Sunday: Advent day nineteen

 Good morning, everyone.  It's another misty start to the day and a rather boring forecast of 'misty and light winds' with rain predicted over the Christmas weekend.  If it has to precipitate, I'd rather it was snow so it's probably just as well it's not up to me!

I did have fun in the kitchen yesterday.  I put together my alternative stollen and managed to use up a fair amount of my dried fruit bits and bobs.  I looked at what was left and decided to dig out Mum's old fruit loaf recipe and jazz it up a bit to make it more festive (basically, add some of my Festive spice to the mix and use whatever fruit I had rather than what the recipe specified).  So I set the fruit to soak and the completed mixture is in the oven as I type.  Now there is absolutely no need for any more baking but I still want to make some citrus shortbread to the 3-2-1 recipe which works so very well.  
And then I really am all done!
The stollen loaf came out really well, by the way, and is now sliced, wrapped and frozen.  If I don't get it out of immediate range, it's just too tempting!

The kitchen is smelling wonderful this weekend.

Did you watch the Strictly final?  I'm not ashamed to admit that I was a bit tearful when AJ and Kai were talking about their disappointment.  I feel for them both  - for Kai to win in his very first year on Strictly would have been a dream come true and to get so far and then be scuppered by an injury - such a shame.
Having said that, I have favoured Rose all the way through, simply because of the deafness to start with.  You have to have a favourite, I think.
It must have been so difficult to get that programme out, what with injuries, three fewer dances, celebrities dropping out because of Covid, and so on.  I though it came together remarkably well under the circumstances.

Today, the diary tells me to 'ice cake'.  Seeing as I have done that, I'll probably decorate and be-ribbon the cake and then it's all ready for just the wee figures.  I can't put them on yet because they are too tall for the container.
I might make the shortbread too.  As an afterthought, it's not in the diary.

I had a message from Beth yesterday - she had to be round here to deliver something this afternoon so could she pop in for a coffee.  There's only one answer to that, of course, so I will get a mince pie out for her and am looking forward to a good old natter.

I'm not sure what to do now there's no results programme to watch but I guess I will watch some of the programmes I have been recording all through the week and not yet watched.

Today's Advent music is the wonderful 'The Three Kings' by Peter Cornelius, sung over the chorale 'How Brightly Shines the Morning Star'.
I normally link to the King's College Choir performance but have found a performance by VOCES8, which I've only just discovered and which is absolutely beautiful as well so, just to be different . . .

Here's the link to the King's one too.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HIedUioo_Jk&list=PLjBnYixEZmRe_hFFjGJ5Sg1tUJw8jwNLA&index=5&t=44s