WAITING FOR SANTA

It is definitely getting to feel a lot like Christmas. The December days are whizzing by and it’s getting closer to that magical time when Santa pays a visit to boys and girls around the globe.  On Christmas Eve, everyone is very excited and it’s hard to get to sleep. But you know all has to be calm and quiet in the house to get that special visit. Here are some things to do before Santa’s arrival to make the Christmas Eve anticipation a little calmer but keep everyone in the mood.

How about snuggling down on the sofa in the afternoon and watching a festive film. Be it a perennial classic like It’s A Wonderful Life or a family favourite such as the Polar Express.

As Christmas day is a day of feasting, it’s quite a nice idea to make Christmas Eve dinner a light affair.  Maybe a seafood salad or perhaps something you can make in advance like a cottage pie. You don’t want to spend hours in the kitchen on this evening.

When the stockings are hung up and before the little ones are snug in their pyjamas you could prepare some food for the reindeers. They love oats, carrots, mixed in a bowl with some edible glitter.  Take it out into the garden, or on a balcony and sprinkle it merrily. If you don’t have any outdoor space you can always bag it up and leave it for Santa to take with him.

To see how close Santa is to you, check out NORAD’s website. It charts Father Christmas’ position on the globe.  No excuse for not being fast asleep when he arrives if you keep tabs on him at www.noradsanta.org

Doesn’t matter if you can’t hold a note, singing carols is great fun. If you haven’t got any musical instruments to hand, have a look online, as there are many websites that provide music and lyrics.

A lovely book to read every Christmas Eve is Clement Clark Moore’s 'Twas the Night Before Christmas. There are some beautifully illustrated copies available and the poem’s description of Santa’s arrival is magical.

Then when everybody is ready to go to the land of nod, it’s time to get out the goodies for Santa. He does love something sweet to help fill his round belly so don’t forget to leave him a treat. A mince pie, a gingerbread snowman or a slice of Christmas cake is always very much appreciated.

Maybe dad can share a little holiday spirit and pour one of his favourite tipples in a glass for Father Christmas to keep him warm as he journeys on.  The reindeers also enjoy a bowl of water.

Then after one more chorus of Away in A Manger, it’s time to snuggle down to sleep and dream of Santa and reindeers.  No peeping remember.

If you have any ideas for Christmas Eve activities please share them.  Here’s hoping you have a very merry Christmas.

GINGERBREAD HOUSES

Thought we would fill you in with what’s going on with Santa just now, as Christmas Eve gets closer and closer. He is, of course, frantically busy at the moment. He’s working hard, with the help of his elves, putting the finishing touches to the presents, checking the good children list and making sure everything is in order for the big day! Of course, he’s also busy meeting visitors in Lapland and is delighted when children come with families to Lapland to see him.

When he has a bit spare time, Father Christmas does like to relax by making gingerbread houses. He decorates them beautifully but does have to make sure a cheeky elf doesn’t have a nibble of the gingerbread chimney!

This year a Gingerbread Town called Yurachako, made by the Japanese shop Muji, has particularly inspired Santa. . The diorama of 100 houses is installed in a Tokyo store but Father Christmas and everyone else can keep an eye on life in Yurachako as there is a live stream.

http://homemade.muji.com/#/live

If this gives you a craving to create a gingerbread masterpiece, Santa has kindly offered his own recipe.

  

WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE THE HOUSE

   250g unsalted butter

         200g dark muscovado sugar

         7 tbsp golden syrup

         600g plain flour

         2 tsp bicarbonate of soda

         4 tsp ground ginger

WHAT YOU NEED TO DECORATE...

         2 egg whites

         500g icing sugar, plus extra to dust

        

A variety of sweeties, silver baubles, chocolates, whatever your heart desire to make your home delectable and delicious.

HOW TO MAKE IT

Heat oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas 6. Melt the butter, sugar and syrup in a pan. Mix the flour, bicarbonate of soda and ground ginger into a large bowl, and then stir in the butter mixture to make a stiff dough. Add a small splash of water if it is too dry.

Cut out your house’s template – you can draw your one or find some free templates on the webs. Put a quarter of the dough on a sheet of baking paper on and roll it to thickness of two £1 coins. Cut out one of the sections, and then slide the gingerbread, still on its baking paper, onto a baking sheet. Repeat with remaining dough, re-rolling the trimmings, until you have two side walls, a front and back wall and two roof panels. Any leftover dough can be cut be used to make people, cats, dogs or as Santa likes to Christmas trees and reindeers.

Bake all the sections for 12 mins or until firm and just a little darker at the edges. When it’s cooled a little, trim the edges of templates again to give clean, sharp edges. Leave to cool completely.

 Put the egg whites in a large bowl, sift in the icing sugar, then stir to make a thick, smooth icing. Spoon into a piping bag with a medium nozzle. Pipe generous snakes of icing along the wall edges, one by one, to join the walls together. Use a small cup to support the walls from the inside, then allow to dry for a few hours.

When it’s dry you can take away the supports and pop on the roof panels. Hold onto it firmly for a few mins until the icing starts to dry. Dry completely and then let your imagination run free as you decorate!

Hope you have as much fun making your gingerbread house as Santa does! Not long now until he’s heading for your chimney. And don’t forget it’s not just at Christmas when you can pay a visit to Santa at home at Lapland. He’s happy to have guests at any time of the year!