The countdown is on and it's now just a matter of hours before the man in the big red suit pays you all a visit, well unless you are on the naughty list. Are you on the naughty list? I'm sure you're not. So what are your plans this Christmas and Boxing Day? It's all about family for me, as I am sure it is for most of you too. We stay at home Christmas Day, it's a lot easier with 6 kids and all the kids want to do is play with their new things. The husband cooks and my parents come for dinner. We are having turkey and beef this year. I will be attending midnight mass with my friend tonight. A tradition I started 3 years ago and the one and only time I attend church. Boxing Day we will be spending it with the in-laws. That's always a big occasion. Anyway, so here it is, my final advent calender round up for the past week's postings in case you have missed any. I hope you have enjoyed it and maybe downloaded a few of the suggested ebooks and tried a recipe or two. Now let the countdown to 2014 begin!! 
Christmas at the Cupcake Cafe by Jenny Colgan UK link £2.99 Kindle/£3.80 paperback
Christmas at the Cupcake Cafe by Jenny Colgan .Com link $4.89 Kindle/$8.01 paperback
****For the Chocolate lover****
Chocolate Yule Log with mocha filling
I don't know about you but I love chocolate and I am always partial to a yule log whatever time of year BUT Christmas certainly wouldn't be Christmas without one, would it? Especially this one, with mocha filling and frosting and to add that extra festive touch, garnish with marzipan holly leaves and berries. Yummy!!
Ingredients ~
5 Eggs, separated
1 cup sugar, divided
1/2
cup cake flour
1/4
cup baking cocoa
1/4
teaspoon salt
1/2
teaspoon cream of tartar
Mocha cream filling ~
1
cup heavy whipping cream
1/2
cup confectioners' sugar
1-1/2
teaspoons instant coffee granules
Mocha butter cream frosting ~
1/3
cup butter, softened
1/3
cup baking cocoa
2
cups confectioners' sugar
1-1/2
teaspoons vanilla extract
1
tablespoon brewed coffee
2
to 3 tablespoons 2% milk
Method ~
Line
a 15-in. x 10-in. x 1-in. baking pan with parchment paper; grease the paper.
Place egg whites in a small bowl; let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. In
a large bowl, beat egg yolks on high until light and fluffy. Gradually add 1/2
cup sugar, beating until thick and lemon-colored. Combine the flour, cocoa and
salt; gradually add to egg yolk mixture until blended. Beat
egg whites on medium until foamy. Add cream of tartar; beat until soft peaks
form. Gradually add remaining sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating on high
until stiff peaks form. Stir a fourth into chocolate mixture. Fold in remaining
egg whites until no streaks remain. Spread
batter evenly in prepared pan. Bake at 350° for 12-15 minutes or until cake
springs back (do not overbake). Cool for 5 minutes; invert onto a linen towel
dusted with confectioners' sugar. Peel off parchment paper. Roll up in the
towel, starting with a short side. Cool on a wire rack. In
a large bowl, beat cream until it begins to thicken. Add sugar and coffee granules.
Beat until stiff peaks form; chill. Unroll cooled cake; spread filling to
within 1/2 in. of edges. Roll up again. Place on serving platter; chill. In
a large bowl, beat frosting ingredients until smooth. Frost cake. Using a fork,
make lines resembling tree bark. Yield: 12 servings.
15th December Christmas Jingle (Christmas most certainly wouldn't be Christmas without this one!) ~ Wham! Last Christmas
A nice way to start a Monday is by kicking off with a free ebook, don't you think? This is a wonderfully
funny Christmas novella featuring Jeeves and Wooster, from one of the funniest
writers in the world, P.G Wodehouse. This was first published 1927 and became available on Amazon for Kindle on Dec 13th 2013.
****Christmas Traditions****
Classic home-made Eggnog laced with brandy
I have never tried Eggnog. Maybe it was time I did? Here's a classic home-made tradition I am sure you will enjoy.
Ingredients ~
1140ml/2 pints
whole milk
6 free-range eggs
50g/2oz caster
sugar
1 vanilla pod,
split
20 fresh
cherries, stones removed and halved
200ml/7fl oz
brandy
cocoa powder, for
dusting
Preparation
method ~
Place the milk,
eggs, sugar, and vanilla pod in a medium pan and heat gently, without boiling,
until the mixture thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon.
The eggnog can be
chilled at this stage or served hot.
