Advent 2024 and Christmas Eve

What to write about today?

Part of  the population (Women!) are rushing around getting all the things that are on the 'to do' list crossed off, that's after going out for last minute food shopping by 8am.

Another part of the population (Men!) are wondering if what they have bought for presents - that's if they've actually got  around to buying presents - is going to be the right thing?

And the small children are so hyped up that there will be "tears before bedtime" for sure

And the teenagers are still in bed - and probably will be for most of the day!

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I thought I'd find some you tube Christmas things to watch when everything on the list has been done.

The Wartime Farm Christmas 1944

Here's a short clip from the Christmas edition of The Good Life from 1977

The whole episode is funny but I couldn't get it to copy to here.

And from the beautiful Bealtaine Cottage in Ireland

Have a good nights sleep and don't forget to feed Father Christmas!

Back Tomorrow - briefly

Sue

and a PS - I heard big machinery and looked out the front door and zoomed in for this photo of the giant sugar beet harvester gathering in the sugar beet from up the lane where I walk for the oak photos. It was working in the rain but still got the whole field done in less than day.

Advent 2024 and The Unplanned Christmas Pudding

 With the change of plans for Christmas it meant 'proper Christmas' meals needed on two different days instead of just one day. 

This half packet of vegetable suet (bought last winter for dumplings but still OK) had to be moved or  fell out of the cupboard 

every time I got anything else out and gave me an idea. .................................BiL is traditional and likes Christmas Pudding, I don't particularly, but could eat some but not the huge rather solid recipe I've used through umpteen years of Christmas Pudding making. I looked in several books for a pudding recipe that uses as little as possible, didn't need making weeks beforehand and could be made with just 2½oz of suet and then had a brainwave to look in the Wartime books - when rations limited the amount and range of things that could be used - and found something in this book.

The list of ingredients were simply breadcrumbs, flour, a little suet, minimal sugar, grated carrot and apple, sultanas and raisons and a few prunes plus just 1 egg and and optional alcohol. Most of these are in the house all the time and I separated the raisons from a packet of the value range Aldi peanuts and raisons (peanuts used for biscuits) I bought some prunes which I like but hadn't eaten for ages, so the remainder will be good.

Even with a small amount it was enough for 1 small basin and another even smaller, which I made and steamed yesterday.

Now the question is - do I leave until Boxing Day to re-steam and force BiL to try it or shall I reheat the very small one and try it myself today, just in case?

Back Tomorrow

Sue