Christmas 2015

Hello everyone, did we all make it intact?! 

I'm awake at 5.30. I'm in no rush to get up today. Christmas Eve was a lovely day of prep, relaxations and you know I went to Midnight Mass, so I went to bed after taking the yearly tree/presents photo, feeling all blessed and smugly festive. 

From this angle, it looks like the tree is going to fall! 

We had a lovely day, just the four of us, pleasing ourselves. The HG and I spent a lovely day in the kitchen, with the radio on faffing around with the dinner. The offsprings were happy looking through their gifts,  occasionally coming in to the kitchen to help and to mostly enquire when would it be ready!! 

The table was festive, 

Once seated, we feasted on 

well let's look at the menu... 

( astonishingly I didn't take photos!! I know!!! ) 

                         Starters

Handmade by the HG chicken liver pate served with lightly toasted by me granary bread. A bit of lettuce and some optional caramelised red onion chutney. 

                          Mains

Fresh, organic, has frolicked in the dappled sunshine of a leafy meadow, drinking from the crystal clear waters in the pond created from a waterfall, sleeping on a bed of the finest organic free range hay in a hand carved, solid oak, bespoke barn Bronze Turkey 

Served with 

Mashed potatoes - soft, fluffy  ( and only a little bit stuck to the pan where I'd reheated it ) 

Roast Potatoes- in duck fat. Parboiled for ten minutes, drained, rested, shaken till fluffy and tumbled into the hot duck fat, sprinkled with salt. Definitely the crispest roast potatoes in the world! 

Yorkshires - we are Northern. We serve these with everything. They were whoppers! I used the Brian Turner recipe as I always do which is same volume of eggs, flour and milk. They were done in duck fat. They were billowy and crispy, deep deep sides with a crispy on the outside, soft on the inside well for your gravy - everything you'd want from a Yorkshire. 

Carrots - glazed. Gary Rhodes showed me how in the mid 90s. Chop yer carrots into diamond shaped carrots, in a small pan, just cover with water, add a teaspoon of salt and sugar and a large knob of butter. Lid on, boil rapidly. When carrots are just done, lid off, high heat until all the water has gone leaving the butter to glaze the carrots! Takes about 8 minutes in total. Perfectly reheatable so good to make in advance. 

Romanesco cauliflower - because it looks like Christmas Trees!  Originally planned to be covered in cheese sauce but I decided I couldn't really be arsed to make any and it turned out we were full anyway so was glad we'd left it out. 

Sprouts- brace yourselves! Last year's sprouts were Heston Bloomingwhatsheonabouts recipe. Where each individual leaf was peeled off by me and then faffed about with to create a delicious sprout dish! 

This year - we're giving thanks to Jamie Oliver and his programme on Christmas Eve. It was basically the same recipe as Heston's. Fry bacon, add sprouts, splash water, lid on for four minutes, lid off, add butter n black pepper, serve. 

But the difference was the sprout prep. 

it's the shredded sprouts!! 

Right, I'd peeled enough sprouts for us, 

3 each for kids ( they'll eat three but no more ) 4 for  the HG and 6 for me ( I love em lol ) 

The HG  said lets do 'em a laJamie.  

Shred em fine in food processor 

Meanwhile

Cut 4-6 rashers streaky into tiny cubes n fry, add sprouts, splash water,  

Lid on

Two

Mins, add knob butter, toss, done. 

Lovely. 

BUT the HG commented that there didn't  look to be enough, so we emergency peeled another 15 sprouts!!! 

The technical term for the amount of sproutage we ended up with was Ducking shitloads!!! A massive frying pan FULL!  It was good, though the offsprings , who quite happily eat normal unfettled sprouts  AND ate Heston's sprouts last year, did not care for this hot baconY coleslaw. 

Let me tell you also, shredding sprouts increases their gas inducing capability ten fold. 

Still, be good bubble n squeak!!! (  I can't believe I just wrote an essay about sprouts! ) 

Pigs in blankets - the original two packs of outdoor reared porky goodies missing in action. I bought two packets of them. To this day I have absolutely no idea where they are. I remember dithering about buying them/making them. I recall deciding that I'd buy them. They were two packs for £5. ( organic frolicking in mud in the dappled orchard etc piggies) and that is where my memory fails me. They are not in any fridge or freezer! I've no idea if they went through the till in the shop, if they are lying festering in the work's van having fallen out of a bag!! No idea! 

