Happy New Year

As I am late and didn't get a chance to post anything at all before Christmas I will start by wishing all my Friends and anyone else who comes across my blog a very happy new year for 2010.

I had all good intentions of blogging but never seemed to find the time. Just when I thought about it something else cropped up! But I am here now and I will try and fill in the missing gaps of past events!! I know what will happen though, as always start of detailed then trail of with scatty blogging with not much info and as most of you who know me, will know that I am not a person of many words!! (On paper anyway!)

Winter seem to arrive a month late this year, we were told that generally by mid November snow is already well established but this year it didn't happen until the 9th December when we had a snow storm. We had had a few flurries before this but never much. Then this particular morning a storm came and the roads were very tricky, the snow ploughs were out in force trying to clear what they could to make the roads safer.... All school buses were cancelled so the kids enjoyed their first snow day. A good six inches had fallen overnight with already 2 inch on the ground. It took us an hour to get into work when it only usually takes a little over 30 minutes! A drive I didn't enjoy but something I would have to get used too! The temperatures fluctuate between 0 and -22 but sometimes feeling more like -28 with the wind chill. I like the snow though, it makes everywhere look so beautiful. Luckily just before the snow storm Craig and I had got an electronic garage door opener, so we can just hit the remote in the car and in we drive! Perfect.... we don't have to get out the car until in the garage now and then straight inside with having to bear the cold outside!

I didn't feel organized at all this year for Christmas and it seemed to come around so quickly... I was late in sending out cards for those that I did send, I didn't even wrap any gifts until Christmas eve which is not me at all. I would have normally finished a week before this so I could concentrate on baking all the Christmas treats.
I did make a Christmas cake this year which I don't usually as it is only me that really eats it but as we were having Stu and Ruth over for Christmas I thought it would be a nice treat, I found the recipe here..... I didn't bake it until a week before but it turned out well and tasted good too, one that I will definitely make again.... I just did a simple decoration too as not much time to do it!



My other favorite from last year is Nigella's Christmas Rocky Road. Trying to find ingredients here though is not easy.... they either just don't stock the items you need or call them something totally different! I am sure this is something else I will get use to. Recipe below, sorry no photo for this one!

Ingredients
250g/9oz dark chocolate, chopped
150g/5oz milk chocolate, chopped
175g/6oz butter, softened, plus extra for greasing
4 tbsp golden syrup
200g/7oz amaretti biscuits
150g/5oz shelled Brazil nuts
150g/5oz red glacé cherries
125g/4oz mini marshmallows
1 tbsp icing sugar
edible glitter, to decorate (optional)

Method
1. Place the dark and milk chocolate pieces into a heavy-based pan. Add the butter and golden syrup and cook over a low heat to melt and combine.
2. Place the amaretti biscuits into a freezer bag and bash with a rolling pin to make crumbs of various sizes.
3. Place the Brazil nuts into another freezer bag and bash in the same way.
4. Take the pan of melted chocolate mixture off the heat and add the crushed biscuits and nuts.
5. Add the glacé cherries and mini marshmallows. Fold the mixture carefully to coat all of the solid ingredients with the syrupy chocolate mixture.
6. Pour the mixture into a 25cm/10in x 30cm/12in greased and lined baking tray and smooth the surface as much as possible (although it will look bumpy).
7. Refrigerate for two hours, or until firm enough to cut. Dust with icing sugar, then sprinkle with edible glitter if you wish.
8. Remove the block of rocky road from the tray and cut into 24 rectangles.

Then on to making the stuffing for the turkey..... This is another of my favourites taken from Gary Rhodes 'New British Classics'

Enough for a 10-12lb Turkey
A knob of butter
2 large onions, finely chopped or grated
Grated zest of 2 lemons (juice may be needed)
1 heaped tbsp chopped fresh sage
675g (11/2lbs) good-quality pork sausage meat
100 - 175g (4-6ozs) roasted chestnuts, chopped
2 apples, grated
100g (4ozs) fresh white breadcrumbs
2 eggs
Turkey liver (optional)
Salt,pepper and ground mace
The stuffing is best made 24 hours in advance and chilled, allowing the flavours time to mingle.
Melt the knob of butter and cook the onions for a few minutes until they begin to soften. Add the lemon zest and sage, remove from the heat and allow to cool. Once cooled, add the onion to the sausage meat along with the chestnuts, apples and breadcrumbs. Season with salt, pepper and a good pinch of mace. Stir well and season with salt, pepper and a good pinch of mace. The eggs can m
now be added as the binder, to hold all together. Check for seasoning. Pan fry a small amount of the mixture so that you can taste it safely-you may find you need to add a squeeze of two of lemon juice. The turkey neck can now be filled with the stuffing. I like to leave some out and make into ball and bake on the side for a nice crunchy stuffing!

And that is my few recipes shared.....remember for this years Christmas to give them a try :)

Christmas was a good one this year, not only because it was our first one spent in Canada but we had great company. Stu, Ruth Ad and Ol came to stay..... I don't think we ever got to have a Christmas with them when they were in the UK. It was a really good time to be had by all. The boys all enjoyed playing out on their new toys....



I think Ad and Ol enjoyed them too!! They also spent many hours playing on the Wii and watching DVDS.
We had a few walks out in the wood tracking footprints of deer, coyote, fox etc. in the snow. We haven't seen any on the property yet but there is definite signs of them being around. The one thing that we did find was two porcupines in this tree, I couldn't get them both in on the same photo but here is one of them anyway....



They had torn the bark off the tree and had been there for a good while by the looks of the base of the tree!!

Unfortunately we don't get a great deal of holidays here so it was back to work for most on the Monday..... I had an extra day as being part time and returned back on the Tuesday :)
New years eve was quite with just the four of us, we watched the new movie '9' and played on the Wii fit, ski jumping was the favourite and I believe I am still top of the leader board on this one :)

I am going to call it a day now on this one but I will be back (promise) hopefully later or tomorrow with some snowy scenes and where we went today, and also to fill in any other gaps that my scatty blogging has missed!!