Love those cupcakes

It's behind you!

We went to a Christmas pantomime in Darlington on Saturday. (Oh no you didn't!  Oh yes we did!)

 

It was good fun, with lots of munching on the contents of various selection boxes, and I joined in all the responses. (Love all of the booing and hissing at the villain, who this year happened to be that Vernon character from Coronation Street).  I've posted before about our home town once having its own theatre which was turned into a night club during the '90s after being closed down for many years.  It's a lovely old building and I actually performed on stage there at the age of three in the baby troupe. (You didn't know I was showbiz, did you?!!)  The local council have tried to buy it back to return it to its original function but have so far been unsuccessful.

Earlier in the day, I'd made some 22nd birthday cupcakes for the daughter of a friend.  She didn't want anything too girly so I hope these were sufficiently rock 'n' roll for her.

  

I'll leave you with this photograph of a little someone who has been in bag and box heaven since Christmas Day.

      

 

The night before Christmas

 

It's Christmas Eve, my Gorgeous Girlie has arrived and we are all anticipating a visit from the man in the red suit later tonight.  Wherever you are, whoever you're with, however you celebrate, may I wish you all a very merry Christmas.

Almost there

I'm making progress, which is a good job since Christmas is almost here.  I took a couple of days holiday from work so that I could crack on with what seems an interminable to-do list.  We finally put up the tree and other decorations last night, along with a bit of late shopping at Marks and Spencer.  That's late in the sense that it was somewhat last minute and also because it was after 11 p.m. (They were open till midnight and it was so much better than trying to shop during the day).  I'm quite relieved we didn't  decorate the house sooner, given the presence of two lively litle kitties.  I'm sure they couldn't believe their luck when a tree to climb appeared in the house and was soon after festooned with tempting baubles and strings of tinsel.

I've also been busy in the kitchen, still getting to grips with new appliances. At least the mince pies are ready, made to a recipe my dad used to use.  The pastry is very shortbread-like, difficult to work with but well worth the effort as it melts in the mouth.

The cake is iced and finished off with the decorations we've been using for years.  I love the fact that everything is made to a different scale. Just look at the size of the robin compared to the tree!

This afternoon I started on the present wrapping.  With a generous glass of sherry (never touch the stuff at any other time), this in the DVD player and one of those sellotape dispensers on my wrist, I actually quite enjoyed myself.

The proof of the pudding

Christmas dinner isn't complete without a Christmas pudding and I always make one.  But not this year.  Time has run out and, reluctantly, I've had to resort to buying one from here.

  

 I read a review of shop bought Christmas puds in one of the papers and the verdict on the Betty's one was that it tasted homemade.  Well, as they say, the proof of the pudding is in the eating so we shall see.

Although we have yet to put up our tree and decorate the house (and yes, I do know the 25th is less than a week away), I haven't been totally copping out of the Christmas preps and made these buttery biscuits as little gifts for some friends.  I packaged them in snowflake covered cellophane tied with silver thread and they looked quite festive. They tasted good, too. (I had more than my fair share).

     

I fancy having a go at making this and these but whether I get round to them is another matter.  I'll let you know how I get on.

 

Tempus fugit

My, how time flies.  Christmas is fast approaching and I am way behind with preparations, for reasons which will soon become clear.  I did manage to make a Christmas cake last night, staying up until daft o'clock to take it out of the (brand spanking new) oven. It's now sitting in a tin awaiting a marzipan and royal icing topping which hopefully I'll get round to doing before the 25th. 

For some strange reason, I've had the urge to knit a hat.  Strange because I don't wear hats. Ever.  (I've also knit myself two scarves since I last posted but I haven't photographed those).

   

I think this is more accurately described as a beret.  (The last time I wore one of these was when I was at school and had to wear it as part of the uniform.  How I hated it).  The two blokes in my life couldn't stop laughing when I tentatively tried it on for the first time. There was mention of a resemblance to someone off the telly and, no, it wasn't Frank Spencer.  Needless to say, after that reception, I haven't been brave enough to wear it in public though I do plonk it on my head when I'm in the house and I did wear it in the car on the way back from York last weekend.  In the dark.  (The postman gave me a funny look the other morning, though,  when I answered the door wearing pyjamas and the beret).  I'm now knitting another one in a sort of caramel colour.

And when I plonk this one on, it won't look as if I'm wearing a hat at all!