Claire, I thought either a peacock (or 2 or 3) or a donkey. As I am posting I will say from one 'alien' to another your Christmas brought back happy memories. Must be a British type of celebrating.
Claire help here please
Like this wren? Snort. Don't look at this pic baby chicks cuz you might get the shivers.
That's to cold!!!! BRRRR! It has only gotten half way that bad down here once!!!!!!
Surreybrit, while peacocks are truly lovely, unfortunately they would be too noisy. Ditto for guinea fowl. I have a yearning for a miniature donkey. I used to volunteer at the Canadian Donkey Sanctuary, and have visited the Donkey Sanctuary in Devon numerous times, and love it. But, I think I'd need a better barn.
Glad you could relate to my Christmas. My mother called the other day to say she'd made the Christmas Pud. Several weeks of feeding it brandy will now ensue. I don't know if I'll be able to go home for Christmas this year. I'll miss it if I don't.
Moxon... I would get there for that if I had to crawl on my belly all the way..
Once tasted, never forgotten....
Can you mail me some???? What is Christmas Pud?????
Christmas Pud!!! Christmas Pud is definetly mailable. But forget I said that. Will your mom adopt if you don't go home?!?
Claire, I have been wondering how you will ever be able to take a vacation again. With so many different animals to take care of can't envision anyone confident enough to take it on while you would be gone.
Unfortunately my Mum never taught me how to cook, bake, etc., always said the kitchen was too small for both of us to be in there, so haven't had a good Christmas Pud in - well let's say during your lifetime. The ones you can get from mail order British Products stores just aren't the same, obviously not enough brandy.
Now back to my silent lurking, don't need any chicken enablers getting to me. You are a powerfull bunch to be around.
SurreyBrit - I live not *too* far from a vet school. I am hoping to advertise for someone who wants a bit of Christmas pocket money. I think as a vet student, the opportunity to take care of various goat breeds, llamas, sheep and chickens would be appealing, especially if it's only for 10 days. They'd have to come over twice a day to feed and open/close the coops. We might have very baby goats at that point too. That way they only actually *need* to be there for about 30 minutes twice a day, but if they want to, they could stay much longer and interact with the critters.
Shame about the Christmas Pud. You are not that far from me. I could always visit you for a Pud lesson one afternoon, and even bring you a chicken....you would like having a chicken....or 2....
Surreybrit it all starts with a cute baby chick with bad hair..... then you move on to researching chickapoos... then you train and participate in hatching missions.... and.... Now that you've been bitten you can never go back. MAAAHAHAHAHA (evil laugh muffled by chocolate cupcake icing from the most recent food fight which are a regular occurrence here ^_^).
Ninja Dahlianut
Great idea Claire! A vet student would be diligent for sure and would LUV the opportunity.
Wow, y'all are from t'other side o' the pond. We start spiking our Nog in October, get the rum balls and fruitcake soaking...The daily dosing of alcohol however is a consistent theme. And wine jelly.
Now bring us a figgy pudding
Now bring us a figgy pudding
Now bring us a figgy pudding
And bring it right here.
We won't go until we get some
We won't go until we get some
We won't go until we get some
Now bring it right here.
How do think we survive the time of the cold and the dark cousin nut? The cauldron has been brewing liquors since Sept., blueberry tea fixings are stocked, spiked citrus cranberry sauce done and stored. Don't forget Santa lives here! Why do think he has a cherry nose?
Spiked sherry nose?! I'm there...actually my family comes from Virginia...goes waaay back and to the same principle...alcohol to stay warm, alcohol to disinfect, alcohol to survive the season(s) You should see the old recipe books! And can I have the spiked cranberry one?
Yes of course I will share my fabby, mostly famous, spiked citrus cranberry sauce. Easy/peasy. I'll dmail you.
Ummmmmm... Dahl.... Post it right here.... None of that Ninja secret stuff!!!!
Da Genrul
Yummy. Christmas Spirits!!
It ain't HO HO time yet Nut... Down gurl!!!
