. S, bereft of ideas for a tagline
Am now vegging out on the sofa and trying to ignore The Hobbit on TV*, which D. insists on having on (and will probably be on a loop - alternating with Star Wars - for the next fortnight
* He's got the bl**dy DVD - it's not as if he has to have it on ...
When I was about 10, mum offered to ‘let’ me, as a special treat, make the Christmas pudding, and I fell for it. It became my job for all subsequent years I lived at home & I’ve been Chief Christmas Pud Maker ever since.
MMM
Vegaterian Sausage ? in Germany !?!
That is a brilliant thing to do!
Yep! All Boogielet 1’s German friends (plus an Aussie) are either veggie or vegan! Him and his GF are veggie.
🥕 🥕
Also, I've tried vegan CHEESE, a sort of pseudo-Cheddar, and it took a while for the inside of my mouth to recover, the CHEESE was so strong and piquant!
Mind you, I'm not too sure that yer normal English sossidges actually contain much real meat....
I sort of feel that remark is is worthy of kenwritez. I am rather glad Welsh Dragon is not involved
Not that we'd mind a few days in Edinburgh in the usual run of things, but we had to get back to Newfoundland for a special service that was being attended by the Princess Royal. Apparently she had made contingency plans that involved hitching a lift with the Royal Navy; D. said that if the planes were still out of action by the end of the week, he'd try and do the same ...
*among other things, that is...
Mrs. S, almost as excited as The Intrepid Grandson
🎄 🌲
Still, back I was, as almost every Christmas Eve since, and a good time was had by all. The church, which I think seats somewhat over 200 or 250, was packed to the rafters (ok, not quite literally, but you get my drift). And after that, mulled wine was served, and was enjoyed by a multitude.
As occasionally I used to be an usher at these services, though not this year, I felt called upon to - ehem - get up and talk to a middle-aged man across the aisle, who was composing a lengthy text message on his mobile phone, and in full view of everyone. I said, do you have to do this, and as predictable he replied, yes, I do - hint to self: never use phrasings that leave a way out for them! -, though frankly I do not know what message of importance one would have to txt to anyone in the middle of a lovely and intense Carol Service! (The usher at Big Town Anglican church would have killed us if the kids from school or, as a matter of fact anyone else, had done alike, a few weeks back!)
The same guy, who was there with his wife and three liddle girls, one of whom a baby, later thought it appropriate to take a selfie of wife and baby, again throughout the service! I mean, the whole thing was only about an hour and a quarter, ... and you can't even abstain using that dreaded, curséd electronic thing which dictates our life anyway day in, day out? VERY strange!
Another thought that struck me, is, why do people decide to take their babies and toddlers to a not particularly family-friendly - and definitely not announced as such! - Carol Service? All the churches I know have at least one special, lighter, but not less uplifting family service in the season. Last night, as in Big Town two weeks ago, some parents with screaming babes left the kirk after a while... much to the relief of many, I guess. Ach well. But that's a theme for another board.
It was great to have so many visitors, who come especially for the occasion, and having vicarious Vicar delivering a full-blown, brief evangelistic sermon - he's brilliant at that! After listening to King's College Carols on BBC Radio 4 Sounds this morning, I feel Christmas has begun for real!
Welsh Dragon
It's hard to believe, perhaps, but one sometimes gets a batch of coal that doesn't burn as hotly as it should - I could tell a Cautionary Tale about firing steam locomotives on a Welsh narrow-gauge railway some years ago, when we found that the locally-mined Welsh 'steam coal' was useless*, and that imported Polish coal was far better.
On that especially disastrous day, we were reduced to quickly buying a couple of tons of house coal from the local merchant, resulting in palls of Black Smoke across the village, station, and countryside. But at least the engines liked it, and responded accordingly by providing the required steam!
(*it burned brightly, but with not enough heat - IIRC, the local Coal Board asked the railway's Manager why this was a problem....
Time for a doze before The Queen, I fancy.
God’s blessing upon all on this day.
MMM
Fröhliche Weihnachten!
(Just to keep the Hosts happy on this blessed Christmas morn, "Merry Christmas" in German.)
The duck's cooking merrily in the oven, and we're now chilling out with some GIN and candied nuts from one of the members of the choir - if I carry on eating them at this rate I shan't have room for any duck ...
@Baptist Trainfan There is a café in Whitby which does Welsh dragon sausage toasties. They're delicious.
Lock-in?
A blessed and joyous Christmas to you all!
Peel and slice one medium-sized dragon ...
* * * * *
Though I say it what shouldn't, the duck was really rather good, and we've got about half of it left to make a risotto later in the week.
Spent the rest of the day chilling out and having Quality Bear Time and a ridiculously long phone call to my sister.
I think Mrs. Beeton would probably begin by instructing one to first catch, or otherwise obtain, one's Dragon....
I think Mrs. Beeton would probably begin by instructing one to first catch, or otherwise obtain, one's Dragon....
[/quote] And extinguish it.
In a few minutes we’ll be off to walk to Grantchester for the annual barrel race, where my husband is representing Trumpington - his team are currently defending champions in the village heats.
I love the calm of Boxing day. The sales? Forget them.
Living la dolce vita*.
[*the sweet life.}
I got up first, to make two cups of coffee and feed the cat, then returned to bed.
Then LRP got up and returned with the breakfast.
*Following a gluten free recipe, but I am going to miss the buckwheat flour in this mix, compared to the ones I used to make.
They are. Each family getting involved had a text to base their window round so the Christmas story was told in order (more or less) through the month of December. We had the shepherds this year so of course we included a washing line with socks on it.
Actually, it was held at the civilised time of 11am, and the congregation of a Baker's Dozen, including priest and server, was about what they normally get at their regular Thursday 930am service. They'll be duly celebrating St. John tomorrow, I understand, but Holy Innocents just at Morning Prayer on Friday, this being a public Daily Office place
The church in question, BTW, has had something of a minor revival - in the up-the-candle direction, as well as in Sunday attendances! - since the arrival of their new Vicar a year or so back. By the Grace of God, he is a priest-associate of Walsingham, and so has been kind enough to help us celebrate our own monthly Walsingham Masses, to which a fair few of his own congregation faithfully come.
Happy St. Stephen's Day! Though, given his martyrdom, that's something of an oxymoron. It reminds us, perhaps, of the possible cost of following the Christ of Christmas....