Selfsufficientish.com

Tigerhair · Post: # 8709Post **Tigerhair** » Wed Jan 11, 2006 9:25 pm

I can't remember the thread I was reading this morning that mentioned German markets here in the UK - I visited one this year in Birmingham that they have there every year before Christmas. Bought a few wooden toys for the little man in my life...

ina · Post: # 8712Post **ina** » Wed Jan 11, 2006 9:46 pm

I am sometimes getting worried we are taking over! Where will I move then? I do really miss the German Christmas markets - it's the smell, mostly, of mulled wine, freshly baked small doughnut-type cakes, real candles and Christmas trees instead on non-smelly (sorry: fragrant

) plastic stuff.
I think wooden toys are still better and more widely available in Germany. A shop near here (Camphill at Newton Dee) sells a lot of wooden toys, and most of them are German. I bought a lot of them for the kids in my neighbourhood.

And I read in the last Sunday Herald an article about an up-and-coming new face in Scotland - a German "Konditormeister" (kind of master baker) in Edinburgh who is getting extremely popular with the bread and cakes he sells on the farmers' market!
That's the article:
http://www.sundayherald.com/53467

I'm now looking for an excuse to make a trip to Edinburgh... Although my own bread isn't half bad either, even if I say so myself. We'll convert the Brits yet, at least to decent bread...

Ina

Wombat · Post: # 8722Post **Wombat** » Thu Jan 12, 2006 1:41 am

We went to a Christmas market in Aarchen and it was great!

Nev

ina · Post: # 8811Post **ina** » Fri Jan 13, 2006 2:38 pm

Hate to correct you, Nev - but I think you were in Aachen. With that r in it it sounds a bit rude.

(Unless there is another town of that name that I haven't heard about yet! There are some rude placenames.)
You need the low temperatures for the right Christmas market feel, too - can't imagine one in shorts and with the sun blasting down! Mulled wine at 30 degree? No thanks!

Ina

Tigerhair · Post: # 8816Post **Tigerhair** » Fri Jan 13, 2006 6:18 pm

I was in Aus over a Christmas and was staying with my Aussie b/f in a hostel for the night - we were offered a full turkey lunch with the owners, but declined... it just didn't feel right! However, I enjoyed the warmest NY eve a few days later that I'd ever had - slept on a beach that night - yummy :) Happy days

Wombat · Post: # 8828Post **Wombat** » Fri Jan 13, 2006 10:51 pm

Fair point Ina! I was going from memory and obviously fluffed it.........

It was fun in Belgium but it wasn't CHRISTMASSY! It wasn't hot so to me did not feel like Christmas at all!

Nev

Millymollymandy · Wed Jan 18, 2006 7:13 am

So funny what we are used to. We northern hemisphere people don't feel right having a hot Xmas - I've spent one in Oz and one in NZ. We ate cold food but had hot Xmas pud! Can't not have the Crimbo pud, whatever the weather!

ina · Post: # 8847Post **ina** » Wed Jan 18, 2006 1:21 pm

Ever tried cold Christmas pud? I sent one to a friend in Germany one year, and she didn't even bother to read the instructions, so just tucked in, and then told me she didn't like it... What a waste of a good pud.

Ina

shiney · Post: # 8849Post **shiney** » Wed Jan 18, 2006 1:34 pm

I can live without Christmas pudding. I am not that keen on it, along with christmas cake. I would eat it if I were starving, along with marzipan. (YEUK!)

But those are the only things I don't like to eat. Apart from the above I eat anything!

Guest · Post: # 8885Post **Guest** » Wed Jan 18, 2006 11:06 pm

We had a locally produced christmas pud this year - I am not a huge fan normally but this one had oats in it and it was delicious.

I was trying to find a website but there doesn't appear to be one at the moment.

Shirlz xx

Shirley · Post: # 8886Post **Shirley** » Wed Jan 18, 2006 11:08 pm

doh ! I did it again :O

Guest · Post: # 8893Post **Guest** » Thu Jan 19, 2006 6:22 am

ina wrote:Ever tried cold Christmas pud?
Ina

Yes, but it's usually a bit solid. Thank god for microwaves!

Ina - I'm curious as to whether you liked Xmas pud (and mince pies) when you first tried them. I don't think there are many British people who don't like it/them but I've yet to meet a 'foreigner' who did - I expect it's because the Anglo Saxon world grew up with them. I guess it must be pretty much an acquired taste though.

Millymollymandy · Thu Jan 19, 2006 6:24 am

Bah humbug!! That happened because my internet connection keeps cutting out and I hadn't checked log me in each time, because I wasn't expecting the log in to be back to normal!!!

Andy Hamilton · Thu Jan 19, 2006 12:03 pm

Millymollymandy wrote:because I wasn't expecting the log in to be back to normal!!!

yee of little faith

There is a christmas market in bath every year too. Loads of little huts around the Abbey, with the smell of mulled wine and all that. It really is quite pretty.

I won a christmas hamper this year, did not expect it. Not a big fan of christmas pudding or mince pies, or christmas cake (humbug). Ended up giving it all to a teenager whos parents were too 'busy' to be bothered with her. Seemed to make her day, far better than trying to pretend to like it myself.

Shirley · Post: # 8913Post **Shirley** » Thu Jan 19, 2006 12:14 pm

I love the xmas market in Bath - lots of atmosphere and scrummy food! Making me hungry now :D

I tried hard to win a hamper this year - being out of work and having moved house pennies are rather short in supply.... didn't win anything tho. Was lovely of you to give yours away to some that would appreciate it.