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Ho ho ho - Merry Blogmas |
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** Images For Use By Upgraded+ Only ** ** Images For Use By Upgraded+ Only ** ** Images For Use By Upgraded+ Only ** It's that time of year again!!! Yippee... Deck those halls.... Dance under the mistletoe... Get that mulled wine heating. Santa is on his merry way!! ** Images For Use By Upgraded+ Only ** Follow my antics over this festive period. It's sure to be filled with:
Shopping dilemmas, Yummy biscuits, Home-made gift escapades, & General elvishness and merriment. |
| It’s here!! It’s here!! Santa is on his way. I have already spoken to my sources in Australia and can confirm that we has already been and delivered presents, which means he is on his way here as I type!!! We’re tracking him on NORAD and according to them he is currently heading to Bambari in the Central African Republic and has already delivered well over three million presents to all the good girls and boys. He will enter the UK in roughly two and a half hours. EXCITING!!!! Today has been busy. I made it into town this morning, which was surprisingly quiet.... I may have to re-thinking this shopping on Christmas Eve thing.... I managed to get all the extras I waned and was home by 11:00, even with all the train delays/cancellations. I've started prep of tomorrow's lunch as well - the butternut squash and chorizo soup is ready for blitzing in the morning, so it's just the mountain of other food, starting with a breakfast of eggs benedict; I cheated and bought the muffins. Jodie (my niece who lives with us) packed up and left for my mum's and sisters earlier in the evening and has just arrived safe and sound, so there is one less thing to worry about. She'll be back around the 28th for board game fun. Theia is tucked up in bed like a good girl, and Guy and I will be heading up soon - it's 21:30 and I'm tired. We left Santa some mulled fruit punch - non-alcoholic as he has a sleigh to drive - and some cookies, and of course some carrots for the reindeer. The magic key is hanging from our window latch and the "Santa stop here" sign is up and visible - hopefully he won't miss us. We all opened our Christmas Eve presents and are dressed in our new PJs and slipper/socks, all snuggly warm and cosy ready for dreams of sugar plums to dance in our heads. We even watched The Grinch while sipping on mulled wined/juice with snacks. The only thing left to do is to wish you lovely people, no matter way you are, a very Merry Christmas and New Year. 2016 is coming to a close and 2017 is on the horizon, and brings with it new adventures for us all. Enjoy the festive period. Ho ho ho - Merry Blogmas, ** Images For Use By Upgraded+ Only ** |
| We're almost there people. Only two sleeps left. How exciting. Are you all ready and wrapped, or are you panicked and running around like a headless chicken? I did our Christmas food shop this morning. The shop, car park, and roads were mad.... honesty I think people loose brain cells and all morsels of common sense around Christmas. I survived the ordeal anyway and the fridge is full. there will be food on Sunday. I am going to venture into Bath tomorrow to look at a final present for Guy and to see if I can pick up a little something for my friend's little girl. Then it's just the last few presents to wrap and tie with ribbon - which is my new favourite thing. I'm going to write out all the recipes tonight so I have them to hand, rather than on my laptop. There is no way I am going to be able to keep all the ingredients, instructions, and timings in my head. Butternut Squash and Chorizo Soup I have made this soup several times and think it's perfect for Christmas. It has just the right amount of spice to make it feel festive and it’s incredible warm and satisfying. My husband loves it as well, which is a bonus as he' s incredible annoying and fussy with vegetables. I'll be making this on Christmas Eve and will pop it in the fridge until it’s needed. And if I have some left-over it will be freezer bagged up for the new year and those cold evenings. The Ingredients:  500g butternut squash  300 g chorizo, Olive oil 1 medium onion 1 large carrot 1 stick of celery 2 cloves of garlic 1 tsp cumin 1/8 tsp smoked paprika 750 ml chicken stock ¼ tsp grated nutmeg ½ tsp black pepper Salt How to make it:  Heat the oven to 180°C/gas mark 4 Peeled and deseeded the butternut squash and cut into cubes. Toss the squash in a little of the olive oil and place in a roasting tin. Cook for about 15/20 minutes until it’s soft and starting to brown around the edges. Then set to one side. Add a little olive oil to a pan and heat on medium. Chop the chorizo and sauté in the pan for about 10 minutes to render the fat. Remove the chorizo and place on some kitchen paper using a slotted spoon Pour all but two tablespoons of fat from the pan. Dice the onion finely and add to the pan, cooking on a low heat for 5/ 10 minutes until soft and translucent. Peel and diced the carrot and celery and then add to the pan. Cook very gently for 10 / 15 minutes. Once the vegetables are very soft, add the garlic and sauté for a minute. Add the spices (apart from the nutmeg and pepper) and stir for another minute until they release their fragrance. Add the squash and stir. Pour in the stock and add the nutmeg and black pepper, then simmer and cook for 15 minutes. Cool slightly and purée in a blender or with a wand blender, or pass through a sieve. THIS IS THE POINT YOU CAN PLACE THE SOUP IN THE FRIDGE/FREEZER – Just cool the soup completely before you do. When you are ready to serve simple heat the soup in pan and stir in the chorizo, adding salt and more pepper if needed. Hopefully you will love this soup as much as we do. If you can’t get hold of butternut squash, pumpkin and sweet potato work just as well. I’ve also had this slightly more textured and with added butterbeans…. Yummy. Merry Blogmas, ** Images For Use By Upgraded+ Only ** |
