Six days to go!

Well it’s less than a week to Christmas and things are getting exciting! Only 6 days to go!
I spent most of Monday night carefully wrapping presents for the chap with glasses. Using a lovely parcel paper and sass & belle ribbon to give it a sweet touch. This is partly because of my obsession with the cute and quirky... and partly because most Christmas paper I’ve encountered has all the durability of a butterfly. Anyway, with a majority of my wrapping done, I’m eagerly waiting for the big day. I have been uncharacteristically organised this year...frighteningly so. But after seeing how little some people have done I am grateful not to bear the Christmas rush.

I am particularly excited this year. Not just because I want to open my goodies (and trust me I do!!) But Christmas is the one time of year that most people can just switch off and relax. No work, no traffic, just good food, family and friends. I try to bake something for the family gathering and this year it’s going to be either a ham hock terrine (recipe courtesy of BBC good food) or sea salt caramel chocolate brownies (recipe courtesy of warmsnugfat.blogspot). However, I can’t decide.
I am personally very excited about the holiday period because it will be our last one as an unmarried couple (soppy I know). Also early on boxing day morning, we shall be on an adventure down to Gatwick to catch a flight to Barbados! EEeeeeeeeeeeek! This was a rather pleasant surprise invitation two weeks ago to go to the beautiful island. We are treating this like a mini-pre honeymoon and shall visit all the touristy hot spots....did someone say Malibu factory on the beach?! I’ll stop before I make you all green with envy!
Last night was quite momentous in that I saw The Hobbit; I must say Peter Jackson hasn’t lost his touch since the last LOR film was released. The casting was brilliant, and I love Ian McKellen in most films, but especially as Gandalf as it remind me of my grandfather. I now rather impatiently wait for the next instalment......hurry up!
I shall be visiting the sort of mini Christmas markets tonight in my area. A lot smaller than the ones in Manchester city centre, but it hosts local sellers and produce.
Oh and curro’s....which aren’t really Christmasy to my knowledge, but damn tasty!

Fish story

This is a quick article about our beloved little friend “Upside downy” the goldfish who sadly passed last Thursday.
“Upside downy” and his pal, “Damp Steve” came into our possession after a work colleague put them up for adoption because they were moving house. I say put up for adoption it was more a case of unwanted pets facing being flushed if nobody took them.
Needless to say, to save the poor mites from taking a ride down the porcelain bowl; me and the chap with glasses decided to take them home. Also thanks to Disney films, I believe that all animals can understand what’s going on around them. It was a pretty sweet deal, we got the bowl, filter, pebbles, fish food and of course the fish themselves as part of the deal. Oh yes and we were warned before we took them that one of the goldfish had a ‘cute defect’. That he swam upside down.
It didn’t honestly seem to bother him that much, in fact he seemed quite happy with his view of the world. And being under the impression that it was a common fish problem, (constipation or inflamed swim bladder) we happily took Upside downy and Damp Steve home with us.
We decided that the bowl would sit on one of our little side tables in the living room so the fish could look out the window and be out the way from an accidental knock. I had images of myself trying to collect the springy orange things now flapping on the damp floor into a pint glass. After carefully de-bagging the terrified little fish from their sandwich bags of water (and sprinkling a few flakes of fish food as a good will gesture) we left them to become more acquainted with their new home. Upside-downy swam around frantically for 5 minutes staring at the bottom of the tank, bumping into the other fish and wedging himself in the pebbles. We turned the lights off and gave them some peace. An hour or so later we came back to the tank to check how things were going. Upside-downy had rested himself at the bottom of the tank head and back resting on the pebbles but still very mobile. However, Damp Steve had disappeared. To our horror, the poor thing had got his lovely fan tail caught in a crack in filter and had been frantically trying to free himself for the past hour.
What followed was a rather traumatic rescue attempt by myself and the chap with glasses to free the tangled tail. After 3 minutes of being elbows deep in the fish bowl we finally freed him. However, Damp Steve was not left unscathed; part of his tail had torn on the sharp corner of the filter. He bobbed away from the filter looking rather disheartened and (more likely) in shock. Shock could kill a fish. Christ he could be dead by morning and we’d had them less than a day! So fish owning had not started out well.
After the tail trapping incident the old filter was quickly unplugged, taken out the tank and punted into the bin. We decided to take a trip to a aquatics shop in Manchester that would supply all our fish related items. After demanding a pet terrapin (apparently they grow to the size of cereal bowl and get lonely so you have to buy two) or another fish, I was persuaded to buy only what I had gone in for and we left with a shiny new filter and fish laxative.
Once home, the ridiculously extensive fish laxative instructions were read and we gave what was instructed to the fish. Upside downy was starting to look rather bloated (also still upside down) so we hoped it would work quickly.
Two weeks later Upside downy no resides himself to the bottom of the bowl. He no longer swims at all and can barely lift himself up. It was very heartbreaking. I didn’t have the heart to kill him but feared he was not long for this world. As he could no longer reach the surface of the water to eat. We gently fed him flakes of fish food with tweezers by holding it near his face. Like the soppy gits we are. Finally last Thursday night I ventured into the living room to check on them and the poor thing had died.
We buried him in the garden under a tree and hoped he was in a better place, and subsequently that a fox didn’t get him.
R.I.P Upside-downy. Your little body could not poo and it killed you.
Bad times

