It's the most wonderful time of the year

Christmas is definitely in the air everywhere.
Folks are cleaning and painting and decorating and shopping for gifts wherever you go.
My Christmas tree is finally up, but not to its usual full size.  This year with Mr. BrownBerts in the house, it was necessary to work a different angle for putting up the tree.
Therefore, this year, not being able to set it up on the floor as usual, I decided to use my side table as a base, and use only two out of the three segments of my artificial tree.  This way Brownie can still relax in his favourite spot under the table and we can still enjoy the tree in its regular spot as well.

 Brownie in his favourite spot- his toys are in the basket under the table

"We all have to live together in harmony," I told my daughter when she bemoaned the smaller version of the tree.
Alas, it's just as pretty in full size or in a scaled-down size in my opinion.
See how my fellow blogger Angus in France tackled his tree problem with his two PON's here. 

 Smaller tree on my prized rotating stand

At first Brownie thought the Christmas stuffed animals were for him, but when I explained why they were there, he promptly jumped down from the chair and has not touched them since -  such a sweet dog.

Let's get closer.  I've used red and gold ornaments this year.
Large poinsettias, gold filigree stars and snowflakes, red and gold balls, angels and teardrops and a large gold bow on the top.

 

The tree is moving on the stand in these photos

 

My Christmas tree in rotating mode

Candy Land Central

My Jazz Santa officiating

If you know me well, you know somehow deep in your heart that my Christmas decor had to have a jazz aspect included.....well you were right.

 

My Jazz Santa in action

None of my music is stored in the "Cloud"....I don't see the reason why "anyone" should know what I listen to at 3am or whatever time I choose to listen to music.

Instead my cd jukebox is loaded up with Christmas jazz and other favourites like Debbie Boone, Luther Vandross, Alexander O'Neal, Mariah Carey and Dolly Parton & Kenny Rogers, and guess who else is enchanted with the music.

Brownie relaxing in front of the speakers enjoying Christmas musical favourites.

I'm still cleaning and preparing, and hopefully by tomorrow I should have completed all the supermarket shopping.  I don't want to be anywhere near the crazy last minute shoppers next week.

I wish them all the best negotiating the crowds and the bullies in the stores.....rather them than me.

Bajan Christmas Fruit Cake - "Black Cake"

Yesterday I made my Christmas fruit cake.
One of the traditional delicacies of the Christmas season here on the island is our Bajan Christmas fruit cake.  It's not Christmas without Christmas fruit cake.
It's not a cake that can be made on the spur of the moment either.  It takes some planning and preparation, especially if it is to taste like the traditional Christmas cake.
My fruit cake began several months ago when the dried fruit and the liquor were purchased.

 Raisins, currants, prunes, cherries and mixed citrus peel.

Some folks also use dates but they don't seem to like me, so I leave them out.

The fruits were then minced in an old fashioned meat grinder.

Yes, I know it's easier to process in a blender or a food processor but it just doesn't taste the same.
My daughter has been hinting that she wants to make the fruit cake every year, but when she sees me grinding the fruit, her usual cry is, "Isn't there an easier way?" I usually tell her, "Yes daughter dear, but that's why the manufactured cakes do not have the same taste as when it's done this way....the old school way."

The minced fruit then becomes very GOOD friends with copious amounts of liquor, spices, Guinness, essence, nutmeg and sugar, before they are "put up" in a covered glass jar and stored away safely for months or even years sometimes.
One must remember to open up the jar and add more liquor as time goes by, so that the fruit will continue to feel comfy.
As a child I can remember my brother and I "stealing" little dribbles of this manna from my mother's stash until one year she announced that she did not have enough to make a cake, and we were punished with a store bought cake, much to our dismay.

Yesterday was the "the" day to make my Christmas fruit cake.  I have a ritual of making it one week before Christmas.  This way when friends come by they are welcomed with a slice and there is lots of time to lace it with more liquor.

 Ingredients: Butter, Sugar, Eggs, Flour,Minced Fruit, Almond and Vanilla essence, Nutmeg, Spice, Pineapple Jam, Peanut Butter and Crosse and Blackwell Browning which is now Sarson's.

