I'm sure I've posted about reading this book to M in past years but I just have to post about it again. Who knows how long he'll want me to read to him. He's 11 now and once they get to this age they seem to grow up too fast. Doesn't he look cozy in his fuzzy onesie?
Middle son came up to help his children decorating the tree for me. This tree is in the sunroom. I also have one in the livingroom. This may be the last year I do 2 trees.
Yes, it's beginning to look Christmassy around here. I know many of you are waiting until after Thanksgiving to start on Christmas. I think I'll get out the raisins and glaceed fruit for the fruit cake and soak them in something alcoholic. I think there's some rum left from last year. No doubt soaking the fruit for a couple of days should improve the flavour. Do you bake Christmas cake? If so do you presoak the fruit?
Thanks for visiting. Have a wonderful day. GM
That looks like a very fun book!
ReplyDeleteWe are decorating outside, but inside it is still autumnal Thanksgiving.
I do make fruit cake. I don't presoak the fruit, but I do put a bit of brandy in the batter, and then I age the fruitcake in brandy soaked cheesecloth sealed up in plastic.
What a cute book! It is sad when they get "too big" to be read to :-( I don't make a Christmas cake but I do have special sweet that we always do make.
ReplyDeleteI love seeing your tree getting decorated! I will start that soon. This is the first time I have EVER decorated for Christmas before Thanksgiving. It's just been one of those odd years I guess. I see your village pieces all lit up on shelves...they look wonderful and remind me of all the years I had a big village set up. What kind of village is it? Anything in particular? They are intriguing and look wonderful! Enjoy your Christmas festivities and helpers!
ReplyDeleteDiane, that village up on the high shelves stays up and lit all year 'round. It's no particular kind, just pieces I've found through the years.
DeleteI hope you have a happy Thanksgiving.
Well, your village looks lovely! Thank you for the Thanksgiving Wishes. I know you already celebrated your Thanksgiving! Your Christmas decorations look beautiful.
DeleteLooking nice and Christmasy around your house. A nice big tree. No, don't bake a Christmas cake but do lots of baking.
ReplyDeleteI LOVE seeing your Christmas things!!!! so beautiful! what a cute book that is!!! yay Canada :)
ReplyDeleteNope no fruitcake for me...not my favorite. Yes you got a jump start on Christmas!
ReplyDeleteI've never made those Christmas cakes, but my step-grandfather always ordered one that came clear from Germany . . . I thought it was very delicious. (That was a couple decades back when I still ate stuff with sugar in it.) Your home is gonna look mighty perty all dressed up for the holidays! Be blessed, my friend! ❤️
ReplyDeleteI do presoak the fruit. That book is a favourite of some of our grandchildren, too - such a fun Canadian take. I've begun on Christmas earlier than I ever have before. Just a bit at a time. How great to have help with your trees.
ReplyDeleteI always presoak my fruit, usually for 24 hours. Most of the time I use port, but rum or brandy (the cheaper stuff!) are also rather nice. I usually then spoon more of it over the cake when it is removed from the oven. Smells good!
ReplyDeleteI love this post! Christmas really is all about family and friends.
ReplyDeleteHow fun to have so much help decorating your house. I know what you mean about them growing up fast. I want to get back to Omaha and be part of Piper's life before she moves on to bigger and better things than Grandma! I think I've missed that opportunity with our other grands for reasons I won't go into.
ReplyDeleteThat book looks wonderful. I think I'm going to try to find it for Piper and have it sent to her.
Blessings,
Betsy
Hi G.M., Your Christmas Tree is a real beaut- ours is only tiny and it has electronic lighting- though it still feels like Christmas. My Mum use to make a fantastic Christmas cake and Pudding- around Christmas I especially miss my Mum (Joyce Melba Stone) - it has been 40 years this 22nd April that Mum joined God's care back in 1980. All the very best to you there. Regards. KEV.
ReplyDeleteNo matter how old we are we still miss our mothers. Especially around the festive season.
DeleteYes you are right G.M. I tend to feel very close to my Mum and Mum is in my thoughts each and every day - especially at Easter and Christmas.
DeleteI am going to have to look up that book...just to see. No, I dont make Christmas cake...but maybe I should.
ReplyDeleteWhat a fun book! That makes me think how enjoyable it might be for every local culture to compose its own 12 Days of Christmas.... Probably lots of people have done that, and I could spend hours browsing online about it ;-) -- maybe after Christmas I will at least look and see if anyone has done a California version.
ReplyDeleteBut now -- I need to prepare myself, in more important ways! God bless your holiday season, Granny <3
Looks like fun! I remember I made a fruitcake one year because you inspired me, but then I remembered I don't like fruitcake! LOL! I will love following your progress!
ReplyDeleteMy mother always soaked the raisins, and she was adamant that only golden raisins be used, for her fruit cake. I know fruit cake has a bad reputation, but I dearly love it, and hers were so wonderfully fragrant and delicious. After baking, she doused the loaves with more alcohol, then wrapped them in cheesecloth and then foil and aged them.
ReplyDeleteI'm thinking about making a Christmas cake this year, but then I do that every year, the thinking part, lol! I love fruit cake. I will have to look for that book.
ReplyDeleteThat book looks interesting wonder if we can get it in New Zealand
ReplyDeleteI like the reading Christmas-angle, the funny drawings in the book and the shining Christmas-tree with the fans helping around! Have a happy and spiritual time!
ReplyDeleteNice book. I bake Christmas cake ... but it has no fruit. We have a lot of bakers here and they bake the Christmas cakes with raisins, lemon peel, bitter orange and almonds ... we call them "Stollen". On the Sunday of the 1st Advent we traditionally cut the first stollen. The raisins are not soaked in alcohol when stollen.
ReplyDeleteYour Christmas tree is wonderful ... we decorate on Saturday evening. I am really looking forward to it.
Greetings to you ... Viola
... oh, I wanted to write to you ... I live in Dresden / Germany and the Christmas cake is the "Dresdner Stollen".
ReplyDeleteWe all love him :-))
So festive!
ReplyDelete