I did have emergency chipolatas in and plenty of bacon so made my own - which made me a tad tetchy because I KNEW I HAD BOUGHT SOME! 

Stuffing - sausage meat and dried stuffing, with chestnuts. Yum. 

Gravy- thick and unctuous, hand made by the HG. 

                        Pudding

Raspberrytopped Vanilla Pannacotta made by J. Sainsbury. 

We sat down to eat at 3.15pm. It was good! We left the table at 5.15pm. Stuffed and heart happy. We all pitched in with clearing the table and then I think we all snoozed - the HG and the kids did, I tried, but kept being distracted by Paul O Grady's dogs on the telly! 

No one wanted anything else to eat. We had a light supper of cheese. The HG had his with a sliver of cold turkey and a slice of bread, I had mine with a slice of Christmas cake! It HAS to be Lancashire Creamy Mild. I've eaten it this way since I was little because it's how my

Beloved Nanna had it! Note festive nails! False, ready painted stick on ones! Still in situ as I type! 

Yesterday ( Boxing Day ), we had various relatives round. We had our traditional Turkey, chips and peas dinner. I did a buffet tea. I say *I*. The HG did most of the get the stuff out of the fridge and plate it bit and the kids did the traipse in and out of the kitchen to the table bit. 

I made the trifle for pudding. And as it rained outside, we ate and made merry. 

I'm still full now. At 6 o click in the morning! I do not want ANYTHING to eat today. Today will be lazy. There will be Sunday Dinner but at tea time. Same as Christmas Day but with carrot and swede mash, the cavelo nero will provide the gas power and the gravy will be stretched by granules! Pudding will be whatever you can find/make yourself if you want it! 

I've yet to watch Downton so no spoilers please! I did start watching that Dicken's thing on BBC1 but am a bit undecided about it. 

I'm just off now to reply to my lovely comments from you gorgeous lot and to have a nosy in your Christmasses! 

Lots of love from 

Rachel *fat as a ( missing, in blankets ) pig* Radiostar xxx

Christmas Eve

Well, currently I am sat in my cosy bed listening to Storm Eva do her very lifelike Kate Bush impression. You know,

" It's me, Storm Eva, I'm so co o o old, let me in at your wind o o ow oh ow" 

She's trying her best to get in down the chimney too. She's a bit of a screaming banshee. She's lashing the windows with her wintry tears. I just had to google dictionary the word wintry because I thought it was right but then I tried wintery and Google said that both were fine. However, wintry is old English apparently so that's why I used it. 

I'm just hoping we don't have the power cuts Storm Desmond brought! My heart goes to those in Cumbria just up the road from me, dealing with reflooding. 

If you click  you will hear ( and maybe then want to go buy for 99p It Won't Be Long 'Til Christmas - Single by Help The North https://itun.es/gb/xSbU_) the local efforts to raise money to help those stricken by the flooding. Do watch it because there's children from my school in the video and on the single! Plus it's a sweet Christmassy tune! 

I made these yesterday! The gingerbread man was filled with chocolate fresh cream, had his features picked out with white chocolate and was delivered to my next door  neighbour-but-one as a thank you for providing me with flasks of hot water during the power cut. The snowman just got a dusting of snow and will be scoffed today with frothy coffee! 

Right I'm getting up. I think the HG might be taking Mr 18 to work as its so foul out there. Words cannot convey the viciousness of the wind and rain right now. I wish he didn't have to go. The apprentice wage of £3.30 an hour doesn't seem enough to make me want to send him out in this! 

Miss 21 also has to go out in it for her hair doing! I'm thinking I'll advise her against having it styled after the cut! 

Well, I should get going and started on the day. I'd like to wish you all a very peaceful heartwarming Yuletide. May your turkey be moist and your sprouts not soggy! 

Lots of love from

Rachel *cant wait, with equal measures of happiness and sadness, for. The. Last. Ever. Downton* Radiostar xxx

WAL

WRAPPING AT LAST!! 

