Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the abode
Only one creature was stirring & she was cleaning the commode.
The children were finally sleeping, all snug in their beds,
while visions of Nintendo & Barbie flipped through their heads.

Yes, and dad was snoring in front of the TV,
with a half constructed bicycle propped on his knee.
So only the mom heard the reindeer hooves clatter,
which made her sigh, "Now what is the matter?"

As promised here is a delicious assortment of fabulous side dishes that go very nicely with your Christmas turkey, ham or roast beast! None are hard and with careful planning most can be done ahead of time and warmed up on the day once the main dish comes out of the oven and is resting.

There is still time to get in any ingredients that you are lacking! Two more sleeps! Enjoy!

I had some bananas sitting in my fruit basket today that were almost overripe to the point where if I had let them go just one day longer I'd have had to throw them away and so I thought I would do a banana loaf. You can never have enough banana loaves in my estimation.

I also found a really scrummy looking recipe in the cookery book, Lotte's Country Kitchen, by Lotte Duncan, which included sultanas, and ginger and oh my . . . it just sounded scrumptious indeed.



I threw it together and popped it into the oven and then went upstairs to do a few things, putting the timer on and asking the Toddster if he would let me know when it buzzed. I then proceeded to lose myself in my chores and it was not until someone came to the door and I heard them say that something smelled delicious that I remembered my loaf. OH NO!!



And it did smell delicious . . . but I dashed downstairs in fear . . . to find that it was only slightly cremated. Well . . . one end worse than the other, but I can salvage most of it thankfully. It'd not that pretty though . . . but . . .



It's nice to know that everyone has baking mishaps like this isn't it? It is a lot more well done than I normally like . . . which is a pity as I was really looking forward to it. It's a bit different than the usual banana loaves you find in recipe books. This one has spice and sultanas and ginger bits throughout . . .



I shall give you the recipe anyways, shall I?? You really will enjoy and hopefully you won't burn yours! Don't let these pictures of my cremated loaf turn you off! Even cremated it is rather scrummy . . . I can only imagine how gloriously deliciously scrummy it would have been had I been a bit more attentive and the Toddster hadn't had his nose buried in a cowboy film!



(This is the picture from Lotte's book and how it should look, just to tempt you . . . )

*Best Banana Loaf*
Makes one 2 pound loaf
Printable Recipe

Moist and deliciously spiced and filled with lovely sultanas, and scrummy bits of preserved ginger. Keeps well, wrapped in foil for up to three days.

2 medium over-ripe bananas
the juice of 1/2 lemon
4 ounces butter, softened (1/2 cup)
4 ounces soft light brown sugar (1/2 cup packed)
2 large free range eggs, beaten
8 ounces self rising flour (2 cups)
2 ounces of sultana raisins (1/3 cup)
1 piece of preserved stem ginger in syrup, drained and finely chopped
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp of baking powder

Preheat the oven to 180*C/350*F/ gas mark 4. Butter a 2 pound non-stick loaf tin and dust with flour, tapping out any excess. Alternately line with greaseproof paper.

Mash the bananas together in a bowl, along with the lemon juice. Set aside.

Cream the butter and sugar together, using a wooden spoon, until pale and fluffy. Beat in the eggs, a little at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the mashed banana mixture, mixing it in well.

Sift together the flour, cinnamon, ginger and baking powder. Fold in to the creamed mixture gently, along with the sultanas and ginger, mixing just to combine. Spread evenly in the prepared pan, smoothing the top over.

Bake for 35 to 45 minutes, until golden brown, risen and firm to the touch. A skewer inserted in the centre should come out clean.

Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the tin for 5 minutes before turning out on to a wire rack to finish cooling completely.

Serve sliced, with or without softened butter for spreading. Delicious!

It's nice to have a few different quick breads in the larder over the holidays. They are always a welcome tidbit to serve with a hot cup of whatever to those unexpected people who drop by . . . at least that's what I think at any rate!

Tomorrow, I promise . . . scrummy side dishes to round out your Festive Feast!!!



Over in The Cottage today, a delicious Ginger Syrup, which is the perfect cure all for what ails you!

These little tasty treats have been somewhat of a Christmas Tradition in my home. It's a very old recipe that I have had kicking around in my Big Blue Binder for yonks and yonks . . . so long that I no longer know where it came from.



The page that is is written on is tattered and torn from years of use . . . and splattered too. I don't know what's up with that because I generally don't see myself as a messy cook! I'm not sure how that happens!



