I'm usually sickened by all this money-spending, carol jingling, wave upon wave of ugly shiny things thing. Then lots of fun things are on and I see more of the people I love and I remember why it's good.
Another reason it is good is the food. I'm planning a Christmas pudding this year for the first time since I left home, and TODAY I made Rum Balls. We will be house-sitting in a house with an oven so we will also be able to uphold our tradition of baking Lebkuchen.
The Christmas Hamper raffle is also contributing to my feeling like it's Christmas, making money to buy useful gifts for people who really need it. In a different way to me needing a Dani M triangle necklace or a Penelope Durston Carole King Pouffe or a Charlie Sofo Birch log called 'More Balls'...
MMMM Rum Balls... Need I say more?
Showing posts with label christmas. Show all posts
Showing posts with label christmas. Show all posts
12/4/09
Feeling Lucky
Well you are getting pretty close to winning the Chutney Club Christmas Hamper. All you need to do to get closer is to buy a ticket in the raffle.
With the proceeds from the last fundraiser we bought goats, chickens, piglets and a veggie patch for families in need. Perhaps this year we can provide some chutney related gifts of fruit trees, some breakfast and also some eggs.
There are two prizes and the hampers include, but are not limited to...
Hoop's Aligator Sauce
Mango Chutney
Drew's BBQ Sauce
Birdie's Bahart
Quince Jones Jelly
Estelle's Mint Sauce
Big Red Tomato Relish
Barbie Sauce
Loquat and Mango (hot) Chutney
Frankie's Famous Relish
Chutney Club Label Sparkling Rosé, Sparkling Shiraz, a Marlborough Sauv Blanc and a Cruickshank Cabernet Franc...
The perfect way to enhance your BBQ summer. If you want tickets, come get them, ask me or any other friendly chutney club member.
With the proceeds from the last fundraiser we bought goats, chickens, piglets and a veggie patch for families in need. Perhaps this year we can provide some chutney related gifts of fruit trees, some breakfast and also some eggs.
There are two prizes and the hampers include, but are not limited to...
Hoop's Aligator Sauce
Mango Chutney
Drew's BBQ Sauce
Birdie's Bahart
Quince Jones Jelly
Estelle's Mint Sauce
Big Red Tomato Relish
Barbie Sauce
Loquat and Mango (hot) Chutney
Frankie's Famous Relish
Chutney Club Label Sparkling Rosé, Sparkling Shiraz, a Marlborough Sauv Blanc and a Cruickshank Cabernet Franc...
The perfect way to enhance your BBQ summer. If you want tickets, come get them, ask me or any other friendly chutney club member.
12/27/08
merry merry merry...
... and a little sleepy and possibly a little bit peckish, fer reals, is there anything else delicious we could eat??? Did we eat all the fishes and all the (no longer) free-ranging chickens and all of puddings and all the gingerbread and really ALL the pies?
YES WE DID.
Is there more beer? NO! But you found a bottle of Baileys (FOUND!) and now we will probably drink it. It's kind of still christmas. It tastes like christmas.
We are house-sitting the ranch up here in thornbury. Is nice. One question, why aren't there chickens to feed? I need a task and the cat is not so interested in the interlopers unless it's dinnertime...
YES WE DID.
Is there more beer? NO! But you found a bottle of Baileys (FOUND!) and now we will probably drink it. It's kind of still christmas. It tastes like christmas.
We are house-sitting the ranch up here in thornbury. Is nice. One question, why aren't there chickens to feed? I need a task and the cat is not so interested in the interlopers unless it's dinnertime...
12/25/07
Fröhliche Weinachten
The HAPPY XMAS is only so small since we are so faraway, and also I guess because we are in a lego balloon above Berlin, but the love is big, for you and your family, be merry.
x
12/17/07
minus
The weather has decided not to bother with positive temperatures anymore, and my little frozen finger-tips tink tink on the keyboard, only because I've been out wandering the markets all morning... People have busted out the full length sleeping bag coats all around, and yet when you go out at night It's a burden to wear a big jacket...
I had a weird experience with a girl recognizing me from flickr at the gig we went to last night. Stranger on the other side of the world. Also saw mr Ian Wadley for beers and some faux sabbath german keyboard experiences in a smoky cave.