Finally got my wriggle into gear and this is happening right now! ( of course I'm blogging in an effort to avoid it, but as my beloved Muse sang, Time is running out! 

Spotty ironing board - height adjustable wrapping for bad backs! 

Lots of love from 

Rachel * up to her ears in 

* Radiostar xxx

A day of nothing

At last! 

I say nothing, however I've all the food I bought yesterday to deal with and put away. I'm going to put the decorations up and n the dining room and get my cards up etc

It's going to be a lazy day for me. 

Yesterday, was the opposite ish. 

The HG and I were out by 8.15am. 

Off we went to a shopping village place to get the last of the gifts we wanted. 

Whilst in M&S, I looked at a 'knit your own cushion cover' set in the half price sale. It contained four  big balls of the softest, creamiest, chunky Aran wool, a set of thick bamboo needles and a cable needle, 3 buttons and the thread to sew them on. Now £12.50. It was the last one. 

No instructions. But I figured the wool alone was worth more than that so I looked it off the shelf and at the till asked the lady to double check there were no instructions. Nope there were none, so she knocked an extra 20% off for me! £10 billy bargain! I used a gift card I'd been given for my birthday last year so basically, it was free! Because you all know how desperate for wool I am......( please let's forget about my stash post in the summer) I'm going to email M&S later today to see if they can send me some instructions- though I think I'll use the wool for a jumper for my niece! 

After we left the shops at 10.07 ( including a quick squizz round hobbycraft where I only bought some off those battery operated tealights ) we went to the posh garden centre. The cooked breakfasts are only £3.50 and frankly it would have been rude not to! 

I swapped the HG's bacon for his tomato! This lot was washed down by a mug of tea. In the farm shop bit, we looked at the chicken livers,( for the HG's famous homemade pate ) the lambs liver,( for when I make the HG liver n onions for tea ) the pin wheel Cumberland sausage, ( sausage mash n beans one night )  the shin of beef, ( stew n dumplings )the garlic butter chicken ( kebabs ( served with rice for a really tasty treat ) and their sausage rolls. ( a must buy ). 

Next port of call was Dewlays Cheesemakers. The kilo and a half of Lancashire Creamy mild should see us through til March I reckon! £8.20 is a lot cheaper than buying it from the supermarket around here! 

After that was the farm shop for the sack of spuds and all the veg. ( I do mean All. The. Veg )

We then made our way to the beauty spa where I was going to have my eyebrows ripped off and he HG was going to have the back massage I bought him for his birthday! One of the above activities is definitely more relaxing than the other! 

We'd arrived a bit early, so we parked up and had a wander up the High Street. Naturally, I went to have a look in the charity shops. 

Now I'm not a shoe/bag/clothes person at all. For the most part, I don't really care what I look like with what I'm wearing. I find it incredibly unbelievable that people pay 100s and 1000s of pounds for shoes and bags etc. 

However, 

I was having a browse when I saw the most beautiful boots I've seen in a long time. They were JUST like the ones I used to wear in my teenage years - except these were satiny and those were suedey! They were in my size! I worried over the heel being a bit high but I had to have them! 

I chatted with the lady at the till who genuinely offered to buy the boots back off me for herself if the didn't fit! 

My photos do not do them justice! 

They actually fit perfectly though walking in them is an issue!! I need to repractise walking in heels! Failing that, I'll put them in my china cabinet! 

Once we'd been in the salon 

Me - ARRRRRGH

HG- ahhhhh

It was off to the seaside to get his Christmas Present from me. A full waterproof fishing outfit. We then came home with a couple of stops at shops on the way back! 

We got in at 4pm. I was going out for 7pm and I had to dye my hair! To be honest, after my shower I could have just got my clean pjs on and climbed into bed. Sooo tired. The week had definitely caught up with me! But the meal had been paid for ( out of my lottery winnings ) so I was jolly well going! 

The table arrangements were not great with some of us say with our backs to each other. However after the disappointing starter ( where only half came ), the mains were gorgeous.

Yum! I couldn't finish it all! 

The pudding was um well my crime brûlée didn't crack when I hit it on the top and it was a bit like set semolina in texture! ( I've been watching too much Masterchef ) 

I didn't really eat it! I had a good laugh with the people sat on our bit of the table but by nine o'clock I was ready for home! There was a disco but how the rooms were set, it was unclear where one had to go to dance! We'd been upstairs on like a mezzanine layer away from everyone else!! 

