Thursday 24 December 2009

A prayer at Christmas



A Prayer at Christmas


The shepherds heard the Angel's newsl
The Wise Men travelled far,
And there was wonder, joy and hope
For all who saw the star.

Now, Father, once more help us seek
The joy of Christmas night,
And spread the news across the earth
Of endless life and light.

And, Father, may we share Your love
In heart and soul and mind,
And send Your blessings round the world
With peace for all mankind.
~Iris Hesselden.

This morning my kitchen smells like the ham that I have had baking in a very slow oven overnight. I've checked it, and it is cooked to perfection, and just waiting to be glazed. In another few hours, Todd will be up, and we'll open our gifts, and then my mom will call. I can't wait to hear her voice. I know that I am blessed to be able to speak to my mom every Christmas morning. It has been ever so for the 54 years that I have been alive. I never take it for granted, and cherish each word.

Later this morning, I will be getting the turkey into the oven and finishing my vegetable preparation. Todd will hop into the car and go to pick up Terri to bring her over to spend the day with us. Then the missionaries will arrive . . . and we will all sit down and enjoy a delicious repast of turkey and ham with all the trimmings. (Thankfully my Christmas Veggie box arrived late yesterday afternoon so I didn't have to experience the chaos which is the grocery shop on Christmas Eve. Whew!)

Later on, after everyone has gone, I'll try to telephone my children over in Canada to wish them each a Merry Christmas. I can't always get through, but I'll keep trying until I do.

And that will be my day. Sounds just wonderful to me.

In the meantime I'd like to thank each of your for your faithfulness in visiting my page each day and for your love and comments. I'd also like to wish each of you a very Merry and blessed Christmas day, wherever you are and whomever you are with. May you love and be loved, and feel the peace in your heart that only the Saviour can bring.



*Eggnog Pound Cake*
Makes 1 10-inch bundt cake
Printable Recipe

A deliciously festive cake filled with the lovely flavours of eggnog, cranberries and orange. This smells just fabulous when it is baking! Serve with ice cream or whipped cream.

1/2 cup dried cranberries (50g)
2 TBS dark rum or water
1 cup butter, room temperature (8 ounces)
2 cups white sugar (400g)
3 large eggs
3 cups flour (420g)
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
1 cup storebought eggnog (250ml)
(See note below)
1 tsp vanilla
1 TBS freshly grated orange zest

For the Glaze:
3 TBS orange juice
1 TBS dark rum (or an additional TBS of orange juice)
3/4 cup sugar



Pre-heat the oven to 160*C/325*F. Grease and flour a 10 inch bundt pan really well. Set aside.

Place the cranberries in a small bowl and cover with the rum or water. Set aside.

Using an electric mixer on medium speed, cream the butter and sugar to gether until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt and nutmeg. Add to the creamed mixture, on low speed, alternately with the egg nog, beginning and ending with dry ingredients. Fold in the orange zest, cranberries and any liquid in the bowl. Spoon the batter into the prepared bundt pan, smoothing the top over. Bake for 55 to 65 minutes or until it tests down when a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean.

Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the pan for 10 minutes before turning out onto a rack.

Prepare the glaze by blending together the orange juice, sugar and rum, until the sugar is about melted. Using a pastry brush, brush this glaze all over the surface of the warm cake, brushing it again and again until all the glaze is used and has been absorbed by the cake. Serve at room temperature, cut into slices with your preferred accompaniment.

Note - if you are unable to get eggnog use an equal amount of whipping cream and increase the measure of grated nutmeg to 1/2 tsp.


Nothing special over on The English Kitchen today, just the same recipe in metric.



9 comments:

  1. I wish you, Todd, your family and your guests the most blessed day.I was woken by a phone call from my daughter who is in Switzerland. It was wonderful.

    I wish every reader a exceptional Christmas full of love and the special spirit of this time.

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  2. PS I am so glad that box of veges did arrive.

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  3. Happy Christmas Marie - Hope that you have a wonderful time
    Hannah
    xxx

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  4. Merry Christmas! I hope you have a wonderful day!

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  5. Merry Christmas Marie! I'm not cooking a lot today since we've already celebrated with our children. But I do plan to bake an orange cake, an old family favorite here, and make some good things to snack on through the day. It's bitterly cold here with a lot of wind but thankfully the rain is gone and the sun is out. It's as if the world is celebrating too! Christmas blessings, marlene

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  6. Oh, hope your Christmas has been the merriest!!! Mine hasnt really started yet.... Amanda and her inlaws along with my parents and some other close friends will be here tonight for a party... but then Amanda and Joshua who just arrived by train late last night wont be coming for our visit until Monday so we'll be Christmassing next week! I am baking a ham too, actually my first... to abke form scratch.... would love some advice!!!

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  7. Merry Christmas, dear Marie! Sounds like you have a wonderful day planned...Wishing you all the Happiest Day! It is so good to be home--finally after flight cancellations, delays, missed connection and lost luggage we're Stateside and having a wonderful day with my family! LOVE YOU SOOO MUCH, dear friend :o) ((BIG HUGS))

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  8. Merry Christmas Dear. I am sending Christmas love to you, Todd and Jess. Give Terry and the missionaries a hug from me too. I've not met them but I've heard from you what neat folks they are.

    I am glad that you are having the missionaries for dinner. They could not be in a more loving home unless they were back with their own families. Being with you and Todd is the next best thing to them being home. I know you will make their day special.

    Have a great day. We are. We just opened our gifts and are about to make breakfast. We will have to make your cake...Erin was saying that she wanted to make a birthday cake for Jesus.

    We all send love. Christmas hugs, Lura and family

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  9. Merry, Merry Christmas sweet lady!
    Thank you for all your posts which build, lift and inspire us all to be better.
    I hope you enjoyed the missionaries, I know they had a fabulous time in your loving home. I wish my three sons who served their missions abroad would have had homes like yours to go to on Christmas.
    I can't believe you haven't heard of The Forgotten Carols.
    If you want to hear some of the most beautiful songs ever wrote at Christmas time. Click on the link form that post and there are most of the others from his CD. They are beautiful.

    Enjoy a beautiful day and I hope you hear from all of your family!~♥

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