Rosy Little Christmas Balls

Like many Aussies, I know that Christmas ans summer are finally here when local cherries are on the greengrocer's shelves.

These glowing, glistening, rosy fruits truly are Christmas balls.

Bah Humbug!

This year I have felt no Christmas spirit whatsoever.

Being busy at work and managing a very active household has made Christmas something to dread rather than enjoy. The thought of how much I have to achieve at work and at home in the two meagre weeks until we go to Sydney for Christmas left me feeling stressed and anxious. Added to this I had a nasty tummy bug last week that has left me feeling depleted and in no mood to celebrate.

Friday (my day off work) was spent Christmas shopping and cleaning the house in anticipation of our real estate agent's inspection. Saturday brought a list of tasks an arm long which left me with no time to sit down except when I was driving from one commitment to another.

Then last night we had our Christmas tree raising ceremony.

I saw the delight in my six year old son's face as he helped his older siblings decorate the tree. As we read about Jesus birth in Luke, I was reminded of deeper truths and mysteries that indeed bring joy and peace.

I am reminded that Christmas is about giving and sharing, and thanks to God's grace we have an abundance to share.

Today my daughter and I, with the help of Master Six, wrapped the presents for our extended family and put them under the newly-decorated tree.

Now it's Sunday afternoon and I feel truly Christmassy.

I know I still have much to do before Christmas but I no longer feel quite so overwhelmed.

Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.

Luke 2:14 (KJV)

Christmas Boxes

On the first Saturday in December each year we hold our Christmas tree decorating ceremony.

We begin by reading from Luke in the Bible about Jesus' birth, then I give each of my children a new ornament for their Christmas boxes.

The idea is that these ornaments will decorate our tree for now, but when the children leave home they will each have a box of decorations, one from each year, with which to decorate their own Christmas trees. This is the eighth year we have had Christmas boxes.

Some years I have made decorations but mostly I buy them. This year, with the pressures of work and too many other commitments, buying the decorations was really my only choice.

I try to pick different kinds of decorations each year; sometimes papier mache balls, other times glass or metal decorations. Some I have embroidered on felt, others have been cross-stitched.

Each decoration holds memories for my children of Christmases past.

I love developing new traditions for my family.

What Christmas traditions do you have at your house?

Chantilly Cream and How to Make It

In yesterday's post I said that a put chantilly cream on my meringues, but I didn't explain how to make it. Today, I'm going to show you how.

It sounds difficult but it's not; I was making chantilly cream for years before I knew what it was.

Chantilly Cream

1 C thickened or whipping cream

1 Tbsp pure icing or confectioner's sugar (for gluten-free; ordinary icing sugar mixture is fine otherwise)

1 tsp vanilla extract.

Whip all ingredients together until your desired level of stiffness is reached. Keep a close eye as cream turns to butter very quickly.

Note: Ensure that you use pure vanilla, not the horrible synthetic vanilla that is available. To make your own vanilla use my recipe here.

Meringues with Strawberries and Cream

At a recent gathering a young guest with coeliac disease made my usual cupcakes an impossibility - coeliacs can't have gluten in any form.

Instead, I made little meringues and covered them with a dollop of chantilly cream and a fat strawberry half.

For the fluffiest, most pavlova-like meringues without any stickiness or weeping, ensure that your eggs are at room temperature before you begin.

Meringues

2 egg whites

1 1/2 C castor sugar

1 tsp vinegar

1 tsp cornflour (check that it is made from corn not wheat if you need it to be gluten free)

1/2 tsp vanilla

4tbsp boiling water

Preheat oven to moderate. Place all ingredients in the bowl of an electric mixer and beat for around 10 minutes at high speed; mixture will be very thick and satiny. Spoon or pipe into rounds on greased or baking paper lined trays. Put in the oven then reduce the temperature to slow and bake for one hour. Cool before decorating.

Burst

A burst water main on a hot night.

Children splashing about in pyjamas and gumboots.

Paper boats were made to sail downstream.

Adults left their houses to come and chat.

Strangers introduced themselves.

Everyone said that we should bucket the water for our gardens.

But nobody did anything about it.

Horrible Houses

As someone who has been house-hunting for the past 12 months I have seen some truly horrible houses.

However, when I was sent the link to the Lovely Listing blog, I realised that I ain't seen nothin' yet.

Too awful. Too funny.