Four weeks to Christmas … and counting!
Have you begun your Christmas shopping yet? Don’t worry, neither have I! I have made my lists though and have begun stocking up on a few non-perishable items.
Black Friday
Yes, it’s coming next week Friday, November 23. If you are brave enough to go and shop on this day (I vowed never again after being hit on the side of my head by a packet of 18 flying toilet rolls) you’ll most likely be able to pick up some great bargains and Christmas gifts. Good luck!
Gift ideas
I popped into Miniso at The Glen last week and they have some super gifts for under R100, some even for under R50, for children and adults. If you need to buy gifts for teachers or ladies groups, this is the ideal place to find that perfect gift. Most of the products are packaged well and look pleasing to the eye. Go take a look!
Gifts for pensioners
I see Woolworths has a lot of Christmas things in now, especially in the food halls, with delicious looking cakes, chocolates and tins of delectable biscuits. All of these will make lovely gifts, especially for pensioners who will be trying hard to make their pension money stretch. I often think as people become older they appreciate things they can’t usually afford to buy for themselves, so if you have grannies and grandpas to buy for, make up a hamper (a basket or a box covered in Christmas paper or brown paper) and fill with delicious goodies. You can even add a bottle of their favourite tipple (wine, sherry, port, whisky, brandy or gin). I’m sure this gift will be a real hit.
Pastry recipe for Christmas mince pies
I promised you this, so here it is.
500g flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
50g castor sugar
350g shortening (I use 150g lard and 200g butter or margarine)
175ml of liquid (150ml iced water and 25ml lemon juice)
Method
Sift the flour and baking powder together in a large bowl. Rub in the lard and butter until it resembles fine breadcrumbs. Add the liquid slowly, binding together with a knife. Bring together into a ball, wrap in greaseproof paper and refrigerate for about 15 minutes.
Remove from the fridge, sprinkle flour on the worktop and roll out the pastry. Use cutters, making the bottoms bigger than the tops.
Grease muffin or tart tins with margarine and place the bottoms in the tin. Add a spoonful of mincemeat mixture (dessert spoon) and place the tops over. Crimp down around the edges and brush with water. At this stage, you can sprinkle caster sugar lightly on top or wait until the pies are baked and when cool, dust with icing sugar.
Bake until lightly golden, about 20 minutes on 200°C. Serve warm or cold with fresh cream, custard or ice cream.
That’s it for this week. Shop till you drop!
Julie
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