Here we come a Wassailing...

Christmas is renowned in my family for the huge meals we prepare and eat. Every Christmas I have found myself feeling like the stuffed turkey or chicken cause of the mountains of food I eat. And of course there is a downside to all the yumminess that I get to eat...the dreaded extra Christmas weight. I'm still trying to lose last year's! But have no fear Maija. You have promised yourself that you will try smaller portions of everything and not have seconds! How hard can it be? I'll tell you...REALLY HARD! My mum (and if I do say so... myself) and my sister prepare the most delicious Christmas food. My favourite Christmas dessert has to be Plum pudding. It's a classic recipe that is fabulous! But seriously the food is to die for! And I love it!

But sadly I need to watch my weight this year or else I'll be buying a new wardrobe next year (woo Boxing day sales...not!) so I must be persistent in my efforts to not eat so much of the wonderful meals we have at Christmas. 

As for the actual meals I will now explain how my family decide on what we have for Christmas dinner. I believe I explained what happens on each of the days. So as for this post I will only go into detail of the Christmas eve dinner that my family have. We start off with snacks that include (and always do include) nuts and dried fruit, licorice all-sorts, lollies of some sort, chips and chocolate. Then we proceed to the actual dinner where we will would have been slaving over all day. It tends to be either of two meals. It's either the cold meal or the hot. I like either but I think my favourite is the hot meal but the cold meal I remember more from my childhood. The cold meal tends to be for the years that we have a particularly hot summer and it consists of cold meats, fruits (especially oranges and plums), salad of some sort and beetroot! The hot meal is a roast of any meat we decide me want except for pork. Then we have an array of roast veggies. 

The meal is always accompanied with wine for the adults and ginger beer for the under age. 

After the main meal we have a time to let the food settle and during which we would read the Christmas passage and sing some songs. After which we have dessert which tends to change each year but most often it is the plum pudding which these last few years I myself have made. 

Out of all the Christmas meals I have over the Christmas period this is my favourite because it has a speciality to it because it is a tradition within my family. I would hate to see it change but that is something that always happens even when we are unwilling for it to do so. We grow up and go our separate ways and start our own families. But Christmas meals will always stay special and unique because it is not quite like a Birthday meal (although it should be) but it is better because it is the ultimate birthday party!

(NB the song that titles this post actually mentions a Christmas meal in the fifth verse)

Hark the Herald Angels Sing...

So this is meant to be a cheerful bright happy post about the decorations we all put up at Christmas time...however I do not feel the Christmas cheer too much as I write this. This is due to the fact that my 'true love' is far away now. Thank the Lord for creating the person and blessing them with the idea of Facebook and chat messaging! I'm talking to him now as I write this... so it's not all that bad and I'm cheering up.
So onto the actual topic shall we?
Christmas decorations come in all shapes and sizes and colours. I do not remember what my favourite decoration from my childhood but I do know now that my favourite decorations include any beautifully crafted decoration of angels. I think the reason I love these so much is because they were the messengers of the Good news that Jesus was born. If I could be an angel I reckon I would always be singing the Good News that God has....cause I love singing!
I wish I had pictures to show you my collection of Christmas angels but I don't.
no wait.
maybe I do.
...checking...
nope sorry I don't :(
I know I do have them somewhere just not on this computer apparently.
Well the other thing I wanted to mention about Christmas decorations was that it is one of my favourite parts of Christmas (hence it being on the list for me to write about it). I have fond memories of my family pulling out the old favourites; bought and hand-made to place delicately on the Christmas tree.
If you haven't ever looked into the meaning behind the first Christmas decorations I think you should by looking at this. It's fascinating how I sometimes find the Christmas decorations just that. Decorations. nothing more. nothing less. But when I actually look at what they are and what they symbolise I find myself mesmerised by the deep and powerful message they share. Majority of the them will lead to the true meaning of Christmas. Which I will assume everyone knows what it is. But in case you are new to this world (ahhh there's an alien reading my blog!!!! lol) or just haven't heard it before I will elucidate the true meaning of Christmas. Primarily, it is about a baby being born...but not just any ordinary baby. It is the Son of God. A child that had been long awaited for to come and save all human beings. And it turns out that He was sent to Earth not for the reason that us Earthly beings would assume...yes people!..God is so focussed on saving you from other humans. pfft no! (well ok He is but there is something more important than that) He wants to save you (personally) from the sins you have committed and the ones you will commit. He wants to save you from eternal damnation so you can rejoice with Him and be with Him for all eternity in Heaven. And that is what I love to remember at Christmas time cause I know that it all starts with new life and a new beginning. Being able to know that God has come to Earth and understands our pain...however minuscule it can be He loves us enough to go through it all and save us for all eternity.
Wow. this post got deep but that's the only way it should be...when you talk about Christmas. Well I hope and pray that this post will yet again (like my like minded posts previously did) remind you of the true meaning of Christmas and prompt you to seriously think and celebrate the reason for the season...sorry for the cliche saying. God Bless you all my wonderful readers!

