Party kickoff 2016

[wiseheart]

Welcome to my annual (virtual) birthday party! I'll be turning 60 on October 9, which is a round number, meaning, that a whole new decade of my life will start. Imagine that! Where has all the time gone when I was not watching?

In any case, let's have fun! The goal is, as always, to create as many collapsing threads on as many pages as possible. I'll kick up the first few topics, just to start the ball rolling, but basically it's up to you what we'll be talking about. So far, we always had fascinating topics. Photos of cakes and cookies and flowers and kittens and whatever you want to post are also welcome.

Since LJ chose to crash our party 3 years ago, I'll save the whole thing to Dreamwidth on a daily basis. Last time it happened it took us an ungodly amount of effort to recreate the lost comments, and even so, we didn't manage to get everything back.

Again, welcome and let's have fun! God knows we all deserve it. The party closes at midninght on October 9, sharp, as always. Let's use the time we have well! Last year we had almost 900 comments, most of them in various threads of lovely discussions - let's hope we'll going to have at least as much fun and enjoyment again!

And a Hobbit-style birthday gift for Merlin fans: I've finally updated "Magic Mirror"!
Chapter 6 - Leontes in Wonderland has been posted to FF.Net. Enjoy!

Comments

[(Anonymous)]

I am off to the grocery store, be back in a bit.

[wiseheart.livejournal.com]

Topic the first - baking

So, here is a pic of my not-so-voluntarily made gingerbread men. I've been working on them for three consecutive days and have finished them a couple of hours ago. Aren't they cute? (Click on the picture to enlarge.)

(https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/47/2d/38/472d38dad1707442c6b15475993b92b4.jpg)

So what have you baked lately? Also, if anyone wants the recipe, I'll post it - the dough itself is ridiculously easy to make. It's the decoration that takes forever.

[ideealisme.livejournal.com]

Happy birthday mrs. Am still stuck in hospital alas but sending you best regards!

[sammydragoncat]

They are adorable, I'm sure they taste great! It has been so hot here lately, I haven't done much baking, I think the last thing I made was cream scones.

I can't believe that it is time for your party already!

[wiseheart.livejournal.com]

Awww, thanks! How are you and the little one doing?

[wiseheart.livejournal.com]

Unbelievable, isn't it? And the fact that I'm turning 60! I don't feel a day older than 16, and then things like this happen behind my back!

I've done a lot of baking lately, since people come celebrating at different times. Sacher torte, for example, has turned out wonderfully - and it isn't as complicated to make as people would like you to believe.

The gingerbread men, otoh, took me about half an hour to bake (not counting the chilling time in the fridge). Then I spent the next two days decorating them. My boss wanted something that would represent our partnership with the German school. Gah! See previous entry for the sordid details.

[jenn-calaelen.livejournal.com]

Happy early birthday!

Sorry for not having been around much over the summer - way too many different things eating my very limited energy, but hopefully things will be getting better.

[jenn-calaelen.livejournal.com]

They look delicious! Sad that you had to spend your weekend baking them for school - that isn't fair of them!


I haven't been doing any baking at the moment - partly because I'm supposed to be losing weight, and partly because I haven't had the energy.

[wiseheart.livejournal.com]

Don't I know the feeling! It's nice to have you back, though!

[wiseheart.livejournal.com]

I hate gingerbread like the plague. I can't even stand the smell of it. So there's no danger that I'd eat of them - but as gifts (especially when you make them voluntarily) they are great.

Of course, when you don't have the energy, it's better to have a recipe when you just throw all ingredients into the kitchen machine, let it do all the work, pour the finished dough into a form and let the oven do the rest. *g*

[sammydragoncat]

I just read your previous entry - I have often been volunteered for projects at work, but nothing like that.

[disthrainsdotte.livejournal.com]

They really look nice, you clearly have some skills for it. The pic makes me want to taste one. *sigh*

[wiseheart.livejournal.com]

A neat trick volunteering someone else's time and energy, isn't it? In theory we planned to invite guests for an early pre-birthday party (the various kinds of guests aren't exactly compatible, so we need an entire string of parties), but we had to postpone it.

Mum had a boss earlier, who in similar situations used to say (only in a much ruder phrasing) that no-one is supposed to have sexual activities with his... erm... manhood. Was I tactful enough? *g*

[wiseheart.livejournal.com]

Gingerbread men recipe
(in case someone needs a thoughtful Christmas gift)

Ingredients:
500 gr white flour
200 gr margarine (melted)
150 gr sugar (white or brown, it's up to you, I used white)
8 tablespoons of honey (I used mixed honey, not a single sort)
1 egg
1 eggyolk
1 teaspoon of soda bicarbonate
1 pinch of salt
1 package of gingerbread spice
(if not available, use cinnamon, ginger, cardamom and whatever you find)

How to make it?
Melt the margarine; when liquid, add honey. Let it cool a bit.
Mix dry ingredients thoroughly. Add margarine-honey mix, egg and eggyolk.
Knead dough until it's smooth. Then wrap it into foil and let it rest in the fridge for an hour.
Roll out the dough, cut out forms to your liking, paint them with egg white or condensed milk.
Bake them in a pre-heated oven for 10-25 minutes (depending on your oven), at 180°C (gas oven: 3 or 4)
Use baking paper instead of greasing your tins, it makes things so much easier and a lot less messy. *g*
Decorate them as you like, with icing sugar, chocolate icing or whatever. It's completely up to you.
They are supposed to remain fresh for a fortnight in a tin box.

[wiseheart.livejournal.com]

It's a good thing I loathe gingerbread - there is no temptation while making it. *g*
But I tell you, decorating them was brutal! Especially as I had to wait at least an hour after applying each colour; they needed to dry and harden, or else they would have run into each other, and that wasn't the effect I was aiming for.

[sammydragoncat]

I just read your previous entry - I have often been volunteered for projects at work, but nothing like that.

[sammydragoncat]

Interesting, the gingerbread recipe I use calls for molasses not honey.

[sammydragoncat]

It is, although when I get volunteered at work, at least it does not cut into my personal time, and if it does, I get paid overtime for it.

[bk_forever]

They're so cute! I love gingerbread =)

(Actually, I love anything with ginger in it!)

[wiseheart.livejournal.com]

That is Hungarian education business for you. We never get paid overtime for anything. Not since the ruddy reform a couple of years ago. Nowadays, you can do the work of colleagues on sick leave for free.

[wiseheart.livejournal.com]

Hmmm... I never worked with molasses. I seriously doubt you can get them over here. But in Hungary (and in Germany, too), gingerbread is always made with honey. Although there are a few recipes that call for syrup, most people just use honey.

[bk_forever]

Hope you have a brilliant 60th!

I don't know how much I'll be able to join in this year as I have too much to do at the moment and not enough time to do it, but I'll try to drop in as often as I can =)

[jenn-calaelen.livejournal.com]

I really like gingerbread - although I've never made the biscuit type (as opposed to the cake). The decorating sounds very hard - I must admit I fall more into the category of baking where so long as it tastes nice it doesn't matter how messy it is.

[wiseheart.livejournal.com]

Odd. LJ posted your comment twice. It doesn't matter, though - that way we get raised numbers without trying. Do you think this is lJ's amends for crashing our party three years ago? ;)

[wiseheart.livejournal.com]

You'll always be welcome. :)