Old style Preparations for Christmas 2010!!

LovelyLollipop

Poohspals If you can have the dinner table set in a room that the children can be excluded from then that's always a bonus, then anything you do will be a complete surprise. Crackers on the table, napkin (fabric if you can get/borrow/make them) folded into something (Google, there are loads of simpleish ones) and put on their plate. Wine glasses just like the rest of the family always went down well with mine - they feel all sophisticated. Maybe let them have a glass of ribena made with fizzy water if you're all drinking wine....? Candles on the table (chunky ones for stability) with tinsel or something wrapped round (or beads on wire if you're arty )

The only other thing I can think of off the top of my head is those little sparklers....if you put those in their pudding and brought it in they'd feel very special You can get them in some card shops...only about a pound each, in the shape of letters, stars and hearts and things

Maybe have a tiny bag of chocolate coins done up in gauzy fabric and tied with plastic ribbon, like a wedding party favour.

And namecards - very special

Any good?

jintyb

jollymummy wrote: »

I'm just in the process of making my first EVER Christmas cake. It smells lovely and I followed the Be-Ro recipe. However, my cake looks great but it's cracked a bit on top, but isn't burnt round the edges. Is this normal? is it likely my oven was too hot? I did follow the recipe to the letter. Any advice more than welcome
By the way my MIL usually makes our cakes, so I might hide it - lol

Your cake will be fine - most Christmas cakes crack a little during baking. It will taste wonderful!
Next time though,before you put the cake into the oven, cover the top of the cake with a double layer of greasproof paper with a hole cut in the middle ( about the size of a 50p) This protects the top of the cake during the long cooking time a Christmas cake needs.

Any way - congratulations on doing your first cake - sounds delicious:T

[Deleted User]

LovelyLollipop wrote: »

Poohspals If you can have the dinner table set in a room that the children can be excluded from then that's always a bonus, then anything you do will be a complete surprise. Crackers on the table, napkin (fabric if you can get/borrow/make them) folded into something (Google, there are loads of simpleish ones) and put on their plate. Wine glasses just like the rest of the family always went down well with mine - they feel all sophisticated. Maybe let them have a glass of ribena made with fizzy water if you're all drinking wine....? Candles on the table (chunky ones for stability) with tinsel or something wrapped round (or beads on wire if you're arty )

The only other thing I can think of off the top of my head is those little sparklers....if you put those in their pudding and brought it in they'd feel very special You can get them in some card shops...only about a pound each, in the shape of letters, stars and hearts and things

Maybe have a tiny bag of chocolate coins done up in gauzy fabric and tied with plastic ribbon, like a wedding party favour.

And namecards - very special

Any good?

Thank you very much - love the sparkler idea. I can make sure the girls don't see the room before we go in for dinner so will give some of your ideas a go.

Eenymeeny

poohspals wrote: »

Thank you very much - love the sparkler idea. I can make sure the girls don't see the room before we go in for dinner so will give some of your ideas a go.

Lots of lovely ideas there, well done! How about balloons with their names on fastened to their chairs? and a little puzzle or colouring book wrapped in Xmas paper, with their names on, for the inevitable fidgeting while they wait for the adults to finish each course?:)

TudorRose

Bought a Gingerbread House kit yesterday from Lidl for £4.99.
I am going to make it up on Christmas Eve in readiness for my two grandsons' visit on Boxing Day.
On the box it shows this lovely neat house (of course!) and says that this is a representation of how it will look when finished.
Bet mine won't look that good but never mind I shall enjoy making it and it's way cheaper than buying one ready made like I saw in Waitrose. Can't remember if they were £11.99 or £14.99 each!

ERICS_MUM

TeegansNan wrote: »

:j
I'm glad someone else remembers Domestic Science, we were also told to make the top of the cake slightly concave before you put it in the oven, then when the middle rises it should be about level with the sides - theoretically!!! Def works withsponge cakes though.

I've never quite achieved this effect !

funkymonkey849

TeegansNan wrote: »

:j
I'm glad someone else remembers Domestic Science, we were also told to make the top of the cake slightly concave before you put it in the oven, then when the middle rises it should be about level with the sides - theoretically!!! Def works withsponge cakes though.

Stuff like that is so useful! By the time I was in school it was 'home economics' and I had to "design" a custart tart and then make about 20 different types of packaging for it. None of this has been remotely useful since!

funkymonkey849

Starting to think about xmas now it's getting cold! Me and OH are looking forward to our first xmas in our new house - can't wait to get the decorations up! We have most of the decorations but I'd like some more fairy lights to go along the windows

Need to order some yarn this week because my nan has requested a crochet bag so I'll buy enough to make some gloves as presents too

Also made some lavender bags this week and they turned out so lovely, so might make some as xmas presents. I don't know how long the lavender smell will stay though

Boodle

beachbaby wrote: »

Having a good read of this thread. I really need some good but cheap ideas to make christmas a little special for me and my girls this year since my husband left. I will not be making a traditional christmas cake this year as it was only DH that ate it so would be interested in some other ideas. Girls are in their early teens. I want to keep some things as we would usually do them but I think it would be good for us to start some new traditions just for us. We always have christmas dinner with my family which we still intend to do.

Hi Beachbaby I am going to make a variation on a Tunis cake: I plan on making plain cake sandwiched with apricot jam, covered with marzipan then melted dark choc and topped with glace cherries/glazed dates/brazils.

LannyLee

Boodle wrote: »

Hi Beachbaby I am going to make a variation on a Tunis cake: I plan on making plain cake sandwiched with apricot jam, covered with marzipan then melted dark choc and topped with glace cherries/glazed dates/brazils.

That sounds amazing - can you post the recipe?