The Seekonk
Reporter
DECEMBER 2012 Volume 24, no. 12
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Serving the Residents of Seekonk, Rehoboth and Surrounding Communities Since 1989
Christmas Plum Pudding: An Old English Tradition
2012 Holiday Guide Turn to page 76
by Leslie Patterson “Now bring us some figgy pudding,” sing the carollers in “We Wish You a Merry Christmas”. Figgy pudding is better known as plum pudding, that mainstay of a traditional English Christmas feast. (The plums are actually what we call prunes.) Some people like to keep up this old English tradition at the holidays. You can buy pre-made plum puddings from various sources but this boiled pudding is fun to make if you have the time and ambition. (You will need a metal pudding mold to cook it in -- you can also find these from various suppliers on the web.) My husband Bill grew up in a family where Christmas pudding was a beloved holiday tradition, so I have a resident expert to consult on the making of the pudding. Bill says, “I inherited my pudding pot from my Aunt Sadie, who made plum pudding every year. My Uncle Percy really liked the stuff. His father was from Manchester. The traditional sauce for this is brandy hard sauce and I was thrilled as a kid to have the opportunity each Christmas to eat anything with alcohol in it!” It’s true that this old-fashioned dessert is a bit of an acquired taste. It is like a very dark, dense fruitcake, but much more moist, and is served warm with a brandied sauce. It should be prepared weeks in advance and then on the day it is served it is boiled in a pudding pan with a latching lid inside a very large pot of water for several hours. continued on page 9...
Tis’ the Season for Giving!
School Food Drive & Charity!
Cameron Sears helps give hope and peace to others in need.
Martin Elementary School in Seekonk has worked for the past year to become a Feinstein Leadership School. Over the year there has been a focus on leadership, volunteerism and helping those in need under the encouragement of Principal Bart Lush. This year one of the boys, 3rd grader Cameron Sears, approached Mr. Lush and with the schools permission he organized a food drive (titled “Cam’s Cans”) to support local food pantries. What was once a small food drive that Cameron has done for the past 3 years in lieu of birthday gifts became even bigger this year with donations from the entire school, the PTO as well as the local Seekonk Pack 2 Cub Scouts. The fall 2012 Food Drive raised 503 cans/non-perishable items. The donated items were delivered this past week the Doorways of Seekonk as well as some to the Providence VA Medical Centers Homeless Clinic. The school is happy to support local citizens in need and to have children see the value of helping others.