Friday, December 5, 2008

The Last last day



Finally Daisyboy7 finishes today. I know it will seem very early for some but I have had one home for two weeks one home for one week and one home since Tuesday, plus daisyboy20 is out of hospital and here being looked after by his mum. All they did yesterday was fight and argue , I was ready to leave home, but then last night all was well - they had sorted out their pecking order and things are calm again - another round tomorrow when daisyboy7 is home all day that should have them sorted for the whole holidays. Yes they are like chooks when you add a newcomer.

Christmas Triva: The Christmas Cake

Christmas cake is an English tradition that began as plum porridge. People ate the porridge on Christmas Eve, using it to line their stomachs after a day of fasting. Soon dried fruit, spices and honey were added to the porridge mixture, and eventually it turned into Christmas pudding.
In the 16th century, oatmeal was removed from the original recipe, and butter, wheat flour and eggs were added. These ingredients helped hold the mixture together and in what resulted in a boiled plum cake. Richer families that had ovens began making fruit cakes with marzipan, an almond sugar paste, for Easter. For Christmas, they made a similar cake using seasonal dried fruit and spices. The spices represented the exotic eastern spices brought by the Wise Men. This cake became known as "Christmas cake."
Christmas cakes are made many different ways, but generally they are variations on classic fruitcake. They can be light, dark, moist, dry, heavy, spongy, leavened, unleavened, etc. They are made in many different shapes, with frosting, glazing, a dusting of confectioner's sugar or plain.
The traditional Scottish Christmas cake, also known as the Whisky Dundee, is very popular. It is a light crumbly cake with currants, raisins, cherries and Scotch whisky. Other types of Christmas cakes include an apple crème cake and a mincemeat cake. The apple crème cake is made with apples, other fruit, raisins, eggs, cream cheese and whipping cream. The mincemeat cake is made with traditional mincemeat or vegetarian mincemeat, flour, eggs, etc. It can also be steamed as a Christmas pudding.
All Christmas cakes are made in advance. Many make them in November, keeping the cake upside down in an airtight container. A small amount of brandy, sherry or whisky is poured into holes in the cake every week until Christmas. This process is called “feeding” the cake.
In Japan Christmas cake is a frosted sponge cake with strawberries, chocolates or seasonal fruit. It was an expression that to call women over the age of 25 "Christmas cake," meaning that they are out of season, as the cake is after December 25th. Now the age is raised to 31, linked to toshikoshi-soba, a noodle dish eaten on December 31st.
In the Philippines Christmas cake is a yellow pound cake with nuts or the traditional British fruitcake. Both cakes are soaked in brandy or rum, a palm sugar syrup and water. Rosewater or orange flower water is usually added. The cakes have a long shelf life, usually lasting many months. Sometimes they are eaten the following Easter or Christmas.

Have a fabulous day
daisymum

7 comments:

Caroline said...

I know being a middle child explains alot my DD reminds me all the time I had already left home by the time my little Bro was born.

Hey your lucky it doesn't have to be school hols for my kids to argue any time is a good time for them.

Yes of cause you can come to my house you will fee right at home the kids will be arguing just like yours. How about we both disappear somewhere else, a little peaceful cottage at Maleny & then down to the coffee shop maybe??

Unknown said...

You're on should we take the old Dairy with us ??

daisymum

Teena said...

Errrr HUM ...!!! Am I chopped liver? Im' going too and leaving my lot begind!
xoxoxox

Tracey McBride ~ Frugal Luxuries® said...

Hi DaisyMum...had to comment on your wisdom regarding the boys and the comparison with the chooks/chickens! Also wanted to thank you again for your bit of holiday history regarding the Christmas cake. I liked all of it except the bit about the 25 and 31 year old women being past prime ;). If that's the case I must be mummified about now!! Thanks so much for the great read, as always.
Warmly,
Tracey
P.S. Loved your title!

Caroline said...

Of course we should take old dairy

Looks like cabbage heart is in for it too.
Of course you have to live them behind you silly cabbage what would be the point otherwise!!

Unknown said...

Cabbage Heart of course you can come. Have to fly daisyboy4 is off throwing another tantrum best go make sure he doens't break something....

daisymum

Linda said...

I should have visited here sooner. One thing I guard with little kids is my nose. You know they throw themselves backward etc. and always the nose seems to be in the way. Last night my daughter kneed me in the nose, luckily it just moved a little. I must be getting slow!