snow.flakes

life is back to normal and you are not traveling.  it's always hard initially as the matter of fact you are still working from home.  the expectation is high that you have to serve him lunch while you are waiting for an important email to arrive and prepare for a call an hour later.  let alone you have to cook and chinese food is something that you never master, not to his standard anyway....

 you had some free time in the afternoon after the call, and you want to make something snowy.  the biscuit rose de reims has been sitting in your cupboard for awhile, you wanted to make charlotte with it but never go the time, with this recipe, it works out... surprising well, the dough is so easy to handle and the scent of the almond powder and pink biscuit are pleasing...

 the snow flake cutter is rather clumsy and you always ended up with broken  tip, so you turn to the slightly bigger star cutter ....

 now the third cookies is done, one more to go...

 you followed curtis stone's recipe and  cooked yourself a pot stew. simple and easy one pot dish with all the right nutrition one needs in the winter.  it's light but fuller... a dish that you will definitely cook again...

 you starting to sample some of the store bought goodies. this is one of the five mini puddings from fortnum and mason.  you start with triple ginger sponge pudding tonight.

it's a little dry without brandy or vanilla sauce, the rum butter could make do but doesn't give enough moist...

7 days to Christmas...