Catching up

It's such a great feeling to have gotten the fairs out of the way and to have the time to concentrate on our Christmas now. I spent most of the morning putting away stock and deciding whether to spend ages listing things on Etsy. I think it would be a good idea but I just haven't got the time at the moment so I'll give you a peak here of what's left and you can email me if you want to buy anything.

Yesterday, was spent drying more orange slices because I seem to burn as many as I do successfully. Everything's fine for the first five hours or so and just when they're nearly done I go and forget to put the timer on. Last week I remembered them when I was just nodding off and ended up running down stairs at midnight to get the darned things out of the oven. Why do I bother?  Well, they do look nice when you use them like this (even with wrinkled up bay leaves):

A few folk have asked me how to do them. Well, I slice up small oranges and put them in my Aga in the oven that is about 140C. I leave them for about five hours turning them over a couple of times. Then I leave them in a warm place overnight just to be extra sure that they're dry. Just to warn you - they smell nice whilst they're cooking but don't give off any scent once dry so I guess you're just doing them for the visual effect really.

I've also been getting some bits and bobs together like this huge tin of Amaretti that we have each year:

Eat Me dates as the children call them - why the heck have they got rid of the lovely card or wood box that they used to come in?

and on Sunday we had our first mince pies - pure heaven:

I haven't bought the huge tin of Quality Street yet although I keep walking past it in the Co-Op. I have to confess that Tom did buy a small box last week which did not hang around for very long. I'm worried that the tin may have a similar fate. Of course Christmas would not be the same without walnuts and clementines either and they are certainly decking the halls here.

Other news is that building work is still going on in the stable and it looks wonderful in there. I didn't take any pics today cos it's pissing down with rain again (surprise surprise) but I will show you later in the week once the scaffolding comes down. Other than that I'm busy buying Christmas presents on-line and I just have to mention this crazy book I read about in the Telegraph last night. It's called Potty, Fartwell and Knob and the review said "This compendium of amusing British names is as smutty as its title promises: Roger Quicklove, Hester Snogs and Willy Wanker all make an appearance, with plenty more besides. In between the sniggers, though, there is the occasional poignant or curious name that makes you wonder about the life that person led". Can you believe that there was someone called Fanny Cockup? I think I'm going to have to get two copies - one for Tom and one for my brother-in-law. Infact, maybe one for my brother too. It's just the sort of stuff they'll chortle over in front of the fire after Christmas dinner.

Before I go and slump in the sofa here are a few of the things I have for sale:

lots of brooches all at $11 each:

one baby doll made from cotton velour and filled with sheep's wool at $42:

and two books both for £9 each. I'm listing those in pounds as they'll be too heavy to send overseas(?):

That sofa is beckoning I'm afraid. It's too darned cold to be sitting in here any longer ..........

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PS I've been meaning to ask this for ages but does anyone have any audio tapes of the Henry Huggins books? Bron from PA who we stayed with in the Summer sent Raj this tape last month:

He, and Rohan just love it. Infact Raj has listened to it umpteen times already and does a great impersonation of Scooter and Henry. I've looked on Amazon and there's nothing over here ofcourse and I just wondered if anyone has an old tape I could buy or infact if you know that any more tapes exist at all? I think it would make a small boy very happy.

Comments

[simone]

Lovely post as usual. The oranges look lovely made up into a wreath. I love the sound of the book of British names. I also love the word 'chortle' that you used!

[jodi lenz]

Simmy,

How can we resist making Raj & Rohan happy? I'll look for more tapes. But if not, are the books okay?

Love,

~Jodi & Bronwyn

[Laura]

Your mince pies are perfectly lovely! Can you believe I've never tasted mince pies? They reminded me of some star cookies I made last year which I plan to make again this year. Yummy yummy Holiday cooking.
~Laura from Amongst The Oaks

[Kate]

Hi Simmy - I think my mother would love one of those leaf brooches - how much in pounds? :)

[liz]

Ooh dear, the tv debate - I have this argument once a week with my husband. I would dearly love to get rid of ours as I am too good at being a couch potato - once it goes on at night I seem to get nothing done. my daughter and her husband who are in there late 20's 30's decided to ditch theirs about 18 months ago and they are amazed at the time it frees up to do other things. I know that you can switch it off and do something else but is it that easy? I am not that strong, and it does kill conversation. I love the radio on so that I can do other things and just absorb whats happening as I do like some background noise if I am in on my own. However with 3 children esp. coming up to teenagers it is a big struggle for you. My friend brought her family from Canada to stay in Scotland for a year and decided to go without tv - the kids only saw it if they came to play at a friends house - when it came to Christmas time and they were asked what santa might bring they said they didn't know as they hadn't seen the ads! I know american/canadian tv is worse than ours but ours is defintely getting worse - there is so much reality tv on which is really mindless. Oops - this is turning into a rant - good luck Simmy - whatever you decide there will be pros and cons.

lizzi