Me and my friends lasted til 10pm then we gave up and came home! I'm going to vote that we have the 'do' the week before we break up next year because everyone was too knackered to enjoy it. I'd have the tables arranged in a huge square too so that we could all sit and see each other. 

Right I'm off to make porridge for breakfast and then get cracking!! Have a good Sunday one and all. 

Lots of love from

Rachel *still tired out* Radiostar xxx 

 

Shopping day

It's twirly, dark and I am just feeling the beginnings of sore throat and hurty ears. Bloody typical, every end of term, particularly Autumn Term I succumb to bugs. Well, I've no time to be ill today so I will be taking max strength drugs shortly. 

The HG has to work right up to Christmas Eve so today we are off out and about shopping like maniacs. 

Got a lot to fit in! We need to buy the last few bits n bobs for gifts, we need to go have a cooked breakfast at the posh garden centre ( ! ), we need to call at the local cheeeeeeese shop for the cheeeeeese and the close by farm shop for my annual sack of spuds. Then we are off for some pampering at the beauty salon! I'm having my eyebrows ripped off my face again and he's having the back and shoulder massage I bought him for his birthday! Then it's off to the seaside to get his Christmas present from me. A fishing suit. I can't be out too long because I need longer these days to get ready for a night out. It's the staff do tonight. It was paid for by mine and my partner in crime at works' lottery winnings! We've done the Eurolottery all year and we won enough to pay for our Christmas dinner and a cocktail! Although I have not told you about what happened last Friday when I went out for festive cocktails!! ( I was absolutely trollied!!! ) I may decide to have a mocktail instead! 

Last nights Carol concert was outstanding. It was in the 700 year old City Priory. There was an orchestra, the choir, school children from four schools ( including mine! ) and readings from a posh lady! The vicar was suitably witty and the children were marvellous! 

The huge candelabras looked like they were floating Hogwarts style! 

This is just the side chapel - the carvings are exquisite. 

It really is a beautiful building and I'm feeling suitably festive now despite my ears hurting from the reindeer earrings I wore last night!! It didn't finish until 10pm! 

Right that's yer lot, it's 6.26am and I need to get cracking!  

Lots of love from 

Rachel *knackered* Radiostar xxx

Last day of term!

Huzzah!! 

Last night I stayed at work for the Junior Disco. The day passed slowly as my class were having a 'bring your own toys in' day. Two cherubs were most put out that their taller than me plastic uzi sub machine nerf guns were confiscated upon arrival,  being deemed inappropriate and unsuitable and not on the list of board games and non electronic activities they were allowed to bring in from home!! It was just a very loud day. They all really enjoyed playing the different games together until about 3pm when they and us staff had. Had. Enough. They also squeezed in a viewing of Home Alone. The best thing for me, was watching the faces of the handful of children who'd never watched it before! 

Then I went to Night Owls and most of them went home to get prettied up!

I'm really pleased that the year six kids turned up looking like year six kids and not street walkers and gangsters. I only stuck it out til 6.30pm, it was too loud,  abandoning ship to go looking at Sainsbury's.  

I've had my eye on this since mid November but no way would I spend £25 on some twigs and wire, but when I looked at it last night it was half price!normarily I'd be shrieking "£12.59 for some twigs and wire???" BUT  I was post disco day. In full on *FIM. 

I also looked at this darling half price Robin in a glass bottle ( I've been bird watching it since Mid November too ) 

and some half price fancy crackers for my table. 

Not to be pulled mind, just to be looked at! Don't worry, I looked at some other half price crackers

for pulling so we will be festooned with jaunty tissue paper hats on the day! 

To those admirers of the gingerbread decs, I've managed to snaffle a couple! Drop me your address and I'll send you one!! 

Thank you to Carol for her card which I received yesterday X I've some beauties this year! 

Right, I need to find my friends at work's presents and wrap them! 

Lots of love from 

Rachel *two Carol concerts and a staff night out to go* Radiostar xxx 

*FIM = F@&K IT MODE!! 

Oh bloody hell!!

