The OS Doorstep - a helpful and supportive thread in these tough times

burtha

24 mince pies made at 8 30 tonight ......6 left now
Still have to ice the cake :eek: x

stiltwalker

Christmas pudding vodka - I'm coming to your house Mrs Veg Plot, that sounds well yum!!!

Softstuff

Mrs Veg Plot, you have me beat on this batch. I did make 16 a couple of weeks ago for a Christmas do. This lot is for tomorrow. Along with 2 large Christmas puds and a rather hefty looking Christmas cake. Never let it be said my husbands family are light eaters. More than half are thin as rakes too, the blighters.

Sounds like your lot can eat too Burtha!

Today we have friends around for Christmas Eve dinner. I've already been busy in the kitchen (homemade grissini, green olives wrapped in cheese dough, mini empty pastry cases ready for smoked salmon, cream cheese and capers, posh sausages baked). And there's a way to go yet. Might be in the mood for a lunchtime homemade Baileys.

Can't wait for my friends daughter to see her Christmas gift. She wanted a life sized teddy bear. I managed to find one that's as tall as my husband (though a fair bit wider) and he isn't a short man. He's sat next to me on the sofa right now, rather intimidatingly! (the bear that is, not the husband).

Other daughter wanted 7kg of marshmallows. Had a stern warning that I wasn't to provide that (from her mum), so instead have a large bag of anything marshmallow related. I included a marshmallow recipe book, thinking "teach a man to fish" and so on.

Love all round, and have a dough wrapped olive (please, I made too many....)

fuddle

Merry Christmas :xmastree:

We're keeping busy today as I don't fancy peeling children people from the ceiling :cool:

We're making



as making something with gingerbread is our very own Christmas Eve tradition.

and these just for fun



We're off to work for a bit to have a good old chin wag and festive hilarity then wonder if the Elves will arrive this afternoon to leave the traditional treasure hunt where by the children people might just find some new pyjamas (ready for Santa's visit) and a Christmas colouring book to keep them occupied into the evening.

I am working from 5.30pm this evening and haven't even thought about tea :eek: Might just be a cheese toasty job.

We will be skyping mam at sisters house later. Mam appears to have made a lot of progress so hopefully it won't be as dread worthy as I fear. Mam I can cope with, sister however, I do not wish to have her appear in my living room this Christmas Eve as she tried to dwindle my children out of their proportion of gift money I my mam had saved for them. Long story short sister has been holding the money. Called me to ask if I thought it was a good idea to save that money for Mam as she was in a pickle. I agreed that it was for the best. Called Mam to say not to worry and that money should be put towards getting her house fixed etc than Christmas presents. Mam positively flipped saying that the money should go where she wants it to go and that sister has no right to keep her money back without talking to her first. Then she dropped the bombshell "But (Sis) has already spent her portion of it for presents for them"

It appears that Sis bought their presents a good while back but wanted to hang on to the rest of the money for emergencies in case she was called upon to fork out for repairs for Mam's house as the retired teacher ladies were clearing and cleaning. I understand her thinking and agree it was a very sensible idea but the underhand way she went about it was wrong and very hurtful. I am not holding grudges or bitterness but it's taken me a good 3 weeks to get the tat point. If I had a voodoo doll it would be in pieces by now :cool:

Enjoy your Christmas Eve festivities and make the next few days your own, in whatever way you feel. May your days be filled with lovely memories of old if you're unable to fill them with new memories x

Nargleblast

I am working late shift 25th and twelve hour shift 26th so today is our main celebration day, like the Europeans. Will still save some prezzies to open tomorrow, though. And the big Christmas meal today is......steak and chips with Christmas pud and brandy butter to follow. So yah boo sucks to die-hard fogies who believe if you don't get up at 3 a.m. to put the oven on for the turkey and check the sprouts which have been boiling since last Tuesday....we're having steak so there!

