Cunard Cruisers - How are things where you are ?

[alc13]

Those are the the grim realities of holiday season 2020 - more global illnesses and deaths to come, and personal sacrifices to keep others safe.  But at the same time, we have one or more vaccines to look forward to in 2021.  That promise gives me fortitude in what remains of this dismal year. 

 

Yesterday Mr Alc went out onto our somewhat sizeable Maine property to cut down a suitable Christmas tree.  On the spectrum of trees running from the grandest and fullest to Charlie Brown's, the result lies frankly on the Charlie Brown's side.  But it is very cheerful.  I'm debating making a traditional (or maybe non-traditional) fruitcake.  Any good recipes out there?

[navybankerteacher]

I was checking last year’s cards and came across this receipt from Christmas Eve dinner on QM 2-  this year’s will be rather different.

[Colin_Cameron]

On 12/13/2020 at 2:48 PM, alc13 said:

I'm debating making a traditional (or maybe non-traditional) fruitcake.  Any good recipes out there?

The recipe says this is for an 8inch cake but I find it is a bit thin so I’d either use a 7inch tin or add 25% to everything.

 

Cream 8oz butter and 8oz soft light-brown sugar until pale and creamy. Then beat in 4 eggs, a little at a time. Stir in 1 1/2 tablespoons black treacle then 9oz plain flour, pinch of salt and 1 level teaspoon mixed spice (premix flour salt and spice will help). 38oz dried mixed fruit and peel, 3oz glacé cherries (halved), and 2oz chopped, blanched almonds.

 

It says cook at 140C (275F) for 3 hours then turn down to 110C (225F) for another 1 to 1 1/2 hours but I find this far too long. 2 plus 1 is plenty in my oven, but yours will probably be different.

 

A one kilo bag of mixed fruit is only a couple of oz short so I just add some extra cherries to make up the volume. If your butter is salted just omit the salt in the recipe.

 

Good luck.

[alc13]

Thank you, Colin_C.  I'm on it!  - will post the results.

[Lanky Lad]

Well the news is not good nationally, but locally our figures are looking quite promising.  Now we will have to see how mad people go over Christmas.

 

I dumped into a former colleague today who was made redundant the same time as was me and she has just found a new job, there is hope.

[Colin_Cameron]

On 10/10/2020 at 8:44 PM, Kynance said:

I hope you’ll share a photo of the 2020 one in due course. 

The start of my Christmas tree forest.

 

It doesn’t show up too well in the photo but the star and tinsel are coated in glitter and look quite good. The biggest hassle though was the presents. I thought it would be easy to get something like wedding favour boxes but I couldn’t find any small enough and ended up making them. My thought was to put a chocolate in each one but Mrs CC suggested a cube of Turkish delight, so that’s what I went with.

[alc13]

1 hour ago, Colin_Cameron said:

The start of my Christmas tree forest.

 

It doesn’t show up too well in the photo but the star and tinsel are coated in glitter and look quite good. The biggest hassle though was the presents. I thought it would be easy to get something like wedding favour boxes but I couldn’t find any small enough and ended up making them. My thought was to put a chocolate in each one but Mrs CC suggested a cube of Turkish delight, so that’s what I went with.

Gorgeous.

 

We've been watching the Great British Baking Show (as it's called here in the US) on Netflix, including several holiday shows and now an early season with Mary Berry.  We now talk freely about sponges and fondant and proving.  I think the hosts are nicer in the later shows; in the season we're watching now Paul Hollywood called one effort grotesque, and Mary Berry termed another boring.  Ouch.  Anyway, Colin_C, I think your Christmas cakes look as good as any we've seen.

[Host Hattie]

Those are amazing ...

 

 

[Colin_Cameron]

That’s the next two ready. 

 

 

Only two two more to go.

[Kynance]

2 hours ago, Colin_Cameron said:

That’s the next two ready. 

 

 

Only two two more to go.

Thank you for the photos - the cakes look wonderful. 😀🎄

 

[Kynance]

Well, I’m pleased my festive preparations are complete - we have a marvellous Nordmann fir in the lounge and a potted, living one in the garden, which we have rigged up with lights and silver baubles. (It’s only about 5 ft but the idea is to keep it small & compact with my other half’s bonsai skills. 
 

Apart from some gift wrapping and collecting the turkey & other Christmas bits on 23rd, my Christmas preparations are complete. This is just as well since the PM has just announced that London & the South East are moving to a new set of tier 4 regulations, similar to the November lockdown, which begins tomorrow.  Non-essential retail will close and we will also no longer be permitted to form Christmas “bubbles”, which in the rest of England are being limited to Christmas Day only now. Fortunately, for us, it has no impact on our revised plans for the festive period but it will affect close family & friends (although my best friend is rather looking forward to a quiet Christmas Day just with her husband and children). 
 

Berkshire only moved into tier 3 of Thursday but there is a new strain of the virus circulating around London which is driving up the figures: in the space of a week in my local council area, the rate increased from 87 cases per 100k of the population to 217, thought that is still some way behind the rate of 846 cases per 100K in the London borough of Havering where my friend has got her wish for a quiet Christmas.

