Christmassy feeling..............
#18
Re: Christmassy feeling..............
You are describing the feeling that OH and I were discussing earlier.... or rather discussing the lack of it. We've finally put our Christmas tree up today. I have NEVER waited until 10th December to do that but it's hard to motivate yourself when you know it's over so fast - you really are lucky to squeeze 24 hours out of it here and the whole thing get's treated like just another reason to go shopping. In the UK it was always a struggle waiting til November to put the tree up! We miss Christmas in Britain SO MUCH. The big build up, the cold, the crowds of shoppers on Oxford St, Slade on the radio til it drove you mad, Quality Street, Christmas specials on the telly, sending and receiving so many cards that said 'Merry Christmas' on them and not 'Happy Holidays', popping to the pub for a Christmas bevvy with work friends before finishing early on Christmas Eve and not seeing most of them again until 1st week of January, Christmas Roastie with all the trimmings and silly paper hats, spending the entire time with your family, even though you can't stand half of them LOL . Boxing day??? What's that?! Here, Boxing Day is the day I have to make my December car payment! Bahhhhh Humbug!
#19
Re: Christmassy feeling..............
I don't feel that "Christmas feeling" here in my part of Canada, but then, I am a miserable depressive right now so maybe I'm missing it
However, I have noticed that in the schools here, they don't put on any Christmas parties for the kids! Back home in their primary schools, they always used to have a Christmas party/disco and offered the roast turkey dinner....the build up and experience was very fun and exciting I found. I spoke to my sister today and her kids are off on a class trip to the cinema to watch Madagascar 2 and then it's back to school for a dance, crisps and pop! Here....no school parties, no disco, no Christmas dinner My daughter handed out christmas cards out to all her classmates on Monday - even to the ones who are mean so that they wouldn't feel left out......they all looked at her like she had 2 heads and she's not yet received one back....miserable lot! Hey and to top that, she went into school today only to find the card she gave to the teacher's assistant IN THE BIN!! I'll be getting to the root of that one!
I feel like I'm going through a right 'Bah-humbug phase', but I want so much to experience a proper UK Christmas now - I've had enough of soul-less Canadian Christmases
However, I have noticed that in the schools here, they don't put on any Christmas parties for the kids! Back home in their primary schools, they always used to have a Christmas party/disco and offered the roast turkey dinner....the build up and experience was very fun and exciting I found. I spoke to my sister today and her kids are off on a class trip to the cinema to watch Madagascar 2 and then it's back to school for a dance, crisps and pop! Here....no school parties, no disco, no Christmas dinner My daughter handed out christmas cards out to all her classmates on Monday - even to the ones who are mean so that they wouldn't feel left out......they all looked at her like she had 2 heads and she's not yet received one back....miserable lot! Hey and to top that, she went into school today only to find the card she gave to the teacher's assistant IN THE BIN!! I'll be getting to the root of that one!
I feel like I'm going through a right 'Bah-humbug phase', but I want so much to experience a proper UK Christmas now - I've had enough of soul-less Canadian Christmases
#22
Re: Christmassy feeling..............
So just to add to the Christmassy feeling, it's my sons first Christmas at a UK School. So today I'm going to see him preform in the school Christmas play, they didn't do this in his school in Toronto. Lars is going to be a shepherd, he even has a line to say A few weeks ago when he came home to tell me this I asked him "so who's playing Mary and Joseph?" he looked at me in surprise and said "how did you know there's a Mary and Joseph?"
#23
itchy feet again!
Thread Starter
Joined: Sep 2007
Location: Ex-Canada: now rural West Sussex.
Posts: 1,013
#24
Re: Christmassy feeling..............
So just to add to the Christmassy feeling, it's my sons first Christmas at a UK School. So today I'm going to see him preform in the school Christmas play, they didn't do this in his school in Toronto. Lars is going to be a shepherd, he even has a line to say A few weeks ago when he came home to tell me this I asked him "so who's playing Mary and Joseph?" he looked at me in surprise and said "how did you know there's a Mary and Joseph?"
#26
BE Enthusiast
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 912
Re: Christmassy feeling..............
You are describing the feeling that OH and I were discussing earlier.... or rather discussing the lack of it. We've finally put our Christmas tree up today. I have NEVER waited until 10th December to do that but it's hard to motivate yourself when you know it's over so fast - you really are lucky to squeeze 24 hours out of it here and the whole thing get's treated like just another reason to go shopping. In the UK it was always a struggle waiting til November to put the tree up! We miss Christmas in Britain SO MUCH. The big build up, the cold, the crowds of shoppers on Oxford St, Slade on the radio til it drove you mad, Quality Street, Christmas specials on the telly, sending and receiving so many cards that said 'Merry Christmas' on them and not 'Happy Holidays', popping to the pub for a Christmas bevvy with work friends before finishing early on Christmas Eve and not seeing most of them again until 1st week of January, Christmas Roastie with all the trimmings and silly paper hats, spending the entire time with your family, even though you can't stand half of them LOL . Boxing day??? What's that?! Here, Boxing Day is the day I have to make my December car payment! Bahhhhh Humbug!