Funny thing about the browning.  Myself and a few other ladies who only use Crosse and Blackwell browning as well, were searching the supermarket shelves for our favourite browning and all we were finding was the Sarson's that had the same packaging label.  I didn't want to take a chance, so I came home to google it....then to find out that Crosse & Blackwell no longer makes the product, so it has been taken over by Sarson's.
I think the supermarkets should put a little sign up notifying the customers that it's the same product but under a different name.

Our local Glow Spread margarine comes in 250g blocks, not in sticks like in the US and other parts of the world.

Mix the butter and sugar, and add the eggs (Break them into a bowl and blend with a little essence separately and then add).
Then add the liquored-up minced fruit.
Mix well. Add the flour. Mix well. Add the browning stirred into a little water. Mix and mix until blended to perfection.
Please don't put in the electric mixer....the cake must be dense and hand mixing is the right way.

 

Line the cake pans with cut-rite paper, trimming off unwanted portions....this makes clean-up very easy.

Use a ladle to scoop the dense cake mixture into the prepared pans.

All ready for the oven

Bake in a 300 degree oven for 2-1/2 -3 hours with a bain-marie (pan filled with water on the bottom shelf of oven) until done.  
Water in bain-marie will need to be refreshed at intervals during baking.  Cake is finished when knife inserted in the center comes out clean.

You are rewarded with a nice dense cake full of liquor and what I lovingly refer to as my figgy pudding. Some of the alcohol is baked off during the process, so it's necessary to smother the cake in more rum, falernum and wine.
It goes quite quickly.
The cakes came out of the oven at 11.30am and by 12.45pm the first one had died a natural death.

My girlfriend came by for a quick visit and I gave her a slice to travel with.  I received a text later as follows:
"Oh Lord, had a bite of your cake (on an empty stomach) and feel a bit heady now! You need a warning label.  Don't eat and drive."
I responded that the warning labels had not arrived from the printers as yet.

 

 My lovely Isabella Cake stand by Anchor Hocking - an early Christmas gift from my daughter.

The cakes have been portioned out for the "regulars" who enjoy my Christmas cake.

This fruit cake is what is used for wedding cakes adorned with lots of beautiful icing designs.

Before I write the recipe, I must tell the story of how I got it in the first place.
Back in my banking days when I was working at a very busy out-of-town branch, I had a very nice supervisor.  One day during the festive season, she brought to work slices of cake for a few of us. After my first nibble, I knew that I had to have the recipe.  The thing was, she was a baker like my mum, no measurements, just handfuls of this and dashes of that.  I made her spend her lunchtime recreating the measurements until she came up with these measurements just for me.  Isn't it good to have a nice supervisor?  Thanks Stephanie!!!
Here is the recipe:

Bajan Christmas Fruit Cake also known as Black Cake/Great Cake
1lb butter/margarine (2 pkgs 250g)
1lb dark brown sugar (2 cups)
6 eggs
1-1/2lb all purpose flour (3 cups)
almond essence (1 tablespoon)
vanilla essence (1 teaspoon)
mixed essence (1 teaspoon)
1/2 cup water
Browning - 6 tablespoons
2 small flasks of rum (200ml each) -or just pour in as much to suit your taste like I do
1 small bottle of Port Wine (200ml)
1 small bottle of falernum (200ml)
1 bottle of Guinness or Royal Stout
6 heaping tablespoons pineapple jam or other tasty jam
4 tablespoons peanut butter
1 small grated nutmeg (about 3 teaspoons)
Spice - 2 teaspoons
Fruits: raisins, currants, cherries, prunes, mixed citrus peel (1lb of each fruit)
Method: Mince fruit and set up in rum, falernum and port wine, along with Guinness, nutmeg, spice, essence and a little sugar.  Store in a covered jar until ready for use.

Mix all ingredients together as above and bake at 300 degrees until done (2-1/2-3 hours)

This cake (a steamed pudding really) is so decadent and intoxicating.....please be careful.
I don't drink alcohol, but I've been told by many of my friends that I eat my alcohol in my cake....hahahaha....I have some "very funny" friends.

