Christmas preparations

Each year I make two Christmas cakes and three Christmas puddings. One cake is for my parents and the other is for Mr hazelh. The puddings are distributed similarly, with the "spare" one held back for some time for Mr hazelh in the new year.

I always use the same recipes annotated with additional instructions such as:

- Check people have returned pudding bowls when you make the shopping list.
- Easiest way to do shopping list for cakes and puds is to shout out ingreds and get Tim to check. Discovered 2008.
- Do cakes with Tim in the house to hold string on paper.
- Makes 2 cakes. Don't double!

All this can be seen on p. 298 of my copy of The Cookery Year. The note stapled to the right hand side of the page is my sister's recipe for mulled wine.

Some people think it strange that I never get to taste the output of all this culinary activity. Christmas fare - cake, pudding, mince pies, stollen etc - simply tastes horrible to me. However, I still love making it all for others to enjoy.