pensnest | Boring stuff, mostly involving singing

Dear me, it has been a week since I last posted. Things do get busy at this time of year.

A week ago, my chorus (or at least, half of my chorus) had a singout somewhere in darkest Norfolk, which went very well. We did end up singing Christmas carols in our pirate outfits, but nobody seemed to mind.

Wednesday, I went to practise some Christmas singing with the group a friend runs.

Thursday, spent dreading the election results. Also, a long committee meeting in the evening.

Friday, gloom. And singing in a garden centre in the evening. Eh.

Saturday, we sang for an hour outside The Forum, and very nearly froze to death. The promised heaters were nowhere to be seen. We huddled together like scarlet sheep, but there is only so much you can do. Staggered off to warm up in Jarrolds food department, which I generally love but which was *heaving* with people, and I was ushered upstairs to pay for my goods in menswear. There was strange amplified wailing, and a choir coming in later. I think that would be a better gig than outside in the cold, next year! Then Beast and I had fish and chips at the Grosvenor, which makes everything better.

Sunday, feeding Grandpa as usual, and starting on The Christmas Letter. Monday was finishing and printing the letter and getting the cards in order, though most of my online-friends-cards had already gone. Today, did yoga (well, most of it, certain poses are simply not things I can do) and aqua, and posted cards and final (I hope) parcels, and was knackered. But went for epic supermarket shop (Beast helped) anyway. Then made GF tiffin for FCC/Mosaic Xmas party tomorrow, and GF cheesecake for NH party on Thursday. Now too weary to go to bed.

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From:

frausorge

Your singing gigs sounds lovely, despite the cold, and you have been most productive!

I'm sorry about the election. I keep hoping for chances to correct course and then it seems like things get worse all over again.

pensnest

I kinda knew this would be what we'd get - but you can't help hoping, can you? They're already showing signs of wanting to mess about with the judiciary, and workers' rights are in for a walloping. Grrrr.

turlough

Sounds like you're having a very busy time what with all the singing and Christmas preparations. I hope things will calm down a bit once the holiday is actually here.

PS I remember you made tiffin at Camp one year and that it was delicious. I would love to have the recipe if you wouldn't mind sharing it?

Tiffin is really easy: I buy GF chocolate fingers, and suitable chocolate (I get it in the ratio of 1 dark:2 milk, but your taste may differ). Melt the chocolate gently, with a squoodge of Golden Syrup (or honey, as you probably don't have Golden Syrup) and a knob of butter.

Chop the finger biscuits, and cut up dried apricots and glacé cherries into sultana-sized pieces, and put them all into a bowl along with some sultanas. You can probably add such other niceties as crystallised ginger or candied orange peel as well, if you like them. I can't tell you proportions, I just put them in until it feels like enough.

When the chocolate is melted, add it to the fruit and biscuit mixture, aiming for a texture that doesn't have too much 'free' chocolate—it should be enough to moisten the mix generously and hold it together.

Line a deepish baking tray with foil or greaseproof paper, and press the mix down into it. Cover with more paper, and if you can, put something heavy on top to push it down more while it cools in the fridge. And that's it. Let it set overnight, then carve it up and devour.

Thank you very much! It does indeed sound quite easy though I don't know how easy it will be to get hold of GF chocolate fingers here in Sweden. Not that I've ever tried - maybe they're quite common!

I only use chocolate fingers because they're a convenient shape - any GF biscuits that you like, as long as they are crunchy rather than chewy, will do fine. Might be interesting to do with a strongly flavoured biscuit like lebkuchen, possibly, not that I've ever tried it.