Snow is falling.... All around me... Children playing... Having fun... Tis the season for Love and understanding... Merry Christmas... Everyone       Well... Maybe not. It doesn’t look like we'll be having a white Christmas this year. To be honest we very rarely have a white Christmas in the UK, unless you are lucky enough to live in Scotland. We do however have wet Christmases quite a lot. The forecast for Sunday/Christmas Day is Heavy Cloud with Light Rain…., preceded on Friday and Saturday by a weather warning for Storm Barbara….. Needless to say, Guy will be VERY disappointed. He loves snow. Each year he gets excited in the hopes that some will fall. I think it’s because he’s Australian and didn’t get to see much of it growing up. The first year he was over we had a thick downpour of it - it was about a foot to two foot deep. We built snowmen, threw snowballs, and made snow angels. It was a lot of fun. It’s been very mild this year. It’s felt more like October/November all month. So to appease Guy I have bought him some “snow” for his stocking... It’s a tube of powder that turns to snow when you had water to it… I have no idea how it will turn out, and I suspect that we'll still be driving around in search of the white stuff at some point. He gets very jealous of all the pictures he sees on TV. I think he’d be quite happy to move to Alaska or Canada. Indy would be very happy as well since she is a snow dog… well sort of… she’s an Akita. We may be lucky and get some in the New Year, in January or February. That would be fun. I have a raft of boots to keep my toes warm and dry, so I'll be happy. Warm and dry that's all I ask. We shall see. I love snow when it first falls, or if I don’t have to be anywhere. But I hate it if I need to get to work or once it starts to melt and sludge, and then refreezes, mainly because I'm incredibly accident prone and usually fall on my bum…. sprained shoulders and ankles to boot. I do remember a snowy white Christmas when I was young. I’d have been four or maybe five, maybe even younger, and the hill that my parents lived on was covered in snow, and so was the yard. We had an old fashion sledge; you know, metal feet/rails attached to three thick wooden boards, and rope for a harness. My dad was wearing a huge, puffy blue jacket and was pulling me around on it. It was a lot of fun. I think that’s the first memory of him that has made me smile rather than cry. I want Theia to have memories like that. Of running around and making igloos. I have a friend whose parents live in Sofia, Bulgaria. I may suggest staying in their ski lodge one Christmas when Theia is a little older – maybe we could even take Indy. Today is my last day in the office until the 9th January, although I am officially on call tomorrow if anything goes wrong… Hopefully we can really get in the Christmas spirit now. I have my shopping list more or less written up for my shop tomorrow. I'm going early to avoid the crowds. Then it's just the final finishing touches..... My final recipe blog is tomorrow: a chorizo and butternut squash soup, which is what I'll be making for Christmas Day... It's very yummy and can be made on Christmas Eve or even before so is one less thing to worry about on Christmas Day. Merry Blogmas ** Images For Use By Upgraded+ Only ** |
| This year has been equally amazing with the birth of our little girl Theia, who has brought so much love and laughter into our home, and also sad, with the sudden death of my father a month later. This is the first Christmas without him and it’s hard. Christmas has always been a time when the family would get together. It would be chaos. There would be arguments. But through it all my dad would be there sitting in his chair rattling sweets or winding my mum up. This year he’s not. There is no way to sugar coat it. Its crappy and I hate it. There have been times I’ve found it hard to get into the Christmas mood. There have been highs – like Theia meeting Santa for the first time, and there have been lows – like realising I don’t need to buy my dad his favourite box of sweets. I guess that pretty much sums up my emotional state major high followed by crashing lows. It’s to be expected I know, but that doesn’t make it any easier, but I guess nothing will. So often we get caught up in the commercialism of it all; the presents and the indulgence, that we forget that it’s not all candy canes and sugar plums. Not everyone has an amazing Christmas. Some people don’t have a Christmas, and not because it’s not part of their religion, but because they can’t. While Christmas is a celebration, it can also be lonely and isolating, especially for the elderly, the homeless, or the ill. It’s a sombre thought – made more apparent this year by my own grief. I have already mentioned, in previous blogs, that my husband and I donate to food banks and shelters, where we can. I have found a real comfort in this this year. So much so that maybe it’s not such a selfless act anymore. Maybe I need to do more. This year is going to be a balancing act of enjoying it for Theia and making sure she has fun, and remembering my dad. His birthday is on the 4th January so it will be a muted New Year. It is a sad time and I need to be honest and feel it. It’s ok to be sad – even at Christmas. Maybe especially at Christmas. It’s a sign of how much he is loved and missed after all. Remember to hug your loved ones a little closer this Christmas, ** Images For Use By Upgraded+ Only ** |
