It's that time of year when things become a bit of a seasonal jumble. Where in shops, window displays and other places various celebrations become entangled. Today as we shopped little felt pumpkins, bats and ghouls vied for attention with felted santas, robins and reindeer. Around the corner mince pies and stollen could be found next to batty cupcakes and ghostly biscuits. Treats also for Halloween and bonfires including 'trick or treat' bags of sweets, toffee and marshmallows.
All these things together seems to lessen their impact especially if they start too early. I like to deal with one event at a time. Having said that I have on the larder cupbord shelves two sachets of chestnut puree, one sachet of bread sauce and a very small Christmas pudding left over from last year all still with good dates on them. I also have two packs of cards in the stationery drawer and a calendar for next year bought recently. Do you start early or take each event as it comes along?
Talking of recently I saw on Ragged Robin's blog a week or so ago a reference to Dorset Apple cake. We had apples that needed using and I remembered I always used a recipe from our old Cranks recipe book for Devon Apple cake which I thought must be similar so it was made. Very tasty served with thick greek yoghurt as a pudding.
Yesterday Paul made bread but it was packed away into the freezer before I thought of taking photos so below is a photo of some he made a couple of weeks ago.
I seems we never have time to fully enjoy a season before we have to think of the next! I think it is good to be prepared and gradually buy things for the coming season but I like to enjoy the here and now too! The Devon apple cake looks tasty and so does Paul's bread! x
ReplyDeleteI shall start soon popping a few Christmas bits in my shopping trolly each week and squirreling them away. Probably just as soon as Bonfire night and Armistice day are over, Both bread and cake were lovely:)
DeleteSuper post Rosie and very apt! I saw a Christmas Tree near Hallowe'en decorations recently. I agree I like to take one occasion as it comes and I hate to see items too early but having said that I have Christmas Cards, Wrapping Paper and labels left from last year and have started to order a few presents!!!!!! But I hate to see Christmas stuff in shops months ahead of the event as you say it spoils the sense of anticipation you feel in December.
ReplyDeleteThe bread looks gorgeous :)
Thanks so much for the mention and your Apple Cake looks good and very similar to my recipe. I made an apple charlotte today using some more of the Herefordshire Apples and that is an old recipe from a Dairy Cookbook the one and only cookbook I had when we first got married and oh how it got used! We still use many recipes from there.
I bought two more packs of cards from the Wildlife Trust shop in Bakewell today. I do like to take each event and enjoy it before the next one, I suppose they are close together at this time of year. Especially Halloween and Bonfire Night. Having tinsel, trees and music too early just spoils everything for me. My Mum used to buy a Dairy Diary from the milkman every year - I have them all. Don't know what to do with them but can't throw them away either:)
DeleteWe never celebrated Halloween as children, but it seems to be the in thing now. I remember Bonfire Night as the 5th of November for Guy Fawkes. All so changed from my childhood. I think Christmas stuff is put out way too early now, but I suppose that is what they call "progress"! I still use my Mum's old cookbooks too, with one being what we got when my parents bought their first fridge in 1955 when I was 6. Paul's bread looks very yummy. Thanks for taking time to do Blogtober, take care & hugs.
ReplyDeleteWe didn't bother too much about Halloween either as children, I remember carving lanterns out of swedes but that may have been for Mischievous Night or Bonfire Night the next day.I have my mum's old BeRo books. I remember our first fridge arriving but no idea what year after 1957/8 I think as I remember a few years of milk kept in a bucket of cold water and a meat safe in the pantry:)
DeleteThe cake looks good.
ReplyDeleteChristmas is a bad time of year for me, so I'm dreading its seasonal assault in every establishment I go into.
Thank you William. I'm sorry this time of year is a bad time for you, you must dread it when things are in the shops and on the streets too early:)
DeleteDelicious, I'll have to have a go at that apple cake. Paul's bread looks very professional, something to look forward to with some butter and homemade jam. I have a few mince pies in the freezer, made when my visitors were over from a left over jar but that's all so far. I must have a look to see if we've got any Christmas cards in the box as we'll be needing them before long! 😊
ReplyDeleteHope you can read the recipe. It is a good one and I've made it quite a few times. I think we had some of the rolls with soup the bread is always delicious as toast too:)
DeleteOh that bread looks yummy. I might have to borrow your husband. I agree lots of celebrations are advertised much too early. I hate thinking about Christmas until at least November. Garden centres have been full of decorations for a least a month. I try to ignore displays that are inappropriate these days. B x
ReplyDeleteIt is good not to have to bother too much about bread, Paul is allergic to barley so we have to check everything and it is in so many things now, better to make our own bread. We found it in porridge the other day and chutney too! Garden centres seem to be the first to get Christmas on the shelves:)
DeleteI shall definitely be trying the Devon apple cake recipe. It looks delicious.
ReplyDeleteI have a small Christmas pudding left from last year but nothing else. I haven't started buying presents yet and I usually make my own cards for close friends and family.
Hope you enjoy the cake, it gets quite moist because of the apples. We only buy a few presents for friends and give money to nephew. I wish I had the talent to make my own cards:)
DeleteHello! Visiting from sustainablemum's blog, where someone posted the link to you. I have about 2 bushels of apples waiting for me and I will definitely make the Devon Apple Cake. Thanks so much for the recipe!
ReplyDeleteHello, thanks for visiting, glad you found me and the recipe and I hope you enjoy the cake:)
DeleteOh yes, as a 1952 baby I remember the anticipation of Guy Fawkes Night, the coal fires, the paraffin heater that was supposed to heat the upstairs, the chilblains, the tiny fake Christmas tree, the Sunday afternoon drives to eat a sandwich in a farmers field and of course the thermos of tea! It all seems so simple yet was luxurious for my wartime parents. I still like to simplify celebrations! My go to gift for friends is a jar of lemon curd using my mum’s recipe. Everyone loves it!
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