The magic of Christmas…Do you feel it starting? Presents & Carols & Lights…Oh My!

Only 33 sleeps…Christmas always seems so far away and …

 

It gets real …

There are many Christmas traditions practiced around the world and I will be bringing you some of those and anyone who wishes to contribute with a guest post of their own on a special Thanksgiving dish or tradition would be very welcome to showcase them here  I know my friends across the pond and my relatives celebrate Thanksgiving on the 28th November with  turkey and lots of other goodies … So please share your recipes and decorations and I will link back to your post… My email is carolcookstwo@gmail.com

For starters as nobody has given me any links or pictures to their gingerbread houses…I will kick off with the talented Robbies from last year…If you don’t know Robbie she makes the most delicious cakes and has a few books on how to…Her decorations are just awesome so pop over and check them out you will not be disappointed…

Isn’t that pretty….?

https://robbiesinspiration.wordpress.com/2018/11/16/baking-a-gingerbread-house-or-six/

Did you know?

“Silent Night” is the most recorded Christmas song in history, with over 733 different versions copyrighted since 1978?

Silent Night is also one of my favourite Christmas Carol’s. Although I love Michael Buble’s version I just love to listen to the Kings College Choir …I also love the German version …Stille Nacht just like Darlene which I will play next week…It is such a beautiful Christmas Carol it has always been a favourite of mine…

The original version Stille Nacht was written 200 years ago, in 1818 by Pastor Joseph Mohr in the small Austrian village of Oberndorf, the music composed by his friend Franz Gruber. This popular song just over 200 years old this Christmas!!

Did you know?

US scientists calculated that Santa would have to visit 822 homes a second to deliver all the world’s presents on Christmas Eve, traveling at 650 miles a second.

Silent Night...A cocktail…

 

So what was Silent Night’s original message in 1818?

It seems most Chrismas music at that time was all about the power of the church and the king…Silent Night conveyed the opposite message one of hope for ordinary people…

A popular Carol. It was first translated into English by hymnodist  Emily Elliott in 1858, and again by John Freeman Young in 1859.

Since that first performance, the lyrics have been translated into over 100 languages, and merrily sung by carolers all over the world.

Did you know?

Christmas Jumpers…According to Matalan, 82% of people surveyed own a Christmas jumper, with 25-34-year-olds the most likely to buy one. Over 75% of people buy their festive jumper to wear for a work event, whilst over half wear one on Christmas Day.

In the absence of any humans wearing jumpers, this is Franck my son’s dog…A beautiful French bulldog who is such a character and even when he is having fun…he has that face on …It never changes and always makes me smile because I know he is happy inside it is just the face he presents to the world and always cracks me up…He is the most photographed dog I know as he has so many colorful outfits…A bigger wardrobe than me…haha

A recipe…

Many parts of the Christmas tree can actually be eaten, with the needles being a good source of Vitamin C. Pine nuts most of us have heard of them or used them in cookery or eaten as a snack.

The needles can be used to make a tea or syrup which can be used as a glaze for game meats…or the syrup can be used in a gin martini…

Pine pollen can also be gathered and used… many varieties of the pine produce quite bitter pollen but the pollen of the grey pine is apparently quite delicious.

Pine Pollen pasta…

Do you use pine pollen or the pine needles?

Christmas time always promotes Peace on earth...Listen to this TED talk

A heartwarming TED talk…

I hope you have enjoyed this post … my Christmas Treats, traditions and recipes…Thank you for reading and I invite your comments…I love your comments and also always reply xxx

See you later today when it is time for my Culinary tour of the alphabet over @ Esme’s…I can’t believe how time flies I am on the letter V already…so please stick around to see what I have found…xxx Just in case you missed last month’s post…The letter U…

Lastly, remember not everyone is fortunate and some people dread this time of year be aware and if you can add a little cheer please share your joy but also remember the other 364 days of the year pass your smile around and be kind… 

About Carol Taylor: Enjoying life in The Land Of Smiles I am having so much fun researching, finding new, authentic recipes both Thai and International to share with you. New recipes gleaned from those who I have met on my travels or are just passing through and stopped for a while. I hope you enjoy them.

I love shopping at the local markets, finding fresh, natural ingredients, new strange fruits and vegetable ones I have never seen or cooked with. I am generally the only European person and attract much attention and I love to try what I am offered and when I smile and say Aroy or Saab as it is here in the north I am met with much smiling.

Some of my recipes may not be in line with traditional ingredients and methods of cooking but are recipes I know and have become to love and maybe if you dare to try you will too. You will always get more than just a recipe from me as I love to research and find out what other properties the ingredients I use contain to improve our health and wellbeing.

Exciting for me hence the title of my blog, Retired No One Told Me! I am having a wonderful ride and don’t want to get off, so if you wish to follow me on my adventures, then welcome! I hope you enjoy the ride also and if it encourages you to take a step into the unknown or untried, you know you want to…….Then, I will be happy!

Thank you once again for reading this post I hope you all have a great weekend 🙂 xx