Season of mist and mellow fruitfulness...and ramping up those Christmas preparations! Countdown to Christmas 2024 (thread 3) (title edited by MNHQ @request of OP)

[NoWordForFluffy]

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(Saves us checking the old thread tomorrow!)

Here goes, folks. New thread to see us through autumn!

We're having lights, but there's no big lights turn on do, apparently. Though Gemma Collins is apparently visiting for reason unknown! 🤷‍♀️

I now have my two yards (ish, give or take!) of Jaffa Cakes, as well as my Buck's Fizz (x2).

DS was keen on the giant gingerbread men in John Lewis, so I may still buy a couple of those, but otherwise I'm done! Bar The Twitch

I have had a very festive morning feeding the Christmas cake and making up bags of pigs in blankets, stuffing balls and sausage and stuffing rolls for the freezer. I made double of the sausage rolls so have a batch in the oven right now for lunch. The house smells great!

I bought a jar of spiced pear chutney for the Christmas cupboard yesterday. Christmas puddings are already made so I'm slowly starting to get things together.

@GameOfJones I have a batch of homemade sausage rolls in the freezer ready for Christmas. I taste tested them when I made them and they were delicious.

@NoWordForFluffy you made me laugh about the twitch. It's definitely a 'thing' - I have somehow ended up buying my Mum a glass trifle bowl today. That wasn't part of the plan 😂

I was always very careful with my wrapping but my arthritis has worsened and last year I had a wrist fusion. I have learned to be far less fussy. DH and DD certainly don’t mind and their wrapping involves throwing paper and tape at a gift and seeing where it lands. 😆

Christmas cake is currently in the oven for the next 4 hours...things are starting to come together.

Bought a few more gifts online....

My picture adventure calendar arrived in the post and it's a Thing of Beauty...

Firmed up lots of Christmas plans....

Started wearing Christmas socks...

Bought some non-perishables: Lindor, shortbread, selection boxes for stockings.

Productive weekend: Christmas cake made and red cabbage done and frozen. Presents wrapped and tagged. Just a couple of parcels to arrive and I'm all done.

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Monday again!

Got a few nice bits at Spirit of Christmas on Saturday. The best thing was signing up to House and Garden for £34 - get the magazine delivered monthly for a year plus a goodie bag - the goodie bag was absolutely stacked with really nice things including a white company autumn candle and loads of skin products.

@NoWordForFluffy just how giant are the giant gingerbread men?

Morning!

I'm just back from the dog run. He was a menace today! 😩

Magnolia, they're about 30cm, I think. Maybe 25cm. Big! 🤣

The magazine sounds like a bargain with that goody bag.

Morning all.

We sorted out the details of the family Christmas party this weekend and have booked our accommodation.

I need to do my blank December planner to list out the meal plan and include all our trips and events to try to keep track of who's in, who's out and what everyone is eating.

I was thinking the same thing at work today that I need to do my meal planner for December coz I find it less of a panic when it's printed in black and white who is where when and what/how many I need to feed.

Giant gingerbread definitely on my list now.

I've found a link for the gingerbread man: rather large gingerbread man

I get my surgery date later this week, so that will dictate my December planning somewhat!

Those gingerbread men look fabulous. I may have to order a couple. I had a long telephone call with Occupational Health and should be starting my phased return at the beginning of December and see how it goes. The thought of all that e-learning awaiting me is not enticing.

This is a good illustration of why sometimes it's a good idea to be prepared. In the past 5 years I've had a significant bereavement and a stay in hospital at this time of year. If I hadn't been ahead of the game I wouldn't have felt like pulling it all together for Christmas.

I hope the surgery goes well Fluffy

100% this !
The thought of being ill /laid up/a family tragedy though there's never a good time , is so much worse at Christmas .

Fluffy plan for all eventualities..........but beware The Twitch

The giant gingerbread man looks fab but how giant is giant?

Is it 5 feet tall?

Love how it's called Gingerbread "person" just in case of offense 🤣🤣. I'll be buying Gingerbread men thank you very much.

Is that for the carpal tunnel Fluffy? Good luck with it. Yes at least you can rest easy knowing you're pretty much done.

Hope the surgery goes well @NoWordForFluffy!

Yesterday DS started vomiting. This morning I came down to one cat having vomited everywhere and the other having pooed everywhere. Over breakfast DH succumbed. I have cleaned up so many bodily fluids 😭

Need to feed the Christmas cake today and as I won't be going anywhere I will do more Christmas planning too.

@GameOfJones

What recipes do you use please, I've got my sausage meat ready for sausage rolls I liked an old cherry menlove recipe.

What for stuffing and pigs? Any sausages?

Sorry, if you don't mind....

If anyone had a sausage roll recipe and stuffy I would be grateful

A very, very simple one!

I make plenty of sausage and stuffing mix. Normally by buying some nice sausages and removing the meat from the casings. Mix with a packet of sage and onion stuffing made up with half of the amount of water it states on the packet. I sometimes add cranberries or chopped cooked chestnuts too.

Roll half into stuffing balls and freeze on a tray then bag up for use at Christmas. The second half I use for sausage rolls. Buy ready made sheets of puff pastry, cut them in half lengthways. Then spread the pastry with whatever you like, I normally use mustard or chutney but you can use cranberry sauce or chilli jam.... anything you want. Then add the sausage and stuffing mix, roll up, slice and egg wash.

If you reserve a bit of the dust at the bottom of the stuffing packets you can sprinkle that on top of the sausage rolls after you've egg washed them. Bake in the oven or again, freeze flat on a tray and then bag them up. You can cook them straight from frozen at a later date.

Pigs in blankets I just use whichever sausages I want, I think it gives you more choice that way. Then wrap them in streaky bacon (if you cut each slice of streaky bacon in half and then stretch it a bit as you wrap it round the sausage you don't need as many packs of bacon.)

@GameOfJones that sounds delicious thanks I would never have thought or heard about mixing two stuffing. Sounds devine!!

This is a corking sausage roll recipe: https://realfood.tesco.com/recipes/the-ultimate-sausage-roll.html

I swap the mustard and put tomato puree in, then add chopped chillies, as an alternative.

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Hoping, your house sounds like it should be avoided for a while! How are you feeling, given the state of the other inhabitants?! I hope it all passes soon.

Magnolia, yes, my surgery will be carpal tunnel (right side). It's partly diagnostic, as I also have cervical radiculopathy which can cause similar symptoms.