Tackling Nigella's Ultimate Christmas Pudding - part 1

So it’s December, and to be honest December has to be one of my favourite times of the year. The weather is perfect (although Melbourne has been throwing us a mixed bag lately…), I get to deck the house out in wonderful, bright, and slightly excessive, Christmas decorations, I get to buy presents for my friends and family and the best part for me, I get to cook wonderful food!!!

This year I am hosting my immediate family for a Christmas Eve dinner at our place. We have had this tradition for a few years however usually my mother likes to take charge in the kitchen! Even thought dinner is always hosted by my sister or myself, mum usually takes the reins. This year I decided I wanted the chance to play hostes, even though it’s not ideal timing, I work full time and don’t finish up work until 3pm on Christmas Eve. However, now for the hard part… deciding what to cook for a dinner party of 7 guests, all with varying preferences, likes and dislikes! I know what you’re all thinking, I’m hosting, I can cook what I like, but it’s Christmas and I’d like to make sure everyone has something that they love to eat!

So far I have only decided on one thing… I want to make a traditional plum pudding! My grandmother always makes plum pudding every year and my family all love it! I have never made one, and to be honest they have always scared me a little, the whole concept of steaming fruit, sugar and flour is something that seems a little foreign to me. After searching various recipes online I have decided to tackle Nigela Lawson’s “Ultimate Christmas Pudding” – you can find the recipe here… so last night I completed step 1 (well technically it's step 2 in Nigella's recipe), I am currently steeping my fruit in the sherry Nigella specifically lists for this pudding.

I steamed the pudding for its first steam last night, I have to steam this pudding twice, once for 5 hours, and then on Christmas Eve I will steam it for another 3 hours before serving it for our fabulous feast!!!! It’s safe to say that dessert is my most favourite course… now what on earth am I going to make for entrée and main……????

Just before steaming my pudding for the first time!!! Looking good :)

 

Friday the 13th... Blood donation time!!!!

Firstly I have to start this post by saying that I had some computer issues over the weekend and had no access to internet!!! So you'll be getting at least two blog posts today to make up for my lack of posting over the weekend!!!!

 

Ooohhh so last Friday was Friday 13^th…. (cue corny scary music here…), well I’m  not one for superstition, but I did decide to spend my Friday 13^th donating blood! I have been a regular blood donor for about 4 years now. The great thing about the Australian Red Cross Blood Service is that they will come and pick you up in a minibus and take you to a blood donating centre, if you work in a major city (at least they do in Melbourne!) – how amazing is that!!! So an old workplace of mine used to organise the minibus every 3 months and they would give you time to donate blood (so I didn’t have to use my lunch break!), even though I have left that workplace years ago I have kept up the practice of donating blood.

I am so lucky to have never been in the situation of needing to receive blood, something which I am grateful for everyday! I am also SO lucky that none of my immediate family or friends have ever needed to either. So while I don’t have any personal experience in receiving blood I still feel like it is such a small thing that I can do to help support others. It gives you a nice warm fuzzy feeling inside! I know not everyone is able to donate blood, but for those who are I would strongly suggest you check out the Red Cross Blood Service and see if there is a centre near you, or perhaps the mobile blood bank comes to visit your suburb or town every three months? And if nothing else… they feed you afterwards! The centre in Southbank in Melbourne even makes you milkshakes! Check out their website for more information about donating blood - http://www.donateblood.com.au/

 

Donating Blood with the Australian Red Cross Blood Service

P.S. Did you notice I am wearing my new top in this photo!!!! Loving it :)

Buying clothes and accessories makes me happy… but poor!

Like many others, I get considerable enjoyment out of shopping! For some unknown reason I love buying tops/t-shirts, and to be honest the current slightly baggy t-shirts/tops which are trending at the moment suit my body shape quite well. Nothing to tight so I can keep my lumps and bumps nicely hidden away! (My own personal preference for comfort, I’m certainly not against wearing tighter clothes… indeed I have a tighter Christmas t-shirt on right now!). Sometimes when I’m feeling a little low I have been known to use shopping as a way to cheer myself up! Usually works really well… until I get home and check my bank balance! Crikey!

The other thing I find hard to resist… is a sale! (Who doesn’t… really!) So when I walked past the shops today in my lunch break I just had to ‘pop in’ to a couple of the shops in the strip near my work! I got myself a really funky asymmetrical back top…

I’m really impressed with this!!! And the best bit… $15!!! Bargain! Everything in the store I went into was half price! Yay!!!

Then as I was walking towards the salad bar where I wanted to buy my lunch (naughty me for not bringing my lunch from home today!), I saw some chunky necklaces for 50% off! I saw this necklace and just had to have it!!! It was cheap… only $9.95 so really how could I say no!

So this cheeky little shopping trip on my lunch break was very much my (mis)adventure for today!

New beginnings

So after reading and following many many blogs and youtubers, and thinking for a long time that "I'd like to do that", I have finally decided that this is it! Why keep talking about it and just do it. 

So this is it, this will be a space for me to share the things I love, in particular, as the name of my blog suggests, my puppies!

I'm hoping next year will be the year for me - I've just turned 30, moved in with my parter and our two puppies and am loving life right now! So why not share that love with all of you!!! 

So really I guess what I'm saying is this blog is really for me, hopefully some people get some enjoyment out of my ramblings! 

So let's get ready for this ride and see where it takes us!!! 

Katie x

P.S. I shouted myself to this AMAZING candle today for an early Christmas present! I can safely say it was the most money I have ever spent on a candle but by golly it smells awesome!!!