To serve, scatter
the cherries in the bottom of each serving glass. Divide the brandy between the
glasses and pour the eggnog over. Dust with cocoa powder and serve.
16th Dec Christmas Jingle. Are you driving home for Christmas this year? ~ Driving home for Christmas - Chris Rea
A total bargain for you to download. 11 Christmas stories in one fab box set for only 77p/$1.25.
Christmas on Main Street UK link
Christmas on Main Street .Com link
Also, my wonderful FB friend and one of my fav authors published a fab short collection of funny true tales today. You can download from the following links. I already have mine.
Confessions of a Chocoholic by Lynda Renham UK Kindle 99p
Confessions of a Chocoholic by Lynda Renham .Com Kindle $1.61
Christmas on Main Street UK link
Christmas on Main Street .Com link
Also, my wonderful FB friend and one of my fav authors published a fab short collection of funny true tales today. You can download from the following links. I already have mine.Confessions of a Chocoholic by Lynda Renham UK Kindle 99p
Confessions of a Chocoholic by Lynda Renham .Com Kindle $1.61
****Nutty chocolate lovers****
Chocolate Hazelnut Truffles
Wrap these
decorative chocolates in cellophane and pack in boxes to give as gifts or
simply bring out after dinner to wow your guests or what I would do is, just eat them!
Ingredients ~
175ml double
cream
200g bar dark
chocolate, finely chopped
1 tbsp Frangelico
or 1 tsp vanilla extract
50g hazelnuts,
roughly chopped
different
coloured sprinkles and edible glitters
Buy Ingredients
Buy the
ingredients for this recipe now via:
ocado
MySupermarket
Tesco
Asda
Want to know how
this works? Read all about it here.
Method ~
In a small
saucepan, bring the cream to the boil. Remove from the heat and pour over the
chopped chocolate. Gently stir the mixture until smooth, then add the alcohol
or vanilla extract and hazelnuts. Cover and put in the fridge for 30 mins or
until the mixture is thick but not solid.
Scoop out
teaspoons of the mixture and roll into small balls with your hands. Put each of
your sprinkles or glitters onto separate small plates or bowls. Roll each
truffle into the sprinkles or glitter to coat, then chill again to firm up.
Will keep chilled for 1 week, or freeze for up to 1 month without the
decoration.
17tb December Christmas Jingle (I love this one!) ~ 8 Days of Christmas - Destiny's Child.
Another bargain for you today with this new 3 novella festive box set for just £0.49p UK/$0.80 .Com.
****Marshmallows roasting on an open fire****
Bramble Marshmallows
Here is a great recipe for you so you can add a seasonal twist to those scrummy yummy marshmallows by including blackberries, to create a lip smacking festive treat.
Ingredients ~
50g icing sugar
50g cornflour
9 sheets gelatine
450g granulated
sugar
1 tbsp liquid
glucose (find it in the baking aisle)
2 large egg
whites
1 tsp vanilla
extract
140g blackberries
Buy Ingredients
Method ~
In a bowl, mix
the icing sugar with the cornflour and set aside. Dissolve the gelatine in
150ml hot water in a heatproof jug. Line a 20cm x 30cm tin with baking
parchment and dust with some of the icing sugar mix. Put the granulated sugar
and liquid glucose in a heavy-bottomed pan with 200ml water. Cook over a low
heat until the sugar has dissolved completely, turn up the heat and boil until
the mixture reaches firm ball stage on a sugar thermometer (125C/256F) – around
10-15 mins. If you don’t have a thermometer, drop a little of the mix into a
glass of very cold water – if it sets into a squidgy ball, it’s ready. While the
sugar is boiling, use an electric whisk to beat the egg whites until stiff.
When the syrup reaches the right stage, pour it into the jug with the gelatine
water; be careful as it will be very hot and may bubble up.
Continue whisking
the egg whites while pouring on the syrup in a steady stream, then adding the
vanilla extract – the mixture will go shiny and start to thicken. Continue
whisking for about 10 mins until very stiff. Pour half the egg white mixture
into the tin, then scatter over the berries. Top with the remaining mixture and
leave somewhere cool and dry to set for at least 2 hrs until firm.
Lay a large sheet
of baking parchment on a chopping board and sprinkle on the remaining icing
sugar mix. Turn the marshmallows out and cut into squares, rolling them in the
sugar mix. Keep in an airtight container but best eaten on the day.
