Holiday Homes Camping

A tall, green fir tree is usually the focal point of a home's Christmas decorations.Sparkly ornaments and brights lights help to make the Christmas tree's beauty complete, but it takes a perfect tree to begin the display with. There are many artificial trees on the market today that make you look twice because they look so real. They are fine to use, but if you are a traditionalist and would still rather take the family out to pick and choose a good old fashioned Christmas tree, then read on and find out how!
There is no substitute for a real-live Christmas tree standing proudly in your living room. Their fragrance cannot be matched by any bottled or canned concoction on the market. However, in order to get the best tree available, especially a fragrant tree in good shape, you must be careful where you purchase it.
Make sure the tree you choose has not been sitting at its sale location for an extended period of time. You want a fresh-cut or even a relatively fresh-cut tree that has been handled properly. Freshness can be determined by the general appearance of the fir tree. The tree should be green and not have a great number of brown needles on it. Run yourhand over the branches and watch for needles falling off of the fir tree. Keep in mind that a fresh tree will not release many needles.
To ensure the quality of a fir tree, you might choose to visit a nursery or a Christmas tree farm. At these locations, you can walk through a usually huge selection of fir trees which are grown right there on the property. You and your family can then choose the tree you want to purchase and cut it down yourself and take it home. You will know the tree is freshly-cut.

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Caring for a live fir tree is a pretty easy task. The tree should be placed in a secure stand located away from doorways, traffic areas of the rooms, furnace ducts, fireplaces, and other heat sources. Fill the water reservoir up and keep it filled as long as you have the tree in your house. Keeping the tree watered will prevent it from turning brown and dry.


If you are concerned about the environment or simply want to spruce-up your back yard, then a living tree might be the right choice for you. These trees are not cut, but rather are uprooted, and because of this, they need a little more care than a cut Christmas tree.


Once you get your living tree home, leave it in an outbuilding for a couple of days before you take it inside your house. Position it away from heat sources just like you would with a cut tree, and keep the roots watered at all times. With teh amount of roots it has, you will need to stand your living tree in a bucket or other suitable container instead of a regular tree stand.
Living Christmas trees can usually be kept indoors for about eight to ten days as long as they are well-watered. Place it back in an outbuilding for a couple days before you plant it.

Holiday Camping New Zealand

A popular, old-world fall, winter, and Christmas tradition is to serve hot chestnuts to family and friends. Roasting chestnuts over an open fire is easy to do if you follow this simple procedure.
The most important item to have when roasting chestnuts is the proper pan. Although any type of frying pan with a lid will do, you will have to modify it for roasting purposes. Specifically, you will need to drill holes into the bottom of the pan. This allows the chestnuts to roast properly. For a 12-inch pan, there should be about 25-30 holes in the pan, each hole having a 3/6-inch diameter. The holes should also be spaced apart evenly. Once you have modified your pan, wash it and set it aside. You now need to prepare the chestnuts.


When purchasing chestnuts at a store, select chestnuts that are similar in size. For a more flavorful dish, you can purchase the larger "Maroni"-type chestnuts. Bear in mind, however, that due to their size these chestnuts will take longer to roast. Once you have purchased your chestnuts and have them at home, wash them in cold water and allow them to dry. When dry, sort the chestnuts again to further categorize them by size for cooking.


When you are ready to roast the chestnuts, take chestnuts of a like size and place them into the pan ensuring that the bottom of the pan is covered in a single layer with the chestnuts. Next, you will need to take each chestnut in the pan and place a cut into its skin using a sharp knife. This is done so that the chestnut releases steam while cooking and does not explode. To prepare a cut in the chestnut, hold the chestnut in your hand with its tip facing upward and its flat surface towards you. Take a small, sharp and pointed knife and slice into the chestnut's skin from left to right making sure that you do not cut into the chestnut's meat. The cut should be no larger than 3/8 to 1/2-inch in length. Once the chestnuts have been cut, prepare your campfire or barbecue grill. If you are using a campfire, make sure that you have something to support the pan -- do not place the pan directly into an open fire. Also, the campfire or grill must be very hot before placing the pan onto it and a flame must not be present. When the temperature is correct, place the pan with the chestnuts on the grill. Note that you do not need to add any oil or grease to the pan because as the chestnuts roast they will release steam and their own cooking oils. Cover the pan and roast the chestnuts for a few minutes. After awhile, remove the lid and stir the chestnuts so that they do not roast only on one side. This process of covering, roasting, removing the lid, stirring, and re-covering must be repeated frequently throughout the roasting process. For an average size chestnut, about the size of a U.S. half-dollar coin, the roasting time is approximately 20-25 minutes. You will know when the chestnuts are cooked when they appear darker in color and if, when you remove a chestnut from the pan, its skin breaks easily making a crackling sound.
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Once the chestnuts are roasted, take a large bowl and line it with paper towels. Place the roasted chestnuts into the bowl and cover them with a cloth. The chestnuts should sit in their own heat for approximately 2-4 minutes as this makes them easier to peel. After they have sat awhile, they are ready to be eaten. Chestnuts are best when served hot and when accompanied by apple cider or fruit juice.