It's poncetastic 2019!

[NerosFiddle]

Since no one has started it yet, I thought I would.

Happy Rudolph Day

So come on, show us yours!

Aww thank you @TheWoollybacksWife, you’re all so accomplished I was a bit nervous about showing it.

I rescued some knitted dolls outfits during the house clearance so I’m going to have a go at making something with those. I am missing her dreadfully but crafting makes her feel closer to me somehow.

Been poncing around my recipes whilst lying in bed .

So I have ordered the gubbins to make Jamie Oliver’s “ get ahead gravy” so I can freeze it . I made it last year (without the star anise ) and it was fab .
DD , who is going to take over most of the catering this year is a vegetarian and I am not sure she would cope with bashing up the chicken wings and pushing through a sieve . So I will get that done .

Ooh I could make the sausage meat stuffing as well .
@TheWoollybacksWife Thank you for reminding me .
I have been mooching back through this lovely thread .

Are poncy shortcuts allowed on here?

I'm host a fairly small Christmas, and find baking one small Christmas cake just isn't cost or time effective, so for the last few years I've bought a rich fruit cake from Morrison's for £4 (found with the decorated cakes, mince pies etc) and treated it as home made, so it's currently wrapped up in a nice cake tin having had its first nip of Amaretto and it nearer Christmas be covered in marzipan and royal icing, so as far as anyone needs to know a homemade Christmas cake. I promise no one will ever know it's shop bought unless I tell them.

Hmmm, well, Christmas cake is out but it's slightly burned on top even with the temp turned down 20° less than the recipe called for because the thermostat in my oven is buggered . Sure it'll be fine once marzipan & icing are on but not sure whether to make the second one (that my friend asked for) & cook it at an even lower temp...for even longer?

Any advice?

I have the cards for my sewn cards now; so I'll probably make a start on one this evening.

I need to make my stuffing. And the get ahead gravy.

I've done my first batch of brownies today, as well as some mince pies (which are now waiting for their turn in the oven!).

I also made chilli jam, but that's not solely for Christmas.

I love the pom pom wreath; it's so lovely!

My current cross stitch is half way through now. I may get it done in the next couple of weeks then I'll move onto to Snowmen ones.

What's the get ahead gravy? I'm going to google!

It's a Jamie Oliver recipe @lucysmam I didn't like it when I made it but I followed the instructions to the letter. I've since found out that most posters here reckon it's better if you leave the star anise out.

You have reminded me that I need to get the ingredients for chilli jam this week Fluffy I'm down to my last half jar.

@likeridingabike
All poncy short cuts welcome ! Ooh Amaretto ! I had some spiced rum left over from making coffee liqueur last year so my cake is getting that !

Allmyarseandpeggymartin that's gorgeous

What a lovely idea to remember your grandma with

I'm trying to figure out how to ponce a dinner for 26 (absolute max - likely to be somewhere between 14 and 22 in reality) into our house (not on Christmas Day, in the days after that).

DH is freaking out that we can't fit that many. I know I can borrow 2 long tables to add to our dining table, so length-wise is fine, I just need to figure out if they can all run together across the room (have to angle it to go around a structural pillar between the dining room and "playroom" but not at such an angle that 2 people bang their heads off the breakfast bar counter around the kitchen). Source a few more chairs (I have enough for 15 at least).

And figure out a menu - whether I do a buffet style thing, a plated meal, or just give up and do more drinks and nibbles instead of a meal (but that is worse as I definitely don't have enough easy chairs or small tables). I'm veering towards 2 main course choices both served with rice, a couple of bowls of salads, and some desserts but no starter, at a sit-down table setting.

Otherwise, my poncing is low-grade this year. Limoncello is maturing in a cupboard, along with boozy mince-meat (Hairy Bikers recipe with a German fruity liqueur rather than their suggestion). I have built up my collection of blues and silvers in my decorations collection, so I hope to have a tree with traditional reds, greens and golds in 1 room (main tree) but the older, smaller fake in the playroom (corner away from where the table would go for entertaining) with a more eclectic silver, blue, underwater-ish mostly but also some robots and a VW van etc decorations.

Probably "wrapping" the front door again as I doubt I'll have time to make a wreath - wide ribbons cut to size and with a big bow where they cross. It was very effective last year.

And I rescued a lot of lovely ivy with good berries last weekend when DH was strimming the back wall (before winter storms pull the entire sheet of it off the wall!), so I will be doing a lot of flower arranging for advent wreaths, table centre pieces and Christmas Candle arrangement with those. (They are in a bucket of water in the back garden, I did the same last year and it kept perfectly!).

@mathanxiety Aww thanks, very kind of you to say so.

I cant remember who was saying about burned Christmas cake. I always faffed about putting paper around the sides and over the top as reccomend by delia. The fruit always caught ag least a little. This year in could not be bothered so put foil over the top- it worked perfectly. J made a wee hole in it to let out any steam.

@starryeyedsnowgirl - some Christmas-related Pinterest boards of mine:
Mish mash of Christmas and other holiday crafts

Poncetastic Scandi Christmas

Funny when you look through one of your own boards you see how many duplicated pins you have

@starryeyedsnowgirl it was me with the slightly burned round the edges cake. I'm doing another this weekend so will try foil over the top and see how it goes. I'd love a new oven that actually cooks things how I'd like it to (and I've just noticed it's bulb needs replacing ).

Hi all,
I have four types of home infused booze in the cupboard, mince pies in the freezer, and a DIY wreath on the door but planning to take it easy on the 25th and not be tied to the kitchen, given the stream of guests children and in-laws. Anyone had one of these before? I love duck and it says it would feed 8, unlike a standard roast duck www.waitrose.com/ecom/products/waitrose-&-partners-easy-carve-duck-with-plum-glaze/820473-701752-701753?&tsrc=vdna&gclid=Cj0KCQiAk7TuBRDQARIsAMRrfUYskZ49uddDRSlYMKc5ofDfB76IiHzlB-8vFgMqIRqmXrEkMjseuDUaAuQ2EALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds

@mathanxiety those are lovely boards, but I was already following you!

Pinterest really is lovely to look through, always makes me wish I were a blogger.

it's a small world.

I want to get baking next weekend, in earnest. I'll have to do a list during the week.

I should be finishing the current cross stitch this week, then doing the two Snowman ones which should be quick as they're tiny!

I feel a bit rushed now. I suppose it's only my own pressure on myself though!

I've run out of people to make cards for (only really give three to family & one of them won't be getting one this year), apart from dd2 who wants a rainbow unicorn so I'm waiting for thread.

I made pastry and second Christmas cake yesterday. & I think I'm going to make one for a friend's dad. Her mum died recently & I know he likes Christmas cake so I thought it might be a nice thing to do

I forgot my photo!!

I really like your cards lucysmam they are very effective.
Yesterday, I set 3yo DD off on colouring in her Christmas cards for her grandparents and her friends. They are definitely not a masterpiece!
Am on countdown to my wreath making workshop (10 days!!!). I can't believe how excited I am for it.

@Vebrithien
I bought some tiny wire battery lights to wind through my wreath and loved the gentle effect .
Mine were from the Poundshop .

That sounds lovely, Trumpton!

I think your cards are great, lucysmam.

Slowly working my way through my to do list, currently on cards. Found simple but effective embroidery ones on TheSpruce and have made a few, 6 more left to do in 2 weeks so I better hurry up.