18th December Christmas Jingle ~ Love her or hate her, you can't deny the girl can sing. I heart this cover of Rocking Around The Christmas Tree ~ Miley Cyrus - Rocking Around The Christmas Tree
5 MORE TO GO!!
From the author of Meet me at The Cupcake Cafe and Christmas at the Cupcake Cafe, this is the follow up to Welcome to Rosie Hopkin's Sweetshop of Dreams and my current read.
Christmas at Rosie Hopkins Sweetshop UK Kindle £3.59/Papeback £6.95
Christmas at Rosie Hopkins Sweetshop .Com Kindle $5.85
****Fudge Lovers****
Vintage Vanilla Fudge
The perfect gift for an elder relative or to put out at a party and if you can't wait, just munch them yourself. I know I would.
Ingredients ~
450g golden
caster sugar
400g double cream
50g butter
1 tbsp glucose
syrup
1 tbsp vanilla
bean paste
Tip for best
results ~
Beat the mixture
until it has almost set, then pour into a tin and smooth over.
Fudge gets its
melt-in-the-mouth consistency from the small sugar crystals that are created by
beating the mixture as it cools. If you beat the mixture before it has cooled
to 110C, you will encourage larger crystals to form, which can result in a
grainy texture.
You need to be
precise when making sweets and confectionery, so it’s worth investing in a
sugar thermometer.
Beat the mixture
until it has almost set, then pour into a tin and smooth over.
Method ~
Line a 20 x 20cm
cake tin with baking parchment. Tip the sugar, cream, butter and glucose syrup
into a medium to large saucepan. Heat to dissolve the sugar and melt the
butter, stirring now and again.
Once dissolved,
put a sugar thermometer in the pan, making sure the end is completely covered
by the syrup – if not, transfer the mixture to a smaller pan (with enough space
for the syrup to bubble up). Increase the heat and bring the syrup to a steady
boil. Keep bubbling, stirring occasionally to stop the sugar from catching,
until the mixture reaches 116C – this is known as the soft ball stage.
Remove the pan
from the heat and leave to sit, undisturbed, for 5 mins, until the temperature
drops to 110C. Stir in the vanilla and a good pinch of salt.
Keep the sugar
thermometer in the pan and begin beating the mixture with a wooden spoon, quite
vigorously, until the temperature cools to about 60C. By this time the fudge
will be really thick and will have lost it glossy shine. Remove the thermometer
and continue beating for a few mins more. This process is very important when
making fudge, as it creates small sugar crystals, which give the fudge its lovely
smooth and creamy texture.
Before it sets
completely, quickly pour the fudge into your prepared tin and smooth over the
surface. Leave to cool at room temperature overnight – don’t put the fudge in
the fridge as it will become sticky and won’t set properly. Cut into bite-sized
pieces and pop in a box to give as a present. Will keep, in a sealed container,
for up to 2 months.
19th December Christmas Jingle ~ This song is a pretty naff one to be honest but it's fun and funny and never fails to make me laugh ~ Proper Crimbo
ONLY 4 MORE TO GO!!
We started the week with a freebie so let's end the week on that note too. Here is a free hot little alpha male erotic romance and the first in the sexy stocking stuffers series.
****One for the adults****
Chocolate Tia
Maria nuggets
Gorgeously
tempting chocolate treats with an added kick of Tia Maria.
Ingredients ~
142ml carton
double cream
200g bar dark
chocolate, broken up
4 tbsp Tia Maria
icing sugar and
cocoa powder, to coat
Method ~
Bring the cream
to the boil in a small pan. Remove from the heat and stir in the chocolate
until it has melted. Stir in the liqueur and pour into a bowl. Cool, then chill
until firm, about 4 hrs, or overnight.
Sprinkle a sheet
of greaseproof paper with icing sugar and another with cocoa powder. Take a
teaspoon and scoop nuggets of truffle mix out of the bowl and onto either the
paper with cocoa powder or icing sugar. Use two teaspoons to coat the nuggets
then transfer them to paper sweet cases. Pack into paper sweet cases in boxes
and chill. Store for up to 2 weeks.
****One for the kids****
Perky Penguins
Children will
love creating these chocolate penguins - the fruit pastilles and icing decorations
add a fun wintery finish.
