Icing Tip

Due to a huge Christmas dinner we don’t usually cut the Christmas cake until Boxing Day tea.  

This year I was out visiting, talking, snacking and drinking coffee with 

Mrs Quilt all Boxing Day.  

Oh the bliss of being in a quiet house without tellies, radios, computers continually blasting different random noises from different rooms; interspersed with random swearing at some minor inconvenience.

And talking with somebody who is actually listening, doesn’t say 

“What?  My ears are bunged up!” 

after my every utterance, and whose conversation extends beyond pits, insects and ball-games. 

It’s been a long time.

Anyway our Christmas cake remains intact for the time being.

From Facebook Archives

27 December 2021 at 09:48

By the way. If, like me, you don't like marzipan, smooth peanut butter makes an excellent substitute for sticking icing onto a fruit cake. 

In the past I've tried jam (meh), golden syrup (too sweet and runny) and Nutella (ok but chocolate doesn't go with fruitcake). 

The peanut butter really works with the icing, and the cake, something about not being too sweet and the tiny bitty saltiness bringing the flavours out.

Not if you're allergic to nuts etc of course.

 

Angel Chimes

We’ve developed a tradition in Chateau Midden. During the twelve days of Christmas, when it gets dark we have “Candle Time”.  All lights and screens are switched off, the twenty five candles on the mantelpiece are lit and the boys and I sit enjoying the peace and silence.

In the early 1960s Bigsister won a scholarship to study at the Sorbonne for a year.

She brought me back a traditionally dressed doll.  Odette has a blue velvet dress, turquoise silk knickers (you can always tell the quality of a dressed doll by her knickers) and was placed in Granma’s corner cupboard with Myfanwy and Minihaha (a gift from my Canadian GreatAunt) and was only played with after tea.  She now lives in my corner cupboard with a collection of dolls from all over the world (but mainly Europe), gifts from wandering siblings and some I even bought for myself.

Before I was born the family were stationed with the RAF in Germany.  Remembering some of the continental traditions Bigsister brought a set of Angel Chimes from Paris as a Christmas gift for Mum.

They spent many Advents on top of the telly waiting to take their place on the Sunday dinner table.  One candle was lit on the first Sunday of Advent, and one more each subsequent Sunday until on Christmas Day all four were lit and the cherubs flew around belting the bells.

Eventually Mum and Dad went into residential care; the family home had to be cleared and sold.  As I had young children at the time I inherited all the Christmas decorations, including the angel chimes.

The thing holding the little pole to the base came away so they stayed in a drawer for many years until I could work out a way to hold them upright with candles below.

However with the judicious use of a large candle and its holder, and placing of tealights, I’ve got the cherubs chiming again.

You may need to turn the volume up to hear them.

 

 

 

Giftwrap

Whatever Santa has brought you, and however it is wrapped, I wish you a Merry Christmas.

From Facebook archives

25 December 2017 at 10:31 

Look what Santa brought me.

The shears, headphones and gin were suggested.

Not sure about the garden kneeler 

"because you're getting on now"!

Gin, fudge and Baileys will always be welcome as I sink into my self-indulgent dotage. 

By the way Santa's form of wrapping was to wait until I was in the bath (well it is Christmas) put them on the bed, throw the duvet over the top and say

"There's something in the bedroom for you."

Well I suppose it's an ecologically sound form of gift presentation and saved a tree (ish).

 Mrs Banjoman  I like it! Why waste paper.

Traditions

From Facebook archives

24 December 2019

If it’s not done today it’s not going to get done.

The cake is decorated.

The Christmas dinner parsnips have been dug up, together with some more potatoes I didn’t plant.

This morning we’re down to the Grainger Market to collect the goose and more vegetables.   

The boys will carry them home in back packs; as they have done since Thunderthighs was 6.   

The first time he nearly fell over backwards when we put the goose in his bag, but he carried it home.

This afternoon it’s tinsel time!

🤶🎄🎅

This year, in October, I discovered a frozen goose in Lidl and, knowing we wouldn’t get a Rising Sun one, bought it. 

We have time-limited £5 off £50 spend Tesco vouchers so last Monday Thunderthighs and I got the vegetables at Clubcard prices.

The parsnips will be dug up sometime today or tomorrow.

The candles and crib are on the mantelpiece.

The band of angels are on the tree, but very little else.

The cake is undecorated, the gifts are not wrapped and this afternoon it's tinsel time. 

Jivo

From Facebook Archives

23 December 2018 at 10:28

Today is the feast day of Thorlac Thorhallsson, patron saint of Iceland.

 

The cake is cooked and awaiting icing and decorating. 

We steeped the dry fruit in raki, whisky and other undefined spirits for a fortnight or so 

(in large screw topped ex-gherkin jars) and the kitchen smelled delicious while it was cooking.   

The steeping liquor has been bottled up for next year's cake.

The foil and candles are up on the mantelpiece, and all the cards strung up. 

If someone gets the steps out of the garage today we shall tinsel up the ceiling 

(my poor old step stool is suffering metal fatigue and no longer safe)  

and wrap the boys’ presents.

Any one passing is welcome to pop in for a taste of the little cake made from mix that couldn’t fit in the cake tin, or a sniff of the steeping liquor.

🤶🎄🎅

Now referred to as ‘jivo’ the steeping liquor is used to soak the Christmas pudding fruit (for about a month or so) until the pudding is mixed; then the Christmas cake fruit (for a few weeks).

If the dried fruit soaks up so much there is not enough jivo to cover the next batch then it is topped up with whatever is in the emptiest opened bottle in the drinks cabinet (this year rum).   

I can still smell the raki from 2018 in the current jivo.