Sunday, November 22, 2015

Stir-up Sunday

What better excuse to stay indoors now that the weather is colder and the snow from Friday evening's downfall is still lingering across the gardens and pavements around here than to enjoy 'stir-up' Sunday.

 Photo taken from our bedroom window on Friday night

above - what was left of the snow on Saturday morning - the grass is green again today but it is still bitterly cold.

Stir-up Sunday is the day when traditionally puddings and cakes are made for the festive season ahead.  We had the ingredients, we had the time and we had the inclination to cook as there is no better way of keeping the chill at bay than cooking and baking in a warm kitchen filled with wonderful spicy, seasonal aromas.

Firstly we made a cake using the well used and trusted recipe from the BeRo book, the hardest part of this processes is lining and preparing the tin and then timing the baking.


 Then we made a pudding which is still steaming on the hob as I type again the recipe was from the BeRo book.  Stir-up Sunday is a tradition that harks back to Victorian times when the whole family would gather to make the Christmas pudding, each stirring and making a wish and at this point coins or charms would be added to the pudding to be found by a lucky family member on Christmas Day. 

I really have to venture out tomorrow as I lost my mobile phone when I visited the library on Friday;  a very kind person handed it in and I'm so grateful for that.  Whoever you are - thank you.

24 comments:

  1. Lovely, Rosie. Just lovely. I went to church this morning and the vicar didn't even read the traditional collect (Stir up oh Lord, we beseech thee...)! I thought that was very shabby but you have restored my equilibrium! x

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    1. Oh no - you must have been disappointed not to hear the words you were expecting to hear for Stir up Sunday:)

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  2. I like the idea of everyone taking a turn stirring and making a wish. Isn't it nice to know that there are still some kind folks in this world.

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    1. Yes, I love the idea of all the family taking a turn to stir the Christmas pudding - I imagine them around a big table in a warm kitchen:)

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  3. Your snow stayed? I got up in the middle of the night and our garden was white, but by morning it had gone. It's down to about 2 degrees, but at least we're green (ish) around here.

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    1. It did stay, but then it always seems to linger here on our hill making the weather seem worse than it actually is when you get back on the main roads you find them clear:)

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  4. I love the idea of stir up Sunday - I can still remember finding lucky sixpence a in the pudding at grandma's. Hope it all turns out well for you.

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  5. Yikes, we were away last week and I had no idea it had been that cold at home!

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  6. How wonderful! The snow looks beautiful, glad it's gone now though! It was the perfect accompaniment to all your stirring up. I tried to click on your five on Friday picture but it told me it didn't exist. Perhaps it didn't! :-)

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    1. Yes! I clicked on that too and couldn't find it! :-)

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    2. Oh, sorry Karen and Simone - I did publish a Five on Friday post but I decided I didn't like it and took it off intending to re do it but never got round to it. It must have registered for a while on your blog feeds - many apologies:)

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  7. That first photo looks magical Rosie. I can imagine the lovely spicy aromas coming from your kitchen as you got your Christmas cooking underway. I adore Christmas cake! Wonderful news that a kind soul handed in your mobile phone. A little faith in humanity restored perhaps? x

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    1. The smell from the cooking was delightful! Yes, apparently a cleaner at the nearby doctor's surgery found my phone it must have fallen from my bag in the road, it is very scuffed on the outside, although still working, so I expect it got trodden on or perhaps run over:)

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  8. Oh wow, you had snow?!?!?! It does look a picture as does your pudding mix!x

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    1. Thanks, Kezzie - yes we had snow and it stayed for a day and a half before it finally disappeared:)

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  9. I've not heard that expression, Stir-up Sunday, before. It sounds wonderful and I envy you the weather. Still quite hot and dry here.
    Amalia
    xo

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    1. It is quite an old expression and tradition not kept so very much today. The weather here is wet and windy now, the snow all gone:)

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  10. We had a little snow also which lingered, but I'm glad to say it has now melted. We couldn't avoid going out. However, it was good to stay in the warm yesterday afternoon. Although these days I don't make a Christmas cake I did remember it was Stir Up Sunday. I'm sure your cake will be delicious. I'm glad someone found your phone.

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    1. I love snow when everyone is safe at home and you don't have to go anywhere but it is a worry if you have to go out and about by car. It was so kind of the person who found my phone to hand it in:)

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  11. I've not hear of 'stir-up Sunday' - but I do remember my mother had a particular day when she would prepare things like the cake and pudding for Christmas. I think one needs to be more organised than we are! We had a touch of the white stuff in Yorkshire at the weekend too - very pretty, but damn cold!

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    1. The white stuff is very pretty if you don't have any commitments isn't it? I always remember my Mum making her cake not long after Bonfire Night - I've a feeling we always had a bought pudding:)

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  12. OMG - snow! But we loved the pic and then could almost smell that pudding cooking!!! Love Helen, Darcy and Bingley xxxx

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    1. HaHa - yes snow and pudding! It was very festive. lovely to see you here:)

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  13. Hi Rosie! It is great to know about "stir-up Sunday"!

    Sandra

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