Happy Christmas!

Well, the present got wrapped, the class was prepared and the dessert got finished... I even got some sleep! Should you be wondering (and even if you weren't... indulge me) the dessert was a Christmas cheesecake. When Joe did his GCSE in food technology he chose cheesecake as his "product" which meant week after week of different cheesecakes which we all tried and tested. As a result we've become cheesecake affectionados. When I decided I would like to make a Christmas cheesecake we got quite carried away thinking of all the different flavours we could include. So this is basically Nigella's New York cheesecake on a ginger biscuit base, with the vanilla and lemon replaced with cinnamon and orange, topped with a cranberry compote... it was well received!


So with all that done, the last class taught and the last commission delivered, today I've actually started some real Christmas preparation... helped of course by a glass of mulled wine and the obligatory Christmas CD.

There has been lots of baking...

And I've even managed to get a Christmas cake in the newly repaired oven - okay, it won't be the most mature cake we've ever had but I've just taken it out and it smells pretty good! Still time for marzipan on Tuesday and icing on Wednesday!

The decorations have gone up... including the mistletoe (a girl can hope???)

And the tree was finally put up and decorated with lots of old favourite decorations and several new ones this year too - thanks to some lovely bloggy gifts!

My favourite though is still my fairy. Sometimes I think she must be as old as me... but not quite! She always looks a bit of a floozy with her sparkly knitted dress and broken wing, as though she's had a glass or two too many but out she comes year after year to top our tree.

I've a sneaky feeling this might be my last post before Christmas... still presents to wrap (and buy or finish making!) plus on Monday I'm driving Jacob and two of his friends all the way to Birmingham. Not like other families, to see a pantomime or perhaps the ballet... but to see The Mighty Boosh! I'll tell you all about it when I come back.

Meanwhle, thank you all so much for sticking with me and my rambling. It has been lovely to meet so many blogging friends this year. So I'd just like to wish you all...

A wonderful, peaceful and happy Christmas!