Recipe | Steamed Christmas Pudding

Hello lovelies!

Image source

I was typing out this recipe just now, and thought what better time than now to pop in and say hi and see how you are doing; and to share it with you of course.

It's the recipe of my awesomely amazing famous Christmas Pudding...well, famous among family and friends that is =P ...I make each and every Christmas, due to it's popular demand, and have done so for the past seven or so years.

This year I have only made one pudding, but I usually make 2 or 3 extra batches, which I make into smaller puddings, to give as gifts. (This year, I'm hand making other things for gifts.)

Last years mini Christmas pudding gift.

Just a note before I go on with the recipe - you do need to set aside the day to make this pudding as it takes up about 6 - 8 hour of your time, 4hrs of which the pudding is in the steamer for and that you'll need to keep an eye of while you entertain the kids (one sick kid, it was in my case) and do the laundry and all that wonderful fantastic stuff =P 

Other than that, it is really quick and simple!

Ingredience

500g (3 1/4 cups) mixed fruit

125g (3/4 cup) chopped dates
125g (3/4 cup) chopped raisins
180ml  (3/4 cup) water
1 cup brown sugar, firmly packed 
100g butter
1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
2 eggs, lightly beaten 

1 cup plain flour
1 cup self-raising flour
1 teaspoon mixed spice
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon 
2 teaspoons finely grated orange rind 
2 teaspoons finely grated lemon rind
1/3 cup dark rum 

(Extra rum for soaking fruit)

Method

1. Combine fruit into a sealable container and soak in ‘extra’ rum for at least 12 hours; shake occasionally. (This step of soaking fruit is not necessary; but is very well worth it!) 
2. In a large saucepan, combine fruit, water, sugar and butter. Stir constantly over heat until butter is melted and sugar dissolved. Bring to the boil;  reduce heat, and simmer uncovered, 8 minutes.
3. Transfer mixture to a large bowl, and allow to cool to room temperature.
4. Stir in soda, eggs, sifted dry ingredients, rinds and rum. 
5. Place mixture into a well-greased 8 cup steamer or basin. Top with pleated baking paper and foil (this allows pudding to expand as it cooks); secure with kitchen string or lid.
6. Place pudding in a large boiler with enough boiling water to come half way up the side of the steamer. Cover with tight fitting lid and boil for 4 hours, replenishing water as necessary.
7. Allow pudding to stand for 10 minutes before turning onto a plate, serve however you desire.

Cooking notes

• This pudding is best made weeks in advance!
• To store: When cold, store pudding in steamer in refrigerator for up to 6 weeks. If storage time is to be longer, remove the pudding from the steamer after 10 minutes, cool to room temperature, wrap in plastic wrap or bag then foil, store in refrigerator.

• Can be stored in the refrigerator for up to two months or frozen up to 12 months 

• To reheat: Remove pudding from refrigerator for 12 hours beforehand. Steam for 2 hours following instructions in step 6. Make sure plastic wrap is removed, if used, and allow pudding to defrost in the refrigerator for three days prior if frozen.

This recipe adapted from the Australian Woman's Weekly Christmas Cooking book.

Download your free printable version of this recipe here!

Thank you and goodbye...for now anyway =P

 This has been on the back of my mind for a while now, but I keep putting it off thinking that it's just me being silly, and that I will get over the thoughts. My little free time that I have, is becoming more and more precious, and I find myself trying to blog rather than naturally blogging.

It has become one of my stresses and it shouldn't be, so I have decided to simply free myself from the blogging world for a while, until I am more able to give it the attention that I would like to give it.

It's been so wonderful getting to know you. The love and support you have given me has been truly amazing and has absolutely meant the world to me; so I thank you, from the bottom of my heart! There really are some beautiful people out there, people of who I would love to meet one day.

Unfortunately though, it saddens me that some of these truly beautiful people, have recently been the victim (without cause) of some very unnecessary, mindless criticism by some very unattractive people. It just sickens me and is a little disheartening. So at the moment I also feel a little un-energized to blog.

Everyone has their battles. 

Judging people and putting others down only gives you an illusion of happiness.

It doesn't define who they are, it defines who you are.

 Making someone else smile is the best feeling in the world, because it makes you feel happy too.

I am very sad to say goodbye, so early in my blogging days, but I feel it is the healthiest thing for me to do right now. So, although I say goodbye for now, I'll still pop in from time to time, when I can, and check up on how you are doing. Ha...who knows, I may not be able to help myself and write the occasional post at times...but I'm no longer putting the pressure on myself to post.

