FN's Ponstastic Christmas Thread part Trois....

[FellatioNelson]

....will be officially open for business on September 24th. I am just firing up the engines and dusting down the control room ready for action in case I forget to do it on the 24th

Do not post yet. Do not. Sit on your hands, ladies.

On your marks........................

Is it poncey to have sliver painted twigs instead of a Christmas tree? The tree in a pot is looking V shabby this year... maybe time to try something new.

Oh for goodness sake - enough with the silly bathroom set already! Have you girls learned nothing under my tutelage all these -2- years?

crossing out fail.

If you need old sheet music, you can just print out some random music then soak the page in some strong tea (no milk) then hang out to dry, and hey presto almost authentic old sheet music!

Those sheet music trees are gorgeous and here are the blanks www.ebay.co.uk/itm/10-x-WOODEN-CHRISTMAS-TREE-Unpainted-Shapes-Gift-Tags-Blank-150-mm-Craft-arts-/270839351237?pt=UK_Crafts_Other_Crafts_EH&hash=item3f0f4887c5&_uhb=1#ht_5441wt_754

I've had a mad few days at work, and cannot catch up here yet. Boy you lot can talk!!

But just on what I've seen since I last posted:

Honey rum - yes it's nice but I struggle to know what to do with it. We got a 500ml bottle in the Canaries in 2003 and I opened it in despair in 2010 to do the cherries - I still have 1/2 the bottle left that I occasionally throw a splash into or over something (like into rhubarb that is stewing, this summer a couple of times - oooh worth doing!).

TeaOneSugar, I don't use brandy in mincemeat, the recipe I started with (and I've lost recently but will find, I KNOW I will!!), calls for Grand Marnier. Which makes for a nice citrus burst. Again, that bottle is open a good few years now.

(I know it probably sounds like I'm an alco, but I inherited a load of half used bottles of different things from my DSis when she left this city in 1998 or so, as she was afraid our parents would realise how extensive her collection was and we still have some of the White Martini from then. I just have a cupboard that I can put bottles into and ignore until they're needed, so there is an interesting collection between my DSis, various sublings presents from travels and our own collection from travelling and concocting (raspberry vodka, rhubarb vodka, sloe gin, etc)). But the gin and brandy stay safely at the front for more frequent consumption.

I do the Christmas Eve hamper too, with "Twas the night before Christmas" for bedtime story (I keep that with the decorations and 24th is it's first reading annually - I have loads of other books seperately kept for December).

New PJs for DH, DD and I
Lush christmassy bathbombs for DD and I
Snowman soup for all (DD doesn't like the candy cane so I need to find a non-mint version).

I am liking the idea of a dvd, possibly Harry Potter as DD is starting to get into that genre. And we already have a few Christmas films between dvd and the (sky+ type) box (Home Alone, and Home Alone 2, are watched CONSTANTLY year round here by DD).

And for Christmas Eve dinner, last year we did a Smorgasbord type thing - laid out a range of cooked and cured meats (ham, parma ham, salami, braseola), some smoked salmon, squid rings in a spicy sauce, prawns with sweet chilli sauce, pate, a few cheeses, some nice french bread, crackers, olives, tapenade, hummus, seasoned olive oil for dipping, cherry tomatoes. Everyone could help themselves, and it wasn't too heavy before the feasting next day. If we are staying here this year, I will do the same.

But I need to pin DH down on where we will be. We were going to travel but the cost of renting a house is too much. But I DO think we need somewhere to be able to escape to (from the madness of both houses where we grew up), and also to relax with our siblings as adults and not always be entertained by our parents on their terms.

Off now to see if I can get out for lunchbreak, and contemplate the ponceyness that is the BT Christmas Market!!

Biddy, the white Martini might need chucking!

If you find you need to use up vermouth, you can use it instead of wine in casseroles, risottos etc. I find risotto only requires a wineglass full, and it's good. Also keeps well after the bottle has been opened, unlike wine.

Sarah raven has arrived but is a tad daunting for the non florist.

What do you recommend from her book that is easy for a beginner, tried and tested?

Can I please check, is Christmas Loo Roll poncey or tacky?

It's probably fallen into the realms of tradition here, so I may be stuck with it.

We're talking about "The snowman" so it's fairly understated.

We have packets of Christmas paper tissues ... but bog roll, no, that`s beneath us ...

IMO it is essential.

Last year Aldi had some lovely festive toilet roll.

And don't forget to buy your festive washing up liquid and kitchen roll.

I have never in my life bought festive loo roll - or Christmas kitchen roll ot washing up liquid!!

Should I?

Of course!

You are just not taking it seriously enough if you dont.

You might get away with festive loo roll and tissues where there are small DC, mainly to encourage them to use them!

lindsell I was in ikea earlier and they have rolls of gift wrap that looks like sheet music - brown paper with lines of music printed on it. Only about £1 or £2 a roll. Might be easier that making/printing your own.

I want a naice table cloth, maybe cream with a subtle specking of gold or silver snowflakes. Problem is my dining table, when at its longest, is three meters by one fifty. I think I'm going to have a look round the market and just buy some nice fabric if I can find any, then try and sew an edge round it (can't just have cut fabric), but I've never tried to do that before, has anyone hemmed a tablecloth before, is it hard?

Not hard to hem Viking with a sewing machine. Or you could use bond a web (I think that is the right name). You iron it on to create a hem. Hopefully that makes sense.

Viking
Do you know someone with an overlocker? It would take 10 mins to run it around the edge of a tablecloth. Maybe a place that does alterations? They should have one.

Ooooh, I'll ask around!

People on the Marmite thread are suggesting the new Gold Marmite (the one with gold flecks in it) would be a good Christmas breakfast.

Glittery toast! - I think they may have a point :)

Aldi and lidl do great lebkucken and stollen, pannetone and chocolates.
I think I might do nigella ham in coca cola on Xmas eve. And soup.
Need some nice chocs for the Xmas tree.

Festive loo roll?
You see?
This thread is evil.
1 minute ago I did not know such a thing existed.
And now I must have some.
Sigh.

I may have eaten an entire a couple of mini butter, marzipan stollen from Lidl yesterday. they were yummers!

I've managed to get DP to see how necessary a chest freezer is so I can bake and cook things a plenty for Christmas!

I tried to put the Santa outfit on long cat earlier .... She did not enter into the spirit so it shall once again be reserved for big cat.

I'm determined to get DP into a festive jumper this year (and the kids!)