Ingredients ~
3 jumbo chocolate
buttons
150g icing made
from royal icing sugar
3 walnut whips
100g chocolate
flavour ready-to-roll fondant icing
3 red fruit
pastilles (we used Tesco as they look like wooly hats)
1 orange fruit
pastille
black writing
icing
Method ~
Cut the jumbo
chocolate buttons in half and place together in pairs, rounded sides touching,
to make feet. Snap the walnut off the top of the walnut whip and discard. Put a
little royal icing on each pair of feet and stick a walnut whip on top.
Divide the
fondant icing in three. Take one piece and roll out into a sausage that is fat
in the middle and thin at both ends. Flatten the ends to make flippers. Place
the sausage on top of the walnut whip and shape the fat middle section into a
head. Leave the flippers to hang free at the sides.
To decorate, put
the remaining royal icing into a piping or plastic bag and snip a tiny bit off
the end. Pipe a circle on the front of each penguin. Pipe two dots for eyes.
Pipe a circle on top of each head and stick on a fruit pastille. Pipe a blob on
top for a bobble.
Carefully cut
three triangular pieces from the orange fruit pastille and stick on the face.
Using the black writing icing pipe black dots in the centre of each eye. Leave
to set.
20th December Christmas Jingle (I absolutely love this one!) ~ Cold Play - Christmas Lights
22nd December Christmas Jingle (I like this upbeat Christmas song) The Waitress - Christmas Wrapping
ONLY 3 MORE TO GO!!
Here are 4 books
full of festive fun from the Queen of Christmas chick lit herself, Scarlett Bailey.
UK Kindle links ~
Just For Christmas £2.99
Night Before Christmas £3.99
Married by Christmas £3.99
Santa Maybe £1.28
.Com Kindle links ~
Just For Christmas $4.87
Night Before Christmas $6.50
Married by Christmas $6.50
Santa Maybe $2.09
****We can never have too much chocolate****
Bitter Chocolate Truffles
Ingredients ~
2 x 100g bars 70%
dark chocolate, chopped
85ml double cream
1 tsp vanilla
extract
cocoa and grated
white chocolate, for dusting
Method ~
Put the
chocolate, cream and vanilla in a pan and heat very gently until melted. Cool,
then chill for 90 mins until firm.
Use a mini ice
cream scoop or teaspoon to make 24 truffles, then dust with cocoa or grated
white chocolate. Chill until ready to eat. You can make these 4 days ahead or
they will freeze for 1 month. Thaw in a cool place and, if needed, dust with a
little more cocoa.
21st December Christmas Jingle (I have never heard this before but how soulful is it? I love it) ~ James Brown - Santa Claus Go Straight To The Ghetto
ONLY 2 DAYS TO GO!!
Today ebooks are a mixture of festive reads all for £1.00/$1.63 OR less.
Christmas in Seattle UK £1.00
On a Snowy Night UK £0.59
On a Snowy Night .Com $0.96
Love on Main Street UK £0.77
Love on Main Street .Com $1.25
A Mommy For Christmas UK £0.77
****Fun for the Kids****
Reindeer cake pops
These chocolate
cake lollipops are decorated in true festive fashion - have fun making them
with the kids this Christmas.
Ingredients ~
150g chocolate
cake
25g soft butter
50g icing sugar
25g plain
chocolate
100g milk
chocolate
small pretzels,
broken into large 'antler' shape pieces
8 small jelly
sweets, red chocolate beans or Smarties
2 tbsp royal
icing coloured black or purchased black writing icing
Equipment ~
8 cake pop sticks
and a polystyrene block to stand up the cake pops
Method ~
Crumble the cake
into fine crumbs using your hands or in a food processor. Put into a bowl. In
another bowl, beat together the butter and icing sugar until creamy.
Melt the plain
chocolate in the microwave or in a bowl over a pan of barely simmering water.
Add the melted chocolate to the butter mixture and combine well. Add this to
the cake crumbs and mix thoroughly using your hands, until it sticks together.
Divide the mixture into eight and shape each one into a smooth ball. Insert a
cake pop stick, place on a tray lined with baking parchment and chill for at
least 2 hours.
Melt the milk
chocolate in the microwave or in a bowl over a pan of barely simmering water.
Take a cake pop and dip in the chocolate. Shake gently until the excess has
drained off. Push into a polystyrene block.
Make two holes in
the top of the head and insert a pretzel 'antler' in each one. Press a sweetie
nose onto the front and hold for a few seconds until attached. Repeat with all
the other cake pops. Leave to set for about 20 mins and then using black icing,
pipe on eyes and a mouth.
