Today I am being a Domestic Goddess !!

[Milliways]

As it's half term I have the week of work, and as had to wait in for a boiler engineer decided to actually to some cooking.

So, have Christmas Cake in the oven (helped by kids) & Beef braising in red wine (courtesy of latest Sainsburys Mag). Ironing & hoovering all done too

Usually it's a jar of cook in sauce in our house. WOuld love to stay at home more often, or is this just novelty value???

Who else has made the Christmas cake yet?

Novelty

Never dared..I'm crap at cake making.

Spurred on by your good self I may however have a bash this year.
Would mid November be too late??

No seriously. I became a SAHM this week and I am really enjoying it.

DS was only 4.3 when he went to school in September,so he was exhausted when we got to half term, even though they were short days.

So we have stuck to the house and we have done "stuff" together.

well I have just peeled, cored, chopped, cooked, pureed and frozen in icecubes, 3 kg of apples to wean my baby.
my baby is not due until January

I'm sure she will enjoy them in June 2006!

PPH

You need help.

Blimey pph. Will it be safe to eat?!

No hang on,by then, WHO guidleines will probably state that apple shouldn't be given to anyone under 6.....

She will have to eat a lot of pork joints in that case. LOL

OMG PPH! I remember the sieving of carrots, brocolli etc & having nice multi coloured layers in the ice tray....

and then I got a Braun blender!

I try & make the cake in Oct so can feed it lots - but have made it late November & it's been fine!

I always forget to ice it until Christmas Ever though!!

Mid November would be OK. I have just ordered the fruit and booze ingredients for mine so I will put the fruit to soak on Friday (get the kids to help me weigh it out). Then will order the other ingredients next week and make it next weekend, so probably Saturday the 5th with the fruit having soaked for 8 days should be nicely plump.

I did wonder about that moondog - and then thought "bugger it" (4th child syndrome, clearly).

I just have the world's most productive apple tree and I can't let them all go to waste - but we can't collectively eat more than about 6 apples a day either. And I am bored bored bored of apple bloody crumble...

Have to tackle the pears next!

I've never made a xmas cake.... anyone got a really good moist recipe? I'll give it a go...

I will get my Chrsitmas cake mad next week when DD is at nursery.

I use the recipe from Nigella Lawson's "How to be a Domestic Goddess" usually, but I think I will try a Weight Watchers one this year.

I use the Delia Christmas book.

My Mum experiments every year & they are always fab, I haven't got the nerve. Delia works for me.

The kids love playing with Marzipan so always buy too much & let them make things with it - that's another tradition here, as well as opening the cake on Christmas Eve!

You see I usually make my marzipan (love home made marzipan) but am now considering whether that is wise because it contains egg yolks. Hmm...

If I wasn't on MN I'd be making the Christmas cakes! The dried fruit is soaking in whisky as I type. The whisky needs regular tasting, of course, to ensure it hasn't gone off. Oh, and I'll be able to cook the cakes in a pristine oven as I've cleaned it today!

I made plum and cranberry chutney yesterday

I think thats a good idea with the apples. I did it with purple sprouting broccoli one year for dd2 then realised she wouldnt be able to eat it until the new crop came round anyway

I have a friend who, in true domestic goddess style, made butter.

I bow before her...I'll stick to jam and cakes lol