Crikey!

I love Christmas. There’s something lovely about all of it. Despite the kids not being around in the all-important 4 weeks running up to the Big Day (I only want Christmas in December – I don’t understand tinsel and twinkling lights before then), I continue to try and engage them in the more important traditions. Last year I Skyped them while making the pudding so they could make a wish remotely while I stirred. This year, having missed Stir Up Sunday (this should have been recognised as an omen), I just snapchatted (is that a word, even?) a picture of the pudding being stirred and wrote on the picture “Make a Wish”. Husband doesn’t really get the whole build-up thing – it’s my belief he must have been traumatised one Christmas when he was a kid and has never really recovered. But he had a stir and made a wish. I completely forgot to make a wish so busy was I trying to make sure everyone else was wishing. This could have been the second omen, in hindsight. Having left the pud to marinate overnight on Saturday, I realised yesterday that I had just a three-inch strip of greaseproof paper left so I had to go and buy some more. Having heard from two friends that Costco do really good Christmas trees (£30 for a 6ft Norwegian – sounds a bit odd if taken out of context), I suggested to Husband that we go and get our tree and some greaseproof paper from Costco. He was happy to come and kept repeating “tree and greaseproof paper” on the journey over and as we headed into the store. There were two trees left. One that had clearly been pulled, prodded and poked by nearly everyone who had been to the shop and a really sad small one that reminded me of the Christmas tree in The Simpsons episode when Homer goes out to buy a tree and comes back with just a twig. So not much choice really. For the first time ever, I bought a tree without checking it had the right layout, proper shape and generally fitted my requirements. Knowing it was the second-to-last best tree helped.  We then went in pushing our large trolley – husband didn’t see the need for the trolley if we were only getting greaseproof paper, but I reckon you can’t walk around trolley-less in that shop…

A few pounds lighter, we went to pick up the tree – not before we saw another person poking it and smelling the needles. Despite being only half-wrapped in that annoying plastic stuff, we got it in the car along with 5 years’ supply of greaseproof paper and some unnecessary items. When we got home, it then took the usual hour or so to locate the stand, locate the saw, saw off the branches so it can fit in the stand, realise the tree won’t fit in the stand however many branches you saw off, find an alternative stand and then wedge the tree in, and both agree to sort it out the next day so it’s less likely to keel over…

And, in case you were wondering – it’s a lovely tree – great shape, proper branch distribution and a good long single stem for the dove of peace to sit atop.

So, back to the Christmas pud. Having lost a bit of prep time mucking about with the tree, it was 6pm before the greaseproof and foil wrapped pud was put in the oven. The recipe calls for an initial steam of 8 hours. I thought I wouldn’t get up at 2am just to take the pud out but would remember to take it out just before going to bed – and tell Husband to remind me.

The alarm woke me at 7am and I stole 6 minutes before actually getting up. Washed, dressed and went down to grab some Weetabix and a cup of tea. As I was filling the kettle, I remembered the pudding. A good 13 hours in the bottom of the Aga. Hmmmmm – it looks ok and quite moist. And I don’t want anyone’s wishes to be thrown away. I think it will just need a few extra spoonfuls of rum…and by the time pud comes round everyone is usually in a cheery mood!