Chicken boarders

[sage]

Bramble Jelly.

3lb brambles to 1bl baking apples. Simmer in large pan with a squeezed lemon ( I tend to squeeze the lemon then chuck it in the pan.

After simmering for 30 mins, leave to cool for 30 mins then put in a jelly bag over night.

For every pint of juice I use 1bl jam sugar. Boil to setting point is reached and put into sterile jars.

 

Sage

Hope all goes well with the baby

[whoopsie]

Thank you very much Sage (and for the good wishes). I have both brambles and cooking apples growing in the garden so that is perfect xx

[craftyhunnypie]

Good luck with baby.

Cinnamon - have you had any tip offs about Delia doing those Xmas cake kits again? I have the recipe just in case she doesn't do a kit this year. It was a fab cake.

Emma.x

[sadietoo]

Nooooooo you lot! It's only August!!!!

 

Congratulations Whoopsie! but enjoy your time between now and then...

[emmastar]

I work in a garden centre and have been prising th stuff all day i love christmas but not yet and the testing the music things not good

[Plum]

No I couldn't test the music but shiny sparkly things

[Cinnamon]

Good luck with baby.

Cinnamon - have you had any tip offs about Delia doing those Xmas cake kits again? I have the recipe just in case she doesn't do a kit this year. It was a fab cake.

Emma.x

 

I suspect so - in fact it is probably a given.

It is a great cake - it is the one I have made for years & never fails to deliver.

 

I do know that we are doing the candied orange filled Christmas Puddings again too

[beach chick]

oh good grief! Christmas should NOT begin til Dec 1st; and the tree should NOT go up til the Sat before Christmas Day. and then it comes down on 12th night, not before and not after. them's the rules!

 

there, I hope that's cleared things up for everyone

 

(by the way Rosie Millard has an article in today's Daily Telegraph property section all about being efficient and starting early...)

[Cinnamon]

I agree about the tree,and stick by that myself.

But can you imagine the rush in the shops & on the roads if everyone started their shopping on December 1st?

 

Personally I think you should all be thanking those of us who are done by then

[beach chick]

Personally I think you should all be thanking those of us who are done by then

 

weellll, yeah, ok - so long as no one tells me about it!

[Seagazer]

Good luck with baby.

Cinnamon - have you had any tip offs about Delia doing those Xmas cake kits again? I have the recipe just in case she doesn't do a kit this year. It was a fab cake.

Emma.x

 

I suspect so - in fact it is probably a given.

It is a great cake - it is the one I have made for years & never fails to deliver.

 

I do know that we are doing the candied orange filled Christmas Puddings again too

 

Ooh I had the Christmas Cake and it was delicious - my first ever Christmas cake and I would really like early notice on the orange Christmas pudding. Please can you do an alert as soon as you see them in the shop?

[surfer_chicken]

I went for a walk around the housing estates with my mum earlier in the week and we swore we saw a C******** tree in the front window of on of the houses

 

Starting Christmas this early is simply ridiculous! I mean, it's over 4 months away yet! At least wait until the clocks change

[whoopsie]

NOOOO There shouldn't be decorations until the middle of December at least!!!!!

 

I'm wondering if I will give birth under the tree........

 

EDIT - my friend is at the pub and has just posted on Facebook to say the tree is up and they are taking Christmas bookings

[Chook n Boo Mum]

Trouble is, in the catering business you have to take bookings early, sitting on your laurels doesn't pay the bills ......mind you I don't think they need to have a full dressed tree etc to advertise the fact they are taking bookings .....I think we're full for C********, people tend to book from one year to the next with us, good in some ways, not so good in others

 

Sha x

[whoopsie]

Well yes I know the bookings need to be taken early but having the tree up and dressed is pushing it a bit!

[Tutti Frutti]

Just nipped to the garden centre and they are putting out their Christmas decorations for sale I need a lie down now!

 

They have got to be having a laugh

 

I read on BBC NEWS that Selfridges and Harrods had opened their Xmas shops in JULY If anyone wants to start a "keep Xmas in December" facebook group, I'll join

 

(although I did buy this year's pressies in the January sales hehe)

[Valkyrie]

Last night I was subjected to a different version of the 12 days of Christmas courtesy of DD who played it on her i pod thingy. Actually it was very good - have seen the lads on You tube doing it.

[Valkyrie]

Here it is - there is a newer version but this is the original

 

 

Hope you like it. Even if it is tooo early!!! Er, you may have to copy and paste it - I'm rubbish at linky bits.

[sage]

Soon be time to make Delia's Mincemeat.

 

Sage

[chickencam]

We went round Fortnum and Mason's Christmas bazaar on Saturday in London, I thought thatit would be nice to buy a special bauble for our tree until I saw the prices I think that their stick is aimed at American tourists because it was rather brash.

[soapdragon]

Have to agree with the sprouts comment - if they are not on by now there is no hope . My Mum gets them underway in February but, conversley, doesn't even think about the carrots until 10 mins before serving up. Thats why we always have mushy sprouts and rock hard orange sticks! Gravy comes by the slice and, if having roast potatoes, its a good idea to prebook the first dental appointment you can get for the New Year. One year we even had giblets in plastic bag as a revolutionary take on stuffing; didn't really work.

 

The pud dosn't usually fare much better; three or four years ago the curtains went up too as she got a bit carried away sloshing the flaming brandy around in her rather small dining room but at least our emergency fire drill worked. The brandy butter would have been lovely...if she hadn't got distracted by a 'phone call whilst making it and forgot to put the brandy in. She tried to get out of that one by explaining that it was meant for those who were driving.

 

Funnilly enough we are eating at our house this year....

[Seagazer]

Oh dear, she's not related to the lady character (can't remember her name) in the comedy Butterflies??

(showing my age probably)

[Cinnamon]

Oh dear, she's not related to the lady character (can't remember her name) in the comedy Butterflies??

(showing my age probably)

 

 

Ria

[Seagazer]

Thank you very much, it would have bugged me otherwise!

[chuckmum6]

Now that's done it, I will have the theme tune stuck in my head now, I used to love watching Butterflies when I was little. Love is like a butterfly as soft and gentle as a sigh..........