A Sunday Market surprise

Today I attended the Designers Emporium Markets as well as selling a hobby horse and most of my remaining teatowels. ....I got to meet a fellow blogger Caroline from the Simple Things.

Despite her daughter worrying that I might have been an axe murderer....we had a lovely chat and got to know each other a little better. It was strange but very comfortable nonetheless and we had a great laugh. Thank you Caroline for taking the time to come and see me I really appreciate being able to put a face to the name.

So to todays Christmas trivia: Christmas Holly

In Northern Europe Christmas occurred during the middle of winter, when ghosts and demons could be heard howling in the winter winds. Boughs of holly, believed to have magical powers since they remained green through the harsh winter, were often placed over the doors of homes to drive evil away. Greenery was also brought indoors to freshen the air and brighten the mood during the long, dreary winter.Legend also has it that holly sprang from the footsteps of Christ as he walked the earth. The pointed leaves were said to represent the crown of thorns Christ wore while on the cross and the red berries symbolized the blood he shed.

Enjoy this wonderful day.

daisymum

Christmas Trivia continues.......

Ever wondered why you hang a Stocking for Christmas??

According to legend, a kindly nobleman grew despondent over the death of his beloved wife and foolishly squandered his fortune. This left his three young daughters without dowries and thus facing a life of spinsterhood.The generous St. Nicholas, hearing of the girls' plight, set forth to help. Wishing to remain anonymous, he rode his white horse by the nobleman's house and threw three small pouches of gold coins down the chimney where they were fortuitously captured by the stockings the young women had hung by the fireplace to dry.

daisymum

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

Bon bons, birds and Christmas bling!!!!!!!!!

I can be quite weird about some things and one of those things is Christmas Crackers or Bon Bons. Nobody else in the family is allowed to buy them, they must match the plan I have for the colour theme for the year and the little trinkets MUST be worthwhile. I am sure nobody else gives a toss and daisydad doesn't care as long as they have those awful paper hats in them which we all must wear (his weird Christmas thing).

It takes a long time to buy the right Bon Bons first I start with how I want the table to look for the main Christmas meal and what colours I will use (This then becomes the colour scheme all the presents are wrapped in - but more on that annally retentive feature of my nature later in the month - there are rules) and then I choose ones to match. I used to buy really expensive ones (I have been known to spend over $100 on Crackers - yes I know DUMB but it is only once a year and they are lovely).

One year I went all brown paper and string and gum leaves and I made the crackers myself complete with good cigars for the guys and lovely lipstick for the girls (pre kids days).

Last year I bought CHEAP bon bons - why? because I couldn't find the right colour green and silver anywhere (Bon Bon shopping involves many trips and much looking before finally deciding - I have even been known to buy four or five lots and return the ones I don't use).

As we sat down to Christmas Lunch I was apologising profusley for the cheap bon bons (again noone cared) but they gifts were fabulous and in fact I am still wearing a pair of BLING earrings that came out of them. (they do hurt my ears after a few hours but they they are CUTE)

This year we go to the beach and have to have Christmas away from many of our traditions. So we are making our own decorations for the LIVE Christmas tree we will get when we get there and wrapping the presents in newspaper with red ribbon. So these are my Bon bons for this year as you can see they were cheap as well ( I have to buy two packets though).

BIRD:

This very Christmassy fellow arrived on our verandah this morning and continued to sit there while we went about our morning routine. How couldn't you be in the Christmas Spirit when there are these reminders around you from Mother Nature herself.

CHRISTMAS TRIVIA: Crackers

The story of the Christmas cracker is really a testament to one man's ingenuity and determination. Tom Smith was a confectioner's apprentice in London in the early 19th century. On a trip to Paris in 1840, he admired the French sugared almond bon-bons, wrapped in coloured tissue paper, and decided to introduce them in London. These bon-bons were popular, but not quite as Smith had hoped.
For seven years he worked to develop the bon-bon into something more exciting, but it was not until he sat one evening in front of his fireplace that his great idea came to him. Watching the logs crackle, he imagined a bon-bon with a pop. He made a coloured paper wrapper and put in it another strip of paper impregnated with chemicals which, when rubbed, created enough friction to produce a noise. He knew that bangs excited children (and were said to frighten evil spirits) - and the mottoes and poems he inserted inside the crackers amused adults.
The new product was initially marketed as the Cosaque, but “cracker" soon became the commonly used name, as rival varieties were introduced to the market. The other elements of the modern cracker, the gifts, paper hats and varied designs, were all introduced by Tom Smith's son, Walter Smith, as ways of distinguishing the company from the many copycat cracker manufacturers which had suddenly sprung up.

