❄❄ Let It Snow ❄❄ :: Christmas 2012 Chatter Thread

his_missus

riskyb wrote: »

Hi all,
Help please
On the blog today – I suggest giving a homemade curry kit for Christmas. Check it out please as I would really like your help.

I think I would like to expand on this with some sort of series on curry etc next year.

So I was wondering if you would be willing to share

• What sort of things you might like to see in a homemade curry kit to gift people
• what is the main thing you want from your curry (eg easy, quick, few ingredients only, healthy, vegetarian, to stand out, curries for children etc etc)
• what sort of series on curry might be interesting to you.
• anything else? Pretty please

You can do this either via the comment page on the blog or here.
Shout with any questions.

A had a peek at the blog. I've made a curry hamper for Hubby and as well as spices and a recipe book I've included a bag of basmati rice (as we only have bog standard white rice in) and naan bread (had a mid Jan date on it) as accompaniments.

As regards to cooking a curry, I like a recipe to be quick and simple and involve dried spices or spice mixes as I don't have time to be grinding and frying fresh spices (though I know they're better) So many I look at seem to require lots of different fresh spices and it can get expensive to buy them especially if you don't use them that often. Hope that helps x

Deb_S_2

weeclick wrote: »

MAJOR QUESTION COMING UP. I had spent Sunday making chocolate slabs, have lovely tins to present them in, turned out wonderful. By Tuesday they had all those "fat" spots on the surface and look awful How do I avoid this happening?! Ive about 9 to make and having 3 done had really helped but now Im going to be tight for time this weekend so they need to turn out right the first time!! :eek: Was my problem that I had put them in the fridge maybe?

Hope everyone else is enjoying the build up and not getting too stressed!!

Hi there

They do not really like being put in the fridge, the sudden change in temp can cause condensation which creates that "bloom" effect on them. Also, make sure you temper the chocolate properly. I usually heat it gently until it just starts to melt, then take it off the heat and throw in some extra chocolate peices and mix it all together, stirring until it all melts.

HTH

spacecadet1

weeclick wrote: »

MAJOR QUESTION COMING UP. I had spent Sunday making chocolate slabs, have lovely tins to present them in, turned out wonderful. By Tuesday they had all those "fat" spots on the surface and look awful How do I avoid this happening?! Ive about 9 to make and having 3 done had really helped but now Im going to be tight for time this weekend so they need to turn out right the first time!! :eek: Was my problem that I had put them in the fridge maybe?!!

I was having the same problem even though it was wrapping the slabs in foil & then placing them in a tin & wrapping in a towel (like someone on here suggested, sorry cant remember who) & putting somewhere cool. I've since read online (again can't remember where!) that you need to melt 2/3 of choc then add the remainder once it's melted. Then you need to stir the choc to bring it down to 32 degrees (for milk & white, think it was lower for dark but not 100%). I tried this with a sweet thermometer (& a bit of guess work cos thermometer doesn't go that low!) & they seem to have worked with no blooming (& they were put in fridge to set then cold garage). So whether it was just luck or really worked, definitely worth a go.

weeclick

Deb_S wrote: »

Hi there

They do not really like being put in the fridge, the sudden change in temp can cause condensation which creates that "bloom" effect on them. Also, make sure you temper the chocolate properly. I usually heat it gently until it just starts to melt, then take it off the heat and throw in some extra chocolate peices and mix it all together, stirring until it all melts.

HTH

spacecadet1 wrote: »

I was having the same problem even though it was wrapping the slabs in foil & then placing them in a tin & wrapping in a towel (like someone on here suggested, sorry cant remember who) & putting somewhere cool. I've since read online (again can't remember where!) that you need to melt 2/3 of choc then add the remainder once it's melted. Then you need to stir the choc to bring it down to 32 degrees (for milk & white, think it was lower for dark but not 100%). I tried this with a sweet thermometer (& a bit of guess work cos thermometer doesn't go that low!) & they seem to have worked with no blooming (& they were put in fridge to set then cold garage). So whether it was just luck or really worked, definitely worth a go.

Thank you both for your help. Maybe putting them in the fridge was a bad idea (only caught on this morning when I was posting lol) the first and second batch I made I didnt put in the fridge and turned out well, on saying that took them to work and didnt last more than a day and a half so hard to tell lol. Making another batch tomorrow and will maybe even leave in an empty kitchen cupboard or better still the hamper themselves saves me a job on Saturday!

