Ingredients
250g plain flour, Grated zest of 1 lemon, Grated zest of 1 orange, 1 teaspoon mixed spice, 100g almonds roughly chopped, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg, 4 eggs, beaten, 250g brown sugar, 250 butter, 200ml brandy, 1/2 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 100g red cherries, quartered, 100g finely diced candied peel,
250g sultanas, 250g raisins, 250g currants, Pinch of salt
Preparations
All the fruits, almonds, mixed spices, vanilla and lemon are mixed.After the brandy is mixed with it, it has to be covered with plastic wrap and kept for at least 5 hours so that the fruits can absorb the brandy. Best is to leave it overnight. preheat the oven to warm 160°C. Line the base and sides of the tin with buttered baking paper, which should be 2.5cm taller than the side of the tin. Wrap a strip of brown paper around the tin and tie with a string. The sugar and butter are beaten well until light and creamy. Eggs are added one by one, beating well after each addition. Sift together the flour, bicarbonate of soda and salt.The butter mixture is added to the soaked fruits and is stirred until thoroughly combined. put the mixture into cake tin and bake for about 30 mins. Then reduce the heat to 150°C and cook for another 3 hours. Remove from the oven and allow to cool. It is wrapped in a plasitc wrap and should be stored in a cool place overnight before icing. Do the icing as you please.
Monday, December 17, 2007
Christmas cake recipe
Thursday, December 13, 2007
Funny Christmas Jokes
Christmas is the time to have fun with your near ones. Tickle the funny bones of your friends by cracking these funny jokes in the Christmas party and have a good laugh. Enjoy!
Why does Santa always go down the chimney?
Because it soots him!
What do snowmen eat for breakfast?
Snowflakes.
Why does Santa like to work in his garden?
Because he likes to hoe, hoe, hoe!
What do you call someone who doesn't believe in Father Christmas?
A rebel without a Claus!
What's red & white and red & white and red & white?
Santa rolling down a hill!
What nationality is Santa Claus?
North Polish!
What does Santa get if he gets stuck in a chimney?
Claustrophobic!
What would you call Father Christmas if he became a detective?
Santa Clues!
Where do elves go to vote?
The North Poll.
And finally here is a detail of the Clause family.
St. Nicholas is the main Claus. His wife is a relative Claus. His children are dependent Clauses. Their Dutch uncle is a restrictive Claus. As a group, they're all renouned Clauses. Santa's elves are subordinate Clauses.
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Thursday, December 06, 2007
Best Inspirational Christmas messages
He who has not Christmas in his heart will never find it under a tree.
Roy L. Smith
Gifts of time and love are surely the basic ingredients of a truly merry Christmas.
Peg Bracken
Christmas is not a time nor a season, but a state of mind. To cherish peace and goodwill, to be plenteous in mercy, is to have the real spirit of Christmas.
Calvin Coolidge
I truly believe that if we keep telling the Christmas story, singing the Christmas songs, and living the Christmas spirit, we can bring joy and happiness and peace to this world.
Norman Vincent Peale
Christmas is a necessity. There has to be at least one day of the year to remind us that we're here for something else besides ourselves.
Eric Sevareid
The only real blind person at Christmas-time is he who has no Christmas in his heart.
Helen Keller
Christmas is the season for kindling the fire of hospitality in the hall, the genial flame of charity in the heart.
Washington Irving
There is no name so sweet on earth, no name so sweet in Heaven,
The name, before His wondrous birth, to Christ the Savior given.
George W. Bethune
The best of all gifts around any Christmas tree: the presence of a happy family all wrapped up in each other.
Burton Hillis
Best of all, Christmas means a spirit of love, a time when the love of God and the love of our fellow men should prevail over all hatred and bitterness, a time when our thoughts and deeds and the spirit of our lives manifest the presence of God.
George F. McDougall
Christmas is not in tinsel and lights and outward show. The secret lies in an inner glow. It's lighting a fire inside the heart. Good will and joy a vital part. It's higher thought and a greater plan. It's glorious dream in the soul of man.
