is it stir up sunday or not? the bbc seem to think it is but other sources seem to think it’s the last sunday before advent and by my reckoning today is the first sunday of advent else we won’t get four of them in before christmas.

whether i’m technically doing things on the right day or not, my christmas pudding is steaming away on the hob. my christmas cake is in the oven too, i think that’s being made a little late but we probably won’t eat half of it until easter anyway.

the whole house smells gorgeous, and i’m contemplating going down to the shop to pick up some bramley apples and making some mincemeat whilst i’m a) in this domestic achievement mood and b) am surrounded by packets of dried fruit. i’ve got a recipe for mincemeat that suggests replacing the brandy with amaretto and some of the suet with grated marzipan and it’s calling to me to be tried out… (update: this amaretto mincemeat had better be nice; i’ve now got six jars of it…)