Gather Around

We gather around the table and celebrate life.

Gather around, for the table is spread,
Welcome the food and rest!
Wide is our circle, with Christ at the head,
He is the honoured guest.
Learn of his love, grow in his grace,
Pray for the peace he gives;
Here at this meal, here in this place
Know that his spirit lives!
Once he was known in the breaking of bread,
Shared with a chosen few;
Multitudes gathered and by him were fed,
So will he feed us too. 

End of Season

I landed ...

... and discovered it was still Christmas 

... in this side of the world. 

I was happy to find one more Nativity Scene.

I place myself in the home of Nazareth and from there I see all that I have to do. 

(July 25 1870; Fr. Jean Claude Colin, Founder of the Marist project)

Chapel Windows

During our Christmas party, someone brought her test run of Cathedral Windows.  By New Year's Even, she had perfected it and it was part of our dessert spread.  

Check them out at the top left corner of this picture.

I asked her for the recipe and she promptly sent over her handwritten recipe.

Over the next few days, I purchased some flavoured gelatin, cream and condensed milk.

When I was about to make the Cathedral Windows, I remembered that our dear piano teacher had given us her Cathedral Window recipe a long time ago and I had not tried that one yet.  I also checked online for popular Cathedral Window recipes to compare how different people prepared this calorific dessert.  (Top ingredient of the flavoured jello is sugar and the recipes call for at least two packs.)

Anyway, I decided to do a trial run on using the generic brand gelatin on my archived recipe since it did not require condensed milk.  My thought process was that this recipe might translate to slightly less calories.  Besides, I figured if I followed the recently acquired (and recently tasted) recipe using the branded jello, I might have a higher probability of success replicating the New Year's Eve dessert.

The archived recipe essentially had our almond jelly recipe  serving as the binder (but it uses 1 can of evaporated milk for every packet of unflavoured gelatin).   I decided to work with that in mind, and used the strawberry (red) and the lime (green) Coles brand gelatin.  I had only used 2 boxes of flavoured gelatin so part of the binder ended up in another container as unadulterated almond jelly.  As usual, I was mixing and matching recipes so I ended up with jiggly jello.  

I had prepared the strawberry gelatin first and used 500 ml (2 c) of water then decided to reduce the amount of water (based on the packet instructions) when I mixed up the lime gelatin making it more firm.

The green gelatin sank to the bottom while the red gelatin floated towards the surface.  

I don't have enough experience with jello to know how much water to add to a particular brand of gelatin in order to get the desired firmness.  Of course that didn't matter much because the finished product was devoured all the same.  

When I asked MyGirl if this was the Cathedral Window recipe we would place in Kidbites (our compilation of recipes), she gave me a resounding NO.   So I am dubbing this recipe Chapel Windows, since it has not quite made it to the Cathedral Window ranks.  

Chapel Windows 
(used the 12 c bundt pan)

Coloured Gelatin (window) : 

    3 different colours (flavours) of gelatin

Cream Jelly (Binder) : 
    3 cups boiling water
    2 T  unflavoured gelatin
    1/2 c sugar
    3/4 c milk
    1/2 T almond extract

1. Prepare the flavoured gelatin 
• in separate square or rectangular containers, dissolve packet in 1 c boiling water 
• add 3/4 c tap water and mix to combine
• refrigerate until firm
2. Prepare the binder when the flavoured gelatin is already set
• in a saucepan, dissolve 2 T unflavoured gelatin in 3 c boiling water
• bring to a boil
• add 1/2 c sugar and 3/4 c milk 
• mix well until sugar dissolves
• add almond extract
• remove from heat and allow to cool slightly
3. Assemble dessert  
• cut flavoured gelatin into smaller pieces
• when binder has cooled down, place flavoured gelatin in preferred jelly mold
• add cooled binder 
• refrigerate until set 
4.  To serve, turn jelly dessert onto serving container

In case you are interested in the original recipe, here it is.  I believe makes a small rectangular pyrex.

CATHEDRAL WINDOW

1 box jello (any flavor desired) 
1 small box Knox unflavored gelatin of 4 envelopes
1 can of evap milk
1 bottle (20 ml) almond extract

Procedure :
1.  Prepare Jello using 2 c water (dissolve in 1 1/4 c water, bring to a boil, add 3/4 c water)
2.  Refrigerate until it sets.

1.  Dissolve one envelope of Knox unflavored gelatin to one can evaporated milk (no water)
2.  Add 1 t almond extract for every can of milk
3.  Add 2 spoons of sugar or as desired
4. Boil until completely dissolved while stirring
5.  Remove from fire until it cools off
6.  Cut refrigerated jello into desired shapes.  Refrigerate again while cooling off the Knox mixture
7.  Once cooled off, pour Knox mixture into Jello mixture and refrigerate again until combo sets.
8.  Serve

Die! Die! DIE!

Check out these big dice RD got from his cousins for Christmas.

I hope these beauties give him the big numbers he needs when they play D&D.

DIE!  DIE!  DIE!

(Remember this one from A Bug's Life?)

I know, it's a different kind of die.

Autopsy on a Dream

This is a controversial BBC documentation about the Sydney Opera House.
It is a very interesting video and it has incredible footage of what Sydney looked like in the 60's.

Sky Waves

After days of rain, the sun was out yesterday

and the sky was beautiful.

O Christmas Tree

It's time to pack the Christmas tree.

Down goes the star.

Time for the simple decor to go back into storage.

Although the Christmas season has ended, the celebration of life continues.

Star Light, Star Bright

I still love Christmas lanterns (parols).

It brings fond memories of Christmas and the home country.

Slash-M was in the Philippines for Christmas 

and brought one back with him to Sweden.

(Smart guy!) 

During our New Year's Eve party, 

I noticed the parol outside the house where the family was gathering.

I wanted a picture by the parol and 

our host graciously took our picture before we left in the morning.

First family picture for 2017 taken 01 Jan 2017

When asked about the parol, he said it was his brother-in-law's

and one that he'd revived by replacing the original lights with regular Christmas lights.

True enough, I found a picture of the parol from our party at 

his brother-in-law's place taken during our Christmas party there in 2014.

This parol has received a breath of new life.

It is the epitome of Christmas spirit.

May we all have renewed spirit within us.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

Bird Watching

Egrets used to just be images on padlocks for me.

I didn't think I'd see one in real life.

Then we moved to Australia and I find them wandering around in the park.

The Jesse Tree

During the season of Advent, Christmas trees and Nativity sets are placed in churches.

At St. Patrick's, they set up a Jesse Tree. 

A new ornament is added daily.

Learn more about the Jesse Tree here.

Jesse Tree at St. Patrick's Parish, Church Hill

03 January 2017