Preparing for Poncetastic 2022

[VivaJen]

I know we start the Poncetastic thread in September but we all know that you have start your Poncetastic preparations early so I thought we could have a prequel type thread for the next month.

So what's everyone planning? 🎄🎄🎄

Have a look at some of these. I love making them but don't do it anymore because it was only my Gran that ever drank them. My favourite was a rhubarb gin - gorgeous colour and tasted lovely

www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/collection/flavoured-gin-recipes/amp

Thanks @VivaJen. How did you sterilise bottles/jars to use?

It's really easy, you just give them a wash in hot soapy water and then pop them in a very low oven to dry and that's it. Just don't touch the inside of the jars and you're good to go.

I'm starting to think about baking for Christmas.
I'm not doing Xmas cake, because I am the only that eats it, but cookies is a different story.
I like to make a few different varieties (always a new one) and some mince pies.
But I always struggle with time, as the don't last long without starting to loose texture.
Any ideas of how to preserve them?
How long before you start making them?
I like chocolate crinkle cookies, zimtsterne, gingerbread men, melted snowmen, Danish biscuits, palmiers

@Lalanbaba could you freeze the uncooked biscuit dough and just cook a few at a time (e.g when the ovens on anyway)

Or, I’ve never tried them but you can get food storage boxes with vacuum seal lids from places like Lakeland. Someone else here might be able to tell you if they’re any good!

I'm making my Christmas put this weekend, I'll be doing my usual BBC Good Food recipe ( just because I love the orange custard cream that goes with it) but what recipes do you go with?

www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/christmas-pudding-citrus-spice

Lurking

Wow @VivaJen that pud looks fantastic. Going to have to try it this year.

Regarding cookies, I make various cookie doughs in advance and freeze them. Usually pop half a dozen in every couple of days, then make a big bath nearer the day for giving out to friends and family. (I wrap in Christmas cello bags) However I'm not sure I want to be putting the oven on for small batches this year so I'm going to dig out my best airtight containers. From memory last couple of years the containers have kept cookies well for at least a week. Mince pies for much longer. I wrap them in parchment paper within the tubs too. The containers I use are from Polar Gear

I've made Mary Berry's pudding. I don't usually eat it, but it looks so nice I may have a try!

I'm also doing a chocolate cherry one which is amazing, if I do say so myself. 😋

@NoWordForFluffy oooo! Do you have a recipe for the chocolate cherry pudding? 😍

I do (now I've found it...DH had swapped my stack of Christmas recipe magazines around, for some reason only he knows).

Thank you 😊

I am pleased to report my preloved hardback copy of The Christmas Chronicles arrived yesterday.

When do we start the read-along? Is there a special thread for it?

I will start the Read Along Thread on Oct 15th, to allow anyone late to the party time to buy a copy x

Hello all! How's everyone getting on?

I've just spent a happy half hour with my "mum book" checking progress on advent calendar and stocking fillers. I am very nearly done for both so may nip into town after work one day (after pay day 🤣) and finish those off apart from pants.

My food shop list is going well - I'll clear out the freezers in October half term, and defrost them, so we're using up what's there & making space for any baking/pre-made by us foody treats.

I've also sorted all the bits that come out first into their own box - thankfully they, at least, were in with the advent and stocking bits rather than in the loft 🙄

My crochet village is a bit squashed and looking sorry for itself so I'm going to see if I can very gently wash it and then re-starch and re-assemble it. Fingers crossed it doesn't go wrong. There are still a couple of pieces to finish off for it, and I've lost my mirror plate that it was on. Hopefully I can complete it all this year and then maybe look to add to it.

Next week's after work job is to cut strips for paper chains for the kitchen, I think. And I'll "consult" the girls to see if there's anything else they want to add to our kitchen based poncing list. I'm reasonably sure I've remembered everything though 🤔

I have my copy , pre-loved but pretty much unread by the previous home . Maybe they had 2 copies ? I cannot see anyone not leafing through this lovely book.

He starts with a few introductory pages then launches on Nov 1st .

I wanted to see if he made lovely gingerbread or toffee for Hallowe'en but maybe like loads of others he doesn't celebrate it?

Can't wait for the read along

Not exactly poncey but i still feel that Nigel would approve. I went blackberry picking yesterday and just made a apple & blackberry mix which can now be frozen so that I can bake a crumble when it's more crumbley weather

Also this weekend I made tomato soup making use of the glut of tomatoes we have in the greenhouse. Also in the freezer for the coming months.

Where has this thread been all my life?! Just ordered Christmas Chronicles and can’t wait to get stuck in.

What do you use for your paper chains @lucysmam ?

I hope you get to finish your crochet village, I find it so satisfying to come back and complete a half-abandoned project. I’ve been knitting a double bed sized blanket for 18 months on and off, desperate to finish it as I might have asked for another kit for Christmas (whoops!)

I’ve also been learning cross stitch with a gift tag kit. I worked as a tailor for my first job and finally enough time has passed that I can sew for pleasure!

@BeastOfBODMAS I bought some silver and gold wrapping paper, very late on in the Wilko sale this year, for about 10p a roll so will use some of those I think and maybe look for a patterned one to use when they're in the shops. I don't think it'll take a full roll of either (may be wrong on that though - my kitchen's massive & it always surprises me just how long a chain we do need).

I packed the village away for two reasons - first being that it wasn't Christmas any more & the lure of new projects 🤣 , and the second being that the church part was annoying me. I couldn't get it's gauge right & it was frustratingly larger than the other pieces 🤷‍♀️

@lucysmam I suppose with the gauge issue you have two options, call it a chapel or a cathedral
I might take a leaf out of your book and start cutting up and saving odds of wrapping paper - by the time my DD is old enough to wield a glue stick I can thank myself for the free quiet activity

@MinglingFlamingo it is 100% Poncey! This is from the start of the proper Poncetastic thread

...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...

@BeastOfBODMAS mine are almost 13 and almost 16 now & still like to come in on a December evening & make a bit while they chat my head off over a hot chocolate so I say go for it! If you keep an eye out when they're selling off the last few bits, there are usually super cheap wrapping paper bargains to be had.

Maybe Cathedral is the way to go if it doesn't go right this time around 🤔

Does anyone have idiot-proof instructions for drying orange slices? I'm picturing the mantlepiece strung with them if I can't get my tree out.

I need to decide on this year's cards soon I think - I just never seem to have much time lately, I'm always doing something. That said, I did step away from my phone for the vast majority of yesterday & got loads done so maybe I should do that more often!

Here you go - a fairly simple orange garland process straight off of pinterest!

thegingerhome.com/how-to-make-a-dried-orange-garland/

I'm going to give it a try too.

So glad to see the thread back again, I've been on and off it for years now! Looking forward to the read along, although last year I got carried away mid-November and read it all one quiet Sunday.

Looking forward to using my embosser from last year's thread. I have a vague memory of someone posting a long list of when to do things that was helpful?

I'm off on holiday in a week but will be in full on poncing mode by the flight home.

Candle makers amongst us, can you recommend where you buy your supplies from please? The bits I bought last year were very poor quality.