we didn't let you down

[such_heights]

+ Thank you to oxoniensis for the v-gift and liseuse and amand_r for the holidays cards! ♥

+ Have now finished rewatching All The Avatar. THIS SHOW, I DON'T EVEN. Obviously this was all super serious research for my white_lotus assignment and not at all so I could make cooing noises about how much I love everyone and get slightly teary when there are hugs. (Given how frequently there are hugs in this show -- yeah. I have a lot of feelings, okay!) And once again people on the reading list are starting to get into it which makes me gleeful. *smiles winningly at the rest of you*

A question: if you were going to show a few episodes to someone who's never seen it before, what would they be? I'm reluctant to just do early S1 because the show gets so much better after that, but I don't want to pick anything that might be too confusing.

+ So Advent always brings out my latent Catholicism (I know, I know, really it should be Easter that does that, but it's been a while since I was a good Catholic) and I am on the hunt for some choral versions of carols. In particular, could anyone hit me up with a choral version of O Holy Night? I have lovely versions by people like Sufjan Stevens and Josh Groban but would love a more traditional copy.

+ Another request! I am looking for some more baking recipes to add to my repertoire. I do not have any fancy cooking equipment - I pretty much run to some bowls and wooden spoons and a cake tin, and I can't really afford a bunch of expensive ingredients. I am looking for things that are relatively low-carb or can be made so. I swap out sugar for sweetener anyway*, but things like cheesecakes and flourless cakes are awesome, or small things like cookies.

Chocolate Almond Cake:

INGREDIENTS:

200g unsalted butter
200g chocolate, broken into pieces (the recipe recommends a mix of plain and continental chocolate, I normally use Cadbury Bourneville instead)
250g caster sugar (I replace with 25g sweetener here)
5 large eggs
200g ground almonds

PREPARATION:

1. Preheat the oven to 190C/375F/gas mark 5. Butter the sides of a 23cm/9in spring-release tin and place a piece of greaseproof paper in the base.

2. Place the butter and chocolate in a large bowl over a saucepan of simmering water until melted. Remove from the heat and beat in the sugar and eggs.

3. Fold the ground almonds into the chocolate mixture and transfer to the prepared tin.

4. Cook in the centre of the oven for 45-50 minutes until risen and firm to the touch. Cool in the tin then transfer to a wire rack.

It is both simple and delicious!

* Because I'm diabetic, as lots of you know. But here, have a side rant about trying to get low-carb/sugar-free stuff without being subjected to really skeevy marketing. I just want some Tango without it being totally awful for my health, okay, not because I'm on a diet and "it's tastier than liposuction". D: SO MUCH DNW. There are plenty of reasons people avoid sugar, and all of them are equally valid - I'm pretty sure nobody needs that kind of advertising in their face. /o\ (I guess this is 'hipster advertising' or something.)

+ And lastly, I have a thread in the anonymous holiday love meme.

Comments

[tea]

Well, it's classic if not precisely choral, but Charlotte Church has the perfect voice for O Holy Night and I love her version. It's always been a soprano's solo to me because it was the opening hymn at church on Christmas Eve every year growing up, and it's just... that still, peaceful contentedness that encapsulates "the Christmas spirit" for me. I can send you a copy, if you like!

[such_heights]

Hey you, good to hear from you!

And ooh, I love Charlotte Church's voice, if you could send a copy over that would be fab. <3

[tea]

Question! I probably have your email address somewhere but I can't recall. PM me?

[such_heights]

such.heights at gmail!

[tea]

Sent! And hey you back. :) I am reading mostly just dw lately, mostly because it's a shorter flist, I think! But it has too many interesting people to *completely* neglect. ;)

[par_avion]

I have over 30 versions of O Holy Night on this computer o.0

1) Mormon Tabernacle Choir and
2) Classical Guitar

http://paravio.net/music/holy.zip

[such_heights]

Ooh fabulous, thank you so much!

[sophinisba]

I have some good choral music, although not that particular song. I will send you a couple tomorrow. :)

[almost_clara]

You might want to consider replacing the Bourneville with a 75% or 85% dark chocolate (Lindt is pretty good). Because the chocolate flavour is more concentrated, you would be able to cut back the amount you need in the recipe (which would be even more virtuous from the sugar-control point of view...). Adding a little black coffee might also be good.

[amand_r]

MYRRH-DER!