Poncetastic 2020

[VivaJen]

I came on looking for the annual thread but can't find it so here is the start (courtesy of Fellatio - wherever you are)

OK, first of all, I know it's still September by we need to start this thread now because as you all know, having a truly Poncetastic Christmas involves precision planning, strategy, bravery, heroics, and frequently martyrdom. A bit like the war in Afghanistan, only with nicer food and sparkly shoes.

So, if you, like me, actually want to make the next twelve weeks of your life a misery by hand-crafting your cards, finding a huge bucket for Nigella's turkey in brine, pickling pears, shrivelling oranges in a low oven for those rustic au naturel decorations, dragging half a holly bush back from the woods, and just generally being a smug annoying jobsworth ponce, join me on this thread.

Feel free to post photos of previous tree-trimming, cake icing or table centrepiece triumphs, discuss this year's bauble colour themes, debate the merits of Delia versus Gordon, road-test a selection of canapes and cocktails, (all in the line of duty) and link to lovely inspirational photos/craft ideas for a truly Poncetastic Christmas.

Warning: If your idea of a good Christmas involves Pizza, ITV, gravy granules or anything with 'Aunt Bessies' on the packet, this is not the thread for you".

Yay !
Lovely !
I am awaiting delivery of my Sarah Raven Paperwhite narcissi bulbs to force on for Christmas flowers . I grown them on pebbles in hurricane lamps .
Cake made on Wednesday last with help from the grandchildren .
Let the poncing commence !

I'm joining as I'm undeniably a fellow Christmas poncer, but will likely fail spectacularly this year as I'm expecting a baby on 4 December and I'm not sure anything covered in baby poo can be passed of as poncetastic, even if it rolled in glitter!

I do still have a Christmas pudding made from last year though, so that's half a tick!

Woohoo! I have been waiting for this. Been here a few years under various names. Trumpton how are you? You were awaiting an operation last year i think.

Well we certainly have time at home to ponce. I must get on!

Yay!!
This will be the 21st Christmas in our own house (not including when I lived away in Uni and rented independently for my first couple of years out) and I finally made my first ever Christmas cake last night.

I'd had the fruit soaking for almost 2 weeks (a mix of orange juice and a German fruit liqueur rather than brandy). Made it and baked it last night, and only read the last line in the recipe when it was in the oven - it keeps for about 8 weeks then starts to dry out. So I think I will be feeding it weekly with whiskey...

I'm carefully saving the last small carton of turkey gravy from last Christmas for thanksgiving in 8 weeks (normally just a breast of turkey - but as I'm WFH it could be a more complete dinner this year).

And DH, the Christmas Scrooge in this house, has already declared a month ago that we need to decorate early to keep our spirits up...so who am I to object? I'll start to add touches in early November I think, lights and winter bits, and add full on Christmas from early Dec.

At present, my crafting plans are to continue making presents of various sorts (my personal wellbeing programme with fringe benefits of needing to buy less - I finally finished a knitted blanket that had been on needles for 4 years, for example, and made lots of other things I had bought materials for but not had time). But if I get through all those, I will make a tree skirt at least for the house. And maybe some nice seasonal placemats and napkins.

But I am not making mince meat this year - I have so much still in the cupboard from last year and 2 years ago that I will just enjoy the mature versions instead.

(Carton of turkey gravy is the leftovers of proper gravy put in the freezer on Boxing Day).

Thank you @VivaJen for starting this thread.

I have got my fruit soaking for my cake. I plan to bake it on Monday. I'm also going to make puddings (only DH eats them here so I'll make a couple of individual ones and possibly one for MIL) and I'll make some mincemeat next week too.

Crafts wise I'm planning on doing a wreath for the door in early December and a table centrepiece a day or so before Christmas. Over the years I've made a tree skirt, Christmas bunting and a fabric advent calendar that all come out year after year so my crafting will be for gifts or the Woolly Hugs Christmas sale.

Hello!

I'm making my first mince pies this weekend and maybe other bits too.

I've already been on the cross stitch case and have done two epic ones so far (and finally framed one from last year!). I'm doing a non-Christmas one at the moment, but have a Historical Sampler Advent one I'll do next.

