Monday

Good morning, everyone.  It's a bit damp out there but not actually raining at the moment and feels pretty mild too.  I'm missing the frosts but it's nice not to have to turn up the heating.

Yesterday went pretty well.  I set to in the kitchen after a trip to Morrisons and made the vegetarian sausage rolls that the whole family loves so much followed by bread sauce, both of which are now in the freezer.  I think that's all the savoury bits and bobs made now and crossed off the list.  It's amazing that, in these days of celebrity chefs and their 'how to have a fantastic Christmas' programmes, articles and books, I almost always end up back with good old Delia whose recipes are practical, sensible and reliable.  And they taste great!
Here are links to the recipes I used yesterday:
Bread sauce.  Dear old Thermione comes into her own with recipes like this.
Vegetarian sausage rolls. (I used shop bought puff pastry!)  I fill mine more than the illustration show and they do cook very well from frozen, if needed.

Now I need to start on the sweet things (mostly, but not entirely, gifts).
marzipan and ice the cake
decant the fruit liqueurs I am making into little bottles
biscotti
gingerbread
stollen
None of that will get started today.  I keep watching YouTube clips of How to Ice a Christmas Cake and I think I've got the general idea but I'm sure it's not as easy as they make it looks and, frankly, some of the end results are not great - all lumpy and uneven - so I guess some time will need to be spent on smoothing over the surface.  In some ways, it reminds me of slab pottery!!

Back to yesterday, after prepping everything for dinner and a tidy up, I sat down, snoozed and knitted and generally had a restful time.

Dinner went well for me, Beth and my little guest.  I have bought a shop vegetarian pie for Beth as I was feeling a bit rough - a Pukka Pie leek and potato one - and she said it was delicious.  Good oh!  L and I made great inroads into a chicken fillet, roasted and sliced and she confided in us that roast dinner was her absolute favourite, especially with broccoli and she had seconds of everything so we ended up with empty dishes and plates.  Just what a cook likes to see.

I made an effort with candles on the table (lit) and festive napkins; after all, everyone likes a bit of Christmas 'bling', whatever their age.  It was very cheering.
I was cheered up again later as the Strictly result was just how I wanted it to be. 

Today, the clouds are gathering.  Yes, it is dentist time and for treatment too.  Two fillings.  Not nice at all so please send me big girl vibes around midday.
It means I will miss my time at school but, hopefully, I can still do tuition later on.  After all, what are pain killers for?

I don't think I will have time for any major Christmas stuff today although I will go into the spare room and sort out the mess in there as it's going to be needed as a bedroom, not as a dumping ground.  I also need to think how I can jazz it up a bit for Christmas.  I think I need a little, shiny, silver tree or something.

Ah, I have thought of something.  L loved the little mice, especially the Father Christmouse one so I have time to make her one as an additional gift.  I'll start that today.


Looking around, I am surrounded by Christmas candles so I think today's music will be the simple and sweet 'Candlesong' from Graham Kendrick's The Gift.  It's another that takes me back to Christmas at school.