Anti cupcake

Anti-Cupcake
I am going to say something that I know will shock, upset and anger some you (bakers) out there.
I don’t like cupcakes.
There I said it.
I know it’s the metaphorical baking phrase for kicking a puppy, but I just don’t.
In September I visited the “Cake bake show” in Covent garden. To experience as many culinary delights as possible and see the tiny baking wonder that is Mary Berry. Sadly, what we found was a saturation of cupcake related items, all very similar and engulfing every other sort of baking. I was disappointed to say the least, baking has endless possibilities, and so many savoury options as well! (My personal favourite at the moment is baked Scotch eggs.) I have my own personal reasons of dislike of course, I am not just slinging hatred at these hand sized cakes for nothing.
1. Every and I mean EVERY cupcake I have ever eaten has been dry
2. This is then compensated for by the Everest of icing that proceeds to choke you as you eat it.
3. I don’t really like butter cream 4. Most are over priced
5. And for the clumsy amongst us, it’s just messy to eat.
I tried to make amends with the cupcake. I made a batch not long ago, for a work colleague as a leaving present.
For the unsure amongst you, there meant to be the cookie monster from Sesame Street.
I followed the recipe to the letter; making the sponge and butter cream with as much care as possible. Leaving them to rest over night and keeping them covered and safe. The next day I sat down at my desk with my little googled eyed friend ready to take a bite and take back everything bad I thought of these guys. Sinking my teeth into the buttery sponge, I realised I still didn’t like cupcakes. There was nothing wrong with the flavour, it was just me. I thought of all the glorious wedges of cake I have eaten before and this in terms of baking just didn’t compare.
Cookie monster stared at me...one eyed now.
I turned him away and wished he was a Scotch egg.
If anyone disagrees with my views of cupcakes, and can suggest anywhere that does exceptional one’s I will be happy to try them.
And if you’re really unhappy with my thoughts, please feel free to post me one directly so I can change my mind!

For my first post I decided to go with a seasonal theme. The Christmas markets!

Fairy lights entwining every available post.

A rotund inflatable man, wobbles jollily on top of the town hall, observing all around him.

The crowds are bustling, but happy. As a sea of woolly coats, hats, gloves, jumpers and mittens moves slowly round the stalls.

The rich smells of the foreign fair greet your senses; mulled wine, cooked meats, and sweet treats.

Carefully crafted knitwear, hand carved owls, and  shiny trinkets call quietly to me from their tables.

My pocket feels suddenly heavy with the weight of coins that want to be liberated on all these exciting things.

This is only my second visit to the German Christmas markets. But since that first time (and perhaps for the first time in my holiday cynical life!) I felt truly festive.

I loved it, and fully embraced it for all it’s Christmas-y goodness. I couldn’t get enough of the sights, sounds and smells of this little German market or how it made the centre of Manchester look a little bit like the inside of “it’s a small world”.  

The people here are friendly too, on one particular street the offer of samples was so abundant I felt quite full! (But of course, I found room for more!)

The food available is rich and tasty, and above all comforting, in the bitter chill of winter.

In fact, the Christmas markets famous pulled pork rolls inspired us to have a hog roast of our own this summer!

And despite the window display protests of the high street shops surrounding the Christmas markets, they stay strong and busy which makes my heart glow.

Anyway to celebrate these wonderful markets returning to town, I have decided to make one of my favourite treats from them.

Coconut macaroons. Partly because I have desiccated coconut to bake with, and partly because I keep spending a small fortune on them when I go to town.

So here they are.

Coconut Macaroons recipe:

200g dessicated coconut

2 egg whites

100g sugar 

1 tbs vanilla essence 

Heat oven to medium heat, fan 180c

Mix the coconut, sugar, egg whites and vanilla in a bowl till blended and sticky. 

Line a oven proof tray with grease proof paper 

Using your hands, mould the mixture into little half balls (so the bottom is flat) or if you have one. Use a ice cream scoop and plop the mixture on the tray. 

Bake for roughly 15 mins till golden and then eat with a cup of tea! x

 

 http://www.visitmanchester.com/articles/shopping/christmas-markets/