The FastDay Forum

Christmas island crab roadkill - mmmm! #justjoking

But seafood/fish good : have just signed up for baked scottish salmon at xmas works do

I guess that thinking about Christmas dinner a month before the big day is reasonnable enough, even if I find it a bit crazy. So I ordered white puddings with pistachio chips in them, an organic goose, some organic smoked salmon

A bit too early to order some oysters

Sounds like delicious food. @Manderley! I ordered my turkey a couple of weeks ago - a twenty pounder. I have made my Christmas cake, which reminds me that I need to 'feed' it again with my Cointreau/Glycerine mix, and have all the dried fruit ready to make mincemeat. I should get on with that so it has time to mature before the mince pie, marathon bake, starts! I love Christmas preparations - just not in the shops in October!

Even if Christmas is no big deal for me, I still love cooking special things like biscuits, truffles, mulled wine and, it seems to me that beginning to think about Christmas a month before is right. I just don't like that you can find Christmas related things in the shops sooner and sooner.

Right now I am wondering if I should try pink champagne macaroons (without the popping part of this recipe)
http://www.thelittleloaf.com/2011/10/26/popping-pink-champagne-macarons-wear-it-pink/

Nice Christmas pudding recipe http://www.nigella.com/recipes/view/ult ... as-pudding. Last chance to make ahead!

I prepared my mincemeat today ready for a very slow warm through in the oven tomorrow. I use Delias's recipe but replace the suet with unsalted butter. I don't use brandy but substituted it with port and Grand Marnier and I added a few ounces of natural coloured cherries. I made it last year and it was delicious! Opened jars will keep in the fridge for a long time (eleven months!) Unopened jars also store well. Give it a try!

Making a Stollen (a German Christmas cake with marzipan in the middle) but not for me, I don't like it

The Christmas eve and New Year's eve menus are done, easy, it will be a fast, the New Year's day menu is done and it will be way too much food, with 3 small desserts... The biggest challenge will be to not over taste the food while cooking

In York on Saturday there was a group of half a dozen people standing outside a city centre church building SINGING CAROLS. Now one has got used to the crassly commercial side of Christmas starting straight after Halloween - or even earlier - but I always thought the religious waited until nearer the actual event. I was not charmed, I was very annoyed.

[janeg]

Carols should not be heard until Advent @Barbarita!

Cake is made, saturated with dark rum and has a coating of home made marzipan. Just need to make the icing. Will make the mincemeat soon.
All lights are up in local villages but will not be switched on until December. The usual sheds, Father christmas in his rocking chair outside the boulangerie, the 'horse' and cart and 'people' in the decorated cart outside the marie, the giant candles along the road and a lot more are ready for the coach parties in my village! The big supermarkets have devoted space to toys and chocolate.
I am a bah humbug but like others enjoy the pretty lights. It is a more subdued event here but as has been said commercialism is creeping in. As we are in the middle of nowhere we can keep out of it. Being vegetarian it will be a turkey breast for OH! He is used to it! Toys bought for grandchildren and a gift for my dad but that is all.
Roll on January!

Hiiii @Bobshouse pleased to see you! X missed you x