Boxing Day Frivolities!

Our Boxing Day was spent eating what was left over from our Christmas dinner and enjoying more of Mum's home made pudding. Catherine and Mark joined us for the meal, where we dined on sliced beef in gravy, quiche, sausages, tourtiere, "shmam potatoes", my special brussel sprouts, carrots. And after pudding and some of my holiday baked treats, we spent the rest of the evening playing Wii (in attempts to burn off the calories gained during the meal). Mum turned out to be the star bowler, and we spent most of our time trying to perfect the technique to knock down the most pins possible. A good night was had by all, but the decision is clear...the diet starts tomorrow!! :) I have pictures of the bowling, however they're on my old school camera so I'll put those up when I get them developed.

Catherine and Me- Catherine dressed as a present.
Catherine, and Mark with me by our fabulous tree.

Happy/Merry Christmas!!

To all and everyone, I wish you a very happy and healthy holiday season where ever it takes you! I heard a sermon given at the midnight service on the BBC, the Right Rev'd giving the sermon explained how "Merry Christmas" was meant as a term to describe an occasion filled with drinking, and late nights, and general extravagances. He explained that "Happy Christmas" is more acceptable to describe a season of good cheer, family, and time honoured traditions in a more sensible context. I see where this comes from, however I still interchange the sayings freely given that the Christmas holiday season holds so many different meanings for different people, it can mean both! Some gather with platoons of family, have children running all around them, and eat until they pop. Others go to 5 different church services, and carol services and nothing else. Whatever we get up to, the aim is the same: maintaining or creating family traditions, and to feel that magic we all felt as children. In our house, we have a tree, we go to church, and eat copious amounts of food. But lately, we've had to change a few things. I still maintain that we need a tree which I decorate, and I wrap gifts in garish paper and ribbons, I bake millions of cookies and sweets, and Mum and I write what seams like a hundred Christmas cards ... and I wouldn't have it any other way. The only down side (and I know all of you who are forehead deep in snow might object) is not having a blanket of snow, and the smell of salt on the roads.

So whatever you do, whether it's with family, friends, or tucked up on your couch watching old films - have a good and happy holiday season.
With Love!

The Vicarage fire place, Christmas 2007

Christmas Baking!

Tis the season to expand those waist lines, and tomorrow will always be the day to start the proverbial diet. It's no different in our house! This year represents three years accumulated into one. Every time Christmas came round, so did about 4 essays and a couple projects on top. Therefore leaving no room for baking cookies, decorating a tree, sending cards, or anything remotely festive. Yes, I managed to put lights up but it wasn't enough for me. So this year I'm making up for it! Mum and I started planning our Christmas and Boxing Day meals while watching Nigella's Christmas on TV I gathered ideas of what I wanted to make as gifts packets. Mum and I have named this year's Christmas Holiday season our "Shmam Christmas," in honour of Nigella. I should explain this comes from an article Ed was reading, where a photo of her showed off her heaving bosom. The author of the article described these as "Nigella with her shmams out" therefore, our "Shmam Christmas". I started off baking some old classics: my Chocolate chop cookies, and whipped shortbread (which were always present in the hundred in our front porch growing up), and decorated gingerbread. I then added some new discoveries from Nigella's Christmas Cookbook: Peanut Butter Cups with Art and Soul, Christmas Rocky Road, and her extremely cute Christmas Pudini Bonbons. Mum got some edible gold luster spray for her birthday, so how could I resist using this on some of my calorific creations?? Now the rocky road is piled high, the peanut butter cups are lined up in their millions (the recipe said it yielded 48....so how did I end up with 115?!), and the tins are overflowing with cookies in their many varieties. These will mostly be used as gifts for friends, and for offering guests but the problem is I know how to make them...so what's to stop me making another batch of everything? By the way, did I mention I did all this in a day and a half? Happy Eating!!

Chocolate Chip cookies with oats and coconut

Whipped Shortbread

Decorated Gingerbread made with sweetened condensed milk

The Peanut Butter cups with Art and Sole (from Nigella)

Christmas Rocky rock (from Nigella)

Christmas Pudini Bonbons (or Pudlettes as Ed named them), also from Nigella