Peterson, The Art of Living
"My idea of Christmas, whether old-fashioned or modern, is very simple: loving others. Come to think of it, why do we have to wait for Christmas to do that?"
Bob Hope
"What is Christmas? It is tenderness for the past, courage for the present, hope for the future. It is a fervent wish that every cup may overflow with blessings rich and eternal, and that every path may lead to peace."
Agnes M. Pharo
Meanwhile, one of my buddies birthday is on Christmas eve and I have to find some nice birthday gift for him. I got some useful tips from a birthday blog and you can check it out too.
Tuesday, November 13, 2007
Tips for making candy canes
Speaking of candy canes, have you ever tried out making them at home? My mom used to make them every Christmas and so I would like to share the recipe with you.
- On a cookie sheet, thick coat of powdered sugar is sprinkled.1 cup granulated sugar, 1 cup light corn syrup and 1 cup water is combined in a saucepan.
- Cook over medium-high heat until it reaches the soft-crack stage on the candy thermometer.
- After removing from heat, 1/2 tsp. peppermint oil and 2 or 3 drops of food coloring is added. Stir well.
- The liquid is poured over the cookie sheet in thin strips about 6 to 8 inches long. It should be cooled enough to handle.
- Roll into a rope shape and gently twist to make a hook on top.
- They are placed on a coated cookie sheet until hard.
- Finally wrap the candy canes in holiday plastic wrap and curling ribbons for decoartion.
Your candy cane is made and if you want more recipes then you there are lots of online sites that offer free recipes .
Thursday, November 08, 2007
History of Christmas Candy Canes
My niece has already ordered me to give her lots of candy canes on this Christmas. Not that I don't give her chocolates and candies on other years, but on this Christmas she wants the red and white striped candy canes only and nothing else. She is so much like me. Even in my childhood I used to love munching the candy canes which were used as decoration purpose by my mother! There are lots of theories about the origin of the red and white striped crooked candy canes.
One of the legend says that originally the candy cane was a straight, hard, and all-white candy stick and a choirmaster at Cologne Cathedral in Germany, in 1670, first bent straight sugar sticks into canes and distributed among the children at church services. The candy somewhat represented a shepherd's stuff but it is not known whether the choirmaster had the 'Good Shepherd' in mind. Swedish town of Gränna first saw the Peppermint candy with red stripes in the mid-19th century and striped candy canes in the early 20th century. Legend says someone changed the existing form of candy which was already being used as a Christmas decoration (i.e. straight white sticks of sugar candy) and produced bent versions representing a shepherd's crook. This is strongest connection that can be made between the Christian symbolism and orgin of candy canes. It is also believed that the 'J' shape of the candy canes represents the name Jesus. The mass producing of them was started by a guy named Bob McCormack, around 1920, from Georgia and named Bob’s Candies.
This is the brief history of candy canes. I am looking for recipes to make candies at home . But that is to be left for the next post.
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Wednesday, October 24, 2007
Christmas Cakes
I had done enough of of looking for good travel tour packages. Finally it has been decided that we will visit the Caribbean Islands this winter if our plan goes well. If I won't be in the city I will miss the home-made cake the most. My mom just make delicious cakes and that too of different type every year. My friend Sandra is also planning to try her hand in making Christmas cakes this year. I know that she is not very fond of kitchen and suggested her to start practicing the baking of cakes I just send her a Christmas cake recipe and some tips so that she won't treat the guests with a burned cake on Christmas.
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Thursday, August 02, 2007
Inspirational Christmas Message
Can't say why 25th December has been associated with the birth of Jesus, while the Bible says no specific date of the event !!
However, the fact that over 400 million people celebrate Christmas all around the globe makes it one of greatest religion festivals of the world. The auspicious birth of the Lord on 25th of December has been celebrated since about 300 A.D. till today.
So lets plan for a grand celebration this year with gorgeous Christmas cakes, Christmas trees adorn the world with colors and celebrate the true spirit of Christmas with these inspirational messages.
| God Is With You ! Touch your dear ones heart with this inspirational message. [ Flash ]  |
| My Prayer For You... Say a small prayer for your dear one and make his/ her day special. [ Flash ] | ||