The title is underlined in red, denoting that it is a "Christmas" recipe . . . a recipe saved to be made only at that special time of year . . . which somehow makes these "Christmas" recipes taste even better, because they are a once-in-a-year treat!



They are very impressive to look at, and yet . . . so very simple to make. (This is a real bonus at Christmas when our days are busy and hectic!)



They are also incredibly delicious, with a crispy buttery cookie crust that you simply press into mini muffin tins and bake . . . a sweet date filling and a topping of a dab of delicious buttercream icing, which you can either make yourself or purchase ready made.



I always make my own, as it's very simple and quick and completely natural. (2 TBS softened butter and 280g of icing sugar (2 cups) beaten together with just enough milk to create a fluffy creamy mixture. You can also add a few drops of vanilla extract if you want.)



I believe the original name was Cape Breton Pork Pies, but . . . a lot of our Nova Scotian recipes come from over here in the UK, so I am just calling them porkie pies . . . the term porkie pie being Cockney rhyming slang for telling lies . . . and what are these but a delightful little lie and surprise for your guests as they are not pork pies at all, but delicious little date tarts!



Enjoy!




*Porkie Pies*
Makes 24
Printable Recipe

"Porkie Pies" is Cockney Rhyming slang for "telling lies." These are a sweet little lie as they are not pork pies at all, but tasty little tartlettes with a crisp cookie crust, a sweet date filling and a creamy buttercream topping!

For the shells:
8 ounces butter, softened (1 cup)
4 TBS icing sugar
280g flour (2 cups)

For the filling:
375g chopped dates (2 cups)
255g of soft light brown sugar (1 1/2 cups)
250ml of water (1 cup)
1 TBS lemon juice

White butter cream icing(your own recipe or premade)

Preheat the oven to 220*C/425*F/ gas mark 7. Have ready two mini muffin pans, each holding 12.

Beat the butter, flour and icing sugar for the shells together until you have a smooth mixture. Divide into 25 evenly sized balls and drop each into the muffin tin holes. Use a wooden dowel or something similar to tamp the centres down and force the edges up into a crust shape. Bake in the heated oven for 8 to 10 minutes until lightly browned. Remove and let cool before popping out of the tin completely.

To make the filling combine all the ingredients in a saucepan and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer until thickened, about 10 minutes. Allow to cool completely.

To assemble spoon a portion of the date filling into each cookie cup and top with a bit of butter cream. You can pipe the buttercream on if you wish, but I am lazy and just spoon it on. These are fabulous!




Over in The Cottage today a delicious Sour Cream Cake!

As you know I am a member of the Morphy Richards House Proud Innovators. All year I have been treated to the priviledge of getting to test different Morphy Richards Appliances and it's been great. I am a big fan of the Morphy Richards products and have enjoyed every single one.

In October Morphy Richards teamed up with Age UK and unveiled a brand new range of stylish kitchen and household products specifically designed to help make daily household tasks that little bit easier for the elderly.

A dedicated team of British designers developed the range especially with people in later life in mind and a portion of the proceeds from all sales will also be donated to provide vital funds to Age UK to help older people.



Age UK is a brilliant organization over here in the UK which works to improve later life for everyone by providing life-enhancing services and vital support.

I think it's a brilliant combination!

As a member of the Innovators and to help promote their alliance with Age UK, I was offered the chance in December to receive a product from this fantastic range to give to an elderly friend/ family member or neighbour. I was very pleased to do so.

Doreen has always been like a second mom to me. I've known her since I first moved over here to the UK and I just love her to bits. She's quite elderly now at 83 and has not enjoyed very good health over these past few years. She got the shingles several winters ago and has not really been the same since. She's always in a lot of pain and her mobility has been severely compromised. When I was asked to think of someone I could do this for, Doreen immediately came to mind.



Doreen spends a lot of time sitting in her chair now and I know that she gets very cold in the winter and so I chose for her to receive the Morphy Richards Luxury Heated Throw. It would have been no good to get her a kettle or hoover, because, well . . . she just doesn't use those things and her carers would have felt the benefit of having those type of things far more than she would have done. I thought this heated throw would be just the ticket.