I wish you many beautiful days...void of all ugly people, and if they enter, please don't let them take up residence in your headspace. 

Thank you so much, again...truly, you have been wonderful!

MWAH XX

Friday finds | Gift wrapping tips & tricks

Obviously I can't get gift wrapping off my mind.

The reason...

I have two weddings this weekend, one of which I am so sad to not be attending...it's in Perth and is TODAY! and I so wish we could have made it there. One day I will get to Perth, one day.

Congratulations Jen and Scotty! Love you guys xx

The other wedding is at the coast tomorrow, and will be our first overnighter without our son EVER! Thanks mum and dad! Love you guys too xx

So today, I'm sharing with you a few gift wrapping 101's. 

I've shown you some fabulous ideas, so it's only fair for your mind that I share with you some how to's, to go with those ideas.

Double ruffle gift topper tutorial

gift wrapping tutorial

fabric (or ribbon) rosette tutorial

The most perfect tutorial on how to tie the ribbon onto your gift.

This man is a ledgend when it comes to gift wrapping!

How to tie a layered bow.

Have a nice day!

{Not so} Wordless Wednesday |Que sera, sera (Whatever will be, will be)

Tuesday means daycare day. It is also means my day off. Well, not really...it's the day that I race around like a mad woman doing all the things I can't do with a toddler around. Busy, busy, busy!

So it was Tuesday morning and there I was, all dressed and super keen for a boxfit class. The first form of exercise I would be doing in a long time! My bag was packed, with my makeup and clothes, for a Melbourne Cup Day lunch with some girlfriends. I also had a bit of shopping to do, bills to pay and other random things...including an appointment later that afternoon, to have the 'lady forest' cleared...it's been WAY too long! literally, but you didn't really need to know that, did you. And then I saw it...

The rash on my sons back. The rash that I thought two days prior was only a bit of heat rash. It was now all over his back...and all over his chest. A quick trip to the chemist for some advice, before heading to daycare, told me my son had to stay at home today. *Sigh*

Again, "nothing is going to get done!" I thought.

But instead of getting too worked up, for some strange reason, all I could feel was complete and utter calmness. And so I took solace in the ability of not having to do a damn thing at all. And it was good...still a little hectic, with a grouchy toddler, but all in all it was good. And this is was we did...

...a picnic in our own back yard!

Prior apologies for the number of photos you will find. I was also having a play with my new camera that my parents surprised me with over the weekend. Not an DSLR, but at least it's an actual camera!

The outdoors is just so peaceful.

Linking with...

 

Be free my dear thoughts

 
No recipe again this Tuesday...

I'm just not functioning at full capacity these past few days, or should I say few weeks. I'm really not sure what it is exactly, that has me so blue. I'm not even sure what it is I am writing just now. I don't really get much of an opportunity to just...write.

There is no better feeling, and release, than to expel the thoughts that race around your head, at that very moment they come to light. I guess that's one point to the cause of my blues...having so many thoughts racing around in my head and unable to release them onto paper or keys; or even action them.

I feel like my head is busting at the seams.  Over-loaded. Beyond capacity.

I feel I have so much to achieve. So much that has to get done and so many issues that need addressing. So much I want to do, for myself, for my own sense of accomplishment. All this, but so little time or money ability to make it happen and it's SO frustrating right now!

Money, I hate you! Yet you are needed so. So much in fact, you are needed to essentially make more money. I cant do, what I want to do, without you, to gain a better career (and yes earn more money to live comfier, it's sad that you need money to live comfier) than this degrading job that I do right now...I'm so much better than this. Not for what other people think of me, (though I do get looked down upon) but for my own sense of self.

And, on another note...single parenting sucks right now! For those who don't know me well, I'm not actually a single parent in the terms of "single" parent but a wife, who sometimes has to live the life of a single parent, while my husband is away for work. And it has ruined the relationship with the 'love of my life'. Unfortunately, I CAN live without you. I know I can because I have HAD to and will HAVE to keep living without you. But I need you! and I long for that feeling of 'I can't live without you'!

Tonight (as it so happens to be, writing this now) is a rare moment, where my son is ACTUALLY in bed, WITHOUT ME...and, actually one of the blessings of being "single", I get to sit at the computer, guilt free...and just type. I had no intentions of it. I really wanted to go to bed. But I just embraced the moment and found myself typing this post...unsure of what will come to light of it tomorrow.

And as I type, just now, I feel a little lighter. A little more free. Because this is one of the very reasons I began this blog; a place to relinquish my busy thoughts, as big or as little as they may be.

Life...Ahh, the joys...

How are you feeling at the moment?