Not looking forward to tomorrow. If the kids that have been away today for the rehearsals don't turn up tomorrow then I'm IN THE SODDING NATIVITY MYSELF!!! 

Tree is 97% done. Life kept getting in the way. Cooking, washing etc 

Nine sets of purple and white lights are on this tree. I have 5 sets of purple lights that have not gone on. These will be used around the house.  I don't like a dark tree! I also spend ages standing at the far end of the room with squinty eyes so I can see any blatantly obvious dark spots. Do you do this scientifically tested method? 

Next on go my exclusively purple and silver ornaments that I've been collecting for 23 years.  Not pink, not cerise, but proper purples. No branch goes unadorned!  I'm most definitely the opposite of a minimalist tree person. 

Lastly, strings of fancy sliver and purple garlandy beads go on - I've not finished it yet, but couldn't resist giving you all a sneaky peak! 

It is a lovely tree, the shape is perfect! 

The bushy branches are challenging to get baubles and bling 'just so'. 

Here are a few shots of my yesteryear trees! 

2008 - old style TV! And yes you will notice my curtains and decor are still the same as now! That's because I love it so! Also I love my purple velvet cloak clad Father Christmas on the top! 

 

2009, still my old wooden Windows! 

A shot from the bottom in 2010

A peak into one of my boxes in 2012

Last year - my poor old black tree giving up under the strain of all those decorations!! 

Festive Fire ! 

So things you may now know about me. 

I'm a bit OCD with my tree! I don't like change. And I've approximately £10000 of Christmas decorations!!! 

Today was the Fair and I've been so busy I forgot to take photos of the salt dough gingerbread men.  There are a few spare so I might catch them tomorrow. The fair started at 3.25pm 

The junior bell goes at 3.20pm

A child in my class sicked up big style all over the carpet at 3.17pm. This was not pleasant. 

I'm now over tired , fretting for tomorrow. 

Full dress rehearsal in the morning for the whole school, first performance 2pm then Night Owls then the final performance at 6pm. 

Like I said at the beginning 

Not looking forward to tomorrow. If the kids that have been away don't turn up then I'm IN THE SODDING NATIVITY MYSELF!!! 

I will need to wear a tea towel on my head ( shepherd ), put on a dicky bow tie ( inn keeper ) , change into all black outfit ( narrator numbers 8 and 20 ) 

And somehow be at the front mouthing words and gurning at the children!! 

At least I don't think this will happen... 

A text from the teacher I've worked closely with putting on this shebang.. 

"Yup - that's us staying at school! I shall pop to Spar for choccy, I think! We'll need it. 

Still, the stories from KS1 nativity are cheering me up. It can't possibly be worse than theirs. Friday they had willy - out fiddling and today a full on fight. :-)"

I'll let you know how we get on!  Though I can quite categorically state I will not get my willy out and fiddle with it. Can't promise about the fight....

Lots of love from 

Rachel * Mare Reeee is gunnar rav a bay beeeeee* Radiostar xxx

December 1st 2015

Helloooo now that NOvember is over I can ALMOST get my full Christmas on! See, it's my Dad's birthday on Friday and when we were little, full on Christmassing the house didn't start till about the 10th after my Dad's birthday cards came down. 

How was your last day of November? 

Here's a snapshot of my delightful 45 minute lunch 'hour' yesterday. 

I always come home at lunch for my

own sanity. I need a break from the cheeldren. Also I do jobs too. No rest for the wicked etc. 

So....

Came home, saw washer had 11 minutes left. Went for a wee, put towels away ( that Bloody Mr 18 was supposed to do ) came down, washer still on 11 minutes. Looked closer, couldn't work out what it was. 

Asked Bloody Miss 21( who had a day off from work ) - oh it's my mattress topper ( she said airily ) 

I said seethingly, 

Did you follow washing instructions because it's not spinning because it's too heavy and uneven in the washer - it told me so in the LED display . 

She shouts down,

I washed it on delicate and it's air dry . 

I yelled WHAT???? Air dry???? HAVE YOU SEEN THE WEATHER?? 

It was November storm heavily chucking it down weather. 

I continued my rant 

You wash quilt type things ON A BAKING HOT DAY IN THE SUMMER WHEN IT WILL AIR DRY AFTER A FEW HOURS HANGING OUTSIDE. WHERE/HOW DO YOU INTEND TO DRY IT???? 

