Biscuits and Boiled Soup

I decided to try making biscuits on Sunday night. They turned out pretty well, if a little flat. I must admit, I don't think I've ever made anything that called for shortening (clearly I don't make my own pastry!) so I didn't know quite what to expect. They were easy. And while I congratulated myself on how well they were coming out, I noticed the lid of the soup pot rising as the contents within boiled. Tomato soup. From a can. Surprisingly, it didn't burn the pot and once I put a little stilton on the top, no one was the wiser!

Food styling and photography are clearly not my forte.

Our Goose (well, turkey) was Cooked!

We didn't cook our turkey on Christmas day this year because we had a huge breakfast and then cheese and crackers for dinner. So we cooked it on Boxing Day. We then decided that we didn't want a big fancy meal so we had turkey sandwiches instead. Best decision of the holiday. It's what everyone looks forward to anyway...

Baking in an elf-sized kitchen...

I decided to do some baking tonight. I have to mention that I have a kitchen that is the least conducive to baking or cooking multiple things at once. Here's what I've learned:
1. Remove ANYTHING you don't need from any counter/table space you plan to use unless you want them to be coated in chocolate, batter, red wine, etc.
2. Wash dishes frequently. Filling the sink and/or cluttering up the counter-top in an elf-sized kitchen hinders progress in many ways. Avoid this. It leads to great frustration.
3. Keep a big glass of wine handy and, if doing said task during the festive season, Christmas music helps.
4. Timing is key. Read recipes and establish whether or not you can find a window of opportunity. It's worth it.

I look forward to the day when I have counter space larger than this:

I kid you not - This is the extent of my kitchen counter space!

This batter looked pretty yummy but I kept telling myself that even though it was the filling for lemon squares, it was yellow because it had 4 raw eggs in it. I resisted a taste test.

These are all necessary items - recipes, wine, nice view and greenery!

Oh and one more tip - don't drink too much wine. Baking is all about chemistry - and if you get the mix wrong, you're pooched!
Merry Christmas!