Away in a manger, no crib for a bed...

Christmas.
As soon as you hear it something mystical and holy fills the air as you start to dream about all the special parts of Christmas. It is a novelty for children and families. You find yourself doing things that you normally wouldn't do during the year. Like carolling. Simply put you are singing songs out loud amongst other people. These songs are so well known majority of people know all the words to them...and not just one but at least 20 different carols. That's a lot of songs to know all the words to. Why do we know them so well? Why do we sing these songs? It is because it a special reason to celebrate and sing about and it is all the novelty about Christmas...singing. There are other parts that you wouldn't normally do. Like putting up the Christmas tree. I'm willing to be wrong so please inform me if there is another event but I'm pretty sure that there is only one event in the calendar that requires putting up a tree and decorating it. And that's Christmas.
Another part is the Santa part. I have to inform you here that I have never been brought to believe that Santa is real so he never has been a central part of Christmas. But still Santa too has a part in Christmas. He is the bringer of joy to many children. But there is One greater who brings wonderful joy and happiness for eternity and that is our Father in Heaven and His One and Only Son, Jesus.
As the day starts drawing nearer and nearer I would like to ask you to remember once again who and what the real meaning of Christmas is and why it is such a novelty to celebrate it.

Oh Bring Us some Figgy Pudding...

Ok so that's the best I could come up with in regards to food in a Christmas Carol. And I'll be honest and say I don't know what Figgy Pudding tastes like but I think it is pudding made out of figs...which I don't like.
Christmas food again is unique and special and most of which you wouldn't have during the year. But one of the most used Christmas recipes used in my family is my Great Grandma's Animal Biscuit recipe (we all just call it Grandma's Animal Biscuits). I'm sad to say however that I never ate one of my Great Grandma's biscuits...but I'm told that no one has ever made them the same and that they were absolutely the best! I would like to share this well-loved recipe with you. So here it is:


Grandma's Animal Biscuits

Ingredients:

3 eggs
1 cup sugar
1 cup Golden Syrup
1/2 teaspoon ginger
1 teaspoon Bicarb soda
enough S.R flour (this is what my Nana wrote but my mum puts in 4 to 6 cups)

Method:


Mix eggs, sugar and syrup together. Then add soda and ginger together with enough flour to make stiff dough. (In between mixing and rolling my family puts the dough in the fridge in a bowl to stiffen it some more. try what you think works best!) Roll out, cut into shapes and bake in a hot oven. Once the biscuits are cooled ice the biscuits and cover with either coconut or sprinkles.

So that is the recipe and I love making them at Christmas time cause that is what I have done since I was a child old enough to help in the kitchen! If you are looking for a new recipe to try, try this one cause it is fun cutting and decorating the biscuits.

Round yon Virgin Mother and Child...

"Memories of Christmas...ahhhh what are some of my favourite memories?" I ask my self as I sit here NOT listening to Christmas carols like I would have hoped to do so now. I'm sorry this is a week late but I promise that I will have two posts this week! So onto the topic... I much love going over the fond memories of Christmases past. I have this poem I found (honestly I went and looked for one just now to put in here) and I love it cause it talks about what a child sees and knows when Christmas is coming near.


Visions Past
~ written by Roger J. Robicheau 

The Christmas tree was real
That heavy tinsel, special feel

So many lights, in sparkling view
Glass ornaments, hung neatly too

An angel perched, atop it all
Seen shining down, it did not fall

The tree was watered in its stand
It's special smell, came on so grand

Nativity, was always perched
In middle window, all would search

Side windows dressed with candlelight
I'd check the view, from sidewalk sight

All was right, this child felt sure
That special time, lived in his door

I thank you God, for visions past
Which come alive, to hold and grasp


To be honest I think that most children remember the present unwrapping time and the food...well that's what I always remember about Christmas...but even then I realised that Christmas is not just an ordinary holiday like Australia Day it is special and unique! And I think one of the reasons why I love Christmas so much is because it is special and I have many great memories involving Christmas. So I would love it, my dear readers if you would join with me and reminisce the Christmases past.