She replied,  "The radiators."

I hit the roof! 

I'm like which bloody radiator is going to dry a ten ton dripping quilted mattress topper - fluffy on one side, it's 2" thick. I'm surprised it went in the washer. 

So I informed her she'd probably broken my washer, that she needed to bring a towel down to put on the floor next to the washer and start hand wringing it in to the washing up bowl. Then try to spin it again. 

She said 

( let's not forget this girl has a degree )

I didn't realise it'd get so wet.

Yes, I'll leave that with you a minute. 

Who knew that putting things in a washing machine would make them ever so slightly wet???

I told her to stick it in the dryer on a wool, bulky setting to get most of the water out and then put it on lounge radiator but to move the settee out BC I didn't want the back of it getting wet and that she better hope the steam didn't bring the wall paper off!! 

I got in from work to find her and her friend curled up on the sofa with hot chocolate. Topper on radiator. Sofa not moved out. This did not improve my mood. 

So I turfed them off and we shifted it forward. I felt the topper, it was sodden! I asked about the dryer - I put it in for about 15 minutes. DEAR LORD WHO IS THIS CHILD??? Surely not mine - mine would have more common sense! ( hmmm I'm sure I just had a flashback to my own mother saying the exact same thing to me ) 

I said but it's still so wet, she said but the heating has only just come on!!! So the sodden mattress topper has hung, on the freezing cold radiator, dripping litres of water onto the carpet for a good three hours . FFS. Why did she not click the heating on? ( prob worried she'd get nagged at lol ) 

I asked why had she washed it? 

It looked a bit grubby she said. 

Oh? GRUBBY AS OPPOSED TO THE FRIKKEN BOMBSITE OF A BEDROOM THAT I'VE ASKED YOU TO TIDY TO SHOW ME AND HER DAD THAT SHE RESPECTS US AND THE AMOUNT OF £££ AND HOURS WE PUT IN GIVING HER A GORGEOUS PLACE TO SLEEP?????

I swear to God I'm gonna miss her and will be desperate for her to come back home so I can shout at her, but New Zealand cannot come fast enough!!!!! 5 weeks roughly now. I bet the mattress topper might just be dry enough to go back on her bed then. Still, at least she knows now!  Grrrrr BLOODY KIDS! It was easier when they were toddlers! 

Anyway it's December. It's chucking it down...

But I have found my Advent Calendar

  The little Father Christmas, drops down the 

chimney, when you pull out 

a little ceramic stick everyday. They go in a little pot at the back. 

I've had him for approximately 100 years. I got him from Avon. It's the first sign of Christmas in my house. 

I'm just having some toasted baguette for breakfast. It's really tasty! 

Here's some photos of my efforts yesterday 

Cheese and bacon bread. Yum.

Bloomer and baguettes. Yum! 

I made it with half whole meal half white, so half good for me!! 

Right gotta love you and leave you now

Lots of love from

Rachel *off to work in the rain* Radiostar xx 

Mine was magical, yours?

Of course, I am talking about Christmas Day! The run up was hectic. Finishing work so close to the 25th had me running around like the proverbial fly with the blue Netherlands. I only just finished bedecking the house 

by the 23rd and of course did some traditional Christmas Eve wrapping. Although, all finished by midnight. I had planned on going to Church for midnight mass but just ran out of time, and the gale force winds put me off!

Christmas Day was ours. Just the four of us. As usual the HG was the first one awake and woke us all up. I do miss it being two small excited children running in with their stockings to open them on our bed, but the beauty of teenagers is that they like to sleep! So it was a very civilised 8:30am when we went down to see if 'He'd' been.  I do miss buying toys ( through the year in the sales ) for two small children as teenagers are expensive to buy for! We opened presents leisurely and stopped for bacon butties and phone calls before finishing off by 12.  The room was cleared of debris and the teenagers quickly hoovered and set to looking at what they'd got.

These are my new luxury furry slippers! 

During bacon butty break, the HG got the BBQ out and set up for our lovely joint of beef. This beef was a huge piece of prime, organically reared, happy beef. I'm sure I've  written how the animal frolicked in the meadow, in the dappled sunshine, drinking cool, fresh water from the spring,..... And how it  was reduced from £25 to £9....

