Five Days and Counting!

When I look at how many days to Christmas Day and what I still have to accomplish I sit here and wonder why I am feeling so calm. Technically I should probably be running around like a headless chicken but I'm not. Perhaps it was my willingness to not feel guilty about not doing Christmas cards this year, and that feeling has followed through to everything else. I think I will get it all done, and if I don't the world will not end. And we will still have a very good time.

Our social plans for today fell through sadly. My father and his girlfriend could not come here with her granddaughters due to the persistent germs that are everywhere this year. We will see them after the holidays now. Instead I took the girls to town. And I didn't complain about the traffic, I found a parking space without teaching them new words, and we had fun. Mostly in the kitchen shop. We have stocked up on squidgy bottle type things for decorating the cookies with icing on Friday. So that we all have our own, including my mum. That should make the job go quickly, theoretically.

To decorate the cookies you first have to make the dough. I did that today. It will happily keep in the fridge for three days, or more, if well wrapped. This gingerbread recipe is not for the faint hearted or small family that doesn't have a sugar fetish. The recipe makes a huge amount of cookies.

Can you see how full the mixer is?!

These gingerbread cookies are a huge part of Christmas for me. My mum made them when I was little, and my brothers and I sat around doing the decorating. When we were a bit older we often had friends join us and help. I look at the photo above and remember that my mum used to mix this mass of dough by hand. Thank goodness for Kitchen Aid! I won't provide the recipe. If you would like it just let me know and I will pass it on. I really think it is one for those who like baking, don't mind kids making a mess with icing and sprinkles, and have many mouths of feed over the holidays. If that description fits you and you want to join the fun, I am more than happy to send you all the details. It is dead easy to make - but the mixer does help enormously!

The only other Christmasy thing I have ticked off my list today was to unwrap the Christmas cake, breathe in its luscious boozy, fruity aroma - and then melt some apricot jelly and brush it all over the cake.

Half a pound of ground almonds, some sugar and egg yolks - and the handy, dandy mixer again - some brisk work with the rolling pin and my cake was covered.

Guess I should go and make a couple of cushions then. Rather sit here and look at other blogs though. I wonder if I will give in to temptation?

Susan