Sunday

The last Sunday in Advent.

Good morning, gentle readers.  There's not long until The Day and I have a list as long as my arm but I know that if I work through it slowly and steadily it will be fine!  It WILL . . .

It's so mild at the moment, isn't it?  Yesterday evening I popped into Morrisons, didn't need a coat, and as I came out I thought I could quite happily sit outside with a coffee.  I'm hoping it gets colder soon because I usually keep my turkey in the shed but I will have to find room in the fridge if it stays like this. 

I meant to get a lot done yesterday but kept getting side tracked.  There was a lovely programme of music by the Kings Singers in the morning, just the sort of thing I love, so I watched it while leisurely ironing some sheets.  And so it went on through the day!

The gluten free bread was interesting.  I'm on the shelf about it really.  It tastes OK.  I thought it would be 'cakey' in texture but it isn't, although it lacks the chewiness of usual bread.  The big difference was the method - almost like making muffins in that you mix the wet stuff with seasonings and then add the oil and the flour like a very thick batter.  It did rise, it did bake and it's not too solid, which is probably good!  I've sliced the two loaves I made and they are wrapped in interleaving and a poly bag and are in the freezer.  

I then set to with two large bags of spuds.  The King Edwards' were parboiled and then roasted to almost done.  I cooled them, put them in a foil roasting dish, covered it with foil and popped it straight into the freezer.  On Christmas morning I shall get it out an hour before and it should take under half an hour to be table ready.

I did the other spuds the more usual way (for me) - parboiled, cooled, dredged with flour and open froze them before bagging.  We should be OK for spuds now!

In the evening I watched a load of telly which was relaxing and enjoyable.

Today is Christmas Tree day.  This afternoon Beth and Alex are over and we put up the Christmas Tree.  They stay overnight, I think, and I have planned a nice meal and a Christmas DVD.  Sort of tradition.

I'd better get doing.  There's a kitchen to sort, washing to wash, ironing to iron and a breakfast to eat.  Have a great day, everyone!

Just remembered - a plea for help.  I need to make some gluten free stuffing.  I have the appropriate breadcrumbs, onions, bacon, sage, cranberries, walnuts (no chestnuts), dried cranberries, etc.  Do any of you have a recipe I could use, please?