Wednesday

 Good morning, everyone.  It's dull, it's dry and it might cheer up later.   Yesterday turned out very pleasantly with some lovely late-Autumnal sunshine to cheer everyone up.

Yesterday morning I set to and made - yes, actually made - some sweet pastry for mince pies.  I didn't make it by hand, that's always a disaster, but I used Thermione and it seemed to work out really well.  The baked mince pies don't look too rock solid although I haven't tried one, they all went into the freezer when they had cooled down.

(apologies for the light)

I also got the vegetarian sausage rolls made although I'd bought the puff pastry a few days ago.  I had to taste the inside for seasoning and I follow Mum's trick of taking a little and frying it in a pan to taste.  It was absolutely delicious - Eileen, I added some garlic granules to the mixture and that worked really well.

So now my freezer harbours:
turkey stock from last Christmas (for gravy)
pigs in blankets
a small gammon joint
Christmas puddings
a dozen mince pies
two dozen vegetarian sausage rolls
. . . and a partridge in a pear tree . . .  (not really)

Stuffing next, I suspect, but not yet.  I need to clear more space first.

We won't starve, will we?

Dad and I exchanged emails yesterday about Christmas.  He's pretty much decided it would not be a Good Idea to come over.  He's has several letters telling him that he is in the super-extremely vulnerable group which he most certainly is, for both health and age, and what's coming out 'officially' at the moment is hardly reassuring.
Assuming he doesn't, I'm thinking I will drive over at some point just before Christmas, taking with me some goodies and gifts.  I won't go in but, all being well, we can talk in the car port for a short time or even ion the drive or pavement.  Then, on Christmas Day, maybe we can have a family Zoom for a short time.
We will work something out, definitely.

Did you see the final of Bake Off.  I still wish Hermine had not been eliminated but I think maybe it wouldn't have changed the outcome.  I won't give anything away in case you have it recorded to watch soon but I'm very happy with the result, well deserved.

I got notification yesterday that my new Thermione will be delivered at some time today.  Woo hoo!  So I will be going onto Cookidoo (the TM recipe site - rather silly name, isn't it?) to put together some collections of recipes to try out over the next week or so.
The machine connects automatically to the site when you turn it on and then any recipes you have put into a 'collection' can be called up on the screen at the front of the machine and it takes you through the recipe, automatically setting everything correctly for each stage.  It's really ever so clever.
As I said yesterday, there are thousands of recipes available with more being added regularly so it really is worth the annual subscription.

The only thing I find a little - er - limiting is that at the moment there is no way you can upload your own recipes.  I suppose there's considerable scope for Getting It Wrong and it might muck up the settings/machine/site - I don't know.  You can still use your own recipes, it's just that all the settings are manual.  Oh, the hardship!

Anyway - I'm sure you will hear more in the next few weeks.  Diane, which version do you currently have?  I ask because I'll let you know what I think and it will help to know what you are currently using.

The other event for today is my hour of personal training which I'm looking forward to very much.

Well, I'd better get the day started with a bath and getting dressed.  The kitchen is reasonable but my corner of the living room  is . . .  not!  So I will start there.  Then I will go upstairs to the spare room and go through all the Christmas bits and bobs - cushions, tablecloths, etc, and lay what I want to use on one of the beds.  That will be fun!
All the while keeping my ears open for the front door bell, of course!

Have a great day, everyone.  xx