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| First Christmas cake (Xmas 2008) |
I try to include photo's in my blogs, (because that keeps blogs interesting and not a block of text!) however, because I want to be a writer, rather than a photographer, I thought I would still do this, but more by writing. (Though will try to take the odd photo! Or find something Christmassy to post).
So this is my Christmas Countdown Calendar equivalent.
Day 1: Today, Nanny provided the boys with their chocolate advent calendars. Thankfully, I have convinced my mother that she does not have to do the same, because 1) I was running out of where to put them, 2) that would be FOUR calendars to open a day, plus the one we have, which is a reusable one I fill with chocolatey treats and 3) my kids would be eating way too much chocolate!
Anyway, my mother-in-law still does it (even through my grumbling) and I was at least very pleased to see that they were Thortons chocolate advent calendars. 1) because it's better chocolate than some of the crap that is in those other ones, and 2) if the boys don't eat all their tea, (when they will get to open this calendar) - Mummy's going to have it! I particularly like this second point!
So they'll get to do my one in the morning - as it's quicker. (I can't add opening calendars into the tight school run schedule - I'm already stressed enough as it is). And then Nanny's one after tea/dinner for their after tea treat.
My son's birthday is the 4th December - this weekend will be busy. But next week my aim is to marzipan my Christmas cake! Oh, the photos I can share with you there!
The photo provided was my first ever Christmas cake... however it was one of those boxes, where you just add the eggs. I marzepanned and iced it though! And decorated it! This year I've properly made one from Nigella's Christmas. And I want to use royal icing!
I was looking through this recipe book today... looking for all the nice things I'd like to make.
So day 1 - calendars started. Only 24 sleeps till Christmas!
That was a nice cake. Like the unusual colours, not the obvious Christmassy ones.
ReplyDeleteYou know, I recall a time there were Advent calendars that DIDN'T have choccies in them. Sometime back in the 19th century possibly. Whoever first came up with that idea was a genius!
Well, it was marzipan, and I had to make do with the food colours I had in my cupboard. (Red, Blue and Yellow - the primary ones :-p - can make any colour you like then - well, within reason - you lack white in food colourings.)
ReplyDeleteI used to get a picture advent calendar from my aunt. And I do have a phoenix card one which is rather cute. The stable barn, and you add all the 'characters' of the nativity scene to it each day. Baby Jesus being day 24. You can still get them without chocolate.
I love it! It's beautiful. I may try that sometime. I've promised my girls that we'd do a gingerbread house again this year(hooray for no Nutcracker rehearsals).
ReplyDeleteIt'll be the first time we've done that inyears and they're so much older that it should be a lot more fun.
The snowmen are so easy to make ;-) I split the left over marzipan into four bowls. Turned one pink, one blue and one yellow and kept one natural.
ReplyDeleteIt was my first attempt. This year I'm going for the royal icing look - photos will follow.
I want to do a gingerbread house, because both my boys would love it... but it's just so much food in the house, not sure we'd eat it all. Though I might cheat - seen something in a magazine to attempt.