Culinary Christmas Prepartion!

I love the colours of the cranberries and red cabbage. I preprepared the cranberry sauce, red cabbage for gammon and made the beginning of an onion bread sauce. I froze all of this so it will be ready for Christmas Day and cut down the amount of cooking Nathan and I have to do the week of Christmas.

As I mentioned previously I made my Christmas pudding last Tuesday. Traditionally it should be made on 'Stir Up Sunday' the Sunday before advent and all members of the household are meant to stir the mixture and make a wish! (we will have to follow this tradition next year!)

Christmas pudding is a steamed pudding, heavy with dried fruit and nuts , and usually made with suet. It is very dark in appearance - effectively black - as a result of the dark sugars and black treacle in most recipes, and its long cooking time. The mixture can be moistened with the juice of citrus fruits, brandy and other alcohol. We have grand mariner and brandy in ours!!

The amount of mixture I had meant that I made two puddings. One I put in the oven in a ban-marie and the other in a pan to steam- we'll see which one turns out best!! Having the puddings cooking for 5 hours in the oven and on the hob meant there was lots of heat created!! I love steamy windows from cooking! To me it is a sign of a happy home where there is lots of tasty food being cooked!!
This is our Christmas Day Menu! I can't wait to taste all the divine food! Roll on Christmas Day!