made for the season

some eats... some other stuff!

DD2 and I somehow have fallen into making the traditional eats together.
So, she came home one weekend back in October, and we made the Christmas cake, and the pudding together.  More about the pudding later...
Then she arrived late on the Thursday before Christmas so we could case it in almond paste, and then it was iced, with roll out icing, on Christmas Eve.

Icing was coloured with love by my lovely nearly DD3, , who kneaded it and added more colour, and kneaded again... we wanted a blue, which looked blue, without being 'dirty', but was not too oppressive.  and then we added some green to that blue for the trees,  and added some white to the blue and left it marbled for the stars.
I think we did OK?

 'Mary's mince pies' from a recipe from the 1970s, Family Circle magazine. I think it must be Mary Berry as the Mary!

Earlier in December, DD2 was home again, so that we could  have a weekend, and whilst here, she organised a workshop, to make a Christmas wreath. 

We were part of a group of about ten, including the lass who was running it, and there were refreshments, tea, coffee, mulled wine, mince pies- you get the picture,  and then we got to make table decorations as well. She plans to do garlands next year.... maybe we shall do that too? 

Beth's table centre

and mine

As for the pudding? 

While DD2 and I were at church, the pudding fairy got to work, and put the pudding on to steam, and heat through.  We arrived home to a smell of burning. Burning string, burning paper. Cracked pudding bowl, very black pudding!. So this year, there was no flame it with brandy and process it into the dining room- there was a spoon it out from the middle, and hope it was not too smoky!

But we all got a helping, who wanted it. 

And now, I think I should say, Happy New Year, and may this coming year bring health, and happiness to everyone.