Preparing for an Olde Fashioned Christmas

The weather has now turned & Autumn has turned in to Winter.

We have had a beautiful last few days with the Winter sun shinning & clear blue skies. This makes for cold days, days spent inside in front of the fire preparing for an Olde Fashioned English Christmas.
Baking, orange slices & cloves fill the air in the cottage.

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Christmas Crackers.

I love to make crackers, it means each one is specially made for a certain person.

I can not show you the gifts as my eldest Son reads my blog & he will know his little gift!

Even though he is all grown up now I still like everyone to have surprises at Christmas.

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The finished crackers all ready for Christmas Day lunch.

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Chocolate & Cherry Cookies waiting to go in to the freezer for Christmas Eve tea.

We have a party tea with all the children.

They enjoy pass the parcel & Christmas games.

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The twins painting a Christmas tree each, we read a beautiful Peggy Burton book & then they chose a page to paint.

Painting is one of their favourite things to do.

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The girls handmade Christmas cottage cards.

We all had very gluey fingers when the cards were finished.

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Letters to Father Christmas.

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Making Braised Red Cabbage for Christmas Day.

This is another Delia Smith recipe & one I can prepare early.

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All the ingredients are layered in a heavy pan.

Red cabbage, apples, onions, spices & sugar.

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All ready to be put in a low oven for 2 1/2 hours.

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All cooked & ready for the freezer.

The smell was wonderful, it filled the whole cottage.

We will have this with our Christmas lunch.

I found the recipe on Delia Online.

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How sweet George looks like the cat on the cover of The Christmas Cat.

This little fella is such a special friend & very much a Mummy's boy.

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A special advent book, each night the girls have a little book read to them.

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A selection of the twins Christmas books that we will read this December.

The Little House books used to be Daisy's, some of the books bring back special memories of older children at Christmas time.

I am still reading Cranford & sadly nearing the end. 

I am disappearing each night in to the village of Cranford, sitting there with Miss Matty & Miss Pole & thoroughly enjoying it.

Although I do have many Elizabeth Gaskell novels next to my bed ready to be read. In the Cranford Companion book about the making of the BBC drama it says that many of Elizabeth Gaskell's other stories were added to the BBC production.

 I can't wait to read the other books.

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Getting some dried things ready for Christmas decorating.

I do love to use simple natural decorations & then antique baubles on the parlour tree.

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I just need to add some beautiful holly & yew branches to the kitchen dresser.

This I will do a week before Christmas as they dry out very quickly in this room with the Esse cooker.

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My one exception.

I can not use fresh branches over the inglenook with the strong heat so I have a lovely fake greenery garland with pine cones in it.

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I hope everyone is keeping warm at this beautiful magical time of year.

It is always a busy time for us, such a blessed time of year.

Thank you dear readers for your beautiful comments, each one is read & enjoyed.

Fondly Michelle

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