Merry Christmas old stylers everywhere!

nursemaggie

Steak very nice Nargleblast. We will have fish today which I think is quite popular on Europe, definitely in Poland. Having chicken tomorrow.

The gingerbread reindeer look lovely Fuddle.

savingqueen

Morning all,

how is everyone today? I woke up early and tried unsuccessfully to go back to sleep, instead lay there mulling things over for ages, feeling reflective which is far better than I usually feel at this point of the year. We have had no contact from parents or PILs asking to phone tomorrow. Last year I told them Boxing Day would be better(as I didn't want to spoil Xmas Day so MIL upset me then instead. I have informed DH I am not answering the phone this year, he is ok doing so, especially as I handled it all last year.

DH has also managed to get a day's annual leave today, the relief yesterday evening! We had a lovely family hug when he came in. He is going to pop out for fresh bread, more milk (as ever) and the streaky bacon I forgot and something simple for dinner. I am done with shopping for now! He is still asleep, so tired so he will have fun braving the queues later. He has also promised boys to take them to the park for their weekly footie session so they can get much needed fresh air and exercise and I can dig out the pressies and rehide them and wrap last couple of bits.

Planning to cook turkey today, first time I have bought a whole one, usually buy a crown or large chicken. Our oven is old and everything takes far longer to cook than you would expect so goodness knows how long it will drive the cats mad for cooking. Need to check its thoroughly defrosted, been 2 days in fridge already. I bought it on impulse and kinda wishing I had stuck to what I know. Still I can freeze some for other meals so that's the OS box ticked I guess. Might sound boring but I cook Xmas dinner in double quantities so have the same for Boxing Day albeit smaller portions generally. Means a totally chilled day after the early start and excitement of Christmas Day.

Then its a quick clean and tidy round, put the cards up , baths all round and settle down for our usual chilled Santa preps.

Be back later to check on you all! Sending out warm hugs and calm, peaceful thoughts to my wonderful friends here.

Have a great day Nargleblast!

Pooky

Morning all (although it feels like afternoon)

Naff nights sleep last night, the kittens are being a pain at night, very purry and cuddly but a right royal pain! Add to that fact that DD1 didn't get in until 3am and I feel like I've had about 3mins sleep all night.

Turkey's in the oven, beefs in the the SC (in home made elderberry wine), gammon is cooked and ready to be sliced. Pigs are in their blankets, stuffing balls are cooling and all the green veg is ready (in a big pot of cold water in the fridge).

DD's have gone out for the last final bits of food/puds I didn't have room for in the freezer until the meat came out. In-laws will be arriving around 3pm for the evening, have a buffet planned, it's all prepped and just needs cooking later. My parents will be here tomorrow for the day (if Dad is feeling up to it, they've both had flu).

I think I'm as organised as I can be.

So much so that I just made lunch and sat and ate it before I realised it was only 10.30am!!! (I missed brekkie so was starving).

Hope you all have a fantastic festive time with what ever you're up to and hugs to those who find this time of year hard.

Prinzessilein

Hallo all!


I have been on MSE for some time now - I usually hang out around the Disability board...with the occasional foray into Discussion Time or Benefits.


However, I have found this place now...and will possibly be popping in here from time to time...and thought I'd say 'hi'!


I was pretty much brought up 'Old-Style'....a fairly large family and never quite enough money to go around, but Mum coped! (She was - and still is in many ways - the Queen of Old-Style Money-Saving!)


It looks like there are some good tips to be picked up here!


Hope to see more of you all in the New Year....Happy Christmas!


(I am off to visit Mum soon....we both live in sheltered housing - her place is just across the road from mine....really convenient!.....we celebrate Christmas in the German style - so will be sharing a sausage supper and opening our presents tonight)

ivyleaf

Sending Christmas (((HUGS))) to all the lovely people on here, apart from those who don't like being hugged, to whom i send best wishes and I hope you all have the Christmas you would like.

xxx :santa2::xmassign: