All kinds of ev'rything remind me I'm not through!
- I am Cooking: Marinated Chicken Wings
- Books I am Reading: Cast a Bright Shadow
- TV /DVDs I am Watching: Catching up, though Voyager was good
So much to do, so little time ( I lie ) I have done some tidying this morning. I have been looking at the things in the lounge chair for a week and thought it would take forever to tidy, but it took 5 minutes!! I have picked up all the Labradors’ leavings from games with plastic bags and boxes. I have put 2 kg of chicken wings in to marinate, I have done a load of washing and semi tidied the kitchen bench. Soon I am off to the plant shop to use the voucher I won at Triva night to buy some tomato plants – if they still have some. I want the Sweet Bites which are little cherry tomatoes. I also need some secateurs for the cutting of a path to , well, anywhere in the back garden really. You need a cut lunch and a machete to get to the hose, eg. I had a lovely shop at Chickenfeed which is like a $2 shop, it has remaindered items and cheap things. I bought 5 boxes of increasing sizes in Christmas green for $2 each and 3 Christmas tins in the same vein too. I bought ribbon to make my cards. It is gold and shiny with stars. I will sequin it and then glue to the front of the card with a Merry Christmas or whatever. I am very pleased. This will look good and be fairly quick./ Every year I vow to make my cards after Christmas but I never do. This year most of my friends are on the mainland or overseas for most if not all of the school holidays so I will make a genuine effort to make my cards. All the UK Christmas magazines arrive here in January or February so I will used those as a motivator. I must by the proper sized envelopes and print the cards on the computer and they are all done!!
Tomorrow I must finish the Bunny sleeping bag and then do some serious sewing of the Knitted nativity for Karen as I want to give it to her on November 25th so she can use it at school. I have done 2 sheep but they are difficult and mutant , so I will do people next.
I am debating what to cook for my Christmas hampers. I make boxes of food for most of my gifts, for the Vet, the bookshop, the Holman clinic, the Gardygardeners and for my friends as well. As you can tell I am about to do one of my favourite things – make a list!! It is a list of tried and true things I usually make and then some things I am considering adding or substituting. I always bake my family Bishop’s Cakes and Drambuie Chocolate Christmas cake. I know it sounds weird, but you just add 100 g good quality dark chocolate. That reminds me I must buy alcohol for the cooking next week.
· Mini Christmas cakes ( muffin size is mini )
· Mini mud cakes
· Truffles of various flavours
· Star shaped 2 chocolate biscuits
· Gingerbread
· Shortbread: plain, almond, chocolate, lemon, fruit
· White chocolate nut truffles
· Melting moments: plain, lemon, chocolate
· Chocolate decadent biscuits – 3 kinds of chocolate, fruit and macadamias
· Chocolate fudge
· Assorted muffins: with a Cadbury’s Favourite inside, Lemon curd, fruit mince etc
· Glace Fruit and Almond Slice
· Cranberry almond shortbread
· Orange mocha truffles
· Florentines
· Fruit mince Tarts
· Vanilla bean macaroons
· ????????????????????
Now I just have to decide what to make. I make huge batches, bag them up with labels and a ribbon and fill boxes covered with Christmas paper. We are called Two Paw Products – a paw for each Labrador, and a pun, we are quite poor, but only in a monetary way!!!!! I also have my quilt which is now of a longer making duration than any Chinese 5 year plan. I must finish quilting and then sew a border and bead. I am making Santa brooches for most people except the sewing group as we made them together ( except for Karen who threw hers across the room in a fit of pique. She is prone to doing that ) I . on the other hand, am slow to anger and rarely have a temper tantrum. When I am feeling particularly unwell I do get impatient with the Labradors but I feel incredibly guilty afterwards for shouting. I never smack them. I am usually cross with myself. If I don’t put things where they go and can’t find them : and where things go is not always away. Often putting things away is the cause of all the trouble!!! Now I must just find the voucher….no, no luck. No doubt it was out of date anyway, I say this as a sop to cheer me up.
Must make a list of the things I have to do when I go out as my memory is shot in the short term – but good enough for Trivia!!!
Oh I cooked the most lovely and tasty smoked salmon, baby spinach and mushroom pasta with a cream, garlic and parmesan cheese sauce and a hint of lemon. It was so nice I am having the rest for tea.
