Snow, Parking, Bowling, Christmas Puds.

For most of Thursday it snowed, very, very lightly in the morning getting heavier as the day wore on. However, as far as the roads were concerned it became wet but nothing more, thank goodness. We had to go see a specialist for Matt’s annual appointment in the morning which would have been a pain if the snow had been thick. Tees me off, we see this guy and he talks to us for all of about 6 minutes but we end up having to pay $4 for parking. What is also annoying, he moved locations and his previous one did not have paid parking. Of course if you spent the day parked there it would still cost the same amount, but of course we don’t.

In the afternoon we went bowling again and I had two super games and one reasonable one with a triple of 500 which delighted me, but not Matt. He did NOT bowl well at all. I just wish it counted for our league scores (well mine not Matt’s). I also spread the word that it was the 50th birthday of one of the proprietors at the end of the month. We won’t be there as it’s the day of our travel league, but the league who bowls on Thursdays is going to buy him a cake they said. Wish I was going to be there although the place where we will be having lunch sell the most gorgeous mince pies and I like to buy them for Christmas. Mind you I also like to sample them at lunchtime.

It occurred to me that Christmas is on its way and Christmas pudding may well be on the tables of some people. This is the recipe I use from my very old cook book by Mrs. Beeton. It’s got to be about as old as I am or even a bit older as it was my mothers and she would have been married 78 years this month but I don’t know exactly when she got the book, very early I suspect as she couldn’t cook at all when they got married. Mrs. Beeton changed her into a fantastic cook. Much better than I will ever be. Suet is readily available to me in Ontario, but I could never find it where I lived in North Carolina. Also, these days, a lot of people try and make the pudding healthier with the use of vegetable suet, I cannot imagine anything worse, but I don’t know. Traditionally in England we would pour brandy over the pudding and set it alight then bring it in to a darkened room. It was very impressive. I always made Rum Butter  (basically creamed butter, icing sugar and rum whipped up together) but my mother always preferred whipped cream (the really good English stuff of course). Another tradition, when making the pudding, everyone in the family got to stir it and the last tradition (that I know of anyway) was to add silver threepenny bits into the pudding but that is never done any more I don’t think. One pic shows a bracelet made of threepenny bits, I used to have one but gave it to a cousin who had it stolen from her. Pity. By the way it's pronounced thrupny.


Christmas Pudding - Mrs. Beeton

1/2 lb suet (here's a link of notes about suet in the US)  
2 oz flour
1/2 lb raisins
1/4 lb mixed peel
1/2 a grated nutmeg
1/2 oz mixed spice
1/2 oz ground cinnamon
10 oz milk
1 wineglass brandy or rum
1/2 lb breadcrumbs
1/2 lb sultanas
1/2 lb currants
1 lemon
2 oz shredded almonds
4 eggs
1 pinch salt

Put all the dry ingredients in a basin and mix well. Add the milk, stir in the eggs one at a time, add the liquor and the strained juice of the lemon. Work the whole thoroughly for some minutes, so that the ingredients are well blended. Put the mixture in a well greased basin. Boil for about 4 hours or steam for at least 5 hours. Usually made well before Christmas and then on the day, steamed or boiled for an hour or two before serving.

Servings: 8 (or more, it’s very rich).

Have a great day