Well it was done to perfection, and the bonus of cooking it on the BBQ was that we had BBQed sausages too, on Christmas Day!! Win.  Pudding was jam roly poly for them and a marzipan mince pie for me!

Speaking of Mince pies... I'd bought individual foil trays from Poundland to try as I get fed up of trying to clean the tray where the mincemeat invariably boils over, because I like a generous mince pie I do!
The best £1 I ever spent. I've loads of trays left too.
I made orange shortcrust pastry from the Hairy Bikers Christmas book and added marzipan to the middles; the idea I used was Wendi Peters off Corrie, who I chat to on Twitter. My foody hero Nigel Slater likes a marzipan mince pie, I know this, because he tweeted me!!

Step 1. Grate your butter in, so quick then to rub in! 

Generously filled, some have marzipan on the top, and some have discs hidden underneath. 

Some have full lids and some have a snowflake. Egg wash and a sprinkle of demarara. 

Done! 

I also made gingernuts, some Viennese shortbread biscuits and some cut out biscuits. All of which are far too delicious and I cannot stop eating them!

We were so full that no one wanted anything else to eat for the rest of the day.  A day spent dozing and chatting and just being lovely. Bliss.

I've read about lots of your days already, I'm sorry that for some it's a sad day, illness and bad memories prevail. I'm sad it's all over for another year. My tree will stay up till the 6th as it always does, but I will slowly start dismantling the other things.  Whilst I don't wish for it to be Christmas every day,I do wish I could keep my house bedecked for longer. I HATE January, I do not like the sparseness left behind, I dislike dark mornings and evenings, it's also so long to payday!! Not that I actually need to spend anything as the freezers and cupboards are well stocked. I will buy a sack of potatoes from the farm shop as they are so much cheaper and better ( being local ) than the supermarket.
And, rather brutally I think, I am back at work NEXT FRIDAY. That is ONLY  3rd Jan. It was set as the 2nd but our new saint like head stepped in and changed it. I love her ! Never mind, only 6 weeks till half term - which is when I will do my spring clean! Something to look forward to !

I will not be making resolutions, because I never stick to them! What about you?

Nearly 300!

I've just noticed that this is my 294th post or thereabouts! I can't believe I've had that much to waffle on about. Yet here I am again!

I've had a very busy week at work. We had the Christmas Fair - I made snowflake topped fairy buns for the cake stall. I am very thrilled to announce they made it to the 50p section.

 The WW2 topic is topped off today with an Educational Visit to the Imperial War Museum North with Year 6. I've been before. It is an amazing place - I find it at times, uncomfortably emotional, I must not break down into a blubbing wreck in front of the children!

( late night add in - it was a great day and I surprised myself with a climb of 161 steps to the top of a very very high tower but I got to see the top of the new Corrie set! )

Friday at Night Owls = DVD and treat night. Last week 'we' all sat enthralled at Sponge Bob's Christmas Efforts. Tonight it's Scooby Doo's turn to entertain us.

Then tomorrow, we are off to see the Uni one ( and Fenwick's Christmas Windows!) We are taking my Mum and Dad, who celebrated his 65th Birthday yesterday - Happy Retirement Dad! Except he's carrying on working! Cannot afford to pack in work. I wish for a lottery win this weekend, so he can.

Sunday will be a shopping/housework/pre Christmas Clean type of day. Then my tree will go up next week! Bargain Beef ( heavily reduced quality joints ) ( to be cooked on the BBQ at Christmas ) was secured at Sainsbury's last night after a successful Parent's Evening for the Teen. Well, it was eventually successful when we finally managed to see the teachers. They have the children make a timed appointment and are supposed to stick to slots five minutes long. Our first appointment was at 6:15pm, then 6:25 , 6:35 and 6:40. We arrived for maths at 6:10. And we waited.