The Luxury Heated Reversible Throw is ideal for draping over a bed, or for snuggling into on the sofa, or for a lap cover whilst sitting in a chair. With its reversible cream and brown colour in a soft fleece material it offers flexibility and comfort. It feels just like a warm teddy bear. (Doreen loves teddy bears!) It has ultra thin nano wires created specifically to ensure a good night's rest. When we get older our skin thins and becomes so much more sensitive to things like wires and such. There are 6 heat levels which enables whomever is using it to be able to choose just the right temperature for themselves.

It is also completely machine washable so that it's very easy to keep it fresh and clean. The electric attachment removes very easily so that you can put it into the wash. (Elderly people often struggle with things like this, so that is a big bonus.) It's also BEAB approved which means that a person is able to enjoy their heated throw with complete piece of mind, it has been comprehensively tested for all known safety situations. You can relax in the knowledge it conforms to the highest European safety standards. It also has a built in protection system which automatically shut off the power if it reaches a temperature that is higher than considered comfortable. It will also shut off if an unsafe situation should arise. Another bonus!



It arrived last week and I was so happy to be able to bring it over to Doreen, just as happy as she was to receive it. We spoke a few days later and she was really enjoying it, especially as we have gone into a cold snap over here. She is ever so grateful to Morphy Richards and the AgeUK people for this lovely gift. I also feel very grateful as I know that Doreen will be as snug as a bug in a rug this winter! Many thanks to Morphy Richards and AgeUK , and Chris from Finn PR for this most generous gift, and for making my friend Doreen a little bit more comfortable this winter!!! You are all stars! (This is the spirit of Christmas and Giving in action!)



Of course you just know that when I visited her the other night, I also brought her over some Christmas treats . . . I always bring her a goodie or two when I visit and this time I brought her a box of my whipped shortbreads, which are something that I make every Christmas.



I have been making these lovely Christmas Cookies for years. It's an old recipe from my Big Blue Binder and one that I got from my old friend Leona, a very long time ago. I just love them, and for more than a few reasons!



One, they are very easy to make and we all know I can be rather lazy from time to time. A short bread cookie that can be made without the hassle of chilling and rolling is a big bonus to me!



Two, they turn out perfect every time . . . no fails . . . ever. You can dress them up or down with a variety of sugar sprinkles, or candied cherries or even icing drizzles.



Short and buttery, they are perfect in every way. Everyone always loves them.

Trust me on this.



*Whipped Shortbreads*
Makes about 2 dozen
Printable Recipe

All the yumminess of shortbread cookies without any of the hassle of having to roll them out, etc.

8 ounces of butter (1 cup) room temperature
210g of plain flour (1 1/2 cups)
70g icing sugar (1/2 cup)

Preheat the oven to 180*C/350*F/ gas mark 4. Line several baking sheets with baking parchment. Set aside.

Place all of the ingredients into a large bowl and beat with an electric mixer for 10 minutes until light and fluffy. Drop by the teaspoon onto the baking sheets. (Leave about 2 inches of space in between each to allow for spreading.) Sprinkle the tops with a varieity or sprinkles or coloured sugars, or chopped green and red cherries.

Bake for about 17 minutes until the bottoms are coloured light brown. Allow to cool on the baking sheets. Store in an airtight container.



And over in The Cottage today, some delicious White Chocolate Dipped Gingernuts!

I am a HUGE fan of pizza. I could eat it every day and never get tired of it . . . breakfast, lunch dinner . . ., anytime at all. When you consider that I had never tasted pizza until I was about 15 years old that is amazing to me. How did I ever get that far in life without it! It's just so good . . . it's pity I live with a pizza/pasta hating man. It's just not natural . . . I keep telling him that, but he refuses to budge. Oh well, all the more for me!



I have this guy to thank for my love of pizza. He alone is responsible for introducing me to it . . . don't laugh. It was all we had in them there days. A cardboard box containing a tin of pizza sauce and a packet of pizza dough . . . oh . . . and a small packet of crummy tasting Parmesan Cheese . . . but what did we know??? We were so innocent and ignorant of the culinary delights which actually existed in the rest of the world. Life in a small town . . .



Anyways, once I got out into the real world, I discovered the delights of take out pizza and never looked back. In Winnipeg we used to buy pizza's from a place called RJ's Pizza . . . and that was pretty bad too, but strangely addictive. The crust was only ever half cooked, but for some reason we always went back for more.



In Calgary we discovered great pizza's made by a Greek fella that were fabulous! Light and fluffy crust and that sauce . . . . mwha!!! Perfecto!



