Is anyone still up baking/cooking?

[Cooki3Monst3r]

I've done the gingerbread house pieces, the quiche and the sausage rolls. And now I'm about to try and ice/glue the gingerbread house.

Why the fuck I am doing this I have no idea. Next year, I need to remember this moment and just buy the bloody stuff ready made.

Just put rocky road in The fridge and two shepherds pies into the freezer. These are what we are taking to mil and fil tomorrow for Christmas Eve dinner. Also got a big bag of fruit and skewers to make fruit kebabs.

I've come to bed, but only just.

I've made a rod for my own back. It's now tradition I bake enough to feed the five thousand and if I try to cut back they all moan.

I'm trying edging out the coffee mini cupcakes this year and hoping they won't notice.

It all just gets bastard eaten as fast regardless. Did you make your own pastry for teh sausage rolls? I was thinking of doing some for new year but I'll buy puff pastry.

Gosh you're busy! I finished putting marzipan on the wretched xmas cake an hour ago & have now sat down with wine. Got to ice the stupid thing tomorrow when the marzipan won't even be dry. I meant to do it a week ago but didn't get round to it.

No idea why we put so much pressure on ourselves [sigh]

Go to bed, does it really matter? Really?

I've just burnt the frigging sausage rolls. Dread the think what the gingerbread house is going to look like.

Next year we are DEFINITELY having a hotel Christmas.

Getting up in the morning to bake a f*$&ing Christmas cake, let it cool and then ice it in the evening. I don't know what has possessed me to bother my arse doing it. I plan on doing loads today. Nighty night!

PS Merry Christmas Cooki3

Where are your husbands/partners/family?

He's still not in from work. Manager in hospitality so horrendous hours this time of year. He cleaned the kitchen before he went in, I've tried not to make it a bomb site.

He's back in at 10 tomorrow, I hope he gets home soon.

Merry Christmas to you too Val

RJ Noooo to own pastry!! DH usually does the sausage rolls with his own pastry, which he did at the weekend but we needed more so I just bought puff pastry.

TurnOver the gingerbread house is important because I promised little DCs we'd decorate it tomorrow. DH is in bed with 2yo who wakes up every night about midnight for a cuddle!!

Drama the marzipan is supposed to be dry?!?!? Oh shit.

Right, got a gin now so I'd best crack on!!

Happy Christmas Eve!!

Dry marzipan?! Oh dear.

what happens if the icing goes straight on after the marzipan??

guess we'll find out tomorrow val!

I burnt the mince pies the other day. I made them before I went to a party, then baked them when I got home. I got the timings all wrong, no doubt due to the wine . Ah well, they may not have looked great, but they tasted OK.

Glad I'm not the only one who's left the cake a bit late!

I've just finished crocheting some mug cosies for gifts. DH is very slowly 'frantically' wrapping gifts on the floor. Tomorrow I've got to sew buttons on the cosies & pack the mugs full of hot chocolate sachets, marshmallows, candy canes & Baileys for the grown ups & then figure out how to wrap them. Daft Pinterest idea I discovered a week ago when it was confirmed that there'll be another family joining ours for Christmas dinner. Wanted them to feel welcome & included so decided they had to have presents. I've made an average of one mug cosy a day since Friday. My fingers feel weird.

Still need to ice the gingerbread stars that DH made with the DC earlier. That'll have to wait until the morning though. We'll be peeling an enormous mound of sprouts tomorrow too. I suspect tomorrow will be one of those days when I wonder how parents achieved anything before TVs were invented!