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".

@waitingforadulthood

But it bent my brain for 30 mins !

That looks fun to try! Maybe we'll have a go next week 🎄

Hello lovely poncers.

A few years ago I bought a Christmas craft magazine that had a pattern and instructions and the thread to make crochet silver stars. Of course I never made them. As I can’t crochet! I don’t have the magazine or instructions now but wondered if one of you more talented people would like the Silver thread? We are moving house and I’m decluttering and found it yesterday. It’s enough for 2 medium or 3 small apparently. Happy to pop in the post.

I have just ordered a new Christmas tree and as I am a glass artist (kinda) I might actually spend some time this year making decorations for my own home for a change. I spend most of late November and much of December rushing through these for other people and never get round to making them for myself!

@Withershins they're fabulous; the tree is my favourite! You should definitely make some for yourself, they'll look lovely lit up by the Christmas lights.

@Withershins
I love glass on the tree and lights shining through them .

I love those, @Withershins!

I strained my raspberry vodka yesterday and then put the raspberries straight into the preserving pan with the final small batch from the allotment to make jam. I don't think there's any difference in taste between standard jam and that one though (they did only comprise 1/3 of the weight, however).

I need to get down to the greenhouse to pick some chillies to make more sausage rolls at the weekend. There aren't many left now of the larger chillies. The bird's eye ones are prolific though!

I'm hoping my Scotch Bonnet ones ripen before I put them in chilli jam. It's still getting really warm in there, so hopefully they will.

I lost this thread and I was so upset.
It's so heartwarming and inspiring.

I made a thing that I'm quite pleased with. I have enough sticks to make another...and even more sticks to make something else but I'm not sure what. I'm going to add cinnamon sticks and dried orange when it's time for them to go up.

I'm also determined that this is the year I will bake. I'm planning to ease myself in with mince pies and sausage rolls.

I'm also on the look out for a fat green banister garland if anyone has any recommendations?

We're testing out home made stuffing today - it seems quite wet, not sure if it should or not 🤷‍♀️ Both girls have commented that it looks odd so we'll see what the verdict is later on.

BunTooti your decoration is pretty 🎄

I'm getting a freezer delivered next week so will be preparing fresh stuff for the season.
Mince pies, sausage rolls, stuffing balls, pigs in blankets when I can get the cocktail sausages that I like, ice cream (mint choc, whisky caramel and hazelnut choc), macarons (to use some of the whites)
Anyone has any more ideas for the freezer? I will try the make ahead gravy from Jamie Oliver and I will give a go at the roasties but see if we like the texture of them.
Can you freeze cheesecake? I thought of having some caramel cheesecake as pudding for Christmas (individual ones)

@Lalanbaba not officially Xmasy but I make the BBC good food sticky toffee puddings but I cook the mixture in muffin cases. They freeze really well - you'd still have to make the sauce (I have frozen that as well - I can't remember how they worked out).

I spotted this and am determined to do it!!

Thank you for your kind comments, cutting glass is my de-stressor (?), even with all the plasters I get through .

Today I have made my first ever mincemeat for Christmas, I used the Mary Berry recipe and it smells divine, as a plus it uses butter not suet . I always make my own pastry so we will see if it's much better than jars, it is certainly easy to make.

This has fallen off my threads I'm on! I like the decoration @BunTooti

Today I made a dozen mince pies to test out the homemade mincemeat, just in case they weren't nice... They were practically inhaled! Less sweet than shop bought, very tasty and moist.

Hmmm, back to packet stuffing mix then . At least I found out now and not Christmas day that dd2 is not a fan of home-made.

I have 2/3 left though without a purpose. Maybe I'll freeze it & add puff pastry to my shopping list to make a few sausage rolls 🤷‍♀️

I was making pumpkin pie and had a bit of pastry left over so I have shoved half a dozen mince pies in the freezer. Doing my best to resist eating them!

I love the red fir cones might have to try that. Presumably other colours would work as well?

I'm also going to knit some Santa hats for gifts for people I think. Has anyone got a good pattern they can recommend?

@RhinestoneCowgirl, I struggle to eat shop-bought mince pies now I make my own, mincemeat and all. They're just not as good!

I make dozens each year (all of the teachers and TAs loved them last year!).

I've just made more chilli sausage rolls. The chillies felt very potent when I'd chopped them up...the heat hit my eyes! 😂😂

I was always happy to eat a shop mince pie until a colleague brought in some home made mince pies. It was a revelation. I said OMG what is this recipe? It was Delia but I think all the home made recipes are delicious with apple, fruit and spices. Yum.

My mother in law makes missiles with thick pastry and not much shop filling. The teens eat one for her bless em.

I've always made the pastry for mince pies, but this year is a first for mincemeat - it was so easy! Will definitely be making it again next year.

I challenge myself to get the pastry as thin as possible. I reckon they are two bite pies, but 14yr old DS reckons they are gone in one...

Lovely @BunTooti

I'm going to give that a try with driftwood

I have a rolling pin which gets you to a certain thickness. I think it's 2, 3, 6 or 10mm. I don't like them too thin, so do them at 3mm.

I think that would look fantastic @myhobbyisouting

@BunTooti that's beautiful!

Over the weekend I made the Xmas puds (no idea the origin of the recipe, I use MIL's because it doesn't have nuts in). Am waiting for wax circles to arrive before I make my mincemeat. It's going to be the first festive task of my maternity leave in two weeks time (assuming baby doesn't make too early an arrival!)

Not sure if this is the done thing on here, but we're having some rooms decoratedat the moment/they've been newly decorated since we moved in last year. When they're done in a week or so, I might post some photos up and see if anyone has any suggestions for fireplace finery etc? We have lots of holly trees and plenty of ivy in the garden, so can include natural greenery etc as well as shop bought things.

Restoration we love a fireplace pic on here

@Withershins they are beautiful!
@BunTooti I love that might have to give it a go although I have two dogs who believe all sticks belong to them. They're forever stealing my firewood and I can envision me finding them having a good game of tug of war with it.
I'm still going with the christmas cross stitching, and nearer the time I think i'll try to make a wreath. Anybody ever made a non evergreen plant one? i'm not in the UK and we have none of the standard christmas foliage but i'm wondering if some gum tree branches could be persuaded into becoming a wreath