And waited. At 6:17pm I started doing the 'shuffling from one foot to the other and glaring' angry waiting person dance.  I may have tweeted using bad swear words.  The parents who were hogging the teacher were, quite frankly, getting on my nerves.... The pushy parents eventually got up and we were poised to strike when some woman and her brat walked straight to the chair and sat down! Being British of course, I didn't want to make a fuss, so instead I just seethed silently.  At 6:25 we gave up and went to see the Business Teacher. She  had someone with her. After a few minutes, they left... We stood up....she called SOMEONE ELSE. I may have audibly growled. She apologised for running late and suggested we went to see other appointments. (!!!!!!) so now five minutes late for the IT teacher,, we tramped through the school to find a packed corridor of equally pissed off parents and their bratty offsprings waiting. We peered in the room but the IT man was occupied. So we left to go see Mr Chemistry. It was out last appointment booked. .he was waiting for us! We were warmly welcomed and thanked for being on time. He was already on the top of our favourite teacher list before he gave us a glowing report about our seemingly talented scientist son. ( how would we know? He only comes out of his lair to feed. Mostly at night. ) we left feeling smug! We then back tracked to Miss Business, who pissed me off because she spoke exclusively to the teen it was almost as if we were not there!  It was PARENT'S Evening for goodness sake. She did say it was nice to meet us. I did not believe her.
Mr IT had come out of his room now to look for us and took us in and shared some work, went through what went wrong,how to improve, how he expected the boy to exceed his ALPS target and then we went back to see Mr Maths.  He was with someone. They left. Another woman just queue jumped. I was almost at boiling point. I fact I was dangerously like that pan of milk frothing up the pan about to go over the top. I stood very close so I could tell you how her child was struggling with algebra.  Then it was us.
He looked at his list. Looked at the boy. Looked at his list and said we were late!!! He was told, bluntly, we'd been there at 6:10pm and ignored. He did back track and apologised several times and it turns out he likes to talk. Properly, to the teen and us about the work, the results, detailed feedback from class work, exam technique, extra clinics on offer and everything else you can think of! Mr Maths was thorough. He never stood a chance of being on time. I nodded politely as he took us through an exam question that had gone wrong. I didn't have a clue what he was talking about! I work in Y6 with the Red Group. We are still using tiddlywinks to share out for division questions! Anyway, the upshot was, we didn't get to go late night shopping as planned, but the boy is doing well and is broadly on track for success.

Have a great weekend whatever you are doing x just doing my Christmas Cards - if you want one - let me have your address!! Fun! 

NORDIC WOODEN SNOWFLAKE STAR THINGIES

Hey folks, it's December the 2nd. I've written some cards, ordered more stuff via Quidco and drooled at the telly Christmas Food adverts. Especially the M&S ones.
Anyway, at Night Owls, we are going all out Christmas Craft Crazy. Well, I am, and I'm dragging my fellow Owl ladies and Owlets with me. We, ok I, played our brand new Christmas CD 1 out of 3 and I forged ahead with the proto type. The children will have a go tomorrow. In small groups. The rest can make merry with the glitter and create Christmas Owl pictures to festoon the walls!

Swedish Snowflakes.
I first made these about a decade ago. Before all things Nordic were fashionable. It's EVERYWHERE!! Have you noticed? Or is it just me? 
Anyway you will need some old fashioned spring wooden pegs.
I found these wee darling ones to play with too!

You need to pull them apart. 

 My cowlleague,  ( ba da boom tish! ) started to fashion little Christmas shapes from the springs- these are still under wraps right now! 

You need to apply some glue to the flat side of the peg. 

And stick the two halves firmly together. 

 Here is where I made my mistake. I 'remembered' you need 6 pegs for each snowflake. My memory is shocking. Actually, and you'll see, the magic number is SEVEN! 

The tricky bit now is to glue the pegs into shape. You can get away with 6 for the smaller ones, but the larger one didn't look quite right. I used a glue gun to stick them into shape. It is quite fiddly, but stick with it. 

It might be easier to stick them in twos or threes first. 

I'm cross I didn't see the obvious missing seventh peg till I'd run out of time but I wanted a finished one to show the children. We have metallic paints and glitter. I can't wait till the children make them! I'm going to make some teeny ones for my own tree! 

Hang them with thread for a really thrifty, easy yet stylish and up to the minute Christmas Decoration. 

What is your favourite Christmas craft? Could I do it with my Owlets? Do please let me know! 

Rachel *Nordic* Radiostar xx