"Silly Season", Sufficiently Sufficient Style!

Since my last post I have enjoyed a trip to Sydney & Scone to visit with friends-the travel involved was well worth it, as I spent the days with them in tears of laughter-just what I needed before the "Silly Season" sets in!

Today I have finally made our Christmas Pudding-the fruit has been soaking since October. It's a 3-in-1 mix, which also provides for our Christmas Cake ( which I made a couple of weeks back).

Once the pudding has boiled for 4 hours it needs to hang to dry-so here is how I do it! Upturn one of the stools on the kitchen bench, thread through a pole and voila! Pudding Drying contraption!

 

For breakfast this morning His Lordship & I enjoyed homemade strawberry jam ( made in the microwave from our homegrown strawberries) on homemade sourdough English Muffins....mmmmmmmm.

 

Finally-here is a rather ordinary photo of this year's Christmas tree- instead of the red,green & gold I have used for years I have gone for a "vintage" theme-with most ornaments handmade by me! Why yes, yes I am pleased with my efforts! My humility could do with some work though....... ;)

 

No-the angel is not about to swan dive off the top-that's His Lordship's effort-which has been rectified!

 

 

It's beginning to smell a lot like Christmas...

I made the most of a morning at home to bake this year's Christmas cake this morning. The house soon became rendolent with the scintillating smell of spices and soaked fruit...............mmmmmmmmmmmmm! The fruit has been soaking in the pantry for the last two months, so has become rich and succulent.

I use the 3 in 1 mix from one of the Women's Weekly cookbooks. It is enough for a good sized cake, a lovely bolied pudding and a heap of mince pies- I've been using it for more than 20 years and every year have people ask what my secret is! I use port or muscat as the liquor to soak the fruit in, as I find it gives a real richness to the final product.

I have Frday put aside for making the pudding and I think this year I will use the remaining mix to make some individual Christmas cakes to go in the hampers I'm making.