210 ui December 14, 1991 @ Christmas pudding: an experience to be enjoyed by almost everyone “Hallo! A great deal of steam! The pudding was out of the copper. A smell like a washing day. That was the cloth. A smell like an eat- ing-house and a pastry-cook’s next door to each other with a laun- dress’s next door to that! That was the pudding.” —Charles Dickens: A Christmas Carol After a 150 years, Dickens’ descrip- tion of the Cratchitt’s Christmas din- ner in which the “speckled cannon ball” of a Christmas pudding, decked with a= Reflections and S Recollections uu ke cc <= = oO = < ‘Hard sauce was an essential accompaniment, and dad’s specialty. Theoretically it should be an easy thing to prepare — butter, icing sugar, brandy, wine or flavoring — he favored port wine, but I have seen more disasters in hard sauce than anything else.’ holly and haloed in the blue flame of burning brandy marks the climax of their feast, never fails to evoke a thou- sand memories of another, earlier day many years ago at home. No matter how elegant, sophisticat- ed and expensive (about $9 a pound for a Robinson’s) there is nothing to match a home-made Christmas pudding — the preparation of the ingredients, the mixing, the stirring, the tasting and the spooning, flamed in the blue light of brandy, and served with generous dol- lops of hard sauce. Hard sauce was an essential accom- paniment, and dad’s specialty. Theo- retically it should be an easy thing to prepare — butter, icing sugar, brandy, wine or flavoring — he favored port wine, but I have seen more disasters in hard sauce than anything else. His were always perfect — sweetish but not too sweet, insinuating and silky — a delicate compliment to each savory spoonful of the pudding. Of course, we had to be a bit careful in the eating of the treat in order to avoid biting one of the favors that siness CASTLEGAR FO CHAMBER OF IENTRE COMMERCE 365-6313 1955-6th Ave., Castlegar VIN 487 presents a CHRISTMAS PROGRAM FOR EVERYONE December 15-7p.m. & Sunday School Christmas Concent "Christmas is a Time to Love” Director: Judy Runions December 22 — 7 p.m. West Kootenay National Exhibition Centre enter across from Castlegar Airport Festive measures A selection of fine gifts for Christmas handcrafted by Canadian Artists! + Pottery - Weaving + Wood - Metal Specially Scented mother had concealed therein — nick- les (the small, old fashioned silver ones), maybe the occasional dime, rings and other symbolic tokens as predi Celtic cornucopia symbolizing fertility and abundance. The gruel mixture it contained was, in later times, sweet- of the future and the source of much immediate merriment and a little ap- prehension (you could low one and remain in ignorance of your fate) at the table. After Christmas, the pudding, now as firm as Christmas cake, would be sliced, sauteed in butter to a light crisp glaze on the outside and again served with hard sauce. A second delight! Or was that some Charter peculiarity? Amazing, the extravagant richness one can get away with in the days of one’s youth; but no more. I was just reading an article in the latest edition of British Heritage which opens with: If someone in your family makes Christmas pudding, you have probably been asked to stir the mixture and make a wish. If so, you have un- knowingly performed an ancient ritu- al, for the idea of moving in a clockwise or “sunwise” direction to bring good luck is a belief that stretches back to the time when our ancestors wor- shipped the sun. For me, it brings another memory to the fore, when all of us kids not only got a stir, but a scrape as well, from the huge mixing bowl. The article then traces Christmas pudding as we know it back to 1714, the first year of the reign of George I, the “Pudding King.” It’s ancestry, how- ever, goes back to Druidical times and the Calderin of Cagridwen, a kind of uild a Unique Gift Basket with ‘The Scottish haggis is a lin- eal descendent of the Christmas pudding, less the sugar and spices (very ex- pensive in early times and ommitted therefore with true Scottish thriftiness).’ ened with dried fruits, sugar and im- ported spices, plus a generous addition of ground meats, and still later with flour and suet. The Scottish haggis is a lineal de- scendent of the Christmas pudding, less the sugar and spices (very expen- sive in early times and ommitted there- fore with true Scottish thriftiness). It will be served with all due ceremony at the Legion Burn’s Night dinner on Jan. 25. If you haven't ordered your ticket yet write the date on your calendar so you don’t forget. In the meanwhile, the flaming Christmas “pud” complete with hard sauce, sinfully rich, delicious and fra- grant with memories of yesterday, to- day and tomorrow, rises up before me. A very Merry Christmas everyone and a Happy Hogmannay to you all. 10% orF 14, 1991 118 Red Cross andSafeway join” forces to help community Red Cross regional president Jea and Steve Fedorak. Safeway, toget! ciety’s Christmas Poinsettia News photo in Weir (left) meets Wednesday with Safeway’s Linda Swanson her with Jay Christensenof the