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........................

Ladies, try here for all sorts of jars and bottles. They often do special offers and bulk buy deals, and got a box of the Firenze bottles last year for more like £2 per bottle - great size for giving as presents.

Need to dig out my Sarah Raven book. We've moved into a much bigger, old house this year, so getting excited about all the extra trees & decorations we can have! Hoping to get at least 2 real Christmas trees this year as only ever had an artificial tree previously

I'm a ponce newbie but...my cake is already in the oven! Do I get a prize?

Console table would be fine Cider. I have a cupboard in the lounge which I place a swag with lights and baubles on.

Regarding the pears, they don't ripen until after they've been picked. So unless they get windfallen or attacked by birds they should stay fresh. Pear and blackberry crumble is nice, you could freeze the fruit and crumble mixture separately, then defrost when you want a crumble pud. Very quick to assemble and put in oven, just shove fruit and sugar in ovenproof dish and sprinkle the crumble mix on top. Pick pears in advance to allow them to ripen a bit first.

Ooh exciting, I lurked last year but I'm hoping to more poncetastic this year. Do I need the Sarah Raven book?!

I've made 9 jars of damson jam and have 2 big jars of damson gin brewing. There are still some damsons in the freezer so might make chutneys too. Damson overload maybe.

I've seen kilner bottles in Wilkinsons. How do people label and present the flavoured booze?

Marking place. Had a fabulously poncetastic Christmas last year, due to this thread. I will be back to read later.

Happy ponce-ing!

Ah! Lightbulb moment! Didn't realise that about them not ripening till picked. The dogs get the windfalls at the moment!

Oh, I think you most definitely do need the Sarah Raven book, Hons.

£4.99 with free P&P. How can you not need it?

Last year I labelled my bottles with brown parcel tags tied on with red and white striped baker twine. Have a look at my photos on my profile of the poncey gifts I made last year

Is there a list of items to get anywhere? Like glass bottles or...things?

For anyone who already has Sarah Raven this new Diana Henry book is great - very poncetastic and Wintery. I have already done Damson gin and jam. Lots of nice alcoholic things as well as fish, fruit and vegetables.

I'm sticking a toe in here, but that's probably all. I ponced a bit last year but not much as I was enormously, massively pregnant. This year I've promised my dad that they can do Christmas Day in their house, because I'm having it forever then! We always had Christmas Day at home as kids and it was lovely and relaxed so I want that for my two. It's a satisfying arrangement in the long term, but in the short term diminishes my scope for poncery somwhat

I'm easing off on the homemade stuff this time. I made tonnes of stuff last year for my family and my sister loved hers, but my parents never bothered to eat most of theirs and it's still mouldering in a cupboard in their utility room. I'll be putting less effort into their gift this year, I suspect. And they can buy themselves a cake!

One of the things I'm most looking forward to in the run up to Christmas is spending a day in the attic sorting the decorations and getting rid of the ones we never use. We have at least twice as much stuff as we need or can reasonably display without looking like lunatics and I'm sure someone else would have a use for them. I adore getting rid of unnecessary clutter, even from the attic

Just told DH about Salt Sugar Smoke. I have Roast Figs Sugar Snow and it's lovely. Actually I might curl up with that in front of the fire tonight, after the kids have gone to bed. I need wintry inspiration for my meal planning.

wowzer zeeky, your picture are v impressive!

I have used this cherry brandy recipe this year , and I used this raspberry gin recipe last year

I always use frozen fruit in my booze as I don't have any fruit bushes or trees, and frozen seems to be the cheapest way to buy a lot of fruit.

I fancy giving the lemon gin a go, but you have to wait 2 years

ooh some lovely ideas here.

So far I've got lots of mini-jars of jams & chutney as little "stocking filler" type things for people. I've made a couple of lovely things so far for gifts. I'm well in the poncetastic zone

Usually I make Christmas cake but thats getting a bit old so thinking of trying something new but equally christmassy. Same with Sloe Gin, everyone knows I'm good for a few bottles, and that the attic is full!

Raspberry gin takes 3 months to mature- start now and it'll be ready for Christmas!

Ingredients: 300g raspberries, 300g white sugar, 1.5/2 litres gin, 2 litre bottles

1. Divide raspberries & sugar between the 2 litre bottles (use funnel)
2. Fill to top with gin
3. Shake every day until sugar is dissolved
4. Store in dark place for at least 3 months.
5. Remove raspberries at Xmas and use for trifle

Starshaped I don't have a recipe (sadly) but I had some amazing chilli piccalilli in a ham hock baguette some time ago. Might be worth experimenting to get that effect, it was well nice. Let me know if you find a good recipe, even though I'm the only one who likes the stuff.

Which brings me to a question: does anybody ponce alone? My DC are still tiny enough that their idea of Christmas heaven is sparkly tinselly tat from the pound shop. I don't have anyone to give home made gifts to apart from SIL and best friend (family too curmudgeonly ). DH dislikes chutney, I hate Christmas cake and Christmas pudding. Since we're having our first ever Christmas Day at home just the four of us, I will of course be cooking a fabulous meal, but the DC are only 4 and 1 so we won't exactly need masses of extras.

So bearing all of that in mind, I'm not sure how much home crafting of stuff I can/should bring to fruition Flavoured booze YES; delicious treats YES; pretty things YES; my vision of lovingly-crafted jars of pickle and glistening hams, probably NO.

I can dress our table though...

Oh, and last year somebody posted an alternative to Christmas pudding that looked really good, but I can't remember what or where it was Does anyone have any festive suggestions? I think it involved cranberries and pecans.

Those pickled pears are bloody gorgeous. I make them most years because they are so easy. I really fancy doing something different that I haven't done before this year though. What to do...?

I just don't understand haters of chutney and Christmas cake and Christmas pud! They are divine! Although I dislike icing. I pick it all off and just scoff tons of marzipan. I could really go a lump of marzipan piece of Christmas cake right now.

OMG Zeeky - you are just not worth competing with! We may as well shut up shop and go home! Did you open a shop with that lot or what?!

Yes!

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Poncetastic Christmas

ExasperatedSigh we ponce alone, well kinda. Its only me and DH for christmas, minus having the in-laws for breakfast before church.

We have informed them its homemade gifts this year from us as we are trying to save and they can have nicer things not just because I say so I think they think I'll change my mind hahaa.. no such luck as I'm 90% planned already!

Food wise I've the past I've done something fancy and mastercheffy with venison/duck/etc rather than turkey, but then small enough that abut 8/9 we can munch on all those extras and things like cheese, chutney and homebaked bread with it and i cheat get ham from the really fancy deli down the road rather than make it just for the two of us. The chutney etc I do a batch, one jar for us for the year and then little jars for others. Did ham once and while it was lovely.. I got sick of it after a day or two.

Right. I'm going to get my Chrsitmassy books out. We can discuss stuff.

I have been dreaming of a poncetastic Christmas for years, and this year it might actually happen am also getting all my Christmas books out tonight to start planning, although I have to admit don't like Christmas pudding or cake. But I make it anyway.