Friday 23 December 2022

First make your Mincemeat, and a Poorly Pippi

 


Tam arrived yesterday, and the tree is finally up.  So far the kittens have idly tapped a branch but that's all.  Mind you, poor little Pippi made herself feel very ill last night by finding a cup of sardine oil which I had drained when making Keith sardines on toast for lunch.  I quickly removed it, but the damage was done.  She spent the evening sat very quietly, obviously feeling very sick.  I hated to see her like that.  This morning she is back to normal but has an oily throat so will have to have a little rub down with a warm flannel or she will soon start to smell somewhat rancid!


We didn't put the best decorations on the tree, but instead hung them on the pair of Japanese bronze candle holders on the sideboard. This has given my sewn decorations top billing on the tree!


Two photos demonstrating daftness of kittens!  This is Pippi (pre-Sardine oil!) wriggling round under the end of the sideboard, sticking her head through the cut out bit at the end.  I was worried she would get her head stuck and then we would have to lift the darn thing up, and it is solid oak and weighs a ton!

I had an enjoyable day in the kitchen.  One of my cookery magazines had a recipe for  Mincemeat and Banana cake.  I began to assemble the ingredients and then noticed that the Mincemeat I intended to use was two months out of date.  Fortunately I had a recipe for Mincemeat in the same magazine, and all the ingredients, so in next to no time I had 3 jars of home made mincemeat and enough for the cake too.  

I had an even more enjoyable video chat with my dear friend Rosie in NZ too.  She is laid up with Covid (more like a bad cold with her) and this will mean that the family Christmas lunch is on hold for a week or so until she is better.  It was just like we had only spoken yesterday - not 12 years ago when she came to stay at Ynyswen, and I got our close friend group together to stay. That made my Christmas, it truly did.  I even know which keys to press to get the camera and audio back on the video (these always seem to fall pray of cats wandering across the keyboard!)

Right, this won't do.  I need to have a sort out (silently as Tam is in the bedroom above, and the floors aren't very sound-proof) and get started on more baking.


Merry Christmas everyone, and all the best for 2023, although I shall be back before then!


23 comments:

  1. The tree looks really lovely. I think I have a recipe too for Mincemeat and Banana Loaf. I shall try and make sure I use mine up in January.

    A day of baking here too - veggie starter and main and cook a piece of gammon for the non veggies.

    Merry Christmas - have a lovely family time and best wishes for 2023.

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    1. I trust it all went well. I shan't need to do any baking for a while anyway . . . All the best for 2023.

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  2. Best wishes to you and your family for Christmas. Hope Keith's medication gets organised to keep him well.

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    1. Thanks Sue. I hope you had a lovely time. Still trying to get meds balanced.

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  3. Merry Christmas to you and the family (and assorted cats!).

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    1. Thank you, we have had a lovely, if somewhat full on, day.

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  4. Oh, poor little Pippi. The curiosity of kittens. Thank goodness that's all it was, was sardine oil. Your tree is rather lovely, by the way. Your closed curtains behind it form a perfect backdrop I think. I shall wish you and your family A Very Happy Christmas. Hope you have a lovely day tomorrow and Boxing Day. Nadolig Llawen i Chi Gyd

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    1. Every year we say we have the best tree, but this one is beautifully balanced and open. Looking forward to a slightly more relaxed Boxing Day.

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  5. Your tree is lovely. Pippi is quite a handful! Next it will be Lulu getting into things. So glad Tam is recovered and can be with you for the holidays. Merry Christmas to you and yours!

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    1. They are both hairy hooligans and those sharp claws! Oh my, I have legs like dart-boards. Tam still a bit on the tired side but glad to be here.

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  6. Merry Christmas to you all have a lovely time xx

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  7. The tree looks lovely, I'll be disappointed if there's not at least one photo of a kitten in amongst the branches before the end of Christmas. Poor Pippi, hopefully she'll remember not to do that again ... but somehow I doubt it.

    A very Merry Christmas and a peaceful New Year to you both and your family. xx

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    1. They have ignored it! A bit overwhelmed by lots of extra people around I think. I shall remember not to leave oil out, that's for sure.

      Hoping you had a lovely day yesterday and all the best for 2023.

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  8. Wishing you & yours a joyous holiday season and a new year filled with prosperity, good health, contentment, and all that fills you with peace & joy.

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    1. Thank you so much Damselfly, and the same in return to you.

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  9. Lovely tree and decorations. Stinky Pippi made me laugh, poor mite.

    Best wishes for the holidays and year ahead!

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    1. She was a "pongit" kitten - especially when the oil made its way through to the other end!

      All the best for 2023 for you.

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    1. Thank you Marlane. I hope that you had an enjoyable one too.

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  11. Cats of all ages keep us in fits for their health and safety! Ours have not enjoyed two days of unusually cold weather--we are meant to fix it for them of course! A quiet Christmas Day planned--dinner with Howard and Dawn.

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    1. We've had spells of rain here. The cats stand at the door and look at me as if I organized it! Glad you had a nice quiet day. Ours was quite the reverse!

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  12. Wise tree decorating. It looks quite beautiful.

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