Christmas cake and pudding prep

After a bit of a slow start (mainly due to the aftermath of all the fun of last night, but also some catching up with cousins on the phone), this morning I set to work on my main task of the day: to make two Christmas cakes, and three Christmas puddings. Mr hazelh kindly laid out all the ingredients for me on the kitchen table, as blipped. The final products will be split between households in Northumberland and Edinburgh.

While working the kitchen I listened to two episodes of the BBC Radio 4 dramatisation of the novel that I finished on Monday (Those who leave and those who stay). I listened to the third episode as the cakes were cooking (in bed, taking a Saturday afternoon nap after a bike ride). I SO love Elena Ferrante's Neopolitan novels, and I think I will be quite sad when I finish the fourth (and final) one of the series.

This evening we watched a film called Brooklyn on Netflix. It's about an Irish girl who moves to New York in the 1950s to seek work. I quite liked it, especially for its portrayal of homesickness, which is an affliction that I have suffered on a number of occasions in the past. However, I think Mr hazelh found the plot and characters rather dull. He prefers films with a bit more action, preferably including elves.

Exercise today: 7.5 mile bike ride along the cycle paths.