Happy New Year

Ok, I'll admit it, I've been a bad girl! It has been a long time since my last post. There are no excuses but I'll give a few anyway....

November brought NaNoWriMo and I had a good wee story to run with. By the end of week one I was already playing catch up. Nothing new there though, I like deadlines and do my best work on the lead up to one. I love the excitement of 'will I, won't I make it?'. So, by the last week, I was still only half way through the 50,000 word target! I was determined to make it but then disaster struck. Beth got a nasty vomiting bug two days before the deadline when I was about to pull an all-nighter. In the end, I did pull an all-nighter, cleaning and holding the bowl for her to puke into. It was terrible. I had never seen her so sick.

We had started off that day so well. She had gone in to school as normal, spent some time with her dad's family and then we went into town to attend the Festival of Lights and Dundalk's attempt at breaking a world record. We smashed it, over 5,000 Santas attended the Santa Run. Beth and I caught a bit of it but, unfortunately, she had started getting sick at that point so we left before all 5,000 went past.

On the 30th of November, I had to put out 8,000 words. My hands ached, my brain was fried but by 11.15pm I reached 50,006 words and cried with relief (not literally, I was more numb than anything else). What followed were days of nothing. My mind shut down and I wasn't entirely unhappy about it. However, it went on too long and I'm here now to blow away the cobwebs and start anew. 

Here are a few photos from the last month or so.

At the Festival of Lights, BP (Before Puke)

This was the scene a couple of hours later. Poor baby!

Thankfully, she was all better by the following weekend for her stage debut with her ballet class. It was an arduous three hours in the audience for a three minute stage appearance but I was so proud of my little ballerina!

In the middle, at the back

Meeting Santa

Sporting our festive apparel on Christmas Eve

'The Doc is in' Beth's main present from Santa

Beth loves the orange that Santa always leaves in the toe of the stocking

Pepperoni enjoying the fire

Looking angelic on Christmas Day

Waiting for midnight while Mum watches Jools Holland's New Years Eve Hootenanny

Tomorrow, I hope to do a recap on last year's resolutions and make some new ones. Hope everyone out there had a beautiful Christmas and a Happy New Year, I know I did!

Christmas Cake Recipe

There is no nicer smell than that of a Christmas cake in the oven. 

175 g (6 oz) Glace Cherries

225 g (8 oz) Raisins

75 g (3 oz) Currants

150 g (5 oz) Sultanas

50 g (2 oz) Chopped Candied Peel

100 ml  Whiskey/Brandy

225 g (8 oz) Softened Butter

Finely Grated Rind Of One Lemon

225 g (8 oz) Soft Brown Sugar

4 Eggs, Beaten

30 ml Black Treacle

225 g (8 oz) Plain White Flour

5 ml (1 tsp) Ground Mixed Spice

I'm slightly allergic to nuts so I left the next ingredients out:

125 g (4 oz) Roughly Chopped Brazil Nuts

50 g (2 oz) Ground Almonds

1. Wash the cherries in cold water, make sure all the syrup is off. Chop them into quarters. Chuck them in a bowl with the raisins, currants, sultanas and candied peel. Pour over the whiskey, cover with a tea towel and leave overnight to soak.

2. Line a 20 cm (8 inch) round deep cake tin with a double layer of greaseproof paper.

3. In a big bowl, beat the butter with the lemon rind until pale and very soft.

4. Gradually beat in the sugar until completely blended. Add the eggs a little at a time. Then add the treacle. Make sure everything is evenly blended.

5. Sift the flour and mixed spice together. Add half to the mixture (add the nuts here if you are using them). Fold in the fruit gently. Then add the rest of the flour. 

6. Spoon the mixture into the cake tin, level the surface and tie a double layer of brown paper around the outside of the tin.

7. Bake in a pre-heated oven at gas mark 2 (150°C) for 3-3.5 hours or until a fine skewer can be inserted into the middle and come out clean. I usually check it after 3 hours. If it needs longer I place a sheet of brown paper over the top so it doesn't burn.

8. Leave cake in the tin to cool for about an hour then turn out onto a wire rack and allow to cool completely. Prick the top with a fork and spoon over about 45 ml (3 tbsp) whiskey. Allow to soak in.

9. When completely cold, cover with greaseproof paper, then with tin foil and leave in a cool dry place. It needs to mature for at least 2 weeks or up to 3 months before icing is applied.

I'll be icing the cake about a week before Christmas. Beth wants to decorate it with snow (royal icing), snowmen and Santa. That'll be fun!