Have been busy making stuff when not sleeping or cooking or drinking beer or walking around in the cold.
Christmas has kind of snuck up on me despite all the quite delightful christmas cheer about the place... Ice skating in the square, tobogganing at Potsdamner Platz. Last christmas I was on a plane to New Zealand. It was cold there too. My memory has big holes in it. What did we do last night, let alone last year? Sometimes I wish I wrote more (and sometimes less) things down.
I hope you're all suitably festive for the season, and I don't necessarily mean drunk.
I had a weird experience with a girl recognizing me from flickr at the gig we went to last night. Stranger on the other side of the world. Also saw mr Ian Wadley for beers and some faux sabbath german keyboard experiences in a smoky cave.
Have been busy making stuff when not sleeping or cooking or drinking beer or walking around in the cold.
Christmas has kind of snuck up on me despite all the quite delightful christmas cheer about the place... Ice skating in the square, tobogganing at Potsdamner Platz. Last christmas I was on a plane to New Zealand. It was cold there too. My memory has big holes in it. What did we do last night, let alone last year? Sometimes I wish I wrote more (and sometimes less) things down.
I hope you're all suitably festive for the season, and I don't necessarily mean drunk.
12/10/07
we got flava
WE made a batch of delicious Lebkuchen... In the research phase, we discovered why you buy them at the christmas markets for your love and wear them home around your neck. They keep you safe from evil spirits and protect you in battle! Biscuit of POWER!
Lebkuchen
1/2 cup of honey
1/2 cup molasses
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 egg
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1 3/4 cup of plain flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon allspice
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 cup candied orange or lemon peel
1/2 cup finely chopped hazelnuts
Icing
1 cup white sugar
1/3 cup water
1/4 cup icing sugar
1 tablespoon lemon juice
I put in a teaspoon of ground black pepper as I had no idea what they call allspice in germany, despite staring hopefully at the spice section for about half an hour... I managed nutmeg and cloves. I also added some finely chopped fresh ginger, because I love it. And the lemon juicey icing is me too... It's extra zesty...
In a medium saucepan, bring honey and molasses to the boil, remove from heat and stir in the brown sugar, egg, lemon juice and lemon zest, then stir in the candied peel and hazelnuts. In a large bowl, stir together flour, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, allspice and nutmeg. Add the molasses mixture and stir well. Cover the dough and chill overnight.
Preheat the oven to 175 degrees C. Roll out half of the dough at a time, to 1/4 inch thickness, cut into rectangles, little men, stars or giant circles, if you wish to make flava flav clocks... Bake for 10-12 minutes until no imprint remains when touched lightly.
Brush the icing over them while they are still hot and quickly remove to wire cooling racks. Store in an airtight container with a peeled mandarin or a few slices of apple overnight... They will get soft and chewy, personally I prefer them before they get soft and chewy, but, that's how they make them here...
To make the icing: Combine the sugar and lemon juice and water in a small saucepan. Stir until fully dissolved, then gently boil until a small amount dropped into water forms a soft ball. Remove from heat and stir in icing sugar. If it becomes sugary while brushing the cookies, reheat slightly, adding a bit more water or lemon juice until crystals dissolve...
This makes a small mountain of dough, so you may want to keep half in the fridge and bake it later when the need for more arises...
Lebkuchen
1/2 cup of honey
1/2 cup molasses
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 egg
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1 3/4 cup of plain flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon allspice
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 cup candied orange or lemon peel
1/2 cup finely chopped hazelnuts
Icing
1 cup white sugar
1/3 cup water
1/4 cup icing sugar
1 tablespoon lemon juice
I put in a teaspoon of ground black pepper as I had no idea what they call allspice in germany, despite staring hopefully at the spice section for about half an hour... I managed nutmeg and cloves. I also added some finely chopped fresh ginger, because I love it. And the lemon juicey icing is me too... It's extra zesty...
In a medium saucepan, bring honey and molasses to the boil, remove from heat and stir in the brown sugar, egg, lemon juice and lemon zest, then stir in the candied peel and hazelnuts. In a large bowl, stir together flour, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, allspice and nutmeg. Add the molasses mixture and stir well. Cover the dough and chill overnight.
