It’s been a hectic week, worthy of the Red Queen. I pause this Saturday night to beat on the drums and tell the tribesmen (and women) the news……
I snicker whenever I hear Linus tell Charlie Brown in the Christmas special he doesn’t know anyone other than Charlie B. who turns Christmas into a problem. I know legions. This includes myself; I don’t rest easy until my shopping is concluded. Happily this is almost so. The prizes and stocking stuffers are picked out and will soon be on their way to Michigan (Land of Spos) for the “Christmas on the 20th”. Tomorrow when Someone is ushering “The Nutcracker” (a double header) I can run around town and attend to his list of wants. I always fret what I get him is going to be insufficient.
Spo-fans may be pleased to hear I am going to make the Christmas pudding. Spo-fans and FB friends (bless all of them) sent me a myriad of recipes. I found one not too ponderous and still possible in time for the 24th.* Finding proper suet was hellacious. I would ask the grocers for suet only to get sardonic looks as if I had asked for yak. Many have never heard of such let alone stock it. Happily I found some in local butcher shop. The shredded fat looks like slightly bloody packing material. My choice of pudding can sit on the shelf until Christmas day. **
We still haven’t trimmed the tree. I am not worried about this so much as the Halloween bric-a-brac still sitting in the den, piled up and not put away properly. It is rather macabre to encounter Christmas in one room and Halloween in another. It feels like a department store.
Tomorrow I have to watch the pudding steam of nearly six hours so I will have plenty of time to read blogs, do paperwork, etc. I just hope we get the pumpkin things tided away in time for Christmas. I don’t want to confuse Santa or give him a heart attack. This year rather than milk and cookies I think I will put out some peanuts and a good snort of whisky. Afterall, he is a grown up.
* I rejected the recipes written in metric and/or required four weeks advance preparation. One of them makes pudding in the microwave in – wait for it – fifteen minutes. This one seems to take all the fun out of it.
** Someone is dubious something sitting on a shelf, unrefrigerated, isn’t going to be hazardous. I am trying to assuage him many fine British folks consume such puddings every year and no one dies.
Spo-Reflections 
17 comments
December 14, 2014 at 12:54 AM
Jean
Christmas puddings don’t go off.
Someone can be reassured that one is far more likely to get a poorly tummy from a dodgy burger that’s been kept warm for ten minutes than a Christmas pudding that’s full of goodness. They keep for months, in fact they mature and improve the longer you leave them.
Have you considered the accompaniments yet? A trickle of double cream and a dollop of brandy butter would be my choice but there are plenty to choose from.
December 14, 2014 at 3:06 AM
glen
LOVE the shirt!!!
December 14, 2014 at 3:44 AM
anne marie in philly
don’t YOU look all “dressed in holiday style”! someone is working on his natal day; quelle dommage! and I like the peanuts and a snort idea for santa!
December 14, 2014 at 4:27 AM
Blobby
“no one dies” ……….that you know of.
December 14, 2014 at 4:59 AM
Mitchell is Moving
And let Someone know that some of those fine British folks have even lived to tell the tale.
December 14, 2014 at 5:21 AM
truthspew
Skip the peanuts, put out some fancy mixed nuts, maybe some pate and then the whisky, wine and ale.
December 14, 2014 at 5:40 AM
David
We never hear complaints from the one’s who die – well seldom. Sounds like fun. I can understand why most “butchers” don’t know suet, most of them have never seen a whole animal. Likely the suet is trimmed away long before the primal cuts are shrink wrapped and sent the meat cutters at your local supermarket.
December 14, 2014 at 6:31 AM
RuralBeard
Ah the Christmas pudding, you will enjoy it. Might I suggest a hard-rum sauce to pour over your offering. I really does MAKE the pud most delicious!! I heartily recommend it. Hugs from here!
December 14, 2014 at 6:35 AM
Ron
As long as you put away your Halloween bric a brac before you take out your Kwanza decorations, you should be alright.
December 14, 2014 at 6:43 AM
damienscot
You can leave out the Halloween decorations while decorating the tree and watching Tim Burton;s THE NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS.
And I agree — the shirt is perfect.
December 14, 2014 at 7:22 AM
Sluggy
I told you to find a butcher shop as they’d know what you wanted. Suet if also referred to as Beef Fat. If you have any extra you can render it down to make tallow and that process is quite simple. Once you have tallow you can fry in it or make candles or lovely handmade soap.
I see a whole new hobby opening up for you here! 😎
December 14, 2014 at 7:36 AM
Raybeard
One of this country’s all-time most popular Xmas pop songs has been Wizzard’s “I Wish it could be Christmas Every Day’, a hit for the first time in 1973 and which we’ve been hearing just TOO many times every damn year since. What a horror the sentiment proposes! Somehow I don’t think that you’d last even as far as Jan 3rd!
December 14, 2014 at 11:34 AM
larrymuffin
Tell Someone that eating 3 yr old Xmas Fruit Cake is ok too, the older the better it’s the alcool it keeps it all fresh. Very Happy that you went ahead and did do a Pudding. You are a good Kotitonttu!
December 14, 2014 at 12:14 PM
Willym
Good heavens the pudding we got from Windsor Castle had been sitting for three years – just kept getting lashings of whatever port, sherry, rum or brandy was left in an almost drained bottle. And back in the day when I made my own I would do them a year in advance. A nice brandy hard sauce or rum custard sauce would go down a treat.
December 15, 2014 at 12:21 AM
wcs
Take Jean’s advice to heart. She is a proper English woman who knows her stuff. I’ve had the pleasure of eating her self-made Christmas pudding and, along with being delicious, it was not in the least hazardous to my health. I am planning to install the holiday tree today. Wish me luck.
December 15, 2014 at 12:44 AM
Autolycus
With all that sugar and alcohol, there is no way in hell anything nasty will survive in a Christmas pud, and besides, you’ll be steaming it up again (and sugar gets HOT when cooking). If in doubt, feed it some more brandy and in one mouthful you won’t care any more anyway.
December 15, 2014 at 8:50 PM
fearsomebeard
Fifteen minute microwave pudding?
That reminds me of a party I attended once where they served daiquiris made with honey…..