CHRISTMAS TIME AND AND ALL IT ENTAILS

[Jo]

I got a bread maker, which was one of my partner's more inspired presents - have already made some very good bread just from mixes, so am looking forward to trying proper recipes.

His least good present, a few years ago, was a fire extinguisher and fire blanket for our kitchen. It was my fault for putting them on my general Christmas list, but I didn't expect my partner to buy me them for our joint kitchen

[blondie95]

My lovely fiance excelled himself with presents this year, not least that i was expecting nothing as he had agreed to pay for my hair to be cut and coloured ALL year! However christmas day there was a pile of presents under the tree. I was very impressed by him buying the Take That album and the Sex and the City Film dvd but the best has to be my toy WALL-E! Having seen the film earlier in the year i became obsessed by the little rubbish cleaning robot! So on christmas day i got on that has a remote control to move him around and he has a load of phrases and dances!!!!

[englishangel]

Wonderful. I bought my daughter the DVD (she hadn't seen the film) as it got 4 stars as a children's film, and 5 stars as an adults' film.

[midget]

I got a bread maker, which was one of my partner's more inspired presents - have already made some very good bread just from mixes, so am looking forward to trying proper recipes.

His least good present, a few years ago, was a fire extinguisher and fire blanket for our kitchen. It was my fault for putting them on my general Christmas list, but I didn't expect my partner to buy me them for our joint kitchen

200gm strong white flour, 150 gm wholomeal, 50gm rye flour. 1tspn yeast, 25 gm butter, 1 tspn salt, 300ml water.
Enjoy!

[Jo]

Thanks Maggie, I will give that a try. I bought flour and yeast the other day, and will probably do a loaf for the weekend tomorrow. I did cheat and buy another couple of mixes though - exotic sounding herb breads that sounded too good to resist, although when I hone my skills at baking from scratch I will have a go with herbs too.

[blondie95]

Wonderful. I bought my daughter the DVD (she hadn't seen the film) as it got 4 stars as a children's film, and 5 stars as an adults' film.

It really is worth watching as it does play to children and adults-it makes quite a strong point about the way we treat this world

[gma]

The thread now continues with the post Christmas "what did you get thtat was unusual or fun or so totally different"?

Well I have to say that HWMBI and I made out like bandits - majority of prezzers were a case of 'less money thrown at it and more thought and shopping with care' which was immensely pleasant and felt great when opening, with one bizarre exception. It is well known (or so I thought) amongst our circle and clan that HWMBI and I spend every Christmas with my Mum and her live-in tax break (aka Hon-Step-Pa) (on the basis that HWMBI's Mother is a Dementor) - I thought it also well known throughout same group that my Mum's idea of Chrsitmas is to provide and ensure consumption of lovely, delicious food and drink in vast quantities 24/7 till they are so distended from head to toe that they can no longer speak or swallow. Odd then, that some very close friends gave us an M&S hamper containing a Christmas pudding, a packet of breakfast tea a tube of spiced biscuits, a tiny box of chocolates, a cake that is 'ready to be iced for Christmas' but out of date early Feb and unfreezable then last but not least a rather unpleasant bottle of M&S Cava. I'm not sure who had the worse notion, the purchasers or the idiot M&S buyers who put it all together!!
(Yes, I know, thought counts etc etc; clearly karmicly speaking I have along way to go....... )