2010 Weight Loss Club: Festively Fighting Flab into 2011

[prettybird]

Here is the new thread for us to achieve success in

Old thread is here

I'll change my name to my "Christmas" one after Saturday: I'm helping to organise the Scottish Mumsnet Christmas meet-up and it might confuse things if I change my name.

Like the tree Mulledwine

Our ceilings are 3.5m high and we have a lovely big bay window to put the tree in (you can see the sort of house from the snow pics I linked to a few days ago), so a big tree is required

Tree looks ace! Love it!

Our fake tree is a 5ft one, but we could probably get away with 8ft as have reasonably high ceilings, but not quite 3.5m!!

Just think of the heating bills....

We also have our tree, a real one, first time in years - the dc decorated it

Also have some angel lights on our mantlepiece.

your tree looks gorgeous piste

Did you see the eviction Bebe/Piste/other strictly fans?

Your tree was expensive piste, ours is about 6 ft 6 and was £30.

Yes. We watched strictly. Very glad Gavin is out and we wanted Scott out too. Now I don't really mind who wins. DD wants Matt because he was the Blue Peter presenter when she watched the programme and was devoted to him for years. I really don't mind but part of me would like. 61 year old to win over the others!

Morning all

Have dd at home with high temperature, dh is off now for christmas but with dd here it's difficult to sort their presents, and I have an attack of the munchies that I am desperately trying to ward off!

Oh no! Not the munchies!! Must be contatgious...just snaffled half of DDs oatmeal & raisin cookie. Massive treat coz I felt so sorry for her. Supposed to have a 'playdate' (hate that term but can't think of another word ) with her friend but she is poorly so got cancelled last minute. I'd already got DD's boots, coat & gloves on & her little face broke my heart when I said we weren't going! So we went to Sainsbury's & got cookies!

Hope your DD feels better soon :(

Going to make an effort to be very good this week, failed miserably over the weekend!

I have just put back one of my homemade mince pies to have with my coffee

Both of you: resist the munchies. Go and have a glass of water instead and do something else to take your mind off food.

Pretty - is it you who makes those spiced biscuits? If it is would you be able to share the recipe? Want to make some christmassy biscuits to take back to my mums on Friday!

I am failing again! Damn all the Christmas food!!

Happy to oblige

Elevator Lady Spice Cookies

These are from a book called ?The I Hate to Cook Book? and are biscuits that my mum used to make and now I make. Ds calls them ?Daddy?s biscuits? as his daddy likes them so much. Some will be crisp and some will be slightly chewy ? but they are all good for dunking in drinks ? and are very more-ish. I'm usually quite generous with the spice measurements. This recipe makes loads but they won't last long!

Cream together

4oz/125g butter/Trex/Stork in a tub (I find stork the best)
7oz/200g sugar
1 egg, unbeaten
4 tbsp black treacle

Then sift together and stir in

14oz/400g plain flour
2 teaspoons bicarbonate of soda
¼ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
¾ teaspoon powdered cloves
¾ teaspoon powdered ginger

Now mix it all together and then take teaspoons of the mixture and roll them into walnut-sized balls. Put them about 2 inches apart (depending on size), pressing them down slightly, on a greased baking sheet and bake at 375˚F/190˚C for 10 to 12 minutes. Remove biscuits onto wire racks and leave to cool.

Munchie beating words there Pretty!! Glass of water it is then.

Great restraint on putting back a home made mince pie. Caught Nigella's xmas programme on the food channel last night, she advises freezing them, lethal. Blondes, at least you wouldn't be tempted.

I am off out for a meal tonight in a Harvester Pub, that is plenty of salad at least.

Pretty would they work if rolled out quite thick & cut out with cutters? Or do they spread quite a bit?

I've been freezing them too However, they don't take long to de-frost - and you can always warm them from frozen. I am half way through my second refill of a freezer container that takes 24 mince pies

Fortunately, I happen not to like them warmed

They do spread out. It is actually quicker to do them the "rolling into balls way": when your dd is older, you can get her to help Actually, just thinking of your photo, you could get her to make a mess "help" even now!

brought our tree yesterday :)

Just looked at how much flour is in the recipe!! No wonder it makes alot of biscuits! Shall give it a whirl! Thank you!

Love how festive everyone is with tree buying & Christmas nosh!!

What with the mince pies and the Spice Cookies, I go through a lot of flour at this time of year!

I go through a fair bit of flour too! Just made gingerbread stars with DD, she had a great time! Will try spice biscuits later in the week, but didn't have enough flour today!

My Sainsbury's (the biggest in Scotland after its recent revamp) was out of own-brand plain flour on Saturday . I had to pay the extra for Be-ro

It was also out of ground almonds - but I've managed to get some (probably cheaper) ground almonds at one of our local Asian stores : I need to do the marzipan on my Christmas/birthday cakes.

I think my DC would like to be adopted by either Bebe or Pretty because of all this home baking!

How can you bear not to eat it all?!

... with difficulty!

I'd like to be adopted by either Bebe or Pretty

I'm hesitating with making a batch of Nigella's mince pies for the freezer as they will be snaffled.

I live by a 'when bored...bake' philosophy! I am getting very good at cake portion control! I send alot in to DHs office!

Pretty - you make Marzipan? I am very lazy & buy!

I've got a good recipe from Lady Claire Macdonald (who used to write a food column for the [Glasgow] Herald) for an easy marzipan which uses eggs whites, ground almonds, icing sugar and, if you want it (I like it) lemon zest and juice. You just press it on to the cake and leave it to dry for a few days.