Christmas Pudding is underway!! Are you ready for the Countdown!!

Latest research shows that each week most women spend about 6.6 hours a week getting dinner on the table, yet less than 2 hours is spent enjoying the meal and a further 1.5 hours is spent cleaning up afterwards!

I'm sure I spend longer than that in the kitchen each week, only wish my dear hubby would take up cooking. 

Then there's all the special occasion get togethers such as birthdays, Easter and of course the upcoming festive season, when those of us who much prefer home cooking spend hours slaving in the kitchen preparing for the big feast on Christmas Day. 
But in the end it's all worth the effort. I'm sure most of us these days would prefer to sit down to a healthy home cooked meal than a commercially made takeaway. 
It's far better for our health and well being to eat freshly made healthy food, lovingly prepared in the home kitchen. 
Sharing a meal around the table is a great way to share ourselves with each other and exchange our storeys of the days happenings.
This afternoon I spent in my kitchen preparing the fruit for our Christmas pudding. You see, in our house it just wouldn't be Christmas, unless there is a home made pudding served for dessert. 
This tradition was carried out yearly both by my grandmother and my mother. 
So I guess it's just a natural thing for both my sister and I to keep the tradition going.
 It was pleasant this afternoon, to spend a little time in the kitchen cutting up all the fruit and mixing with some good brandy and leaving it to soak for a while, and thinking about the coming Christmas Day and the other food we'll be having on our table.
Tomorrow I'll mix it with, butter, eggs, sugar, breadcrumbs, flour and spices, wrap it all in a cloth, tie it up tightly, and boil it for many hours. 

Then it will be hung out to dry, before storing away for Christmas. I know everyone in my family will enjoy this pudding, made in my kitchen, which didn't really take that long to make at all, nor did it cost very much either. It's just a matter of planning and organising.
Though I'm often guilty of complaining about cooking meals, I do enjoy fresh cooked home made food and would much prefer to cook my own than, purchasing processed, commercially made food.
So what about you fellow bloggers? What will you be cooking for Christmas this year? Or are you lucky enough to be going to a friend or relatives' home to put your feet under their table? Now that would be nice... Do you have any family traditions that you keep going each year?

Would love to hear from you and any ideas about spending less time in the kitchen would be greatly appreciated!!

Have a great week-end, wherever you may be
Hugs
Robyn.

I'm Back from Holidays!!

Hi there everyone. I've just returned from holiday, we spent 2 weeks being very lazy at our fav. holiday place Shoal Bay. I wont bore you with holiday pics. but this was the view from the balcony of where we stayed. We just had to walk across the road and down the steps and we were on the beach. Was very hard to take!! Lol!!

Since returning I've noticed Carol of Bingle Bears is having a generous giveaway over at her blog. Just click on the button above to visit her blog.

Also I've been kept very busy making "fine & fanciful holiday stockings" at Nancy's online class. It's such a fun class and I'm really enjoying it. Will post pics. of the finished items.

We're having a heatwave here at present 34 degrees C today, summer has arrived early. Hoping for a cool change soon!!

Hope your day has been good, wherever you may be.
Goodnight now and happy creating,
Robyn.