Jolly marshmallow
snowmen
Young children
will love making these marshmallow treats with liquorice, chocolate and icing
decorations.
Ingredients ~
18 white
marshmallows
250g
ready-to-roll white fondant icing
18 strawberry
laces
250g icing made
from royal icing sugar
6 Pontefract
cakes
black writing
icing
3 round black
Liquorice Allsorts, halved
6 orange Tic Tacs
18 mini chocolate
beans
24 mini white
marshmallows
mini candy canes
or pretzel sticks
roughly crushed
sugar cube
Equipment ~
6 lolly or cake
pop sticks
Method ~
Take one cake pop
stick and thread on a marshmallow, narrow end on first. Thread on a second
marshmallow, wide end on first so the the two wide ends meet in the middle.
Thread a third marshmallow on sideways so the narrow round end makes the
snowman's face.
Knead the white
fondant icing and divide into 6. Shape each one into a rough mound and stick
the snowmen into these bases.
Take three
strawberry laces and twist together. Tie around a snowman's neck and then trim
off the excess with scissors. Repeat for the other snowmen.
Using a little
royal icing stick a Pontefract cake on each head. Using a little black writing
icing, stick a Liquorice Allsort on top of each Pontefract cake.
Pipe on two eyes
using black writing icing. Using royal icing, stick a Tic Tac on each face for
a carrot nose. Stick mini chocolate beans on the bodies as buttons.
Using royal
icing, stick four mini marshmallows on each snowman to represent arms. Stick a
candy cane or pretzel stick to the end of one of each of the snowmen's arms,
attaching the bottom end to the icing mound.
Take a little
royal icing and thin with a few drops of water. Brush or dab on the base and
sprinkle over the crushed sugar cubes. Leave to set.
22nd December Christmas Jingle (I like this upbeat Christmas song) The Waitress - Christmas Wrapping
1 DAY TO GO!!!
If you still have time in the busy period of getting everything ready for the big day, then download this Christmas Comedy Trilogy but there's a WARNING: These books contain (1) No guaranteed fuzzy feelings of a sentimental nature. (2) No
recipes whatsoever to be found written anywhere between its pages. (3) No
religious explanations that can be sourced from this story about the true
meaning of Christmas. However, it does contain plenty of Christmas cheer and
merriment and yuletide yearnings in this festive funny tale about an ordinary
woman whose dreading having the Christmas from hell. But could she end up
having the time of her life instead?
UK links ~
Mistletoe & Wine Book 1 £0.62
Mistletoe & Wine Book 2 £0.75
Mistletoe & Wine Book 3 £0.75
.Com links ~
Mistletoe & Wine Book 1 $1.01
Mistletoe & Wine Book 2 $1.22
Mistletoe & Wine Book 3 $1.22
****Traditional Christmas Day Lunch****
Classic Roast Turkey
With just two days to go, a lot of you will now be preparing your Christmas Day lunch so let's start with a simple and easy recipe designed
to guarantee your turkey is succulent, full of flavour and takes pride of place
on your table.
Ingredients ~
1 onion,
quartered
fresh bay leaves,
to flavour and serve
4½ -5.6kg/10-12lb
Bronze turkey, giblets removed
1 quantity of
stuffing
85g butter,
softened
1 whole nutmeg
10 rashers
streaky bacon
Method ~
Heat oven to
190C/fan 170C/gas 5. Put the onion and a large sprig of bay in the cavity
between the legs (drumsticks). Now pack half the stuffing into the neck end,
pushing it towards the breast. Secure the neck skin in position with skewers
and tie the turkey legs together at the top of the drumsticks to give a neat
shape. Weigh the turkey and calculate cooking time at 20 mins per kilo, plus 90
mins. (You may need to use your bathroom scales.)
Put a large sheet
of extra-wide foil in a large roasting tin, then put the turkey on top. Smear
the breast with the butter, grate over half the nutmeg and season well. Cover
the breast with bacon, pour over the wine, then loosely bring up the foil and
seal well to make a parcel.
Roast in the
oven, then 90 mins before the end of cooking, open the foil, discard the bacon,
and drain off excess fat from the tin. Leaving the foil open, return the turkey
to the oven to brown, basting with the juices several times. Then 30 mins
before the end of cooking, put the sausage skewers (see link, right) and
stuffing of your choice around the turkey or cook in a separate lightly oiled
tin.
