Next steps; grip-relaxing bimbling, and avoiding the temptations

boxofpaws

I always presumed demand way outstripped supply of honey and had no idea that honey could ferment so I have learnt things today. And I always thought beekeeping sounded like a peaceful past time. It’s interesting to hear the reality can be quite different. Probably a good thing I never took it up there is no way I could be doing what you’re doing.

Wishing you a peaceful Christmas
Paws

Suffolk_lass

Hello @boxofpaws - how lovely to see you here. I often wondered what happened to you and yours. I remember saying Mr Paws inhabited another planet on your diary once - I'm going to have to find it now and see if that is still the case (and if you are posting there again).

My offer of cooking honey to my neighbours is gathering pace among the takers. The first neighbour called in yesterday and took a 400g/1lb jar of it, for which I did not charge her. She also got to taste my freshly baked experimental mince pies. They were a bit of a hit.

I rolled the (hm) very short pastry super thin and then used my biggest cutter, then rolled each circle thinner still. Then it went in and half way up the sides of the muffin tin, before hm mincemeat (a year old) topped with crumble rubble. The last tin was a shallow patty tin so I topped each spoonful of mincemeat with a pastry star from the scraps before topping with yet more crumble rubble. I cooked them in the hot oven and did not paint the pastry with egg or milk. I need to use this technique again. I just know my cousins and my DS (Christmas Day) would love them, should there be any (left?).

Also here, we have a list of stuff to do before Christmas... among yesterday's job was to finish putting the nets of lights up in the front garden; on the gate (the small mistake purchase, ahem) and the hedge adjacent to that gate. Well knock me down with a feather, where is Mr Sl and what have you done with him! : "We need another set of those lights as there's not enough to cover the hedge!" - err, there never were and putting them up and taking them down has traditionally been accompanied by his version of a hymn - a certain amount of low level moaning. So he has ordered some from the big river people, along with some bits we had saved for later to ensure free delivery!

Today the focus is on tidying, then cleaning the brick floors (me) vacuuming (him), dusting (him), de-cobwebbing (him) moving furniture so the tree fits and erecting it (err, him), cleaning the inside windows (that are covered in wet nose swipes from the dog and smudge dabs from the cat! - that would be me) putting up decs (me, might be tomorrow) and buying then writing local cards (me). I might make fudge, and we need to sort out Christmas boxes for the dustmen (Monday), the milkman (Tuesday) (both me). I also want to steam clean the shower screens and I might need to get the silicone out to re-seal some bits - but not today.

We have a local solstice party tonight, and so food will be planned to permit the taking of a modest amount of alcohol. I am thinking of leek, celery and potato soup!

Have a good weekend, and don't stress!

KajiKita

There’s a lot of cleaning and clearing happening here too 😊 I love having a tidy and clean house for Christmas. Means I can just chill out. All the washing is happening today / tomorrow too! 

The mincemeat crumble / pie / quiche / ?? sounds most excellent 👌 😊

KK

Suffolk_lass

Oh my goodness. The dining room was dusted and vacuumed on Christmas morning, and the stairs were vacuumed and wiped after that. I laid the table as Mr Sl collected DS. Just done when our visitors arrived for a relaxing, pleasant Christmas with a few extra vegetables so I can pad out some soup. Never let it be said we do in advance, what we can leave to the last minute!

Nothing planned for today, I rather fancy Mr Sl needs a bit of a rest and an on-his-own sort of day. He did the dishwasher loading and running (and re-running) last night, so all I had this morning was the putting away.

I want to tidy my study this week, and move some stuff to the loft so we are set for the multi-day visitors over New Year. So far, I know some are coming on 30th, and some just for New Year's Day - the rest I do not know yet. 

In other news I would be £14 so far, over my annual Grocery Shopping budget at £3014.43 with one more milk bill tomorrow (£7.50) but only if I count all the butchers' shop at Christmas in it. My Mum gave us £100 for the Turkey and the rest of that bill was all Christmas focused spending, for which I keep a bit aside. This year I am including it for a more accurate count, but only here. My GC challenge excludes it.

Suffolk_lass

So, yesterday was misty and damp. Completely still here in Suffolk, so a good day to get the spare room ready (only five of us for NYE and the singleton sleeps in his camper van) - more for NYD but they are not staying. My other friend is babysitting her new granddaughter - who, btw, looks beautiful (that from a non-baby lover). She will visit another time. At least the curries don't need to be gargantuan this year. Much shuffling, sorting and stashing took place, with DH doing the dusting, vacuuming and interior window cleaning, and also volunteering to do the loft stashing. The new neoprene knee pads were a hit and he declared them a pain-free if weird feeling. I was grateful I had made the pies with the turkey remains as we had leftovers pie yesterday, with turkey and sweetcorn that just needed an egg-wash top. The rugs (all cotton, washable) have been washed using cheaper electricity overnight and are drying on the airer and the rail at the front of the aga this morning. 

Today, we are keeping free to visit and treat all of our bees. We vaporise using an Oxalic Acid treatment and insert the vapour nozzle into each hive for a measured amount of vapour (it rises) and it kills the varroa mites (that are endemic in the UK) on the adult bees. We do it now as the brood should be at a minimum, and a couple of cold weeks ahead of the mild Christmas should help as the mites hang about on the adult bees until they detect the larvae are ready to pupate, at which point they enter the cell and hide until the cell is capped. This treatment can't penetrate the cell cappings ao hopefully this is the best time to treat.

The remaining 12 mince pies that were awaiting cooking were cooked yesterday morning and err, one was consumed by way of breakfast quality control. I made crumble tops this year and used muffin tins. As long as the ultra thin pastry cases are deep enough for a teaspoon of crumble rubble on top of the mincemeat not to overflow, it has worked well, and this batch had a festive star on top. I will paint the stars with egg-wash before putting them on top next time, as the speckles are bits of crumble I picked up with the eggy brush!

KajiKita

Those mince pies look lush! 🤩❤️

KK

LadyWithAPlan

Loving the mince pies ! You were not the only one rushing around tidying and laying tables as people were due to arrive for food over xmas..

Suffolk_lass

Haha, and on repeat for today @LadyWithAPlan - DH will push the vacuum round and finish treating the bees this morning. Meanwhile, I need to make a couple of curries not huge, but a bit time consuming, and tidy my study and move cars before our visitors for New Year start arriving. I must make courgette soup too, and maybe a trifle (traditional here is panetone, jelly, tinned fruit (peaches this time) and Birds custard, with some last minute cream dolloped on top or just poured over). Just having a quick coffee before it all starts!

Reflecting on those mince pies, I will egg-wash the pastry shells before the mincemeat too, next time. They look a bit dull without.

I went to the SM yesterday for the salmon I need for my pescatarian guests, but all the sides had gone and what was left was all dated today or tomorrow. I want it for New Year's Day, so yet more trips to be made. If not this morning (unlikely), I think tomorrow morning, with my visitors invited to dog walk with Mr Sl will work best.

I meant to add, LaPlan, I will respond to the PM after my New Year visitors have left

Suffolk_lass

Chinese takeaway was shared last night between us and the first house guests. We all enjoyed it and I collected it. I realised as we had finished that I had left the oven door ajar - there was the missing noodle dish! so it will be brought out this evening with the curries!

Happy New Year everyone

trix-a-belle

Ah i'm glad you're posting again & i've found you!

Those mincepies look super fancy! Well done on getting your honey stocked in various places.
My usual Christmas baking went totally out the window this year (like much else this year)