 

I know the latest announcement will be at the least very upsetting  for many but it seems that there is little else to be done at the moment, other than to carry on as best we can in the circumstances and hope for a much better 2021 as the new vaccines are rolled out. 
 

 

[Lanky Lad]

Lets hope the tighter restrictions get things under control.  It's going to seem a very long time waiting for enough people to get the vaccine for it to be safe to get back to normal.

[navybankerteacher]

6 hours ago, Lanky Lad said:

Lets hope the tighter restrictions get things under control.  It's going to seem a very long time waiting for enough people to get the vaccine for it to be safe to get back to normal.

Concerned about the evolving virus in the UK which seems to increase transmission.

[LewiLewi]

The New York Times reports that the transmission rate of this evolving strain is 70% increase over usual strain.

[Bigmike911]

The CDC committee on the prioritization of vaccine inoculations met today and is recommending that First Responders and those over 75 be in the next group. That includes old geezers like me. This is about the only time that being over 75 has felt good. 

[alc13]

On 12/14/2020 at 5:24 PM, Colin_Cameron said:

The recipe says this is for an 8inch cake but I find it is a bit thin so I’d either use a 7inch tin or add 25% to everything.

 

Cream 8oz butter and 8oz soft light-brown sugar until pale and creamy. Then beat in 4 eggs, a little at a time. Stir in 1 1/2 tablespoons black treacle then 9oz plain flour, pinch of salt and 1 level teaspoon mixed spice (premix flour salt and spice will help). 38oz dried mixed fruit and peel, 3oz glacé cherries (halved), and 2oz chopped, blanched almonds.

 

It says cook at 140C (275F) for 3 hours then turn down to 110C (225F) for another 1 to 1 1/2 hours but I find this far too long. 2 plus 1 is plenty in my oven, but yours will probably be different.

 

A one kilo bag of mixed fruit is only a couple of oz short so I just add some extra cherries to make up the volume. If your butter is salted just omit the salt in the recipe.

 

Good luck.

A very good recipe, thanks.  I used cinnamon/allspice/cloves for the mixed spice (2:2:1).  I'm attaching a photo but it doesn't fully convey the rich fruity goodness of this cake!

 

[LewiLewi]

12 hours ago, Bigmike911 said:

The CDC committee on the prioritization of vaccine inoculations met today and is recommending that First Responders and those over 75 be in the next group. That includes old geezers like me. This is about the only time that being over 75 has felt good. 

I agree.

[LewiLewi]

1 hour ago, alc13 said:

A very good recipe, thanks.  I used cinnamon/allspice/cloves for the mixed spice (2:2:1).  I'm attaching a photo but it doesn't fully convey the rich fruity goodness of this cake!

 

It looks delicious. I can almost “smell” the cinnamon from looking at the picture. 

[Colin_Cameron]

2 hours ago, alc13 said:

A very good recipe, thanks.  I used cinnamon/allspice/cloves for the mixed spice (2:2:1).  I'm attaching a photo but it doesn't fully convey the rich fruity goodness of this cake!

 

Looks great.

 

The one thing I didn't say earlier was, "Once cool, brush or drizzle with brandy."

[Lanky Lad]

Just when it seemed things were looking hopeful, the rug seems to have been pulled from under us.  I have been shopping and got plenty of food so I don't need to go again now until after Christmas. 

[alc13]

6 hours ago, Colin_Cameron said:

Looks great.

 

The one thing I didn't say earlier was, "Once cool, brush or drizzle with brandy."

👍🥴

[Underwatr]

On 12/20/2020 at 8:43 PM, Bigmike911 said:

The CDC committee on the prioritization of vaccine inoculations met today and is recommending that First Responders and those over 75 be in the next group. That includes old geezers like me. This is about the only time that being over 75 has felt good. 

I've found myself thinking about how much I'd have to eat to get my BMI over 40 by the time the list gets down to priority 1B.

Edited December 22, 2020 by Underwatr

[Host Hattie]

We're locked down and it's pouring with rain but "Casablanca" is on television so it's not all bad !

[Lanky Lad]

20 minutes ago, Host Hattie said:

We're locked down and it's pouring with rain but "Casablanca" is on television so it's not all bad !

High Society was on yesterday as well. It looks like this area has avoided a full lockdown for now anyway.  Thankfully, my Christmas plans are unchanged as we are staying local and within our household / support bubble.

[Bigmike911]

I picked up my prime rib roast at the meat market today. In years past three ribs has been about 6 to 7 lbs, this one is over 9 lbs for four people, and a lot of left overs. 

 

The super, duper market parking lot was full and I had to circle for a place to park. I only needed horseradish sauce and a couple of bags of ice, but I got some trail mix and cooked shrimp (scampi) as well. I used the self check out and was in and out in less than ten minutes.

 

The local roads were packed, so I used some back roads to get home after a stop at the British Goods Store for some sausage rolls for Boxing day breakfast. I am in for the duration, all decorated, all wrapped and ready to go.