Here we go again...Countdown to Christmas 2026 (Thread 1)

[NoWordForFluffy]

365

Evening!

I'm a bit tipsy and very tired, but it's been a good day.

Round 2 tomorrow with the roast dinner!

i did manage some green tomato chutney but a lot of the ones left were yukky, i think maybe too much rain.

322

Going to Costco later (way-hay) then a day of cleaning and glaring at the rain.

@NoWordForFluffy you'll need to look out that photo for tomorrow

@70isaLimitNotaTarget, it's in my camera roll somewhere! 🤣🤣

@TheWoollybacksWifeI’d love the seagull pattern please! I’ve decided to go for that as it’s less grey and I may add a hat or something to the seagull to make it a bit more colourful. Thank you!

I hadn’t really thought about the lack of frosts but we haven’t had many since November. It’s pretty relentless grey and rain here which I know most people hate but I don’t mind it. I kind of miss having a dog to walk in the wet weather.

I'm working from home until lunch today then finishing but my plans are minimal - picking up LO, collecting 2 parcels then a quiet afternoon at home. My dm is coming to visit but LO has been grumpy exhausted all week so we won’t be doing much.
DH is making kebabs for tea and I’m going to look at what type of bread to attempt over the weekend as I’m going to commandeer the mixer I bought dh for Christmas. Exciting stuff

WRT tomatoes, I’m not sure I’m going to bother this year. I don’t actually like them and they were rubbish last year - very low reward for the work that went in.
Will definitely be doing mini cucumbers, potatoes and strawberries again. Maybe sweetcorn? Not sure yet.

I saw that Aberdeen has gone the longest with no days of sunshine and it’s the longest since the last 1950s!

im going to eat some Christmas red cabbage on Sunday. Also planning my allotment planning to have Christmas veg.

I have sent that to you @NoCheesesForUsMeeces. I get what you mean by minimising the amount of grey.

I hosted family last weekend for a "zero" birthday. I think it went well and I didn't have any kitchen nightmares. I'm not sure I could cope with cooking for that many people in my own kitchen on a regular basis but it was lovely as a one off.

321

It's STILL raining. Will it ever stop?

I'm off into town today with some gal pals. We were booked in to a sing along with musicals bar but weirdly it just unexpectedly permanently closed on Wednesday. Maybe they they heard us singing. So now it will be a boozy lunch then drunkenly wandering the streets trying to find somewhere else.

Ted Rogers Day
]

@NoWordForFluffy has a photo collection 'cos she was a mahoosive fan of the show [

Enjoy your Sing-a-Long Bar magnolia

Here it is!

Happy Ted Rogers Day!

Enjoy!

It is for once, not raining here. I am in a queue for a pastry pop up run by an Instagram baker. I feel old.

Ted

Ohhh do you know the menu before you queue ?
Otherwise that waiting about in the cold would not be fun!

"What? No sausage rolls , What kind of Pop-Up-Pastry is this ? I don't want Quinoa and Black Olive Filo Tarts "

I want to hear more about the pop up!

we are swapping our dining room and family room (end of the big kitchen) over this weekend. I’m not loving it, but better for the kids and for having big groups eating.

DD asked me to get her some M&S Hot Cross Buns today (DD it is February ) the mini ones . We don't like New Fangled flavours just the spiced fruited ones , I am sure we tasted loads last year and decided on Sainsbury Taste the Difference Mini or M&S Mini .
They are delicious

Raining again here. Also much milder. I want frost 🥲

Out for a roast dinner tomorrow- It’s a local place and if we enjoy it, we will book for Christmas day. I tend to do my homemade Christmas dinner a couple of weeks before the big day, and then get waited on, on actual Christening day.

The place we usually go to is FULLY BOOKED already! I missed the boat this year - madness.

Christening day?! Christmas day I clearly meant 🤣

Wow that’s early to be booked up!

320

Love the Ted Rogers pic Fluffy

I am VERY hungover. I definitely need to give up booze forever.

We need to know your pop up pastry purchases Chopstick.

70 you did recommend the Sainsburys ones last year coz I remember being grateful you'd done all the taste tests and buying some and you were right they were delicious.

@FurForksSake @70isaLimitNotaTarget @Magnoliasunrise
So the menu is on Instagram but I couldn't get signal where I was so I just had to wait til I could see the window!
I got:
-hazelnut praline pain au Chocolat
-Treacle cinnamon bun
-Pistachio cronut

That looks delicious.

They do look delicious @ChopstickNovice , I bet the pistachio ones are gorgeous

There's a stall in Borough Market that does pastries . The mini pastries with almond /apple and apricot/cream cheese/chocolate .
They are on our To-Do list when we go to London

I adore Borough Market. Such a crush of bodies though!

It is !

So flipping busy at times . DD and DH were ahead of me , I was waiting to join a slipstream of people going past a very popular stall (I didn't find out what they were selling , gold plated chocolate puppies or something) . It was like crossing the M1 .
I was waiting for a gap I could join without physically squeezing myself between two random people .

Much better on a weekday .

Hello all!

Lovely dry weather majority of today so ive managed to get two loads of washing out and even done some gardening! Well, not my garden. Back of my house theres an area (back fences of other houses) that is all overgrown and looks horrendous. I've made a start on trying to clear it today, took hours and theres still so much to do! I've flicked somwthing in my eye and its so scratchy ans sore now, I'm betting i will wake up with a swolen conjunctivitis eye in the morning.

Those pastries look delicious!! The pistachio cronut sounds yummy!

Im not massively keen on hot cross buns, I think its because I dont like cinnamon and they taste strongly of it.
I had lemon ones a few years back that were nice, I couldn't seem to find any last year though.

319

We're into the Three Hundred and Teens
I am eating a vegetarian chilli I made yesterday. It is miraculously not raining !