Blogmas: Prattling nonsense about Christmas and Potatoes

 

We all knew when I posted a Blogmas post on December 1st that it would be highly unlikely I'd post daily.  It's not laziness, I promise. I just don't like posting when even I don't find it interesting! 

My December has been very different this year.  On a 'normal' year I'd be out nearly every day playing Christmas music either in the street, in a church of some sort or in a care facility for the elderly. 
This year, I've largely been sat on my posterior binge watching Riverdale. 

I've cut down largely on actually reading social media but I have been watching people's stories and posting nonsense, I just find it healthier not to engage with everything I scroll past. 
I think that might be what I take from this year, consume less - create more. 

James christened me 'Little Miss Christmas' in the past and that's actually quite a fair description, for a grown woman I am absolutely nuts on Christmas. 
It's fair to say I get high on the vibes of Christmas  - to clarify those vibes are the thoughts of turkey and roast potatoes! 

I've had the same Christmas Dinner at my Aunt and Uncle's home every year since I was born, I'm going to count the Christmas before I was born too as I'd have stolen some of that from my Mum's portion.   This year, I'm having my first Christmas Dinner at home - not cooked by me! Don't be daft!
Potatoes are my vice so when it comes to Christmas I go to next level tattie fiend! 
Not that you need to know that, dear reader, I just feel its helpful to paint a picture. 

I'm not sure this was remotely interesting to read but I was in the mood to prattle about Christmas and potatoes. 

This year, Christmas is going to be very different for all of us. 
I hope whatever you do, you have the best time you can.

I'll prattle some nonsense again soon.

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Blogmas: The Tree

I always make some sort of blogmas plan and never stick to it because work and other commitments take over. This year, I’m unemployed and my commitments are limited so I thought I’d try again. 

Today was all about the tree. I actually decorated it yesterday but the official switching on ceremony was today. The official ceremony consisted on me counting down from ten to one and then blasting I wish it could be Christmas everyday. 

Normally I don’t bother with decorations til mid December because I have loads of commitments, this year with everything stripped back, I felt a bit of festive cheer was in order. 

I doubt I’ll post something every day and can’t promise it will be interesting if I do but in the spirit of festive cheer, I’m giving it a go!

Today’s Christmas Film: Dolly Parton’s Christmas on the Square. 

Today’s most repeated Christmas Song: I Wish  It Could Be Christmas Everyday by Wizard 

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Quirkmas/Bakemas - Homemade Ferroro Rocher

I know I said I wasn't going to post everyday and I'm fairly certain I won't but my lovely dad found the mini cake cases I was searching for and I decided to post up my second Quirkmas post! 
I also thought about calling it bakemas - I'm just winging it now. 

Someone I know took this recipe from pinterest and I messed
It's a totally customisable recipe and there are plenty of variations online if you don't fancy the ingredients in this one.

Homemade Ferrero Rocher

I'll get straight to the ingredients because it really annoys me when I have to scroll through endless paragraphs to get to the ingredients......

1 Bar of Cooking Chocolate (Melted)

- I opted for dark chocolate because it contained no dairy, use any kind you fancy. You could also use chocolate spread.

2 Bars of Weetabix (Crushed)
Blanched Hazelnuts (Dipped in Chocolate)
- If you cannot have nuts, the hazelnuts aren't essential, I just added them for experimentation. 

My ingredients are also essentially the instructions!

1. Crush the weetabix in a bowl - I used a wooden spoon to crush it, feel free to use the utensil of your choice!

2. Melt the chocolate - I opted for melting on the stove with a low heat, feel free to use the microwave!

3. Add the melted chocolate to the crushed weetabix bowl and mix until all of the weetabix is covered.

 
If using hazelnuts,Leave a small amount of melted chocolate behind.

No Hazelnuts

4. If you are not using hazelnuts, take a spoonful of your mixture and place it into your small cake cases and repeat this process until your mixture/supply of cake cases is complete! 

Using Hazelnuts

5. Dip a hazelnut into the leftover melted chocolate and then begin to assemble your chocolte and weetabix mix around your hazelnut. When you are happy with your assembled piece, place it in one of your small cake cases. 

6. Repeat this process until your mixture/supply of cake cases is complete. 

When you have finished

7. Place your small cake cases on a tray and place the tray in the fridge.

8. Leave your Ferroro Rocher in the fridge until set - mine took about 20 minutes to set, it may vary for others.

9. Enjoy!

My batch certanly do not look elegant and they probably aren't a patch on the real thing but they are very tasty!
The hardest part was the concentration it took to assemble them without dropping them! 

Judges Verdict

Me: "A bit rich but yummy!"

Mum: "A success story!"
Aunt Lynda: "They are lovely, bring some on Christmas Day"I may add other judges as I share them out! 😂

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Quirkmas? Let's try it.

So, a few years ago on my old blog I decided to attempt blogmas and I totally sucked. If you can be bothered going back far enough in my archive I think I still have the posts live and you can see for yourself just how terrible they were. I was in a creative rut and trying to make myself do something creative every day by putting up a post. I was also trying too hard to do the same types of posts I was reading and the vlogmas videos I was watching.
  That was counterproductive as forcing creativity conditioned my brain to be unimaginative and my post were all crap! 

This year I'm going to attempt my own little Quirkmas. I doubt it will be every day and it certainly won't be groundbreaking but it will hopefully be fun or interesting to read. My December has some quirky elements to it, as does my Christmas Day so I should be able to come up with something to write about!

I quite often end up chasing my tail at this time of year, as do most people I guess, so it is quite nice to be starting off the month of December on a day where I've mostly been sat in my room listening to music and brainstorming ideas for blog posts/baking. 

I think I've mentioned in other posts that I play a brass instrument so I'll be doing that throughout the month. Normally I would tire of the repetition very quickly but when it comes to the festive season I actually find it therapeutic to play and read the same music. The sound that comes out of my instrument may not always be exact or consistent, but the process is and I find it comforting. 

I'm waffling now, which is what I tend to do when I'm  veering off plan and just typing thoughts.

Back on plan, I started the gift buying process yesterday, I'd temporarily forgotten it was St Andrews Day when I filled it with Christmas activity but I did spend the day in the city centre taking in all its beauty - admittedly when I wasn't hiding from the rain.

I got a few quirky things for myself, a primark Christmas Tree dress - I'll use that in another post and these little festive flamingo earrings which were from Boots.

Next post, if I remember to do another one before the end of the month 😂, will probably be baking related. 

Until then, Happy Quirkmas to all and to all a good....Saturday.

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