This Christmas I learnt........

I have never come across any reference about avoiding certain foods for different blood groups. Do you know if there is anything re eggs and blood group B+. ?

That I really hate Ponsettias! They are not attractive to look at and seem to be as temperamental as a two year old child.
Even worse when the giver of the unwanted gift is a neighbour who asks how it’s doing?.

That presents don't matter. After a family get together was cancelled everything had to go in the post a lot was taken out of the wrapping and a lot was inappropriate for posting because they were glass. We were all pleased with our presents on facetime and I am not worrying about what was really thought. Maybe a set price Secret Santa will be suggested next year.

That my dd cooks a better Christmas lunch than I do and I prefer duck to turkey.

I learned that I am brave enough to drive solo up the A1 to spend Christmas in a hotel instead of being home alone.

That this awful virus ruined everything for my family this Xmas. No family get together as DD and DGC were both infected.
Spent Xmas morning looking through window at DGC, then drove home to ham sandwiches for dinner.
Also some people are totally crazy. DS3 is working with people who don't need vaccine as they are taking ground ginger!! and Covid is a hoax. Several people not just 1. My BFF and her family all have it now. They are anti vaxx anti mask and have just realised it's not flu. You really couldn't make this stupidity up.

Floradora! you have nearly reconciled me to our current catless state!

I spent Christmas trying hard to ignore the cat-shaped hole in our lives.

Years ago, I learned not to feel guilty that neither my dear mother , nor her sister, my dear aunt, were still with us and able to make tactless remarks about the things I had bought instead of making them from scratch.

Mind you, it did help the year I replied, "Yes, I bought it, as I hadn't received any offers of help from anyone."

That my sister and I still can still argue over card games like we did as kids and she's still such a sore loser lol. Also that I should have red cabbage and apple a lot more.

I learned that setting a budget of £10 a head for presents wasn’t a disaster. I was able to find lovely things for everyone and received beautiful gifts in return. Some things I made or tarted up to make them nicer. One of my favourites was a garland made from dried, home grown flowers by my granddaughter. I love it.
I also learned that the Christmas cake I baked in my slow cooker was excellent so I shall use this energy saving trick in future.

They do say (my late mum said it often) that you learn something new every day?

The mince pie recipe sounds great too smudgie

I didn't know that about peanuts chestnut.i might look up that book.There's a few things i can't eat on warfarin though, and sadly cranberries are one of them, as i used to love the cranberry & port sauce in a jar- i use redcurrant sauce now but its not as tasty.

That my non-stick saucepans, that I've always carefully handwashed, are actually OK shoved in the dishwasher. So many pots to wash and I just couldn't be a***d.

lovebeigecardigans1955

I've learned that I must look closely at the Use By date on the packaging, seeing that my pigs in blankets were dated 22.12.21 but I cooked them anyway and I'm still alive.

Can beat that! Frozen roll of sausage meat dated use by 12.12.20 keept in wonderful cryo frozen state was perfectly ok! Used for stuffing rolls and were delish! I never get all the absolute hysteria about use by and sell by dates? I use my senses, if it looks ok , and importantly smells and feels ok ( any stickiness/slimeyness on meat is a no-no) then it gets cooked.anymeat that's no 'right' will make itself known during early cook stage and raw its colour/odour/feel?.Don't rely on packaging 100% anyway it's wasteful and you really don't know how it's been stored all its shop life anyway. I remember seeing a pallet cage full of frozen turkeys in boxes at the back of an Asda loading bay many years ago when I was visiting the gym next door. I did my hour, showered, met mate, had lunch, went round Asda and 4+hours later? Still siting outside in loading bay....ahem!

For the first time in my life I just wish the festivities were finished on boxing Day. I've had enough this year. Sorry to be so Scrooge like.

Smudgie

This Xmas I learnt an easy way to make mince pies. I looked at my jar of mincemeat and felt depressed as I just couldn't summon the enthusiasm to make shortcrust pastry but I had made a promise to take them to my daughter.
I remembered I had a chilled packet of all butter puff pastry in the fridge (for sausage rolls).
I enrolled it, spread it with most of the mincemeat and drizzled a few teaspoons of Amaretto over it. Egged the edges, rolled it up like a Swiss roll and cut it into 12 sections. Put them on a lined baking tray, egg wash over the tops and baked them for 20 minutes. They were lovely and a great success, I shall always make them in that way in future.

Wowsers! Great minds and all that! I also made some quickie mince pies with butter jus-roll from freezer, I was going to make them Eccles cake shaped but couldn't be ar5ed so I just folded them like mini pasties brushed with egg and sprinkles of cinnamon sugar and omg they were the best thing I'd done like EVER! See-necesssity really is the mother of invention!!!

GagaJo

That I've gone off mince pies.

Me too Gagajo! I felt quite sick after eating two. Mind you, it was with brandy cream.

that son and daughter in law are really ungrateful and put £50 gucci perfume and £50 gucci aftershave/giftset on ebay on Christmas day.

NikonLady

that even though I have been alone for the last 12 Christmas holidays, it does not get any easier and I still don’t like it. Thank goodness I have my dog to keep my company, but still it’s not like having family, which I have none. Just not meant to be I guess, but darn it’s difficult.

Can you join with some volunteers locally that either arrange a meal for people on their own or volunteer to help serve the homeless with the salvation army. Even if you are disabled or unable to get out of the house there should be something around that you could join in with at Christmas. I'm sad for you that you are alone so many years.

I've learned that I must look closely at the Use By date on the packaging, seeing that my pigs in blankets were dated 22.12.21 but I cooked them anyway and I'm still alive.

I won’t be eating cream anymore it has no taste to it I have gone right off it. I will try an alternative maybe Dream topping I used to like that.

That’s just as well, Mollygo. I’ve turned my attention to the Christmas cake now. And am avoiding the bathroom scales.

Maggiemaybe

That I can scoff a whole tin of Quality Street over two days. But really shouldn’t.

The good news is that the tins and contents have shrunk even if the cost hasn’t!?

My husband learned this year, after saying many times over the years that he would like beef for Christmas dinner, and my finally giving in as it was just the two of us, that it wasn’t as tasty as the traditional Christmas dinner. Don’t think we’ll have that argument again!

I will not buy Brussels anymore! It is only OH and daughter who eat them. This year I bought a small bag and said I would microwave them as there was no room on the hob. I forgot all about them and no one noticed! Evil vegetable.