Pass the mince pies- Christmas Chat Thread Part Deux

DvB

Loughc wrote: »

OMG Butlers Hot Chocolate.... oh yes, they are my favourite too but none nearby me anymore.

Whilst doing my shopping in Dunnes yesterday I noticed on the tea/coffee section butlers hot chocolate sachets, they had a white chocolate option also that looked off the charts sweet, as I dont really touch the stuff I'm not sure if the sachets as up to the standard expected but they werent cheap & lookied like they could fill a gap, so to speak:)

Jude13

Me neither, it is only for when I am on grafton street when I am home. They are pretty sickly by the end but I love them. You need a bottle of water to wash it down.

Caribou coffee does the best hot chocolate, not sure there is one in Dublin.

DvB

Yeah, get you on that.
Last time I had one was when we brought the kids to see santa at Palmerstown House, they got ones with marshmallows in them, neither came close to drinking more than a few sips & handed them over to myself & the Mrs, I managed a few sips but as I don't even take sugar in tea or coffee found them sickly sweet. My Mrs who is extremely fond of chocolate managed a bit better but couldnt finish hers either. I can see how someone with a sweet tooth would love them though.

Jude13

I will still be ordering one when I am home. I tried one last year from another retailer which was made with coconut milk, mentioned by another poster and lets just say it didnt agree with my stomach. I use coconut milk quite often so it was a surprise.

Anyway they should bring out a tin that is just toffee and caramel quality street.

TRS30

My wife loves hot chocolates, however not really my thing. Now a crepe with Nutella....

CheerLouth

I really wish I liked Hot Chocolate - I nearly tried one in Costa last year but then decided against it in case it was horrid & I'd wasted 3.50 on it

Toto Wolfcastle

CheerLouth wrote: »

I really wish I liked Hot Chocolate - I nearly tried one in Costa last year but then decided against it in case it was horrid & I'd wasted 3.50 on it

What didn't you like about it? I find the hot chocolate in most of the chains far far too sweet (especially Insomnia, which is essentially sugary milk) so I only order it if I'm in an independent cafe that makes it from scratch or Hotel Chocolat because you can get darker versions. I still come across the odd dud though.

Mam of 4

CheerLouth wrote: »

I really wish I liked Hot Chocolate - I nearly tried one in Costa last year but then decided against it in case it was horrid & I'd wasted 3.50 on it

I'm not too fond of Hot Chocolate either CL , so I compromise with a Mocha , a mix of coffee and chocolate

CheerLouth

I think that it's too sweet & I'm not a big milk-based drinks fan at the best of time. I love the smell of it though.

Maybe I'll be brave this year!

xDisneyDivax

Gonna try white hot chocolate with coconut milk now someone mentioned it! I'm not too good with dairy and never thought on that with white hot chocolate. Speaking of hot chocolate Lidl is gonna have milk frother if anyone like the idea of making fancy ones at home I got one before but I was disappointed with it so I returned it, might be different this time though.

TRS30

https://twitter.com/ready_4_xmas/status/1171058272922677248?s=21

El_Duderino 09

They were advertising a day of Christmas movies on paramount movie channel on Saturday coming.

Then I saw the True Movies channel is back on from tomorrow. That’s the one with the really dodgy Christmas movies which are shot in summer so the sun is high in the sky and the fake snow on the ground. Typical story is the small town bookshop is going to go out of business, Guy who grew up in the town is back to get some stuff for his wedding to big city wagon. Meets his high school sweetheart and they team up to save the bookshop and fall in love. Dumps the wagon and his big city life to live in the small town and gets a puppy with his new girlfriend.

tscul32

Best hot chocolate ever from Ní Cho stall in the Georges Market in Belfast. They have chocolate shavings, white, milk and dark and you can get whatever combination you want. I don't like sweet hot choc so go for 2 parts dark to one part milk.
I like Butlers but have to request it extra hot and even then it's rarely as hot as I like. During the "beast" when I knew there would be no driving I used to make my own with choc, milk, a little whiskey and a pinch of chilli powder. A real winter warmer.

Loughc

El_Duderino 09 wrote: »

That’s the one with the really dodgy Christmas movies which are shot in summer so the sun is high in the sky and the fake snow on the ground. Typical story is the small town bookshop is going to go out of business, Guy who grew up in the town is back to get some stuff for his wedding to big city wagon. Meets his high school sweetheart and they team up to save the bookshop and fall in love. Dumps the wagon and his big city life to live in the small town and gets a puppy with his new girlfriend.

