Christmas isn't Christmas without ........

[MrsOnyx]

..... today I bought the three things without which, to me anyway, Christmas just wouldn't be Christmas -

A copy of The Radio Times, some fresh walnuts and several bags of those chocolate coins in foil. Small things, but I just can't do Christmas without them.

Anyone else got any small, but essential Christmas "must haves"?

Peppermint bark?? Which country are you in? I’ve just googled it as I’ve never heard of it and I NEED it!!!

Baking gingerbread :)

Adopting that rule.

Toast it and slather it with butter!

Bread sauce
A box of dates with the little fork
A Tunis cake

The Tunis cake was something I really didn't like as a child but now I appreciate it, and it makes me feel nostalgic.

Ordering and receiving cheeses from the Fine cheese company in London, pricey but much better selection than anywhere close to me.

Wham Last Christmas

Peppermint bark is amazing and super easy to do with kids too!

Massive cheese board, quality street, chocolate oranges, after eights, a copious amount of alcohol

@ChillyFingers make an orange sauce with Cointreau in it and pour it onto sliced panettone and bake it in the oven.
It’s really good.

Baileys, sherry (the only time of year I have it), a tub of Treeselets, Benedicks mints, York jellies. And a slow roast gammon joint with chips and egg on Boxing Day.

Puff Pastry Mince Pie and Baileys

Chocolate orange and shortbread

Quality street, after eights, baileys, mince pies, lebkuchen, sprouts, mint Vienetta, Black Forest gateau, pickled onions

A really shit UK 'Lapland'. I live for the sad face tales of gullible people who spend £200 a person to go to a muddy car park in Huddersfield and experience sweary elves, pissed up Santa, the 'German market' consists of a hotdog seller and overpriced pick n mix and the 'cookie decorating cabin' is a draughty B&Q shed with some broken ginger nuts in.

Makes my year

The Royal Pavilion Ice Rink in Brighton - the absolute best Christmas ice rink and so much more magical than any of the the London ones!

Its adjacent to the North Laines, so from November onwards we pop into their Christmas tree-lit cafe when we're shopping, then in December we actually skate.

My mum. I miss her.

Family, mine has shrunk, DH's are just odd balls.

Playing board games, cards and building lego. None of this happens now, DC older and DH a mizog.

So now Christmas is pretty much like Sunday except I have more cooking and more washing up.

A glass of bailey's whilst watching The Muppets Christmas Carol.

Polish 'birds milk' candy.
Pecan pie.
Luminaria twinkling on all the sidewalks in the neighbourhood on Christmas Eve.
Dcat vs Tree, part 8.

A big jigsaw puzzle, a glass (bottle) of sherry, and Classic FM Christmas music. That right there is my happy place.

@Lucienandjean Tunis cake for me too! They’re getting very hard to find but got one in Sainsbury’s this year. Not quite the same as in the ‘80s with no coloured icing but still looking forward to trying it.

Also squirty cream, Wensleydale with cranberries, j20s and Pringles!

A visit to the pub on Christmas Eve after making sausage rolls and gingerbread.

Advocaat to make snowballs never drink it after Christmas Day (even if some left) but start drinking it from December 1st.

Bought a tv times today to see what was on and when started to look through it I was like why have I bought it when I have sky cinema, Netflix, etc and rarely watched 'normal' tv!

Stuffing. I always say we should have it year round and never do yet it's the thing I look forward to most.

Home made fudge. I do it every year for my office and DH's. This weekend is our big fudge making sesh.

www.onestop.co.uk/great-offers/

One stop do them too...three for £5 and lots of other choc offers 🎅🍫