Monday 26 November 2012

Silk purse out of a sow's ear and Christmas gifting.

Thank you to all those suggestions about rescuing my rather nasty homity pie. In the end, I scooped out the rather nasty potato mush gloop and mashed it with herbs and butter to make a surprisingly nice mash, shoved it back in the pie which was beginning to resemble Frankenstein's monster, put it in the oven with some chips, and had the whole thing with peas and loads of gravy. A bit of a carb fest, but you know what? It was actually quite nice. I am certainly happy to eat up the rest of the 1 and a half pies now (sigh).

I have been trying very hard to get all of my Christmas shopping sorted before the 1st December and I am thrilled to say that I am almost there. In fact I have got all of them sorted except for one. I even started wrapping some of them this weekend. The home made Christmas pudding vodka is nicely steeping and will be ready to bottle today, I have to stir it once a day and I couldn't resist a little taste when I did that today - it is absolutely gorgeous, so tasty and I am sure everyone who is getting a bottle is really going to enjoy it.

The only person I have not bought for yet is my mum and I am not sure what I will be getting her. Also there may be one or two people who get some Christmas gift extras from the kitchen, in the form of biscuits or cakes or chocolates and I will obviously not be making these until the week of Christmas. But besides that, I am saved from the high street through December and if I play my cards right, I can do one food shop when my friend comes to stay on the 17th (it is more bearable when it is with someone to share the Christmas supermarket horrors) and that will be me done with shops through December.

I know that I am going to feel unbearably smug now when I hear others moaning about having to go to the shops on Christmas eve :-)

9 comments:

  1. I am so glad that the vodka is delish, I made a double batch and will be straining it later today, it is earmarked for a secret Santa gift and 3 work colleagues but maybe just maybe the bottles will be a smaller size than planned.

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  2. We too are almost done, just a few online orders to sort out. I do a monthly shop online to save going to the food shops, drives me nuts even going in to do weekly top ups!

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  3. I save any £2 coins I get in change and buy "supermarket stamps" throughout the year with them. This easily pays for my December month's shop with any extras like baking bits and bobs I want to get. FMx

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  4. Well done you for saving the pies. I've just got out the Christmas cards to sort through and am contemplating getting the decorations out of the loft. I've not got many gifts to send this year - they are all homemade at the moment.
    Love from Mum
    xx

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  5. Well done, I too am almost finished. Mainly as the Dawn Patroller is to tour Britain at the end of the week and deliver them all. Most people are getting one of my paintings whether they like it or not.

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  6. Good job making the pies edible!

    I just found your blog last night and have already read all the way back to Halloween's ghost story. Can't wait to read more!

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  7. That vodka sounds really intruiging! I am gathering mulled wine ingredients! :)

    Feeling pretty smug about the Christmas presents I have got sorted. Just need to get three more little ones! Will be a race to the finish though as I left the difficult ones til last!! :-S

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  8. The vodka sounds lush ! think I'd be stealing a taster of it too!
    Most of my Christmas shopping is finished too :-) just sweetie jars to make up for the kids and shortbread to bake nearer the time! A friend of mine gets very upset if I dont take her shortbread on xmas day lol it has become something of a tradition :-)

    Been reading for ages, your story and the guts its taken are inspiring! xx

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  9. The older I become the less I enjoy the hastle of Christmas shopping so I have opted for on-line shopping, which for me, is a godsend. It is definitely a good feeling when it is all sorted.

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