Christmas Cakes and Writing

If you are anything like me, the mention of the ‘C’ word in August, sends you into a wild panic!  At the end of August, baubles and bows begin to appear in supermarkets and the $2 shops and then, without further warning, the shop windows are filled with tinsel and glitter, toys and trifles and Christmas is fully upon us.

I have purchased not one Christmas gift, cards or special Christmas food yet except for the Christmas cake ingredients which have been sitting on the kitchen bench looking at me for over a week.

So yesterday I ignored my exploding email inbox, the upcoming SCBWI meeting organisation for Saturday, preparation for Yabba Awards today, my writing and a heap of other things and set to work mixing and melting eggs, flour and fruit, plus a host of other ingredients that disappeared into the mixing bowl.

To be honest, I am already very much behind – this ‘Mix and Melt’ recipe suggests the cake should be baked at least 6 months before the big day and kept in the fridge, wrapped in glad-wrap and a tea towel. But as a cake takes up a generous share of fridge space, November is usually about the right time for me.

This has made me think about Christmas and writing and spending time with those we love. Most writers I know simply keep on going over the Christmas holiday period. ‘When’ we write doesn’t make a lot of difference, particularly if there’s a looming deadline. From October onwards we are usually jotting writing commitments and presentations into our diaries for the upcoming year, so often the time of celebration slides through in the middle of what’s being planned or written for the years ahead.

Right now I get the sense we are all up to our necks with ‘things to do’ and ‘people to see’ a mixture of work and that need to catch up with those we’ve deserted during the year – or at least feel we have. So I’ve decided to aim to travel at a slower pace – we always get there in the end – the turkey, chicken or prawns on the bbq, always reach their destination on December 25, no matter what challenges and hiccups we face along the way.

There’s nothing quite like the smell of Christmas.

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Comments

  1. Marjory You are inspiring, Corinne, I can smell it from here. Can you paste a link to the recipe (if it's an easy one)!
    November 9, 2011 at 3:26 pm · Reply
    • Corinne Fenton
      corinne Yes, it's very easy Marjory. I'll put it up tomorrow.
      November 15, 2011 at 7:54 am · Reply
  2. Alison Reynolds Corinne, Your post rang so true for me today. Christmas can feel like another thing to be squeezed in sometimes amongst every thing else. Good on you for making the Christmas cake. I was interested that you keep it in the fridge. Is it a no alcohol one? I always thought you could keep them wrapped up securely in foil and glad wrap for months. I have probably nearly poisoned people for years! Whoops. Hope you do manage to have a wonderful break over Christmas. Alison
    November 9, 2011 at 9:14 pm · Reply
  3. Chris Bell Top effort, Corinne. Super organised I'd say. I nearly fell over reading the cake should be made six months before! Enjoy a wonderful, restful, social time over Christmas. Travelling at a slower pace sounds an excellent plan and one I intend to follow this year too. Chris
    November 11, 2011 at 10:13 am · Reply

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