Miscellaneous Forum

I don't know about all of you, but I find the Christmas Holiday Season has just suddenly crept up on me. I think it's because we have had such mild weather. The stores are already pushing their sales flyers and have some real good deals out there. Actually, I'm starting my Christmas shopping today. I will probably spend the same amount as I did last year.
My question to you is this. With all the uncertainty and gloom & doom in the economy at the moment, will you be spending less, the same or more on Christmas gifts this year?

You made me crave for a piece or more of fruitcake now!
(made a new tread....)

I've been searching for a Gluten Free recipe for fruitcake. I tried just substituting GF flour, but it didn't take the same as I remember it. I'm going to experiment again this year, though.

Lori thank you so much for posting this tread as some of the other posters here have given me a fab idea for x-mas pressie for dad :)

Home made fruit cake :o)
.... + a bottle of cognac to "feed" the cake (or him) if it is to dry hahaha

Ruffen, I have a really good recipe for fruit cake.

It's what we call a Boiled Fruit Cake. All the fruit, spices, sugar etc are simmered in water and then the butter and flour is thrown in on top and you just slosh it all up together. That's done on a pan on the stovetop and then the mixture is transferred to a bowl and baked. It's the easiest way to make a fruitcake that I know and one that will fill your house with gorgeous Christmas smells.

I have to look for the recipe and I'll post it on your cake thread tomorrow :))

Hello, Lori.

Unfortunately, in the present year, other considerations will have the effect of forcing more economical, and generally wiser choices for my Christmas gift purchases.

Hard for me, because expectations don't always take realities into account.

dd--

Katherine, looking forward to your Boiled Fruit Cake recipe :o)
Sounds very easy to make.

Hi Lori,

I really don't feel in the mood for Christmas shopping this year and will just give gift vouchers so people can go buy something they really want.

All the family get together on Christmas and we usually would have chosen which house it is going to be at but so far we havn't even decided that.

I think this year Christmas has really crept up on us very quickly.


Trish

One of the greatest things about living in a small village in Mexico is that we are outof the commercialism that the States has come to think of as 'Christmas'. Since the mails are too 'iffy', to be sure of receiving anything, I told everyone when we moved here 14 yrs ago not to send gifts. So, if I want to give gifts, I can select something on-line, but for the most part I don't bother; as someone else said, we already have so much STUFF anyway. We concentrate on visiting, dinners, and our church activites OF COURSE. It is all stress-free and good on the wallet as well. Lots of people like to come visit, for the warm weather--this year we are looking forward to our good friends from Heidelberg arriving in just 5 more weeks!

When my mum was still alive, we always had a boiled fruitcake for Christmas - its one of the few memories I actually have - that, and because I was the youngest, getting to lick out the bowl!