Our Christmas celebrations got off to a B-A-N-G this weekend
with Carols by Candlelight followed by a magnificent fireworks display.
Have you noticed that everyone is now in a festive mood? Christmas carols are playing in the shops and on the radio; the usual array of Christmas movies are being shown on TV; shopping centres are chaotic and traffic and parking.... well, don’t even go there (that’ll dampen your holiday spirit for sure).
I believe our northern friends are already getting good snow falls so are bound to have a white Christmas, while here in Australia, last week’s floods across several states are receding and the sun is blazing. Regardless of the season, the goodwill that exists at Christmas is the same everywhere.
Thanks to Jess for standing in for me while I was MIA on Friday. I do apologise for being a bit late with the GIVEAWAY announcements for last week.
The winner of the lovely handmade table runner by Kris Mears of Tag Along Teddies
was Tracy at Sunny Corner Farm. Tracy’s gift is already on its way to her.
The 8” x 10” Pudding painting for last week’s Friday Giveaway is being gifted to Jo in Tasmania (now known as Lilly Pilly)
And the painting is a good segue into today’s topic ~ Christmas pudding.
I stole today’s post title “It’s yum in my tum” from a Christmas episode of The Vicar of Dibly. I’m sure many of you would have seen the episode where Dawn French’s character, the Vicar, eats Christmas lunch four times so as not to offend any of her friends. I get the giggles just thinking about it.
So… it doesn’t matter whether it is traditional, microwaveable, steamed, gluten-free, low fat, wheat free, boozy or just plain indulgent... there’s a Christmas pudding to suit everyone’s taste.
And what would a Christmas pudding be without brandy cream/butter/custard?
Which one do your prefer?
There are many traditions surrounding the making of the Christmas pud. Many people make their puddings on ‘Stir Up Sunday’, the Sunday before Advent which this year fell on 28th November. Making your pudding early means it really does benefit from all the maturing. The flavour of the spices mellow and deepen and the fruits plump up and soften.
Some families add coins to the pudding for luck. Everyone then stirs the pudding and makes a wish. Those who get the coins in their serving get wealth, health, happiness, and their wish will come true.
I have very fond memories of my grandparents making a very big fruity mix, tying it up in cloth and then boiling it in their hot water boiling copper outside. The making of the pudding was an all day event and the resulting pudding was so huge it could feed all the extended family. For me, it’s not Christmas without pudding, so pudding and brandy custard are definitely on our menu for Christmas day.
There are so many different types of pudding recipes available now that many families don’t even make the traditional heavy fruit pud, instead opting for a lighter alternative pudding that can be made on the day or the day before.
If you are looking for pudding recipes, once again I’ll direct you to this wonderful recipe website.
Finally, don’t forget to keep checking back with the ‘Show us your Christmas home’ post here, as many people have emailed to ask can they still add their post. Some people hadn’t yet taken photos so I expect there will be more people adding their links. And if you haven’t done so already, please join in and show us a photo of your Christmas decorations. It doesn’t have to be a whole house, maybe just your Christmas tree or a favourite corner. Whatever it is, we’d all love to come visit you in your Christmas home.
Hugs ~ Kerryanne
