In my ongoing sorting out operation at home, I am starting to unearth quite a few things that I had forgotten about and which need storing away so that I can get to them easily in the future. As a result of that, I am starting to unearth the odd Christmas decorations.
Today, I have located one of my favourite decorations, which is a vintage toybox with a rocking horse on the top. It is musical and as the music plays, the rocking horse moves backwards and forwards. As it has been in storage, I have given it a good dust down with a little brush. It is actually a very soft make up brush one of the larger ones, which gets into all the nooks and crannies on the ornament, but it does the job in smartening it up again.
As most of you know, since the end of September I have been buying in a few ingredients for the Christmas cooking/baking, Each week I am buying in a few things extra and it helps me an awful lot. I now know what I need to buy as I have a lot of the basics available to use, and once the cupboard under the stairs is sorted, I will then be able to tackle the main pantry area. A lot of my jams and preserves that I have made this year, are to be stored in the under-stairs cupboard together with my specialist cooking equipment that I do not use too often but which actually helps an awful lot.
Yesterday when I was in Waitrose, I noticed on the cheese section, this olive oil and chilli covered Feta at £5 a jar. It was only a small jar and I know from previous experience that I am going to need a couple of jars of this for the Christmas period (not this flavour though which is Chilli and Caraway, so rather than buy I have decided that I am going to make my own, which in previous years I have always done in any event.
For very good general information on how to store Feta, please go to this link here for those of you wishing for advice in relation to keeping Feta and how to store it. Once the Feta is opened from its original packaging it has a much shorter shelf life unless it is kept in one of the ways mentioned. That is why I am keeping it in its original packs until just before Christmas.
It is very straightforward and it does not last long here, as OH is a fan.
In any event, I managed to obtain two blocks of Feta for £1.50 a block which are now in the fridge with a long stop date into next year. I will buy another couple of blocks either at the end of the week or next week and also store them in the fridge. The plan is then one week's before Christmas I will turn them into the fridge preserve itself.
With long stop date until 18.06.2022.
I have now started collecting together some other ingredients to turn into short term fridge preserves for use over the Christmas season as well.
Also when I was in Waitrose, I was very surprised to see that quite a few of the cake decorating bits and pieces had no stock left, just subtle things, but because I have been going regularly, I have noticed what was missing. So it really does pay to stockpile items in advance where you can in readiness for Christmas because it does ensure that you have what you need for your family without necessarily being ostentatious but buying in and using what you need. A case in point recently has been the lack of Marzipan, which I was not able to source. I know you can make from ground almonds in any event, but they have been missing too although start to be appearing on the shelves, which leads me to believe that the stores may have been holding things back to ensure that we can get these items for Christmas.
Next on the agenda for gathering in will be a selection of nuts for use in baking but also turning into simple sweetmeats for the Christmas coffee table or the pick n mix selections that most families have out during Christmas season for nibbling on. Also needed to have with Goat's cheese, and baking. I shall have a look to see what they have either at the end of this week or the beginning of next. Am looking for Almonds, Pecans, Walnuts, Chestnuts and Hazelnuts.
I have also started to sort out some of the items that I already have and am still turning them into preserves etc.
My plan is this year to have very little bought in pre-prepared food and I shall bake and prepare stuff in advance, but also as we go along, as I want to make sure that we eat what we have and that nothing is wasted. That is my plan I enjoy cooking in any event, and although want nice things to eat some of the prices that the shops are charging for puddings because they are different and fancy is just a bit too stupid. When you weigh up that a lot of cake is either a very light sponge mix as for a swiss roll, or a Victoria sandwich, you can quite easily with a tin of fruit and some cream turn them into fancy puddings the same as you can with pastries. I also intend to make some home made sweeties as well. I love Turkish Delight both Rose and Creme de Menthe. I also like home made chocolate rum balls whether made by using up stale cake crumbs or with a chocolate fondant ganache. Both are easy to achieve.
I have also started gathering up chocolate tree decorations. These have been a tradition in our family since we were tiny. It was something my Nan (Gran) used to do for the children of the family. Each year she used to buy in the gaily foil decorated hollow chocolate tree decorations and each child would receive one off the tree. It used to be a lovely treat as we did not have as many sweets then as we do now. This is something that I have continued to do to this day. I also add candy canes to the tree as well.
This year I have gone for some chocolate Santa Claus figures, which I hope to turn into a garland for either the tree or one of the dressers. With a little stitching and some velvet ribbon, it should not take too much to do. Both the candy canes and the Santa figurines can also be used in other Christmas table decorations or just hung off the tree, or popped into a child's stocking. I still have to get the candy canes in. I have never tried boiled sugar work, and it is something I want to investigate next year so I can potentially (if I get it right) make my own candy canes for next year. I have also started buying in some little bags of chocolate coins and other little sweetie treats as well. If you shop around you do not have to pay the earth and it is adding your own touch to the Christmas decorations and settings.
I have also found my chocolate melting pot as well. Chocolate is very versatile for sweet making and once you get used to its vagaries it can be used to make simple filigree chocolate decorations or indeed for decorating Rose or Bay leaves, leaving them to set, before peeling the leaves off and then using them to decorate a home made "gateau" such as chocolate and cherry (with a touch of home made cherry liqueur added) and fresh cream or a chocolate sponge with mandarin oranges and cream. Or cooked puff pastry slices, filled with whipped and piped double cream with oranges, or peaches. There is always something that you can do with basic things that makes them look exotic and expensive. It does not have to be complicated.
I still have a lot of things left to do yet and get in. I have an outline of what I would like to achieve this Christmas even though it will be low key.
Where are you up to with your Christmas planning and decorations. Would love to hear.
Catch you soon.
Pattypan
x
Red Onion Pickle
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