Preheat the oven to 175 degrees C. Roll out half of the dough at a time, to 1/4 inch thickness, cut into rectangles, little men, stars or giant circles, if you wish to make flava flav clocks... Bake for 10-12 minutes until no imprint remains when touched lightly.
Brush the icing over them while they are still hot and quickly remove to wire cooling racks. Store in an airtight container with a peeled mandarin or a few slices of apple overnight... They will get soft and chewy, personally I prefer them before they get soft and chewy, but, that's how they make them here...
To make the icing: Combine the sugar and lemon juice and water in a small saucepan. Stir until fully dissolved, then gently boil until a small amount dropped into water forms a soft ball. Remove from heat and stir in icing sugar. If it becomes sugary while brushing the cookies, reheat slightly, adding a bit more water or lemon juice until crystals dissolve...
This makes a small mountain of dough, so you may want to keep half in the fridge and bake it later when the need for more arises...
12/5/07
happy
'flight of the conchords' is making me happy...
I had watched the music clips, but the whole series! I'm already sad in advance that it will be over sometime... but mostly I'm happy... you can be too...
also the prospect of a white* christmas in berlin. OOH!
'according to legend on christmas eve in Germany, rivers turn to wine, animals speak to each other, tree blossums bare fruit, mountains open up to reveal precious gems, and church bells can be heard ringing from the bottom of the sea.'
maybe we'll have to get more of those Hawaiian mushrooms...
they also have the best cakes... MMM...
not to mention the ridiculously cute kids and there singing. ACK!
anyway, we had the best day out, delicious turkish sweets, a walk in the park and a new and precious coffee pot, and too many coffees...
life is alright. mmmHMM...
*fingers crossed...
I had watched the music clips, but the whole series! I'm already sad in advance that it will be over sometime... but mostly I'm happy... you can be too...
also the prospect of a white* christmas in berlin. OOH!
'according to legend on christmas eve in Germany, rivers turn to wine, animals speak to each other, tree blossums bare fruit, mountains open up to reveal precious gems, and church bells can be heard ringing from the bottom of the sea.'
maybe we'll have to get more of those Hawaiian mushrooms...
they also have the best cakes... MMM...
not to mention the ridiculously cute kids and there singing. ACK!
anyway, we had the best day out, delicious turkish sweets, a walk in the park and a new and precious coffee pot, and too many coffees...
life is alright. mmmHMM...
*fingers crossed...
12/24/06
last minute
terribly sorry for the gratuitous posting of drunken snapshots...
happy birthday to stunning annie...
and sassy too, spunk...
things to do before i am in new zealand...
kiss my beardy boyfriend... & OH! buy him a present... any ideas?
pack my new long angora socks... it's VERY chilly there... YAY!
eat homemade raspberry jam on toast... HI PENE! you are wonderful!
see the kids... hello sailor! hello stella! hello louis!
eat more chocolate fudge *NO*
i am always delighted and pleased and feel decidedly lucky when it comes to the people i know... i can't help getting a bit misty eyed about it at this time of year... my heart swells like a plump, ripe strawberry*...
BUT i am lucky in love and life and it's a absolute delight to know you all... thank you and happy christmas...
*SORRY (i watched 'The Bachelor' on telly last night) can i blame one of those scary shiny ladies for the dodgy metaphors?
happy birthday to stunning annie...
and sassy too, spunk...
things to do before i am in new zealand...
kiss my beardy boyfriend... & OH! buy him a present... any ideas?
pack my new long angora socks... it's VERY chilly there... YAY!
eat homemade raspberry jam on toast... HI PENE! you are wonderful!
see the kids... hello sailor! hello stella! hello louis!
eat more chocolate fudge *NO*
i am always delighted and pleased and feel decidedly lucky when it comes to the people i know... i can't help getting a bit misty eyed about it at this time of year... my heart swells like a plump, ripe strawberry*...
BUT i am lucky in love and life and it's a absolute delight to know you all... thank you and happy christmas...
*SORRY (i watched 'The Bachelor' on telly last night) can i blame one of those scary shiny ladies for the dodgy metaphors?
12/8/06
lookin like christmas
drinkin cocktails in the afternoon with my love...
while i'm in the mood, i wish love and good cheer to every last one of you...
12/26/04
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