A self sufficientish Christmas?

[Flo]

So are you celebrating the season self sufficient style? Or is it down the shops for convenience?

[Green Aura]

A bit of both for presents.

The food will be from scratch, some of the veg are home grown and the wild goose we were given. Tofu "turkey" for the gal, complete with yuba skin. My one and only attempt at making Christmas pudding was gross so that's bought, served with rum sauce - a tradition in my family which my husband happily adopted.

And the best bit - we'll pick a lemon from the polytunnel to have in our pre-dinner gin and tonic (and the gin is made in Caithness so is pretty local).

[tosca]

Don't do presents, just some home made goodies for the neighbours.

Most food is home grown, but ingredients for cake and mincemeat bought, apart from some home dried raisins and figs and walnuts...and eggs of course. Walnut roast for me, home grown goose for him. All home grown veg (sprouts, parsnips, broad beans) apple sauce, medlar jelly, home made stuffing from home made bread and our own sage, onion and egg.

Friend sent out chocolate and Christmas pud, but trifle will be made from our own frozen raspberries, plus some I steeped in some donated rough rakia and sugar. We don't produce our own milk but get it from a neighbour, cream skimmed off for whipping and butter. Still getting eggs for custard.

For picking, more nuts, caramelised and spiced, donated smarties, home made bread sticks, mince pies and shortbread.

Looking forward to our mostly home grown feast. Happy.

[tosca]

Forgot drink, which we don't really. But the raspberry rakia with soda, and ralia and wine from the neighbour, we have been supplying them with eggs. Sorted

[diggernotdreamer]

It's a co-sufficient Christmas here. We buy all our dried fruits etc from our local butcher who took over supplying wholefoods when the co-operative shop closed down, so we support that shop. He also sells beef and lamb which he rears and has an abattoir to the rear of his shop. We bought our pork, bacon, sausagemeat from O'Doherty Butchers in Enniskillen who again rears his own free range pigs. The only thing we bought from any multinational store is booze, milk, cheese and yoghurts.

[ina]

Christmas? What's Christmas?

Actually, I do send a few presents, and since most of them are going to Germany, I have to go for something that's easily sent, and doesn't break the bank. Calendars, and a few socks (knitted by me, of course).

Apart from that, there's nothing special about Christmas. If anything, I spend less on myself than the rest of the year, because I have to find the money for inevitable presents and cards from somewhere.

[sleepyowl]

Most of my presents are/or going to be hand made. have so far made chutney, a cat made of fleece & felt a hat in the shape of a panther, it will have matching mittens & scarf, vanilla & almond scented candles, lavender pillows in the shape of hearts for the female relatives, cinnamon & clove pillows in the shape of birds for the men. Will need to make chocolate fudge & biscuits nearer the day. The candles & lavender pillows are made from upcycled materials. Decorating the home with holly, ivy & pine cones this year

[Flo]

Think that I'm with ina on Christmas.

A lot of the presents (the majority) have come from small local traders where these are required. Except that there's no small trader toy shop and you can't tell a little boy of not quite 5 that he can't have toys or only second hand for Christmas! Wrapping paper and cards mostly left over from last year and there's still plenty of cards for next year. The only presents to be made are a late Xmas pudding (try growing sultanas, raisins and such on the allotment in the UK ) and a vegan chocolate torte (again tofu ingredients and chocolate don't grow on the allotment in the UK ).

I have enough vegetables in the freezer and staples in the food cupboards to require very little shopping anyway. Bread, vegan spread and milk might need topping up. Might ignore the bread and make scones as there is a lot of flour to use up. So food wise I suppose mainly self sufficientish ..

And for once with no family commitments, I can put the feet up and do whatever comes to hand. Could be a bonfire on the allotment even.

[Green Aura]

And for once with no family commitments, I can put the feet up and do whatever comes to hand. Could be a bonfire on the allotment even.

Sounds like heaven Flo. Can I come and stay with you - I won't even eat all your chocolate torte (can't eat soya).