To test whether
the turkey is cooked, push a skewer into the thickest part of the thigh – the
juices should run clear. If they are pinkish, cook for 15 mins more, then test
again. Transfer the turkey, stuffings and sausages to a platter, cover with
foil, then a couple of tea towels and allow to rest for up to 30 mins before
carving. This gives the juices time to settle back into the meat, ensuring that
the turkey will be juicy. Garnish with sprigs of bay.
****Christmas tradition made different****
Christmas pudding
cake pops
These lollipops
are a fantastic festive treat for kids, makes an impressive centrepiece and also keeps with Christmas Day traditions.
Ingredients ~
200g Madeira cake
140g-160g white
chocolate (see Tip)
1 orange, zest
finely grated
To decorate
300g dark
chocolate, 60-70% cocoa solids, broken into chunks
50g white
chocolate, broken into chunks
sugar holly
decorations or red and green writing icing
Method ~
Pulse the Madeira
cake in a food processor until you have fine crumbs. Melt the white chocolate
in a bowl over just simmering water or in the microwave. Stir the orange zest
into the chocolate, then work the chocolate into the crumbs using your hands.
Form into 10
small truffle-sized balls, then roll gently in your palms to smooth the
surface. Arrange the balls on a baking parchment-lined dinner plate.
Refrigerate for 30 minutes to allow the mixture to set.
Melt the dark
chocolate in a microwave or over a bowl of just simmering water. Dip a lolly
stick into the melted chocolate about 1.5cm in and poke half way into a cake
ball. Repeat with the remaining balls. Put them back on the plate. Return to
the fridge for five minutes.
Dip the cake pops
one at a time into the melted chocolate, allowing any excess chocolate to drip
off and spin the pops to even out the surface. Poke the pops into a piece of
polystyrene or cake pop holder if you have one, keeping the pops apart. Allow
to set for about half an hour.
Heat the white
chocolate in a microwave or over a pan of simmering water. Allow to cool for a
few minutes until it has a thick, runny consistency. If the chocolate is too
hot, it will melt the dark chocolate underneath. Spoon a small amount on top of
the cake pops, tip them back and forth so it runs down the sides a little. If
you have holly decorations, pop one on the top of each pop. If using writing icing,
wait for another 20 minutes or so until the white chocolate has set. Pipe on
holly leaves with the green icing and two little dots for berries using the
red.
23rd December Christmas Jingle (well we couldn't not play this play one!) ~ Wizzard - I wish it could be Christmas every day
23rd December Christmas Jingle (well we couldn't not play this play one!) ~ Wizzard - I wish it could be Christmas every day
The final day of the advent calender is upon us and I will miss posting it but there's no time to mope. I am sure you all have heaps to do, as do I so for one last time, here are your festive ebook downloads. I have decided to go all out and list as many lip smacking mouth watering hotness as I could find for one last Christmas treat.
The Parisian Christmas Bake Off UK Kindle £0.59
The Parisian Christmas Bake Off .Com Kindle $0.96
Christmas at Thornton Hall UK Kindle £1.99 (can't find .Com link)
The Tea Shop and Tearoom series is a lighthearted romance novella set in a seaside town in Scotland at Christmas. It consists of 3 books. These books can be read in any order.
The Christmas Tea Shop & Bakery UK Kindle £1.53
The Christmas Tea Shop & Bakery .Com Kindle $2.50
The Christmas Chocolatier UK Kindle £0.77
The Christmas Chocolatier .Com Kindle £1.26
The Chocolate Cake Shop in New York at Christmas UK Kindle £1.53
And finally, 8 seasonally seductive romances from bestselling authors. A total bargain if ever I have seen one!
Naughty Little Christmas Box set UK Kindle £0.74
Naughty Little Christmas Box set .Com Kindle $1.21
So, as well as your turkey, do you have another meat to accompany it? We are having beef this year. Here are 3 meat recipes. If you haven't decided what meat you will be having yet then sorry but I think I may have just made your decision that little bit harder.
Roast beef &
carrots with easy gravy
Ingredients ~
1 tsp plain flour
1 tsp mustard
powder
950g beef top
rump joint (see tip below)
1 onion, cut into
8 wedges
500g carrots,
halved lengthways
For the gravy
1 tbsp plain
flour
250ml beef stock
Method ~
Heat oven to
240C/220C fan/gas 9. Mix the flour and mustard powder with some seasoning, then
rub all over the beef. Put the onion and carrots into a roasting tin and sit
the beef on top, then cook for 20 mins.
