Thrifty Gifty Santas Challenge 2014

mum2one

teabody wrote: »

Hiya all :wave:

Found the right thread this time! I have headed back on the run up to xmas...hope you don't mind. I have started the pressie shopping and managed to keep the pennies down. Slightly more organised with that than I was last year but might think about doing my own xmas cake although I am not the best at baking....so if anyone can suggest a beginners recipe I may have a go!:o

I will take a look back to see what you have been up to through the year....hope all is well with you all xx

this is the recipie I use for Xmas cake, - its very forgiving as you can alter fruit around, swop nuts for something else,

Ingredients - standard Christmas cake

1/2 kilo mixed fruit
1/2 kilo sultanas
1/2 kilo currants
250g glace cherries
200ml rum,brandy or sherry
290g plain flour
2 tsp ground mixed spice
225g butter
225g soft brown sugar
5 large eggs
zest of 1 med orange
zest of 1 lemon
150g ground almonds.

Utensils etc
Large mixing bowl
string
baking paper
deep 23 cm cake tin / square or round depending on shape.

Method.

1. Put all the dried fruit (bar cherries), in a large mixing bowl, add liquor, (you can use orange juice instead).

2. Cover with clingfilm, leave for 24 hrs stirring ocassionally.

3. Line the tin with 3 layers of baking paper, wrap outsides with double layer, of brown paper. Preheat over to Gas 2, 150C or 130C if fan oven.

4. Rinse the cherries in warm water, pat dry with kitchen paper. Cut each one in half,

5. Sift the flour and mixed spice together, (use seperate bowl),

6. Cream butter and sugar together, beat in the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition and adding a tablespoon of flour mix with each one.

7. Finely grate the zest of the orange + lemon, stir into the creamed mixture.

8. Stir in the rest of the flour mix, ground almonds, cherries and the dried fruit + alcohol mix. Mix well.

9. Put mixture into desired tin, pat top with damp fingertips.

10. Bake for 1 hour, reduce oven temperature to 140C / 120C (fan oven), gas 1 and bake for a further 3 hours or until a skewer in centre comes out clean.

Can cover tops with foil if browning too quickly.

11. Remove cake from cake tins, and cool completely on a rack, (leave baking paper on)

12. wrap in foil and store in a tin,


Ive made 2 batches of this version of xmas cake, smell gorgeous, and they taste fab, made a baked bean tin size as a sampler..


some swops I've done..
Lemon and orange rind - swopped that to 200g tub of mixed peel
almonds - swopped to chopped brazil nuts
fruits - just grabbed mixed fruit bags (value bags)

todays batch - extra from above
swopped the fruits around, - used 750g mixed fruit, then topped up with
dried cranberries
dried pineapple
dried mango
dried apricots

chopped the fruits into small pieces then hydrated them in peach schnapps (could use sherry, brandy or orange juice)

xx

mum2one

susan42 wrote: »

Hi teabody welcome, think I remem you from before or did I dream that up. Well done on the organising.

Well me and oh fell out lol, not really but a disagreement, he's taken to packing the house up at 5 o'clock in the morning !!!! Then sitting down with his paper at 8am. Well the upshot is I can't sleep then and due to my chronic pain syndrome I need my full 8 hours of sleep!!
Not an happy bunny am I .

I would have throttled him, was going to say tie him to the bed!! (but he might not realise its to stop him getting up early, def 8 hrs needed...

Yesterday he said to me have one final check around so I can make a rin to the skip. Irritable me told him I have nothing. But I'd check. I ended up with 14 bags of rubbish and 4 bags of clothes for weigh in. He gave me a look but as I pointed out . It's all useful things but have decided , instead of keeping in case of id get rid and as for clothes. I decided instead of keeping if I put weight on hed just have to buy me new :rotfl:

Are you sure you didnt slip via mine or Miss Hoodies bedroom, - were in hoarder moment... bet the wallet has had a padlock put on it....

Anyhow today I'm going to make some cards for my christmas craft fair as there won't be much moving around today from over doing it yesterday.

Hope you managed to get a sit down while you did the cards, you make sure you get a rest,,,

Lol mum2one at your mum falling off the loo. And do I see a romance brewing? Good luck. Just be careful with the babies coming seems like he likes kids. What does miss hoodie think?

I'm sure the word romance is a word that doesn't occur in my vocbulary.... maybe - were have to see, thou in reality be a ngtmare with the distance, and his hours... nice thought if anything did come off it. No more babies.... the weird thing Miss Hoodie just laughed, she thinks he weird as she says he fancies me, she kept taking the mick bless her...

Mrs money penny hope your ok and your organising is going well. I do see you on the other thread. I read but don't join because it moves so fast. I suppose we all read other threads but don't join in

Angela
Rufusdog

Thinking of you both hope your ok

Hope your ok, thinking about the 8 hrs, i got woke up last ngt by the dog, he wanted his belly tickling.......... hes a little tinkerbell, and he snores....

xx

mrs-moneypenny

morning all

really sorry ive nto been in much.
mils illness is taking a lot of time and energy, and i feel im falling behind on christmas prep.

hugs to all who need them

littlejellyfish

This made me laugh!