Buffy_the_Vampire_Bat

riskyb wrote: »

hey, on tuesday i went to wilkinsons for a wonder and ended up buying lots of xmas decorations for half price including a 'santa is here' wooden sign, and 'santa's key', plus tonnes of wooden tree decorations. You should check it out (if not for this year then for next year as a very MSE measure)
HTH

Word of warning for anyone who shops in Wilkinsons in Huntingdon - there wasn't a huge amount left on Tuesday night, and I don't think the staff were putting any more out. I always buy my crackers half price (or even cheaper) after Christmas and had my eye on some reindeers crackers hoping they would be in the sale after Christmas. Nope, all gone, that will teach me! :mad:

Currently on day 10 of sinus/chest infection and keeping Benylin in business. Am feeling really grotty still so am really glad that I got quite organised early on as otherwise I think I would be in a major panic right now! The cards have all been sent out/delivered, the cake marzipaned (to be iced tonight), and all the components for Christmas dinner either in the freezer or the fridge. Mr Buffy is being sent to Morrisons for a few bits tomorrow night and then that should be it until after Christmas. We will be wrapping the presents this weekend (usual ritual of 'Bend It Like Beckham' on DVD and bottle of bubbly while we are wrapping ) Fortunately I don't have to work on Christmas Eve so after tomorrow I have five days of work to get better in!

linzmac_2

caitlyn22 wrote: »

I'm a complete hippy and for me it's how magical it is - something that brings people together and encourages them to believe (or suspend disbelief), to share, to celebrate and to be happy. I know that isn't the reality for everyone but it's the aspiration I have. I am an atheist but I have faith and much of this is invested in people. I love anything that connects us to other humans, so watching a crowd sing together at a music festival or seeing families come together at Christmas, it's all the same to me - magical!

That and all the lovey food and drink, obviously :beer:

This just brought a lump to my throat and a tear to my eye! You sound like a girl after my own heart in many ways.

I am a long time lurker (sorry!) and absolutely love this thread filled with wonderful people who have made me feel all warm, cosy and comforted for the last few months. Thank you all!

Hope you all have a wonderful/relaxing/happy/peaceful Christmas.

podperson

Hi all,

I think the panic is setting in now! I keep telling myself I only have little things left to get - but there's so many of the little things. Wasn't so well last weekend when I'd planned on getting it all done, am travelling to see family on Christmas Eve and seeing OH's family on Sunday so really that leaves me very little time to get the last bits :eek:
Am going to have to brave late night shopping tonight - I don't like busy shopping centres, I get a bit claustrophobic Wish me luck! Keep telling myself if I get it all sorted I can come home, curl up with a glass of baileys and watch one of my xmas movies :rotfl:

FeistyFidget

Sorry I have been AWOL - Trying to get everything manically sorted and fast running out of time!

daisiegg wrote: »

Ooh, I need to do something similar with my marmalade....it has set VERY hard I thought it might be hopeless but would you mind telling me what exactly you are planning to do to yours? I'd love it if I could salvage my yummy clementine and Cointreau marmalade!

I made poor DH empty all the jars out back into my big saucepan (he complained he had to chip away as it was like concrete ) and then put it on a low heat. Meanwhile I boiled the kettle and tipped some water into a measuring jug to cool. I added half a cup of water at a time and kept stirring until it absorbed in. Make sure it doesn't get too hot as it will risk burning and ruining the whole batch. Obviously add a little at a time as it will be too tricky to take water away if you add too much. If you don't want to 'water' down the flavor, sites have recommended concentrate juice. I stuck to water as it seemed least likely to go wrong.

Well I had an actual crying breakdown yesterday. DH was supposed to help me finish hampers for his family ready to be delivered at 2.30pm. He got called into work and I was left with a mountain of baking, box making and hamper assembling, plus it had to be delivered by 11.30am. The dog was sick and after witnessing a huge mess appear on my carpet, I couldn't take the stress and just balled my eyes out. After 10 minutes of screaming, crying and then finally steely resolve I just got on with things. Sadly I never made it round to drop presents off until 1.30pm and I missed one of the aunties who was supposed to drop most of the presents off for me (a large chunk of the family live far out and she lives near them). Luckily she will be popping back on Saturday, but despite being stored in DH grandmother's fridge, I fear the truffles will be ruined

I was very happy with how a lot of the bakes/presentation turned out - if you check out my blog, I will be adding posts and photo's over the next few days.

Hope everyone is managing to keep stress levels down?

moneysavingmumofone

Still feeling really ill but am trying to crack on with what I still need to do just in case I start to feel worse! Have wrapped my brothers girlfriends Body shop goodies in cellophane, tied with ribbon, a bow and tag then put in a body shop gift bag and it looks really nice. Also iced some gingerbread hearts with DS for his teachers and his friend and his friends nan. I have about 20 presents to wrap which Im going to do now and also going to wrap my brothers hamper in cellophane.

Am feeling really rotten that Im going to have to post several parcels and letters tomorrow after the final posting date, I could barely move today for the pain and just couldnt get to the post office. Hoping they might still make it before christmas eve if I post 1st class! x

moneysavingmumofone

P.S Does anyone know how to say Merry Christmas and 'love from' in Polish? x

Have googled and it says merry christmas is 'Wesolych Swiat' and from is 'od', if anyone knows if thats right Ill be very grateful as I want to write it in DS' friends grans xmas card, she only speaks a few basic english words so thought it would be nice to write her card in Polish but dont want to make an idiot of myself lol. x