I cannot believe we are now hurtling towards New Year …Have you made the puddings and cake, pickled your pickles all ready for the festive jolly on the 25th… Right now, there are
13 days until Christmas 2021! …Jeez, that crept up…

Welcome to my weekly roundup...This week last week has been a little warmer in the mornings and darker but the days have been warmer the chillies are ripening well and the bananas are plenteous …

What is in store for you then this week if you are catching up… if you are comfy and have your drink to sustain you then time to have a read and relax…

The week started with 6 of my favourite versions of Silent Night it is a beautiful Christmas Carol and there have been many lovely versions over the years…

I have posted a few different versions throughout the week and there will be another at the end of this post…

CarolCooks2… Silent Night my 6 favourite version…

It was followed by some Christmas trivia I mean who knew that tinsel used to be made from real silver or that Christmas Eve in Iceland is all about reading a book and eating chocolate a custom I could quite easily adopt…

Interestingly I heard of another one which I am happy to adopt as when talking to Mary she mentioned that she fried some Christmas cake with bacon…come on bacon makes everything taste better…

CarolCooks2…Christmas Trivia, Traditions and Devils on Horseback…

Wednesday was time for the environmental A-Z which although it generally has a serious side I have tried to incorporate a bit of Christmas cheer and there are some hints and tips on how we can make our Christmas a little more sustainable …

 

I think we can seriously cut down to prevent food waste at Christmas and New Year plus packaging waste…which if you are buying for kids can be horrendous and do they really need(not)want all the latest toys and games?… I think the time has come to limit that as much is hardly ever played with after it has been opened and kids should be encouraged to think about the environment …I never forget when we brought a subscription to a gibbon Project our grandkids loved it and asked so many questions it was lovely and not just on Christmas day they were able to follow the progress of their little gibbon baby until it was released back into the jungle and even then they could hear and read about the progress it was so lovely…How many questions do they ask about the latest electronic fad/game they just stick their nose in it and no one gets a word out of them…I much prefer interest plus equations and it keeps me from dozing off…

The Environmental A-Z…the letter W…Waste Prevention, Waste Management and Wood Dust/Smoke…

Thursday it was the reposting from Sally over at Smorgasbord Magazine of a seasonal post where Sally shared the nutritional benefits of an ingredient “Brussel Sprouts” and Carol Taylor incorporates it in a delicious recipe.

Thank you, Sally I know I needed a recap of just how good the Brussel Sprout is nutritionally for me and I think many of us are discovering that they are not the overcooked sprouts that our nans used to serve they have moved on and can take many strong flavours like chilli and bacon I mean bacon makes everything taste better…#Recommended read.

Please head over to Smorgasbord and have a read..the Brussel Sprout has had a resurgence and is now loved by many…

Smorgasbord Health – Christmas Cook From Scratch Rewind – Sally Cronin and Carol Taylor – Brussel Sprouts spicy and fried, Risotto Cakes and Au Gratin

Friday it was time for the recipes for sausage rolls, mince pies and my new recipe for sweet mincemeat…

There are many variations of both the sausage roll and the mince pie…here I give you a family recipe which was handed down to me but I also ring the changes with the pastry and how I decorate the tops either with puff pastry or with star shape or a lattice top they can be served with custard, cream or brandy butter whatever your loved tradition dictates…Last week when I tested my new mincemeat recipe we had custard… at Christmas I like mine eaten warm with nothing or some cheese or with cream…

CarolCooks2 in my kitchen…Mince Pies and Sausage Rolls…plus Silent Night with Simon & Garfunkel.

 Saturday Snippets…it was a natural progression following mistletoe with wine for the one-word prompt I hope you enjoy!

I enjoyed this one…Drunken Cheese had a lovely story of its history and I was fascinated as to the production of it…there was news of free wine fountains in Italy…music videos of which my choice was endless and who would have thought even a wine flavoured Kit -Kat well I sort of did as they have a green tea flavoured one here which is actually quite nice…

Saturday Snippets 11th December 2021…After the Mistletoe came the Wine!

Today’s version of  Silent Night is performed by Placido Domingo…

I hope you enjoy this version …

Thank you for joining me today I hope you have enjoyed the catchup…I look forward to your comments as always…Have an enjoyable Sunday, stay safe from this new virulent covid strain…I hope you will join me again next week I am always pleased to see you XX