Welcome to the Love Santa Blog

We share lots of Christmas related ideas, recipes and crafts in the Love Santa blog. You are welcome to comment or submit your own Christmas stories, too.

Turron de yema

Dec 4, 2007 |

This is the other form of Spanish almond nougat – the other one is hard but this one has egg yolks in it so is a bit softer.

Ingredients

300g icing sugar

300g ground almonds

6 egg yolks

grated rind of one lemon

grated cinnamon (or ground if you haven’t got any fresh cinnamon to use)

Directions

Fold the egg yolks with the almond.

Heat the icing sugar, cinnamon and lemon rind until you have a brown syrup.

Slowly stir in the almond and egg mixture.

Once it has thickened and isn’t sticking, press it into a baking tray. Some people like to add a weight on top, such as a wooden chopping board.

After two or three days, tip the nougat out of the  tray and cut into pieces.

Christmas Trees

Dec 3, 2007 |

What sort of Christmas tree do you have?

Real vs artificial Christmas treesSanta peaking out from behind a red and gold Christmas tree

There is nothing like the smell of a real tree in the house – it is fresh and very Christmassy. I think the Christmas tree smell is so related to Christmas for us in Australia as it isn’t a common smell for us – and it is very different to the smells of our bush and gum trees!

Not everyone likes the pine needles across the floor or having a bucket of water in the lounge room, so some people prefer an articifical tree. Over a period of years, the artifical tree is the cheaper option, too.

Personally, I love the real tree – the smell, the sense of Christmas – but have an issue with killing a tree just for my pleasure so we use an artificial tree in our house. However, we also decorate trees in our garden for the ‘real tree’ affect.

I just saw a collection of Christmas tree stories in this blog, too. But I would love to hear about your Christmas tree preferences and memories – maybe an Australian collection will be very different from a northern hemisphere one?

Christmas Decorations

Dec 1, 2007 | ,

Christmas tree with golden decorationsChristmas decorations have been in the shops for ages, but many traditions say they the tree and decorations shouldn’t be out until December.

Putting up decorations too early takes away some of the magic of Christmas, I feel. They are there so long they have less impact when Santa arrives – they become part of the background.

I also think it is confusing for young children – they see decorations and trees and Santas so assume it is Christmas tomorrow – how hard it is to explain “no, Santa isn’t coming for another 2 or 3 months yet”. Frustrating for parents, too.

When do you put up a tree at home? Do you decorate the rest of the house as well?

Falling from bed

Dec 1, 2007 |

Christmas dreams in bed, or when falling from bed!When I was about 6, I feel out of bed on Christmas Eve taking the mattress and blankets with me! Santa arrived to deliver presents and helped me – he lifted the bedding and me back onto the bed! He did it so well I didn’t even stir.

I don’t remember how I knew this – I guess Mum and Dad told me the next morning after Santa told them – but I knew it was a fact and I loved Santa for it 🙂

Turron recipe for a Spanish Christmas treat

Dec 1, 2007 |

Turron is a Spanish almond nougat that they make especially for Christmas. And here is a Turron recipe so you and Santa can enjoy this Christmas delight, too!

Nougat in rice paper reminds me of some early Christmases as I didn’t have nougat at any other time than in a box of Christmas treats. It was rare and so much more special accordingly. And this Turron recipe means I can now make it myself – amazing!

Turron ingredients

1kg honey

500g sugar

1.5kg almonds

rind of 1 lemon

2 egg whites

Directions to make Turron

Heat the almonds in the oven

Slowly heat the honey in a saucepan until all its water is gone

Add sugar to the honey and mix

Whisk the egg white until it forms peaks. Gently fold this into the sugar/honey mix.

Stir rapidly for 8 – 10 minutes (less if using an electric beater) then slowly over a low heat until it caramelises.

Add the lemon rind and hot almonds, and mix thoroughly.

Cook for 3 – 5 minutes, but be careful it doesn’t stick.

Line baking trays or moulds with rice paper.

Pour the nougat mix onto the rice paper and leave to set for 2.5 hours. Cut into pieces.

Store the Turron  in airtight containers once it has completely cooled. Yummy!

Leave some out for Santa and use some as Christmas gifts.

Make sure to let us know what you think of this Spanish Christmas treat in the comments.

Hand made decorations

Nov 30, 2007 |

Collection of photos showing children's hand and the colouing in of some foam Christmas ornaments.

Colouring in the foam Christmas ornaments

When I was a kid, we would make a decoration every year for my grandparents’ Christmas tree. Grandma proudly displayed our home made ornaments every year until she moved to a nursing home.

After she died, we were cleaning out her things and found a box where she had kept all our decorations! Each of us grandchildren had a shoebox with our name on it. In each box were all the decorations we had made, each in a bag with the year we made them.

These decorations are on my Christmas tree now, and my kids are enjoying them. As well as making their own decorations of course!

 

Enjoying this Christmas memory? If you would like to build your own special memories, the following home made decorations are ready to be made!

 

Christmas in a barrel

Nov 30, 2007 |

From 1983-1986, my parents were missionaries in Nepal. We would often receive barrels from Australia with all sorts of goodies in them.

A ile of presents sitting on top of a large timber barrel ahead of Christmas

The most exciting time was around Christmas when the gifts would arrive from our grandparents and other family members, all wrapped and ready to go under the tree. It was always exciting to open the barrels and find the gifts.

I don’t envy my parents the task of trying to keep 3 excited kids away from the gifts until Christmas day!

Scrunch Scrunch of pressies

Nov 28, 2007 |

A Christmas elf sitting with a baby elf amongst a pile of presents and enjoying the scrunch of wrapping paperSanta left our pressies in a pillowcase at the end of our beds.

On Christmas morning, we would wiggle our toes like crazy to hear the scrunching noise of a pillowcase full of wrapped gifts!

We had strict instuctions that our pillowcase of presents could only be opened if the sun was up…so we would use our toes to feel the presents while we waited for sunrise.

Santa Photos

Nov 28, 2007 |

Growing up, I saw too many kids being forced to sit on Santa’s knee for a photo, so I decided when I had kids I would only get Santa photos done on their first Christmas.

My second son was born exactly a week before Christmas. Two days before Christmas, I took him to the shopping centre to get his photo taken. I have the most beautiful photo of him at 5 days old fast asleep on Santa’s knee. The photographer even zoomed in a bit so it’s just my son and Santa.

A different day for Christmas

Nov 26, 2007 |

Collage of family Christmas photosWhen my parents first got married, my maternal grandparents realised there would be a clash of places to be on Christmas Day. So instead of making mum and dad choose between their families or splitting the day in half, my grandparents came up with a family celebration on the Sunday before Christmas.

The tradition has stuck and we’ve celebrated that way ever since.

And it has made life easier as mum’s siblings got partners, too, and then the grandchildren got partners, and people had interstate relatives… Not only does it reduce the stress of Christmas Day, it has allowed us to celebrate together before some went interstate to be with other family.

Works for us, anyway!

A different day for Christmas

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