Advent Day 9 - warm mince pie and a dollop of creme fraiche
Joining in with Julie's Scrapbook Advent Calendar.
Day 9 of Brenda's Restoring your Joy of Christmas is all about "Downsizing your Christmas" and she tells a wonderful story about her sister and how a simple Christmas was one of the best ever. So pop over and take a look and have a read. Although I love to decorate the house at Christmas and is has become tradition that we do this the weekend nearest the first of December we have downsized other aspects of Christmas over the years. I, probably like many of you, grew up in a house where dates, nuts and a tin of Quality Street or Roses were a sure sign that it was Christmastime. The Quality Street or Roses were eaten with great gusto, although the gold hard toffees were usually found languishing in the bottom of the tin come January eaten by only the hardiest of sweet lovers and those with strong teeth! As for the sticky dates, I'm not really sure what they were all about?? The plastic pick and the pip/stones!! I think these were just some of the reasons they were still sitting on the coffee table months later! As for the nuts, a huge bag was bought and they were placed in a large green glass bowl along with the nut crackers. Obviously everyone has their favourite nuts and ours were brazil and walnut, closely followed by the hazelnuts once all the brazils and walnut has disappeared. This meant that the almond nuts, everyone's least favourite, were left in the bowl for months until an undetermined amount of time had passed and it was acceptable to throw they out!!
Needless to say I don't buy dates or nuts (especially as I can now buy just the ones I like all year round) and this year we haven't even bought a tin of Roses.
Are there any family traditions that you still follow or that have fallen by the wayside now you have your own family?
The very next pie I eat (I only just ate one five minutes ago) I'm going to think of you and raise it in a toast for a very Merry Christmas to you and yours! x
ReplyDeleteArhh! Thank you Sue, Merry Christmas to you and your family too xx
DeleteYeah that's right for us, as soon as the puff pastry mince pies and seen in the shops we buy and eat. We buy dates but that all, but our local health food shop sells fresh dates so I buy and eat them when I buy them
ReplyDeleteHi Julie
Deletei’m glad to hear we aren’t the only ones to enjoy an early mince pie or two!
I’ve never tried fresh dates are they tastier than the sticky ones i remember?
Mince Pies are the one thing I wish I loved to eat but the truth is I cannot stand them, although I do love the smell. They just scream Christmas to me yet I just can't eat them, you'll have to enjoy them for me x x x
ReplyDeleteI’m sure I could squeeze in another one or two mince pies on your behalf!!
DeleteOh gosh, I remember the dates. Dad was the only one who ate them. I've still got the paper lanterns that were hung up as Christmas decorations.
ReplyDeletexx
really can’t remember who liked them in our house, they just seemed to arrive at some point in December!
DeleteHow lovely that you have some of your paper lanterns still
You have to have a good few mince pies don't you, they are the best! xx
ReplyDeleteI’m trying to find out which ones i like the most by trying all the different ones!!
DeleteThey are pretty! Ha yes, the tin of roses and YES, the toffees last!!
ReplyDeleteSee, I knew it!!!
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