Will do Maam/Sir. I will dig it out and post it in the next couple of days. I'm typographically challenged at the moment since I slammed the shed door on my baby digit during the annual spreading of the poop ritual. Alls good though. Just having trouble with a,w & s at the moment. Who ever uses q, x & z? Do we really need those letters I wonder?
edit: yupper I used an x. ok we need those particularly for qwince, xtra special and zebra (I still want a zebra)
This message was edited Nov 5, 2008 6:53 PM
No chickens here, we go south for part of the frigid season. I saw my MIL kill a chicken once, lost my appetite for the rest of that weekend stay. Lucky for me she stopped keeping chickens shortly after that. I don't think I could eat anything I had raised or taken care of. Now if the time comes when we can't escape the cold and snow, well maybe not, would have to go out in that same stuff to feed and care for them .In case you are in any doubt, I HATE winters here in Minnesota. Thought I had come to the end of the earth when I first got here, it was in a February and never knew there would be so much snow or bitter cold. I can tell you my English winter coat was as effective in keeping me warm as a bikini would have been.
Night all, will be back lurking again in the morning.
Claire, You need peafowl
That would be beautiful. Noisy, but beautiful. I still say a pot-bellied pig. Moxy dear can get her donkey first if she wants (I'm generous when it's none of my business).
Gen'rul, Ma'am??
(big breath)
Tiis the season to start spiking
Falalalalaa lala. la. la.
'Eeelse you'll spend the season sober
Falalalalaa lala. la. la.
You'll get cold and freeze yer fingers
Falalaa lalalaa. la. la. la.
Iiif you don't imbibe some zingers
Falalalalaa lala. la. la.
Mery X-mis hic-cup
hahahahaha!
its not even past turkey day yet! DH has already been eyeballing the eggnog -- just how fat does he want me over the season?!?
rum eggnog?
I know. It's funny but there are so many old recipes and traditions that truly do go back to the days of traveling by carriage through the snow. They really needed the alcohol to stay warm til they got to the next fireplace. And the only safe drink being alcohol 'cuz it was spoiled in a controlled manner. I really should do my rum balls before it's too late...
someone say rum balls? got a recipe?
Yeah. Our neighbors when we still lived in Va started doing the nog in October sometime. I'll see if I can find a recipe. I probably shouldn't be all over this but Claire and Dahls and Surrey reminded me so much of home without actually being the same at all...and it IS sousing season!!
yes, sousing season has begun!
RUM BALLS: 3c vanilla wafers, crushed. 1c confectioners sugar. 1 1/2c chopped nuts. 1 1/2tbs cocoa. 2tbs lt corn syrup.1/2c rum. Confectioner's sugar
Combine all ingredients and mix thoroughly. Form into balls and roll in Conf. Sugar. Wrap in wax paper and freeze. Allow flavor to mellow a few days (I was told 2 mos)
X-MAS EGG NOG: 7 eggs. 3/4c sugar. 1pt heavy cream. 2c milk. 1pt blended whiskey. 3oz dark Jamaican rum. grated nutmeg. Beat separately yolks and whites of eggs. Add 1/2c sugar to yolks and1/4c to whites after they have been beaten very stiff. Fold whites into yolks, fold in cream and milk. Slowly add whiskey and rum. Stir thoroughly and serve cold w/ dash of nutmeg on top. Our neighbor would add alcohol and stir daily -don't know his recipe -this one's from Va. Hospitality
And Claire -I'm gathering yer pecans!!!
thanks grow, can't wait to try them.
I'm very fond the traditional wassailing song. do, re, mi, hum, hum, hum....
"Here we go awassailling until we all fall down,
Here we go atipsying with happy, joyous sound
Love and joy come to you
and to you a wassail too
And God bless you and send you a tuberlifik year
(big finish)
And God send yooooooooooou a tuuuuuberliiiiiiiifik year"
I sing this during all the holidays including the 'Festival of the Wakening of the Dahlias' holiday.
haha - love it!
.......Whaddaya think they'd do to us if we wassailed our merry way through the next 2 months and about 20 states singing just like this.......the mind boggles...heh. heheheheheh.
I LIKE IT grownut! Let's pop in to visit the other forums and arrange a time when we will all sing together. We should sing the same song. What day/time and which song??? Some of the International members might have to get up in the middle of the night but I know a few who will do it for sure!!! Maybe dave will organize it?
Now THIS sound like those family sings you reminded me of!!! Everybody thinking up yet another verse to the same song -they all have at least 8!! Maybe if we each sang a different verse?...{{{reign of terror....}}}
Excellante idea cousin nut. Each forum should make their own verse and we will all sing our verses at the same time. Should I ask dave? Yoooo hoooo everbody whatch ya think??? I think we should call it the DG Festive Wassailing Moment.
Wait. First spike the punch...
IZ sez ifin y'all want, i'm in