Reduce oven to
190C/170C fan/gas 5 and continue to cook the beef for 30 mins if you like it
rare, 40 mins for medium and 1 hr for well done.
Remove the beef
and carrots from the oven, place onto warm plates or platters and cover with
foil to keep warm. Let the beef rest for 30 mins while you turn up the oven to
cook your Yorkshire puds and finish the potatoes.
For the gravy,
put the tin with all the meat juices and onions back onto the hob. Stir in the
flour, scraping all the stuck bits off the bottom of the tin. Cook for 30 secs,
then slowly stir in the stock, little by little. Bubble to a nice gravy,
season, then serve with the beef, carved into slices, carrots and all the other
trimmings.
Roast leg of lamb
with juniper & rosemary
Ingredients ~
3 garlic cloves,
crushed
2 rosemary
sprigs, leaves picked and chopped
1 tsp black
peppercorns, crushed
3 juniper berries,
crushed
about 1 tbsp
olive oil
1 whole leg of
lamb about 3kg
250ml white wine
Method ~
Heat the oven to
190C/170C fan/gas 5. Mix the garlic, rosemary, peppercorns and juniper together
with enough olive oil to make a paste. Remove the lamb from the fridge and
vigorously rub with the paste, then set aside for about 1 hr while the lamb
comes up to room temp.
Place the leg
into a roasting tin and roast for about 1 hr 45 mins. Remove the lamb and allow
to rest on a board wrapped in foil for at least 30 mins. This will give you
lamb that is still slightly pink in the middle. If you prefer your meat well
done, cook for 2 hrs, then leave to rest as stated.
Pour off as much
fat from the pan as you can, then place the pan on a direct heat, scraping up
any bits. Pour in the wine, bring to the boil and reduce a little scraping the
pan with a wooden spoon. Strain the juices into a saucepan and season to taste.
When the lamb has rested, slice it. Tip any juices into the sauce, then reheat
and serve.
Slow roast
shoulder of pork
If you're
entertaining a crowd, keep the cooking laid-back but delicious with this tender
roast pork and homemade apple sauce
Ingredients ~
3kg piece of pork
shoulder, bone in and rind on
4 garlic cloves,
crushed
2 tsp paprika
2 tbsp vegetable
oil
juice 1 lemon
4 large potatoes,
peeled
Method ~
The day before,
use a very sharp knife to score the skin of the pork in a criss-cross fashion
at 1cm intervals. (Ask your butcher to do this if you prefer.) Combine the
garlic, paprika, oil, lemon juice and 1 tsp salt in a mixing bowl. Rub this
marinade all over the pork, cover and leave in the fridge for 12-24 hrs.
The next day,
heat oven to 220C/ 200C fan/gas 7. Put the potatoes in a roasting tin to make a
trivet for the meat, trimming them flat if you need to. Sit the pork on top,
then pour any marinade plus ½ a cup of water over the pork. Cook for 30 mins to
start the crackling crisping up. Now turn down the oven to 150C/130C fan/gas 2,
cover the tin with foil and cook for 3½ hrs. Remove from the oven and leave to
rest for 30 mins. Serve with apple sauce.
24th December Christmas Jingle (what else could it be?!) ~ Slade - Merry Christmas Everyone!
Finally, I would like to thank everyone that took the time to vote for me and my book Handbags at Dawn for the best laugh loud book of 2013. I am overwhelmed with the response and I cannot thank you all enough. It means so much and I am delighted to say I made it through to the final. Without you, I could never have achieved that. Thank you so much.Now I just need to ask another favor.... would you be so kind to vote for me again? I would be forever grateful. Voting closes New Year's Eve. Here's the link ~
Vote Handbags at Dawn by Kerry Frith in Best Laugh out Loud Category
Remember, as my Christmas treat to you, you will be able to download Handbags at Dawn for FREE from Wednesday 25 December to Thursday 26 December so if you haven't read it and would like to, here is your chance.
Handbags at Dawn UK link
Handbags at Dawn .Com link
If you have read any of my books and enjoyed them, please leave a review because without a good review, people seem to be a bit reluctant to read them. Thank you!!
I wish you all a very happy, healthy and fun filled Christmas!!
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