CHRISTMAS FUN:

One of the nicest stories told by the staff of Tom Smith is that of the gentleman who sent a diamond ring and a ten-shilling note, with a letter requesting that a special cracker be made with the ring inside, as a proposal to his ladylove. Sadly, the gentleman did not remember to include his address! Maybe the engagement never happened, because he did not get back in touch with Smiths, and the ring, together with the money and the letter are still kept by Smiths in their archives.

ADVENT UPDATE:

Today is Library Day - afternoon tea in the park near library, sign up for the summer reading club, and get out a load of books to take on holidays including Christmas Stories. We will also hunt out all the Christmas books we have on the bookshelf for bedtime/quiet time reading.

Yesterdays Clothes day was fun (but I am still doing the washing generated by it) we culled a bit but I think the 3 little boys (who all share one room) have way too many clothes so I am going to be ruthless we have been gifted a lot of hand me downs lately and I cannot keep them all, things just get too messy.

Before we head off to the library this afternoon I am going to spend a chunk of the day getting some sewing done. First and foremost that secret santa gift for out Patchworkers Christmas Party next week. Then a pair of pants for me and then maybe a few more stock items for the Designers Emporium Markets - I used to attend this all the time but with working on Saturdays I let it go as I didn't want to be away two days on the weekend even if it was only once a month. They are having a fundraiser for the Royal Childrens Hospital this weekend so I am trying to get a last minute spot and get rid of some of the stock I still have on hand. If anyone close by wants to go have a look at their website for details www.designersemporium.com. If you come along I am Daisy Mountain Designs.(if I get a spot)

Have a great day

daisymum

Day 3 on the Christmas Countdown

Here is my Advent calendar - I realised about ten minutes after I posted I was off to make one that even I couldn't get a fabric one made on Monday so I improvised.

I had been saving toilet roll cardboard to plant seeds into - so I wrapped them in some old Christmas paper, put a strip of paper with the dates on them around them and poked another peice of paper with the "thing" for the day inside. Threw them all into a big glass bowl and VOILA people Advent calendar!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The best bit is when Christmas is over I can still use them to plant seeds in!!!

Todays "thing" is CLOTHES - sort through all the kids clothes and hunt out Christmas outfits for santa photos, outings, parties etc. get them celaned and pressed and ready to roll.

CHRISTMAS TRIVIA:

All this talk of Advent needs some explanantion so...

The word Advent is from the latin word Adventus which means "coming".

Advent with a capital A usually refers to the "coming of Christ into the world" or to the liturgical period preceding Christmas.

In the 8th century Advent was observed not as a liturgical celebration but as a time of fast and abstinence.

In the 9th Century the Catholic Church designated the first Sudnay of Advent the beginning of the Church year.

Update on daisyboy20:

He looked great yesterday although his blood pressure is a bit low he may even be home this afternoon we shall see what the doctor has to say today. Thank you all for your good wishes, positive vibes and prayers for us all.

Have a gradual day..................

daisymum

Christmas biscuits..........

Yesterday was another busy out all day day for me. I left daisygirl and daisyboy4 home alone and this is what they got up to.....

Christmas biscuits...

Not sure how hygenic it is to have daisyboy4 on the bench with the dough but they had so much fun. The recipe came from the Advent sheet that was in the newsletter at church.




Jesse Tree Biscuits:

1 cup butter
2/3 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1 tsp almond extract
1/2 tsp salt
2 1/2 cups flour
1 cup oats

Blend butter, sugar,extract, salt. Add flour and mix thoroughly. Stir in Oats. Chill dough. Roll out to 1/8 inch thickness cut and bake at 180C for 8 - 10 minutes. Ice if you like.