I pretty much make my own pizza's from scratch these days . . . and I know there are Italian purists out there would argue and say that what counts for pizza in my kitchen isn't really pizza . . . that's ok. But . . . it is MY kitchen and I decide what or what doesn't pass for pizza in it. umm . . . so there!



Yesterday I decided to make some pizza buns. They were supposed to come out looking all ruffely, like the edges of a clam and well . . . they didn't, but they were some good, even if I don't say so myself. Kind of like a loosely constructed calzone . . . but without any runny sauce . . . the rich tomato flavour comes from sun roasted tomatoes with a few herbs and spices.



You can vary the filling according to whatever you have to hand. Cooked ground beef, mushrooms, chorizo, bacon . . . whatever floats your boat!



Me . . . I like olives and cheese . . . and lots of them. These were fab, and so easy to make. I used the breadmaker for the dough part, because . . . well, basically I am not that good at doing yeast doughs. It worked fabulously and the rest was easy peasy, lemon squeasy!



I hope you'll give them a try! If you like pizza, you'll LOVE these!



*Rumpled Pizza Buns*
Makes 8 buns
Printable Recipe

A deliciously different way to have your pizza! You can vary the filling ingredients as you wish. They work well in either tiny loaf tins or custard cups/ramekins.

For the dough:
450g of strong bread flour (a generous 4 1/2 cups)
1 tsp caster sugar
1 tsp salt
1 sachet of easy blend dried yeast ( 7g or a heaped teaspoon)
3/4 fluid ounces extra virgin olive oil (about 2 TBS)
9 fluid ounces of warm water
1 tsp of tomato puree (tomato paste)

For the filling
1 small red pepper, trimmed, seeded and chopped
1 small gree pepper, trimmed, seeded and chopped
1 small red onion, peeled and finely chopped
a handful of black pitted olives, chopped (I like to use the dried spanish ones. They have
lots of flavour)
a handful of green pitted olives, chopped (I used Greek Haduki in oil)
100g of sun dried tomatoes chopped (about 1/2 cup packed) (I used Merchant Gourmet, oven roasted, 1 pack)
a bit of olive oil to moisten (about 1 TBS)
1 heaped tsp of dried oregano
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp white or black pepper
1/2 pound of grated Mozzarella or mature Cheddar Cheese
about 4 TBS grated Parmesan Cheese
some olive oil for brushing

Place all the dough ingredients into a mixing bowl and combine with the dough hook on low speed for 1 to 2 minutes until you have a soft dough that doesn't smear the bottom of the bowl. You may need to add a bit more flour or warm water to get the right consistency.

Mix on speed for 2 to 10 minutes, making sure that the dough stays at the right consistency. Add a bit more flour if necessary.

Remove the dough from the mixer and kead a few times. Shape into a ball and place into a clean mixing bowl which you have oiled, turning to coat the dough. cover with a teatowel and allow to rise for 30 minutes.

Mix together the filling ingredients with the exception of the cheese. Allow to sit and marinate until you are ready to use them.

Uncover the dough, punch down and mould it back into a ball. Cover and allow to rise for another 30 minutes, until doubled in size.

Divide the dough into 8 3-oz portions. Shape each into a round ball and then let rest for about 5 minutes. While the dough is resting butter and flour 8 mini loaf pans or ramekins.

Roll each the dough balls out on a floured surface to a flat 6 inch rounds. Mix the cheese into the filling and then place an equal portion onto each round, keeping it fairly central. Fold all the rounds in half, witout sealing them. Brush the tops with some oil. Carefully Pick up one of the folded rou8nds and keeping all the edges of the folded round to the top, gently place it into a mini loaf tin. You want them to gape open and have rumpled edges, the more folds and bits of filling showing the better! Repeat with all of the rounds.

Place the mini loaf tins onto a baking tray and lightly cover with some plastic cling film. Allow to rest for 20 to 30 minutes while you preheat the oven.

Preheat the oven to 200*C/400*F/ gas mark 6. Bake the pizza buns for 20 to 22 minutes until golden brown and crisp on the bottoms and outsides. Transfer to a wire rack for them to cool somewhat before eating. Any leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator or you can freeze them for another time.

Note: You can make the dough in your bread machine according to your bread machine instructions.



I only have 6 mini bread pans and so I cooked two in ramekins and they turned out cutely round and every bit as delicious. I don't know which ones I liked the looks of more. They both looked incredibly scrummy!!



Over in The Cottage today, some delicious Ham and Egg Buns.