Getting Ready For Christmas

I have been depressing myself reading various blogs about Christmas preparations.  One was about home made mincemeat and getting it made now.  I suppose it must be about the time of Stir Up Sunday.  I ought to be getting my pudding cloths out.

Of course I won't.  It is cheaper to buy a gluten free Christmas pudding (already purchased and snug in the cupboard) than it is to make a decent quality one, not to mention the saving on time, stress and steaming up the kitchen.  I have made mincemeat in the past, but no-one likes it.  I usually buy six mince pies every Christmas and I usually throw away four.  That's even when I buy the 'nice' expensive ones.  I used to make actually quite palatable Christmas cake but while everyone agreed that it was a nice Christmas cake, no-one really likes Christmas cake no matter who made it.  Even the M&S Christmas cake wasn't finished off, and that was one of their posh ones.  

I shall get some fruit in, which will almost certainly go to waste, and I shall get some chocolate in, which will almost certainly not.  I shall do a roast joint of beef or an Aldi three bird roast as DH doesn't like turkey.  Besides, even a turkey crown would be wasted on three and I am still scarred by childhood memories of 23lb turkeys that wouldn't fit in the oven (seriously, my mother had to take the shelves out and grease the sides).

Each year I get less stuff in.  We don't get any sadder.  Christmas still is a magical time for bear.  We are warm, safe, happy and blessed.  It's just that every year I cut back a little bit and every year there is a bit less waste.  So bah humbug, we are not getting or making mincemeat, mince pies or Christmas cake.  Instead we are just going to enjoy ourselves and stuff the adverts instead of a turkey.