A new 'tougher' thread... and so it continues

Softstuff

Morning all.

I suspect GQ, that you're not the only person be confounded by the lies of the Yorkshire tea merchants. Indeed, there's a very high end deli/gift shop here selling unusual continental foods and I was bemused the other day to find they have Yorkshire tea. I'd bet they'd be horrified to find it had non-Yorkshire origins. I'm surprised the EU let them get away with that description after all, doesn't cheese now have to come from the area it's named after?

I'm curious to know, how many mince pies should be baked in a two person household? Because I just baked 49 and I'm not sure there's enough :rotfl: Maybe I should have made more marzipan drops to go with?

I think I'm all done now, preparation wise. Unless I think of anything else....

VJsmum

I hit sainsbobs at 8 o'clock last night - unfortunatey so did everyone else. Though i don't think it was as bad as it could have been, tho there were a few things they didn't have - cream for one, smoked salmon although I do have some of that. So i will be going to Aldi shortly to pick up the trailing items. I was at the butchers at 7 and had to queue :eek: - bloomin good my butcher is, the queue will be going along the street by 10! Then it's just the farm shop, a baking fest and a bit of wrappage and i'm done :j Told DS (12) who spent the whole of yesterday in front of one screen or another that he can help with the cooking today - he and i are going to make quiche for tomorrow night and mince pies. Softstuff - 49 mince pies?????? For 2 of you?? :rotfl: I will make about 2 dozen for 8 of us!:rotfl: DD is going to make cupcakes and a yule log.

The family arrive in the morning and i want it all to be done by then. After that "let the games begin" :T

I will be here on and off over the festivities - just for a break from demanding children - all of them from 8 to 80! - but for those who won't, and those who will I hope you all have a very merry christmas.

Bobbykins

Happy Birthday Mar - hope you have a cake and sweetie filled day.
:bdaycake:

Softstuff

VJsmum wrote: »

Softstuff - 49 mince pies?????? For 2 of you?? :rotfl: I will make about 2 dozen for 8 of us!:rotfl: DD is going to make cupcakes and a yule log.

I just divided them up, after I gift half a dozen to each group of relatives we'll see Christmas Day and take enough for one each with morning tea on Christmas Day we have a dozen left. Hubby just ate 1 and the in-laws are coming for dinner tomorrow, so they'll eat some.

It's not as bad as I made it sound. Honest. I think I may need a large tub of brandy cream.

katieowl_2

Happy Birthday Mardatha! Hope you have a lovely day.

Kate

modern_millie_2

Mardatha, HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!! and many happy returns of the day. Hope the RV has bought you a big bag of sweeties.

Re: pies - my OH ate six yesterday. Is this normal? If so I have seriously understocked.

SDG31000

Happy Birthday Mardatha :bdaycake:

Many thanks GQ I will do my best to live up to the honour. I promise to worship 3 times a day with the chant
"Amor et metus. Lac? Sugar? Quisque massa vel duo?"
which roughly translates as "Teas up love. Milk? Sugar? One lump or two?"
I love shortbread with a passion and only trust myself to make it at Christmas. Which then leads to my overdosing on the stuff and seeing how many different flavours of it I can make. The cranberry and pistachio version worked really well.

Softstuff I've been making 24 mince pies two times a week for the past few weeks. As far as DH and DS1 are concerned there is no such thing as too many mince pies

I was planning on doing nothing today, but that plan is out of the window. I need to ice and decorate two christmas cakes, make mince pie pastry and more shortbread and I'm trying to decide if it is worth braving Mr T's to get some onions or if I can work out what to cook for the next few days without any. DH says he knows when I'm making something sweet as that is the only time that the cooking doesn't start with frying onions.
I'll be back later if I survive.

Happy Christmas Eve Eve everyone :rudolf:

Gingermillie

Happy birthday Mardywotsit!
I have today off work so my day will be spent in the kitchen making truffles and gingerbread. Made 90 odd gingerbread biscuits the other day but between work, friends and the local comic shop they're all gone. So a couple of batches today, ice them tomorrow...I think I may have overestimated myself.
I'll donate a gingerbread altar to the church of baked goods if this all works!

Margaret54

Happy birthday Mardatha:) Hope you have a lovely one. Lots to do today at home, thankfully all shopping done and dh can pick up milk and potatoes on way home from nightshift tomorrow morning. I have planned to bake tomorrow and lots of housework and ironing today. Washing machine broke down on Sunday and man wasn't able to come out until Wednesday. New pump £79 all in so delighted it was fixable. I really missed my machine, and couldn't settle until it was fixed. How sad am I ? lol Merry Christmas everyone incase I am not on again. Love Margaret xx

greent

Morning all

Have been following the thread but can't remember everything...! Definite birthday wishes to the mardy one, speedy recovery wishes to Taurus and general hugs and well wishes wherever else required because my brain is frazzled at the best of times, without this Christmas malarkey!!

Braved Sainsbobs yesterday - was pretty good. Just nipped to Aldi for pains au chocolate and croissants. That leaves me a 5 min dash into Tesco (store just over a mile from home) early tomorrow for bread, rolls and 2 bottles of milk - should then be able to hibernate away from supermarkets for between 5-7 days (depending upon how long bread and milk supplies last)

Still have lots of presents to wrap and cards to write. Also have a bunch of cards to deliver locally - forgot to take them to WI meeting last week, so need to hand deliver them - thankfully they're all local. Tomorrow will also see me visiting my nan and uncle with their presents, DH can visit his Gran with her and his dad's presents (saves time if we split up for the visits) and that'll be it.

2nd load of washing just finished, another one will go on in a bit. Two tomorrow and it'll be up straight - doing the washing isn't an issue, it's getting it dry before it smells funny - and then all the resulting ironing!!

Right - cup of tea and then will sort washing and start on some of that ironing before wrapping some more. Have promised the kids board games this afternoon - hopefully DS3 (2 1/2) will be having a nap then - he's not really up to Monopoly and Mouse Trap! Also want to vacuum throughout and mop kitchen floors - oh, and clean teh main oven..... Argh!!!!

Hugs and cake to all, along with a beverage of choice!! xx