And here is what is left after we took some for afternoon tea, lunches today and packed some up for Daisyboy7's class party this morning.


They even cleaned up the kitchen so by the time I got home last night from the hospital all was as it should be.

Quick note daisyboy20 came through the op with only a minor hiccup and is safely in bed and feeling sore and sorry this morning.

Christmas Trivia: The Jesse Tree

This is a popular Advent tradition ( well if you are catholic/christian although I believe in some Jewish sects there is also a similar thing for hannukah). A jesse tree named after the father of David is a tree that is decorated gradually throughout Advent with symbols or pictures of biblical persons associated with the coming of Jesus. This includes among others Noah, Abraham, Moses, Joseph and Mary. The creation of a Jesse Tree serves as a reminder of the preparatory nature of the Advent season.

I think the key word in that explanation is "gradually" our lead up to Christmas should be gradual a small piece every day.

December 2 on our Advent calendar is "decorate" today I will dig out the baubles and candle holders and put them around the house we aren't here for Christmas itself we will be at my brothers beach house so the tree up there will be a live one which we must make decorations for shells, driftwood, paper stars etc. But we will still have some decorations around the house to remind us of the gradual lead up to Christmas.

And finally............

I have always been a little scared of growing orchids they seem like they need a lot of fuss, but no not really they can be ignored just like all my other garden plants and in return they give you this......................

Have a wonderful - gradual - day

daisymum

Countdown to Christmas...........

Despite the spanners that the universe is throwing at me at them moment or perhaps because of them I am Counting down to Christmas. Not in a panicked way or a hassled way but in a how can I plan and make this next threeish weeks joyful, stressless and memorable.

So over on Jacqui's blog "I too am addicted to scrap"she has the best Advent Calendar idea I have ever seen - check it out.

As today is December 1st and I have not even made an advent calendar my December 1st is:

to make an advent Calendar and the little instruction for the day will be PLAN.

PLAN - what I still have to make - easy refer to last weeks list and then some

- what I have to buy - a turkey, maybe a ham, some champers.

- what I plan to give - pressies for the kids only limited shopping done so far but I need a list

- what I have already got - hunt out the pressie hiding places and clear them so that book I have had for five years now finally gets in someones stocking!!

- what we will do - invite for neighbour dirnks in paddock

- Christmas Cleaning not as boring as it sounds

- Christmas shopping trips for just dad and I (like the booze shopping with careful planning we could do that and have a quick dinner out without the daisies!!

- an outing to town to see the Christmas windows - remind self to ask The Old Dairy if Tba has some good ones could combine that with a visit to my sister

- an outing to see the Christmas lights - put that on the day we have a birthday party at fast food restaurant on December 16th - birthday party, visit to grandma and grandad and Christmas lights on the way home.

I love Christmas all the traditions , and the time we spend together this last week I lost sight of that but thanks to Jacqui, Mandy's up beat holiday post ( I feel the same way) and a post from the Vision Splendid that I read this morning on the seven steps to a simple Christmas I am back in the mood - be prepared for Christmas trivia folks

Todays Christmas trivia: The twelve days of Christmas refers to the period from Christmas Eve until the feast of the Epiphany on January 6th. Traditionally from the first Sunday in Advent (yesterday for those whose spirituality doesn't include church or mass) you decorate your home with candles, decorations and prepare food so that on Christmas Eve the culimination is a feast and the putting up of the Christmas Tree the crowning glory of the four weeks preparation. The tree then stays up until the feast of the Epiphany January 6th - 12 days.

Christmas Fun: I have a friend who keeps her Christmas Tree decorated all year round no fabric just plastic decorations and outdoor fairy lights. Each year she puts it in the roof space for storage - all set up - and then on December first they take it out and HOSE it clean - dry it and then put it back in the lounge room.......one wonders.......

Okay off to make that Advent Calendar before I go off to work, I will visit daisyson20 this afternoon after his operation and so I will have some time to get some sewing done then.

Welcome to all the new readers hope you enjoy you r time herre at Daisy Mountain.

daisymum