B.C. Lions, is sponsoring the so- to raise funding for community programs. News Staff B.C. Lions receiver Jay Christensen is touring Safe- way stores this holiday season to promote the Canadian Red Cross Society’s Christmas Poinsettia Campaign. While Castlegar is not on his list of stops, a lifesize pho- to of the slotback can be seen at Safeway and the message is the same. “Catch the Christmas spir- it and help the Red Cross help your community,” Christensen says. For every poinsettia pur- chased at Safeway, the store will donate $1 to the Red Cross. Jean Weir, president of the society's Kootenay region, said the funds collected here will stay here. “That money stays in the Kootenay region to be used for the different things Red Cross sponsors,” she said. In addition to the blood donor clinics, the local Red Cross sponsors p! such as water safety lessons, first- aid training and emergency relief. This year’s campaign marks the second time it has run in the West Kootenay. Weir said she’s hoping it will be even more successful this year. “Last year we raised over $600 in the region,” she said. “You always wish for a higher amount than what you did the year before.” Safeway’s role in the cam- paign is as a sponsor, a role its played many times in the past, Weir said. “Safeway helps the Red Cross in a lot of areas,” she said, citing its help with the annual celebrity golf tourna- ment and blood donor clinics. “They're just very involved with helping the Red Cross.” + Jewellery - Blown Glass and More Tues.Fri. 10:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Sat. & Sun. 12-4:30 p.m. 365-3337 Soaps and Bath Oil Beads! Perfect Stocking Stuffers e Necklaces e Earrings ¢ Bracelets e Pins e Broaches ALL IN STOCK MUGS 30% OFF Our Unusual Multi-purpose Fabric Lunch Bags! ¢ Picture Frames © Assorted Mobiles Brass Candie Holders & Figurines © OPEN SUNDAYS DECEMBER 8, 15 & 22 © Weather WATCH TEMPERATURES PRECIPITATION & od00000 Normal Todate ToDate FORECAST IN MEMORY Susanna Hrytzak Dec. 7 at age 81. embroidery. Susanna Marie Hrytzak of Castlegar died Saturday, Mrs. Hrytzak was born Aug. 21, 1910 at Copeland, Sask. She grew up there. In 1936 she married Eugene Hrytzak at Dafor, Sask. In 1938 they moved to Victoria and in 1946 purchased the Gansner Farm at Taghum where they lived until moving to Nelson in 1968. She and her husband settled in Castlegar in 1970. She was a founding member of the Taghum Ladies Neighborly Club, and enjoyed gardening, cooking, crocheting and She is survived by her husband, Eugene of Castlegar; one daughter, Frances Farkas of Robson; one son, David of Castlegar; one granddaughter, Ramona Farkas of Kelowna; and two brothers, Mike and Lloyd Boyko of | Cestlecsr Funeral Chapel. Saskatchewan. She was pred Christina, in 1989; grandson, John Farkas, in 1985; one sister, Mary; and two brothers, Adam and Julian. There will be no funeral service by request. Cremation has taken place. A family service of remembrance and burial of the ashes will be held in the spring at the fami- ly plot in the Nelson Cemetery. Funeral arrangements were under the direction of the d by her d Fire fighters honored at Christmas banquet At the Castlegar Fire De- partment’s annual b eton Isfeld received the Fire Ser- vice E lary Service Medal Dec. 7, three members of the department were presented with long-service dals by marking his 20th anniversary of continuous service with the Castl department. Fire Chief Gerry Rempel. Two different medals were awarded to recognize Theron Isfeld, Colin Glendinning and Robert Dickson for their many years of dedicated service. The Fire Services Exem- plary Service Medal, estab- lished by the Government of - Canada in August 1985, is to recognize 20 years of service in any of Canada’s fire services. The second, the British Columbia Long Service Medal is awarded by the province to recognize 25 years of service in a fire service in British Columbia. Glendinning was awarded with both honors for his 27 years of service in the Oliver, Surrey and Castlegar fire de- partments. Dickson was awarded the British Columbia Long Ser- vice Medal for his 27 years of total service in the Prince Ru- pert, Ocean Falls, Houston and Castlegar fire depart- ments. He had been awarded the Fire Services Exemplary Service Medal in November 1989. As well, Ald. Kirk Duff pre- sented gifts of appreciation on behalf of the City of Castlegar to four members who had re- tired from the fire department this past year. © Receiving the gifts were Jake Koenig who retired after 27 1/2 years of service; Lind- say Anderson, 17 years; Glendinning, 13 years; Dick Braun,10 years ; and Warren Quiding, eight years. LOTTERIES LOTTO 6/49 Dec. 11 19, 21, 32, 35, 38, 47 Bonus 9 EXTRA Dec. 10 Match 6: 903657, 263172, 815146 Match 5: 99767, 11430, 68271 Match 4: 8195, 8873, 0033 Match 3: 831, 115, 078 Ready to Go When You Are! Take us Into your home... For a delicious meal! Dec. 11 52, 67, 81, 86 Match 2: Bai sy es LOTTO BC ENO The oulook for the weekend is for a chance of flurries on Saturday. 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