We're also going to do raspberry vodka when I've been to the allotment tomorrow to get said raspberries!

My roasties are par-boiled, fluffed and frozen (allotment crop, so needed doing ASAP after digging).

I'm well on it!

I’ve started making Christmas bunting.... slightly regretting it already as I have velvet fluff all over my dining room 😂

Yay! I'd forgotten this thread would be coming : )

I've been thinking for weeks that i should go out and gather some pine cones for autumn decorations and then christmas, so I think I'll do that now.

Right, pine cones gathered and in the oven. Covid Christmas is going to be my most poncetastic ever

I've been waiting too!
Namechanged blabla.
Just one thing. If I say, at any point, I am making chutney, remind me please: I don't like it, the family don't like it. I don't know anyone who does like it. I threw 2018s away in August. Untouched. I threw 2017s away when I made 2019s.

I'm like a Pavlov's dog when it comes to chutney.

😂😂😂

I don't make it because I don't like it either! Somebody needs to sit on you.

Haven't made my cake yet and as have not one but two Harrod's puddings from a gifted hamper last year was thinking of not making my own. But that wouldn't be right would it?

Does anyone know when to make a gluten free cake ? I am assuming closer to Christmas, as they don’t seem to last as well as a normal one.

Yay it's poncing time!

I haven't decided what I'm going to do this year. I normally make mince pies on an industrial scale, some gingerbread and chutneys.

Last year I dried out some fruit with spices and made some lovely home fragrances.

Dc will make some homemade cards and decorate wrapping paper.

@Makedo
Well that gave the warm and fuzzies
Yes , this time last year I had been diagnosed with breast cancer and had had two lumpectomies but still hadn’t got clear margins .
Long story short ..I had 12 weeks of chemo and then a mastectomy. Now waiting for plastic surgery but that is on the back burner as I am safe . Lopsided but safe . Not going to be seen at least til March so it’s full tilt at a poncetastic Christmas this year !

Hurray for poncetastic Christmas! @Trumpton you kindly sent me the details for the forced narcissi last year and I didn't get round to it maybe this year! And good luck with the recovery, sounds like an ordeal.

I'll be making mince meat & Christmas cake soon.

Christmas bunting sounds interesting. I could definitely be persuaded to have a go.

I did my mincemeat during furlough! It should taste amazing!

@Trumpton I am pleased to hear you are well. I look forward to your poncing efforts- they always far surpass mine, but I enjoy the journey.

I had hoped to have a shiny new kitchen for Christmas but that seems unlikely. Baking and making can begin next week. Every second year I make delias cranberry chutney. It is revolting. I always forget and I am determined not to.again! Off to collect brambles for some gin. Has anyone done anything nice with little wild apples or rose hips?

Are the wild apples crab-apples? You could make crab-apple jelly.

I have found my people. I have been ill for the last 3 Christmases but no longer, this year is MY YEAR! I shall be a wreath making, orange shrinking, fireplace decorating martyr and everyone in this house shall do my bidding. Yes, I shall place an extraordinary amount of pressure upon myself to create the perfect Christmas but so bloody what.
I am armed with this years GH magazine, but do admit to not liking Christmas cake and purchasing ready made mincemeat. Those are my confessions.

This is definitely the thread for me!. I’m determined to make this Christmas magical but I’ve never done this sort of thing before, some of you have started your pudding, am I too late to start one now?

I'm in for a bit of poncetastic-ness.

Fingers crossed we will have moved house at the end of November! I'm looking forward to ponceing a new house, and will be putting up three trees. Three!!

I've bought stuff to decorate the downstairs loo

@anorangeaday
Definitely not too late to do pudding and / or cake .
Traditionally the last Sunday before advent is known as “Stir up Sunday “
From the collect for that day and was the day for puddings .
"Stir up, we beseech thee, O Lord, the wills of thy faithful people".

I like to do mine early and feed it .
I am going out tomorrow to get blackberries for blackberry brandy .

I’m not really a poncer anymore, since we’ve pared back so much, but I’ve been on these threads under many different years over the years and it’s lovely to read everyone’s ideas.
to Fellatio in case you’re out there lurking!