It takes skill

My neighbour has finally removed the large ugly "eyesore" container that was sitting in his back yard.
A big truck with a crane hoist pulled up early one morning, and out jumped a pleasant young chap who completed the removal process all by himself.

 

In about ten minutes it was all over.
His cargo safely loaded and away he went.
I'm in awe.

Squatters

Unwelcome trespassers, that's what they are.
I try and try to be kind to all creatures (roaches, spiders, flies, ants and mice are exceptions), but when they take up residence in my home, I have a hard and fast rule about that....they have to go.......by hook or by crook.
I am spending most of my days cleaning my home (both inside and outside) and there hasn't been any time for preparing decent meals recently.  I've been using mostly salads, sandwiches and takeaway.

Okay so I open the pantry door yesterday to reach for the matches to make a quick meal, and I saw a sudden movement on one of the shelves, and when I focused in that area I saw a tail.....WHAT?????
Lunchtime forgotten.
Immediately, I was in "mad woman jamming" mode.  Started removing every item from the shelf in the pantry, and I discovered Squatter numero uno....what we here call a "white lizard" ....common house gecko.....Hemidactylus mabouia.
Now as far as I know geckos are supposed to run along walls and eat any bugs they may find and chill out on patios at night eating more bugs and flying insects that frequent the patio light....not hang out on the third shelf of my pantry....YICK!!

 Hiding behind the box of Glucose and the box of gelatin in the corner.

Thankfully most of the items on that shelf reside in glass jars and bottles, so there was no contamination.
Why on earth would he/she take up residence in my pantry...of all the crazy things to do....they know I don't like them in the house. The patio is fine, but not inside the house.

Okay, so what's a girl to do?  There was no way that Mr.Gecko was going to come running out on his own.  I didn't want to take the chance of having him run amok on the other shelves....soooooo...

I picked up my handy arsenal.....a can of BOP, a local insecticide spray and sprayed....Mr. Gecko came crawling right out and jumped down on the floor and headed straight for the open kitchen door.
Well done.....at least I didn't have to go through the ritual of jumping around and squealing as it darted here there and everywhere.
There is an old wives tale here that states that if these lizards jump on your skin, they have to be surgically removed or burnt off.  They do have suction cups on their toes which allow them to run all over the walls upside down.  I have no interest in testing the old wives tale however.

As if the gecko were not enough, I am now seeing a lot  more of these....

Household case bearing moth larvae

A small tiny reddish worm enclosed in a white oval cocoon with a hole on each end.
They move by extending their heads from the cocoon body and pull themselves forward inching their way along. 
Apparently they are found in homes worldwide and feed on natural animal fibres like pet hair, dust, paper, lint, upholstered furniture etc.
They turn into moths eventually so my research tells me, but I don't recall seeing any small moths knocking around.
I see them mostly in my garage but now they seem intent on migrating to the inside of the house.....I guess because Brownie lives indoors and he does shed....that must be their cue...welcome to the Pet Hair Cafe.
I will have to vacuum more often and I will be getting these additional squatters under control before they take over.
Recently, I have been using a disinfectant to clean my floors but I think I will be returning to a diluted bleach solution.
I can ill afford to have squatters on my property....I would prefer if they paid for their room and board and agreed to other household terms and conditions.

Today I prepared the lunch that I had put on hold yesterday after dealing with the squatters.

Steamed potato wedges with a veggie stew made from salted cod fish, bok choy, red kidney beans and lots of fresh herbs from the garden.....delish.

Breakfast for two

I have been trying as hard as I can to have a breakfast of oats at least every other day to help correct the cholesterol spike that showed up recently.

The man of the house (you know who) waits patiently while I prepare breakfast.

Breakfast for me and breakfast for Mr. BrownBerts.

 

Look at him go!

Boy that was GOOD!!

Let me put on my best begging face.

Please Mum, may I have some more? 

(Oliver Twist impersonation here)

She's ignoring my request...two can play at that game.
(Note how clean the empty dish is)

Don't worry he had a second helping when I did as well.