What you don't get and I do miss is the snow!
#27
BE Enthusiast
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 912
Re: Christmassy feeling..............
So just to add to the Christmassy feeling, it's my sons first Christmas at a UK School. So today I'm going to see him preform in the school Christmas play, they didn't do this in his school in Toronto. Lars is going to be a shepherd, he even has a line to say A few weeks ago when he came home to tell me this I asked him "so who's playing Mary and Joseph?" he looked at me in surprise and said "how did you know there's a Mary and Joseph?"
#28
BE Enthusiast
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 912
Re: Christmassy feeling..............
I don't feel that "Christmas feeling" here in my part of Canada, but then, I am a miserable depressive right now so maybe I'm missing it
However, I have noticed that in the schools here, they don't put on any Christmas parties for the kids! Back home in their primary schools, they always used to have a Christmas party/disco and offered the roast turkey dinner....the build up and experience was very fun and exciting I found. I spoke to my sister today and her kids are off on a class trip to the cinema to watch Madagascar 2 and then it's back to school for a dance, crisps and pop! Here....no school parties, no disco, no Christmas dinner My daughter handed out christmas cards out to all her classmates on Monday - even to the ones who are mean so that they wouldn't feel left out......they all looked at her like she had 2 heads and she's not yet received one back....miserable lot! Hey and to top that, she went into school today only to find the card she gave to the teacher's assistant IN THE BIN!! I'll be getting to the root of that one!
I feel like I'm going through a right 'Bah-humbug phase', but I want so much to experience a proper UK Christmas now - I've had enough of soul-less Canadian Christmases
However, I have noticed that in the schools here, they don't put on any Christmas parties for the kids! Back home in their primary schools, they always used to have a Christmas party/disco and offered the roast turkey dinner....the build up and experience was very fun and exciting I found. I spoke to my sister today and her kids are off on a class trip to the cinema to watch Madagascar 2 and then it's back to school for a dance, crisps and pop! Here....no school parties, no disco, no Christmas dinner My daughter handed out christmas cards out to all her classmates on Monday - even to the ones who are mean so that they wouldn't feel left out......they all looked at her like she had 2 heads and she's not yet received one back....miserable lot! Hey and to top that, she went into school today only to find the card she gave to the teacher's assistant IN THE BIN!! I'll be getting to the root of that one!
I feel like I'm going through a right 'Bah-humbug phase', but I want so much to experience a proper UK Christmas now - I've had enough of soul-less Canadian Christmases
#29
BE Enthusiast
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 912
Re: Christmassy feeling..............
I don't have a recipe as such, I make it up as I go but here's Delia Smith's chocolate fudge cake recipe
http://www.deliaonline.com/recipes/c...e,1749,RC.html
I would replace the evaporated milk with Baileys.
I also make a Baileys chocolate log but I have to warn people that it can cause a war in a household over who gets the last slice and who gets the biggest slice. Honestly, the things people will fight over.
Anyway, for the sponge, you just make a chocolate sponge batter (very best quality dark chocolate is best), pour it into a swiss roll tin. Then you whip fresh cream until stiff, add melted dark chocolate, add some icing sugar and heaps of Baileys. Spread over the sponge, then drizzle a mixture of melted dark chocolate, melted butter, and a tbs of golden syrup (all mixed together to make a ganache) over the cream so it's dark and goohey. Then roll up the swiss roll, cover in left over Baileys cream, sprinkle with grated dark chocolate & icing sugar and add holly & berries.
Throw the bathroom scales out of the window, lock the front door, unhook the telephone and close the curtains then indulge.
http://www.deliaonline.com/recipes/c...e,1749,RC.html
I would replace the evaporated milk with Baileys.
I also make a Baileys chocolate log but I have to warn people that it can cause a war in a household over who gets the last slice and who gets the biggest slice. Honestly, the things people will fight over.
Anyway, for the sponge, you just make a chocolate sponge batter (very best quality dark chocolate is best), pour it into a swiss roll tin. Then you whip fresh cream until stiff, add melted dark chocolate, add some icing sugar and heaps of Baileys. Spread over the sponge, then drizzle a mixture of melted dark chocolate, melted butter, and a tbs of golden syrup (all mixed together to make a ganache) over the cream so it's dark and goohey. Then roll up the swiss roll, cover in left over Baileys cream, sprinkle with grated dark chocolate & icing sugar and add holly & berries.
Throw the bathroom scales out of the window, lock the front door, unhook the telephone and close the curtains then indulge.