You can get a completly free kit to download and make a reindeer poo christmas card at https://www.printableheaven.com/freepoo

x

teabody

Mum 2 One

Thank you so very much.....will print out and laminate. How long would this last or perhaps what I am getting at is...is it something I can bake well before christmas and keep? That is if the kids don't get to it first!

Much appreciated xxx

mum2one

teabody wrote: »

Mum 2 One

Thank you so very much.....will print out and laminate. How long would this last or perhaps what I am getting at is...is it something I can bake well before christmas and keep? That is if the kids don't get to it first!

Much appreciated xxx

Thank you, i usually aim to do mine in Sept, still eating it Jan. I was late baking this yr, i've used the base recipie of fruit got that soaking, as im planning to make a large cake for mums 70th bday (july), make it Feb, then feed it monthly to keep it fresh and moist. x

betterlife

mum2one wrote: »

this is the recipie I use for Xmas cake, - its very forgiving as you can alter fruit around, swop nuts for something else,

Ingredients - standard Christmas cake

1/2 kilo mixed fruit
1/2 kilo sultanas
1/2 kilo currants
250g glace cherries
200ml rum,brandy or sherry
290g plain flour
2 tsp ground mixed spice
225g butter
225g soft brown sugar
5 large eggs
zest of 1 med orange
zest of 1 lemon
150g ground almonds.

Utensils etc
Large mixing bowl
string
baking paper
deep 23 cm cake tin / square or round depending on shape.

Method.

1. Put all the dried fruit (bar cherries), in a large mixing bowl, add liquor, (you can use orange juice instead).

2. Cover with clingfilm, leave for 24 hrs stirring ocassionally.

3. Line the tin with 3 layers of baking paper, wrap outsides with double layer, of brown paper. Preheat over to Gas 2, 150C or 130C if fan oven.

4. Rinse the cherries in warm water, pat dry with kitchen paper. Cut each one in half,

5. Sift the flour and mixed spice together, (use seperate bowl),

6. Cream butter and sugar together, beat in the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition and adding a tablespoon of flour mix with each one.

7. Finely grate the zest of the orange + lemon, stir into the creamed mixture.

8. Stir in the rest of the flour mix, ground almonds, cherries and the dried fruit + alcohol mix. Mix well.

9. Put mixture into desired tin, pat top with damp fingertips.

10. Bake for 1 hour, reduce oven temperature to 140C / 120C (fan oven), gas 1 and bake for a further 3 hours or until a skewer in centre comes out clean.

Can cover tops with foil if browning too quickly.

11. Remove cake from cake tins, and cool completely on a rack, (leave baking paper on)

12. wrap in foil and store in a tin,


Ive made 2 batches of this version of xmas cake, smell gorgeous, and they taste fab, made a baked bean tin size as a sampler..


some swops I've done..
Lemon and orange rind - swopped that to 200g tub of mixed peel
almonds - swopped to chopped brazil nuts
fruits - just grabbed mixed fruit bags (value bags)

todays batch - extra from above
swopped the fruits around, - used 750g mixed fruit, then topped up with
dried cranberries
dried pineapple
dried mango
dried apricots

chopped the fruits into small pieces then hydrated them in peach schnapps (could use sherry, brandy or orange juice)

xx

Hi, ive not made proper xmas cake before , but im assuming when made weeks/mths in advance its the alcohol and continuous feeding of alcohol that preserves it so long?
ive never been a fan of that kind of christmas cake so it i was to replace alcohol with orange juice (pure?) as suggested how long would this keep please? and would you feed it as well?
thank you xx

mum2one

betterlife wrote: »

Hi, ive not made proper xmas cake before , but im assuming when made weeks/mths in advance its the alcohol and continuous feeding of alcohol that preserves it so long?
ive never been a fan of that kind of christmas cake so it i was to replace alcohol with orange juice (pure?) as suggested how long would this keep please? and would you feed it as well?
thank you xx

You can replace the alcohol with orange juice, I would say use 200ml, i'd feed it with the OJ to keep it moist, if I made a non-alcohol one, I'd leave it to end of Nov, so that it has about a month to mature, xx

mum2one

I'm only 1/4 way throu sorting presents out the bedroom looks like santas grotto, one bit sorted decided to do a Christmas eve hamper, so far-
Dad - new pjs- very fetching superman with a detachable Cape, Mr men slippers, law print Oneies
Mum- new nightdress
Miss hoodie - pr slippers
Me- pjs
Free for all - Xmas dvd so sweet it has the dogs name in its title, posh biscuits, box of celebrations, dolphin candle holder, scented Xmas candles
Going to add reindeer food, santas soup, fluffy socks, slippers, new toothbrush, treats for the dog. J20, bottle beer, cider - should look nice when it's done xx

mrs-moneypenny

nipped in sains local this morning all their really nice halloween custumes are RTC i got a lovely sparkly witches dress age 6-8 and a little boys skelleton trouser and top (looks like PJs) age 4-6 £2 each, all the little deccys and bits were RTC 50p each