Christmas cards

Thanks to everyone for the cards we have had so far.

Ours are going to be late, but will go in the post soon - parenthood
has delayed Christmas preparations this year but I will be sending
soon.

Jo Firey...

May I share your thread?

I've really enjoyed the card. I don't open them every day, I wait till the
end of the week when I can sit down and really enjoy them. So I have a nice
stack to read and enjoy tonight.

But it is official, as the last outgoing mail here before Christmas was a
little while ago, mine will go out late. Life has just been getting ahead
of me lately and staying there. On top of the usual family stuff, the
computer has been a PITA for a few weeks. Can't get or keep a decent
connection. I'm starting to truly hate AT&T as well as Yahoo and Microsoft.
Coal for all their stockings.

It is taking forever for any mail I get to download, and this is a DSL
connection. Then the same emails will try to download over and over and
over.

I think my guardian angel is keeping my news connection functioning. It has
been mostly working.

Internet connection comes and goes. Mostly goes and it is making me crazier
than it has any right to.

But the memory isn't what it used to be. I have only a very limited time
when I sit down at the computer that I remember why I'm there and what I'm
trying to look up. As you all know forgetting the purpose of the computer
visit can waste hours each and every time. A five minute bill paying or
banking session can take two hours and may or may not have the desired
result.

To top it off, I cannot find my camera. The last time I saw it a couple of
weeks ago, I was taking what should be the cutest pictures of Molly grazing
on the catnip. They were intended for the cards.

My best guess is the camera is somewhere in one of there piles of mail and
bills that I haven't been able to get dealt with and filed away.

Hope everyone else's Christmas is lights and music and family and friends.
Good conversation, good food, good health and love.

Marina...

Hope you find your camera, Jo! Here in Finland, the main event is on the

Jo Firey...

That sounds wonderful. I made cream cheese a long time ago, and it was
really good. I'll do it again if I ever get that much peace and quiet.

tanada...

OK, that just sounds too yummy. I want to see a recipe, PLEEEEEAAAASSSEEE!

Marina...

Maybe I shouldn't call it cream cheese, since there's no cream in it.
Anyhoo, it's very simple:

2 litres full milk (c. 4.23 pints)
800 millilitres sour milk
3 eggs
salt, seasoning of choice

Heat milk to boiling point. Beat sourmilk and eggs together. Pull hot
milk off heat, stir sourmilk mixture in, return to heat. When hot, take
off heat and cover for at least 15 minutes. Uncover, and with slotted
spoon lift curd into bowl. Stir in salt and seasonings (I usually add a
little chili powder for the colour). Pour curd into cheese press lined
with damp cloth and refrigerate for 24 hours. If you don't have a cheese
press, you can use a coffee filter with a weight on top. Next year, I'm
thinking of adding some chives for added taste.

tanada...

Thanks, I added it to my files to try out when I can.

Pam S. salivating

Pam S.

24th, Yule Eve. I will spend tonight at my eldest sister S and her
family (and the Blue cats), with my other sister A, our mum, and my
sister's sister- and father-in-law. We will have a good meal - our hosts
make the largest part of the meal, but we all bring something to the
table. It's become a tradition that I bring a home-made cream cheese for
the entree (starter) smorgasbord. It's in my fridge now, being pressed
into shape.