"Deck the Halls with Halle Berry"...Ben

Sorry for my terribly bad efforts at updating this. Life got REALLY hectic. The tradeshow went really well. Got some great feedback and also did another little Christmas party where everyone had an opportunity to shop. My surgery was postponed again...this time it was kind of my fault. It went ahead on the 5th so I'm still in pain :( Since it was postponed my family decided we'd disappear down to the states for another visit to Dutch Wonderland (and no, there are no clog rides...I hear hear the disappointment already). For anyone with little rabid monsters who are about 3+ in age then it is well worth a visit. More so in the summer admittedly...it's a little cold and I was shivering under my yoga pants and ski coat. The great thing about this place is that it is primarily rides that all kids can go on....unlike Canada's Wonderland. Ben had a great time AND the best bit...it's opposite outlet malls. See what I did there...I found an activity for everyone in the family. You can make the kids behave while shopping by saying if they're good then you'll take them. The chance to escape from everything was great.

This year, surgery or not, I was determined that I was having Christmas dinner at my house...since this would be the first year. Yes, while some might call this idea stupid I prefer to think of it as brave determination. Not only was I going to attempt to cook Christmas dinner but I was going to do the appetitizer and dessert. Go me! I should probably point out that my dad had very nicely volunteered to do the turkey for me. I'll admit it...the prospect of dealing with a bird like that kind of scares me. They include yukkie stuff like giblets...why would anyone want that?!!? I spent the week leading up to Christmas baking like a crazy woman. I was trying to find unique Christmas gifts for my parents this year and since they moved here 5 years ago they have complained about the fact that mince pies and shortbread here just don;t taste as good as at home. So I looked up some ...U.K recipes and got to work.

I made some mince meat...with some extra brandy since I made it sans suet...I was over compensating like how small men do with big cars....and it was another ick point for me. The large quantity I made proved very useful. I churned out some all butter shortbread, which me being me couldn't just be normal, so each piece was shaped like a star...a very sugary star (note to self keep away from Ben). I also made some Toblerone fudge...all I can say is...my parents were lucky it made it to them and I have now rejoined the gym. I am thanful I don't like cheesecake otherwise I'd have scoffed the white chocolate and mint baileys one I made as well! The pitfall of baking is wanting to eat it all...or 'testing' as I like to call it. I think perhaps my most sucessful venture of the baking explosion/bombsite was teh mince pies. I decide to try 'deep fill' ...all I can say is they looked like mini pies and felt like rocks. Apparently they were tasty but they were so heavy. I thought my parents might actually think I'd put coal in a tin and given it to them.

I also attempted to recreate my Auntie's Christmas cake. Now, I have to explain that I have no idea how on earth she does this or what laws of gravity she manages to go against to create shuch an amazing feat of engineering. The icing on this cake is literally and an inch and a half to two inches thick and rock solid. When my mum asled what she used my Auntie told her royal icing and water that was all (I swear there is cement or mortar or something else in there). I should also point out that my Aunt makes the most amazing shortbread and caramel squares (ohhh caramelt squares...I should've made those...dammit!!). She like the supreme baker so by trying to imitate her baking....well I was pretty much doomed to failure. I would love at this point to be able to tell you that I made the most amazing cake covered in white icing which sat in peaks and defies all laws of gravity...but instead I made a cake where the icing ran off not just the cake but the plate as well...kind of like paint. It looked like some icing beast had vomited sugar over it. I swear there is some secret ingredient she is witholding from me...starch?!?! I have no idea...I'm starting to think there's a ratio of 1 bag of royal icing to 1 teaspoon of water. You might think I'm over reacting to this loss of icing sugar greatness...but honestly...this stuff is amazing. It's the kind of icing you could break your teeth on...wait...I think I might be drooling right now...no...no...we're ok.

So I'm adding this to my bucket list...learn to make Auntie Stella's icing....no easy feat at all clearly.