I took a day off and alas, forgot to put through my column for checking and consequently it didn’t appear! Well, this week I’m back and raring to go.
On my day off on Friday I took a drive to Eastgate. I hadn’t been there for months and it made a nice change from our local shopping centres. To be honest though, apart from larger ranges in the bigger stores, there’s not a lot of difference and these days you have to take into account the petrol you’ll be using. So still, local is lekker!
Seven weeks to go and counting
Yes, it’s only seven more weeks to Christmas and now is the time to start planning your perfect Christmas. I know in reality it’s often not perfect but you can make things much easier for yourself so you can also enjoy the festive holidays.
Things to do this week
Make lists of who you are buying gifts for and next to the name, ideas of what you think they would like and the cost you’d like to keep within. It does make it easier and you’ll save time. I know lots of us have to wait for our Christmas bonus before we can start buying gifts but try and buy a few now and definitely purchase all gift wrapping, gift tags, ribbon, not forgetting sellotape. Visit Westpack Lifestyle Centre, Alberton, they really have great prices.
Sending Christmas cards overseas? Buy and send them soon, otherwise you’ll miss the deadline for Christmas mail. Ask at your local post office for the dates.
Christmas mince pies
If you enjoy delicious homemade Christmas mince pies, and don’t like the bought jars of fruit mince, follow this recipe and I promise you, you’ll make
your own every year. Far cheaper too and so easy!
You’ll need: A jar of fruit mince (available from Pick n Pay or Checkers), four granny smith apples, a small carton of red cherries, 100g flaked almonds, half a box of Atora Suet (optional) and 150ml brandy.
Method
Empty jar of fruit mince into a mixing bowl and keep the jar. Grate the apples and add to mince, along with the cherries (chopped into quarters) flaked almonds and brandy and mix together well. You’ll see you have more than a jar full so fill the empty jar and put remaining mixture into other clean jars or containers. Store in the fridge.
Pastry
You can buy readymade frozen pastry or make your own and freeze it.
Ingredients
500g cake flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 350g fat (I use 200g Stork margarine and 150g Holsum), 175ml iced water and 25ml lemon juice.
Method
Put the flour into mixing bowl, add 1 teaspoon baking powder and add cut up margarine and Holsum. Rub between your fingertips until it resembles fine bread crumbs, add iced water and lemon juice and bind together. Refrigerate for an hour before use, or freeze until needed (freezes well for 3 months).
Making
All you do is roll out your pastry to fit the tins, cut bottoms and slightly smaller tops, place bottoms in tins, fill with homemade mince mixture, cover with tops, dampen sides to stick together and make a fork hole in the tops. Either take beaten egg and brush tops or brush tops with water and sprinkle with sugar. Bake at 200c until golden brown. Delicious served warm on their own or with fresh cream.
Bouquets of the Week
Tracey-Lee Naidoo from Naidoo, says, “Thank you for your lovely column. I so enjoy reading it every week. I would like to nominate David Falcon from MTN outlet at Columbine Square, to receive the Bouquet of the Week. He is a young man who is always so friendly and so knowledgeable. He has amazing ability
to give you the best service even if you are there to just buy airtime. David treats all his clients with respect and he is willing to go the extra mile to solve the problem. Please go in and see for yourself, you will be amazed. I am so often disappointed with the poor service and the long waiting at most cell phone outlets. At the Columbine outlet I am willing to wait to get helped by David. Trust this will be our winner, I think he deserves it.”
* Wendy Truebody says the Crafters Market that has re-opened at the Tulip Garden Centre, (ex Leeways Garden Centre) on Rifle Range Road, Haddon, is a unique shopping experience. “Everything in all of the shops/stalls is hand made with no mass produced production line items. So for really unique gifts, Christmas is coming, as well as some really beautiful home decor and also art ‘n craft supplies, why not pop in for a shopping experience with a difference.”
*Mrs Fernanda De Oliveira would like to say a special thank you to V W THE Glen for the excellent service she received. “I purchased a new Polo and I was impressed with the service I received from Adrian Gavin Wong. Thanks so much.”
*Debbie gives a bouquet to Maggi’s Country Kennels in Walkerville. “They recently looked after my two dogs and my kitten. It’s like home away from home and you can see they really love the animals in their care. Each kennel has an indoor ‘bedroom’ with a heater for when it’s cold and they have an outside grassed run for the daytime too. My fox terrier usually pines when I go away and doesn’t eat but she even came back looking like she’d put weight on! They sent photos to me on holiday of my pets and each animal got a name tag when they left. Great service from lovely people at a reasonable cost.”
* Jenny from Alberton, gives a bouquet to Westpack Lifestyle Centre, Alberton. “The staff are amazing and wonderfully helpful. Always smiling and willing to go the extra mile. Even the car guards outside are exceptionally friendly.”
If the lady is reading this who asked me about the recipe for Forest Fruit Cake, please can you contact me again, I’m sorry but I mislaid your number. Thank you.
That’s if for this week. E-mail me: juliem@caxton.co.za or phone 011 724 7000.
Shop till you drop.
Julie
