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Tuesday 31 December 2013

Happy New Year 2014!

Its 8pm and all three children are high on the excitement of going out on New Years Eve.
I'd be more than delighted to have them home and sleep normally, they have all their lives to do the NYE thing, but seem to be the only one who thinks so among friends etc, so off we go. Will deal with the crankiness and tiredness tomorrow. Hopefully all fine and they will play until post midnight.
Meanwhile Happy New Year all, lots of health and happiness in 2014!
Three cheers :)

Monday 30 December 2013

Unrelated pleasure givers..... stuffed squid and Christmas cactus

Two unrelated things - this is the Christmas cactus that was struggling along since I bought it at the church fair last Christmas, forgotten about in the toilet ledge, occasionally watered, and then, beginning December, these pink things started appearing and this is the current pic of the plant - such a pretty flower, from me, who is not a gardener/plant lover.  Its very little, around a handspan, but has been currently promoted to upstairs toilet shelf, with my mum's cross stitch thingie underneath. Currently seen in Ikea and Morrisons, but this appearing from the wasted looking cactus is soo pretty.
Second surprise/pleasure giver/whatever was the arrival of a friend of these gorgeous stuffed squids late last night, they are divine......never had anything like them, think they are prawns and tentacles chopped up inside with something like mole masala. Everything's melt in the mouth and something H (who's tasted everything Goan possible, or so he thought) has never had in its entirety.
Gorgeous, and didnt know the lady could cook like this. Feni added to sorpotel she says, makes the difference. Told her the cookbook should be out in 6 months.
Little things in the middle of this mad week of sorting the eldest's parties.








Friday 27 December 2013

Christmas pudding in the slow cooker

Merry Belated Christmas!!
After a mad 4-5 days, finally a semblance of normality in our house. The children have decided their favorite thing out of the pile of presents is the ubiquitous Mario Party (Mummy, it has to be the 9). They've seen it in many friends houses and have wanted one for yonks. The strange bit is it was given on Christmas eve as a reward for stuff at school, and has over ridden every other present received. Our house has finally succumbed to the Mario mania or whatever.
Did a goose for Christmas lunch, turned out fantastic and is going to become a must have every year I think. Love the brown meat, the 2.5 hours it took to cook, the non dryness, the lovely goose fat for the potatoes etc.
Had sorpotel next day for lunch before visitors went back.
Then the Christmas pudding, H loves it, its the only Christmas dessert Ive had in the Uk in all the years I've lived here and I dont like it much. H said we must have it as a tradition sort of thing? Read up a few recipes, did it in the slow cooker and it was loooooovely, moist and all the kids ate it too as a first. Must try, lovely and moist and much less fat/sugar than I thought.
Didnt get to take a pic of the final product but this is it being mixed with the non breadcrumbs bits of bread on the top. And in the slow cooker with no string around it.
Here is the basic recipe.

Butter for greasing
100g sugar ( I used light brown)
100g  suet
450gm raisins
50 g plain flour (used self raising)
50g fresh wet white bread chunks
Grated zest of one orange
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp mixed spice
small pinch salt
2 eggs
50ml rum
 2 pint pudding bowl
tin foil
I mixed everything together, got everyone to stir and put it in a Pyrex bowl. Covered with two layers of foil and put it on a tin biscuit cutter. Steamed for 7 hours on high. No refrigeration required. Serves 8

 

Saturday 21 December 2013

Started batch 2 of the kulkuls and Christmas pudding in the slow cooker!


 Kulkuls in progress, I've now tweaked the recipe to add a bit more sugar and a bit more semolina/rava...... this is the result of more than an hour of shaping, with the children and H helping....?
Wish it would be quicker. I've done a fruit cake, which took 15 mins of prep and then the baking.

 Fortunately, the end result wasnt as dark brown as my usual,figured out how to be patient and let the kulkuls fry on low heat for longer.
Unfortunately a quarter of what I've made is finished by children who think its the best thing to happen to food on a Sat (I think its forgetting to feed them a full lunch and their empty tummies).

This is my oldest's shortbread, made into smaller shapes using a plastic bottle lid. Just flour butter and sugar, nothing else, baked for 8 mins. Tastes gorgeous, suggested she dip half into melted chocolate.
A new addition to our Christmas sweets.

Not to forget the Christmas pudding I've tried in the slow cooker, its been cooking since afternoon and hopefully will turn out ok. Much easier to do than I expected, the proof is in the ........

Tomorrow is time for the rose cookies - notoriously difficult I've heard and seen, never tried. Also the marzipan penguins. To post pics later.

Wednesday 18 December 2013

Our attempt at handmade cards

I've wanted to do the handmade cards by the children for years now, never got down to it until last weekend, when the supposedly too many packs of M&S/WH Smith cards vanished.
Have we got more friends/family since last year to send cards to was our first thought, no, of course not, its the children who do. Cue getting out the paint, shapes etc and attempts to create something Christmassy Many opinions, views, ideas etc but finally got some done.
Unfortunately, the children's cards have now taken over the lounge, lots more cards to be written - by tomorrow or Friday. So, am I doing another round of paint, cutting, sticking etc - hopefully not and its back to M&S this afternoon. Its lovely to see the children so excited about their own cards, and making them, but given that each card takes a while, I'd like to do it when we have more time. Not in the middle of all the Christmas plays, choir performances etc etc.
Need to start our sweets nowww - the kulkul ingredients have been on the countertop for days now, should be home and free for more than 30 mins this evening......

Tuesday 10 December 2013

Already the 10th of December......2 weeks left

How cliched is that.....there is Christmas coming out of every person and place's mouths etc.
Been to 3 shops this morning and have had Jingle Bells in its 100 versions stuck in my head (unpleasantly).

Before I sound like a complete sad grouch, I am excited. Seriously. 2 weeks left. I havent posted in a very long time, as usual, lots happening and I have had lots to post about but am making a start.
Back to Christmas, 2 weeks left and we haven't bought any presents. At all.
Would be normal for some I suppose. Hopefully Amazon will come to our rescue, there are lots of items in its baskets, waiting to be paid for and delivered.
We've decided on food hampers for our lovely ex neighbours and friends without children (who spoil ours rotten all year long). Bit boring, but better than getting them 10 mantelpiece ornaments.
Then our children's presents - the middle child has decided he wants the xbox 300 something, and all 4 ps versions, besides which, there are around 20 toys picked up from tv ads on his list. I dont think he actually wants any, will be happy with anything he gets - hopefully!
Don't like the peer pressure at school where all the 6-7 year old friends he has have the above mentioned console thingies......anyway.
Then the saga of our tree - we got a real one this year, little realising the hassle of sorting out a stand. Cue H looking for very expensive stands costing much more than the tree. Found a cheapish one finally. I was keen on the sand in bucket thing but never mind.
Got it last week, its been sitting for over 10 days in a little bit of water, with any luck, we will have a few branches left for Christmas.
Our good old fibreoptic artificial one seems like a good idea.

Then the sweets/cake. Children very excited about everything and its very sweet and contagious. Next weekend the sweet making thing. I am doing cake, kulkuls, trying rose cookies for the first time, barth/baath. Non Goan - white choc truffles, Christmas pudding chocs and I'd like to try besan ladoos.  Will post pics
Sounds ambitious, and I dont think its all going to happen, after typing it out........might have some kulkuls at least :)