PMSL, that's the synopsis to every Hallmark Christmas Movie ever

baby and crumble

xDisneyDivax wrote: »

Speaking of hot chocolate Lidl is gonna have milk frother if anyone like the idea of making fancy ones at home I got one before but I was disappointed with it so I returned it, might be different this time though.

we got one of those in argos, it's FAB. It's really great to use with the flavoured protein milk you can get now, the vanilla one heated and frothed in the machine is so simple but so yummy.

El_Duderino 09

Loughc wrote: »

PMSL, that's the synopsis to every Hallmark Christmas Movie ever

I’d say my Mrs makes me watch them but truth is I look forward to it. On the sofa with the Mrs on a cold, dark Sunday, terrible Hallmark Christmas movie. Bliss.

Toto Wolfcastle

The non-Christmas Hallmark movies have similar storylines. I love them all. I need to channel all the thoughts I have about them into something productive. Might go stand on a street corner and shout ‘WHY ARE YOU MOVING STATE TO BE WITH HIM. YOU MET LAST WEEK,’ at passers-by.

freshpopcorn

Gifts sets at Tesco!

otnomart

Today at lunch was delighted to see back in the menu at my usual place their hot apple juice with ginger and cinnamon !
Of course I had one instead of my coffee.
Soon will start making it at home.

Love reading about all the hot chocolate preferences and the alternatives.
I like to think there is a bit of Meg Ryan's Sally in all of us !

I have never seen the point in marshmallows and am not a milk fan, so usually have a Moka, or the continental version with just chocolate and water. No sugar, no milk - booze is welcome though. Rum is OK but Grand Marnier or Countreau are devine.

freshpopcorn

Littlewoods Christmas shop!

They also have the button on there website to bring you straight to the Christmas shop!


https://www.littlewoodsireland.ie/christmas.page

Autosport

I may or may not have been watching Christmas hallmark movies while I’ve been off work

TRS30

Autosport wrote: »

I may or may not have been watching Christmas hallmark movies while I’ve been off work

You’re showing all the signs of being in the right forum

CheerLouth

Traffic definitely increasing in here - I'd 10 unread threads this morning, 9 of them from this forum!

In other news, the bah humbugs are out in force! Someone on Instagram stories last night had a snapshot of the Christmas aisle in Tesco with the caption "seriously, it's September...." Well, Mary, some people like to be prepared and spread the cost :P

DvB

CheerLouth wrote: »

In other news, the bah humbugs are out in force! Someone on Instagram stories last night had a snapshot of the Christmas aisle in Tesco with the caption "seriously, it's September...." Well, Mary, some people like to be prepared and spread the cost :P

This, 100%!!
Theres no way we could leave everything until late November/December, we wouldnt have the time or the money to do everything in such a short space of time, especially as we usually have some socialising in the run up too & that never comes cheap!

CheerLouth

Exactly! We'd be stoney broke if we left it until the end of November to start! I'm all about spreading the cost but also about not being stressed out to the eyeballs running around like a mad woman trying to get everything. I like to enjoy the run up stress-free

DenMan

Tesco in Sligo have selection boxes in as well as other Christmas sweety things!

washiskin

Started my Mam's shopping off yesterday with 2 tubs of Quality Street from Aldi. It's the only way to do it, she's on an old folks pension so doing it all in one go before Christmas is out of the question.

Jude13

CheerLouth wrote: »

Traffic definitely increasing in here - I'd 10 unread threads this morning, 9 of them from this forum!

In other news, the bah humbugs are out in force! Someone on Instagram stories last night had a snapshot of the Christmas aisle in Tesco with the caption "seriously, it's September...." Well, Mary, some people like to be prepared and spread the cost :P

I love getting to work and checking to see if there are updates on the Christmas forum.

I love the taste of the bah humbuggers tears.

CheerLouth

washiskin wrote: »

Started my Mam's shopping off yesterday with 2 tubs of Quality Street from Aldi. It's the only way to do it, she's on an old folks pension so doing it all in one go before Christmas is out of the question.

How much are they in Aldi? They were 6.50 in Tesco!

DvB

CheerLouth wrote: »

Exactly! I'm all about spreading the cost but also about not being stressed out to the eyeballs running around like a mad woman trying to get everything. I like to enjoy the run up stress-free

Again, this 100%.
It makes the run up so much more enjoyable to not be stressing about getting presents & costs etc.

I suspect people who enjoy christmas plan earlier & spread the cost & reduce the stress where possible, some may not have the spare cash to start early what with schools starting back etc. but would probably start early enough if they did.

People that dont like christmas so much but accept it later in the season I'd wager leave everything until the last couple of weeks & then complain about it being too stressful etc. i.e. its a vicious circle, leave it late, get stressed, complain its stressful & promise to leave it as late as possible next year = getting stressed because you've left it too late again!

I've no sympathy:D