I think we are all amazing, we are alive, we are communicating despite our problems, we are overcoming huge hurdles, ok, so sometimes I have to go round rather than over, but I get there. Everyone should give their selves a pat on the back and celebrate the new 'you' this Christmas. Well done everyone give yourselves a virtual hug. We can do this. Merry Christmas, Marylin
A lovely post. You are a breath of fresh air
colin
Those mince pies look really great John, I've not made them for a few years now but you might just have started a trend. I made 6 Christmas cakes this year for family and friends, although I didn't marzipan and ice them this year.
Hope you and your partner have a happy Christmas and New Year. Look forward to more cookery pictures.
Ann
Thank you Ann. The same to you and yours. PS It's even home made mincemeat
Try this recipe it is a delicious alternative use of mincemeat, the top dough layer is done by flattening small rounds of dough or you could cut stars out of the dough, you are meant to the filling between the bits of pastry.
Homemade mincemeat as well, I'd love the recipe for that John when you have time, I've not made mincemeat before but I know it will taste better than you can buy. It a bit like Christmas Cakes you can buy, they're never as good as ones you make yourself.
Will put it on asap
I use this one and make the mincemeat in early November
https://app.ckbk.com/recipe/cake18750c07s001ss001r024/lemon-and-walnut-mincemeat
Buche de Noel
Gor-ge-ous!! That looks very tempting JJM, how are you going to resist the urge to sneak a slice before tomorrow?!!
I've been chopping, crushing, slicing and dicing all morning, the kitchen looks like a tornado has hit it ?, and that's just the prepping ... thank goodness we can't have visitors at the moment ?
Very Christmas everyone xxxx
A Merry Christmas to you too. Will have a little tomorrow. If I say the filling is coffee whipped cream; the top is butter cream and all covered with a chocolate ganache. Probably 1000 calories per half slice.
Haha, that would be a risk I'd be willing to take, it's sounding more delicious by the moment !! I'm wondering how many calories I've taken in just by looking at the photo ?
Will you still be able to have your Boxing Day meal, we're unlikely to have anywhere open here in Norfolk as we will be in tier 4.
We're currently in the middle of a hail-storm and it's pretty ferocious, so once I've tackled the carnage in the kitchen I shall snuggle up in front of the log-burner and dream of your dessert!!
Yes, our meal is still on. We are Tier 2 here and our infection rate has only gone up a little and we are at the lower end of the National list. Let's all hope we have a better year ahead.
Very pleased for you ? and glad someone else will be cooking for you on Boxing Day, enjoy your day off for good behaviour!!
Norfolk initially had a very low incidence of Covid, but we have a large student population, tourists and second-home owners, so we have quite an influx of visitors. It's easy to be lulled into a sense that we are 'safe', but we're pretty careful and live in a small village on the road to nowhere ?
Merry Christmas xx
It has reverted to frosty weather here in Cornwall with a promise of an 80mph visit from storm Bella after Xmas. We have our log burner blazing away, it is such a source of comfort to us both. We are missing our usual xmas eve get together with old friends and family. My Down's syndrome brother called today to exchange presents, he normally spends Xmas eve with us but I couldn't even give him a hug. We are all shielding. Unfortunately the hordes racing down the A30 have increased our infection ration by over 300%, we go into tier 2 after Xmas. It will get better but not for a while. Happy Christmas.
Hi Pipgran, we've had 3 hail storms today, and this morning there were huge 'ponds' in the garden after a night of rain. Like Cornwall, Norfolk is a holiday magnet and we've got an influx of visitors. We move into tier 4 on Boxing Day - deep joy! However, we're all still here, alive and kicking, now that is something to celebrate ? ?
Good morning all,
The sun is shining, a blue sky to gaze into, whilst I wonder what to do with Christmas gifts wanted and unwanted. Plucking up the courage to spend time and most of all patience trying to get through to our Medical Centre, getting a telephone appointment with a GP is almost impossible, but my shortness of breath is becoming worse.
our Christmas was very low key which was ideal, because just having coffee and presents with family for an hour exhausted me. The good news is my husband, a stroke survivor, won £100.00 on ascrat h card in his stocking. The bad news is he wants to buy an electric saw with his windfall. Some stroke survivors seem to lose the ability to judge their capabilities. My husband is one of them. I would ask you all, for the sake of your carer's peace of mind, to think very carefully about tasks that involve risk, none of us are what we were.
Cornwall has gone into tier 2 thanks to a huge influx of selfish tier 4 persons wanting to spend Xmas in Cornwall, bringing unwanted gifts of covid. Tintagel pubs are not opening in an effort to protect the locals. What is the point of the tier system if people don't stay in their tier area?
let us look forward to a better 2021, being vaccinated, and meeting up with friends an family again, and above all better health. Marylin
Keep your lovely sense of humour going. We will all weather the storm.
I actually saw a GP face to face, yesterday afternoon, a very rare sighting, GP appointments are rarer than hens teeth in our area. Was seen in a trailer that resembled a horse box with fairy lights, in a car park, it was freezing, the icy stethoscope was pure torture. It was parked next to a brand new Medical Centre building with very latest facility, ironically! I do have something called 'crackles' so we have a drive in covid test at 9am, today, blood tests at 10 am and mumbles about chest X-rays. I did ask about the vaccine and people on blood thinners, there are issues but apparently th Oxford vaccine which has just been approved is better. May need to stop taking thinners before having it, but DONT do this without advice from a GP.
Need to turf the Jack Russell off my lap, she is doing a good imitation of a hot water bottle and get layered up to venture out for our tests.
The Oxford vaccine news is wonderful, a miracle, not just for us but for the world. Good old U.K., we can still achieve marvellous things, an excellent start to 2021.
A lot of the GPs only work 2-3 days a week in the Launceston practice. It is nurses and paramedics that bearing heavy workloads as well as responsibility beyond their pay grades. They are making decisions that they are not qualified to do.
I have been back in the freezing fairylit horse box, lately my veins seem to go into hiding at the mention of blood test,had to have multiple jabs. The drive in covid test was done outside in the rain for the testers and us fumbling in the car to open plastic packages and then sealing them. Benign tremor doubled due to effects of cold weather not helped by husband telling me to stop shaking. He doesn't understand and can't follow written instructions. All a bit of a nightmare.
I can't help feeling very bitter towards those selfish people who invaded Cornwall for Christmas, we have gone into Tier 3 today. We will only be venturing out to walk the dog and we will continue to socialise on line. Marylin