Advent - 23rd December 2011 - (food and traditions)

As my older son used to say when he was younger, 

Happy Christmas Eve's Eve!

These last few days I've got down to some baking.  Yesterday I made cheese straws and Christmas Fudge and today I'm going to make the Christmas cake.  A bit late, you are thinking?  Well, I've not done a traditional cake for some years as no one really eats it so I tend to do a sponge cake with cherries etc., then put a water icing on it.  This time I am going to adapt a fruit loaf I made earlier in the year which went down well with a group of Mums I made it for at church. I will then top with a little marzipan and do the water icing.  I'm also going to try out a new recipe for some cranberry and walnut cookies and tomorrow I will make a small batch of mince pies.

There will only be the four of us for Christmas and New Year so I don't need to go mad making stuff but I like to have some home baked goodies around.

I began a tradition a few years back of buying a jigsaw puzzle for everyone to have a go at.  Usually it is a funny picture (comic) because then the kids will take part. (In fact youngest son asked yesterday when we could start the jigsaw!)  As we come and go throughout Christmas we add a piece here and there and often get stuck into an hour or so (it's amazing how absorbing jigsaws can be!)  What traditions do you have, passed down or your own invention?