| I'm about to head out on date night for the first time since being hospitalised at 31weeks with Theia. I'm very excited... My mother-in-law, who is staying with us for a month over Christmas, is going to look after Theia while we head out for some last minute, last night shopping, followed by a bite to eat and then the late showing of Rogue One - YAY!!! But before I disappear out the door I thought I would share my recipe for glazed ham/gammon - again them are loads of these recipes on the internet. This is one I discovered a few years ago but didn't use - I'm using it this year. It's a plum and maple glaze Usually it’s a marmalade one but I fancy trying something slightly different. The ingredients for this are simple:  cured/smoked gammon 2 onions, quartered 1 tbsp cloves 1 tbsp juniper berries 300g plum jam 250ml cup orange juice 3 tbsp maple syrup Pinch chilli flakes 90g cloves 4 fresh bay leavesPrep Work: There is a little bit of prep work with a ham recipe but it’s worth it.  Place the gammon in a snug fitting pot and cover with water; add the onions, cloves, juniper berries, and bay leaves, and simmer for 15 minutes per 450g/1lb, after bringing to the boil. Skim and discard any white froth that comes to the surface. Take off the heat and let the gammon to cool in cooking liquid, then refrigerate overnight.How to make:  Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas mark 4-5 Cook the gammon for 15 minutes per 450g Add plum jam, orange juice, maple syrup, and chili flakes to a saucepan and simmer for about 10 minutes until it thickens; make sure you stir frequently. Remove the gammon from the oven and turn the oven up to 220°C. Peel the skin off the gammon and discard, but leave a good layer of fat. Score the fat with a sharp knife in a diamond/criss-cross pattern and stud the diamond shapes with whole cloves. Brush the glaze over gammon, place in the oven and bake for 30 minutes, or until golden brown.Tip:  If you are using ham rather than gammon soak in cold water overnight before cooking it to wash away any excess salt, or poach it in boiling water for half an hour in a deep-sided pot. If you are only boiling or roasting your joint the time per cooking is 30 minutes per 450g plus 30 minutes. However, as this is a boil and bake recipe we are splitting the time.Other glazes to try  Marmalade: mix the juice of 1 orange with 150 ml of rum and 3 tbsp marmalade, then pour over studded gammon/ham. Apple and Maple: mix together 250ml of maple syrup, 50ml of apple juice, 1 tsp of ground cinnamon, 1 tsp of ground ginger, ½ tsp of ground cloves, and 2 tbsp of wholegrain mustard in a saucepan, then simmer to a sticky glaze.Merry Blogmas, ** Images For Use By Upgraded+ Only ** |
| We have bought all of Theia’s presents – apart from maybe a few stocking fillers; I mean what do you get a baby as stocking fillers? My mum always use to put a toothbrush in our stockings so I’ve bought Theia her first one, and a tube of baby toothpaste – she has to look after those two front, bottom teeth. I’ve bought her a pack of dummies, and a flashing bath fish toy, and of course some bubble bath… On the whole, we’ve tried NOT to go too mad and spend too much. I think we’ve succeeded. Maybe. I know she’ll get lots of presents from everyone else as well. My sister is Christmas mad. My mum too. There are bags of stuff in my wardrobe, and in Guy’s. Who knows where we’re going to hide it all next year when she’ll know about Santa. I may have to re-think what’s under the bed. I like the idea that you only need to buy four things – I read this somewhere once and love it:  Something they want Something they need Something to wear Something to readWell, we have all this covered, apart from the want. She doesn’t WANT anything. She doesn’t know what it means. We’ve bought her some clothes, some toys, and some books, and as she likes music and dancing (wiggling) we’ve got her some Disney tunes as well. To be honest I know she will be more interested in the wrapping paper and boxes than the presents, but hopefully she’ll enjoy the toys too. There are a few things we want to start as traditions, like:  adopting an animal each year for her - I like the idea of a seeing-eye dog, or maybe a penguin, or tiger.  building a bear – this year it’s a blue reindeer called Tinsel new PJs and slippers for the Christmas Eve box; as she gets older there will be a Christmas movie for her as well, and some hot chocolate, maybe even a mug.Guy and I have set a budget… I’m not sure why we ever do this as we NEVER stick to it. The idea is that we don’t go over board and that Theia learns that Christmas isn’t all about mountains of presents. Merry Blogmas ** Images For Use By Upgraded+ Only ** |
| Ahhhhh there is only one week left... Less than one week... Six days... Am I ready? Nooo!!! I hope you all enjoyed homemade week, or at least got something out of it. I really liked it and can't wait til next year to add for recipes and craft ideas. As for whether I'm ready for christmas, actually, I think I'm almost there. I have to pick the presents up for my mum and mother-in-law from the pottery place tomorrow, buy some pjs for my mother-in-law for the Christmas eve box, find some slippers or socks for Guy, and buy another stocking for Theia as I haven't actually got round to making one for her, but that's about it. There is still the final decision to make on the vegetables, and which glaze to make on Boxing Day for the ham. I'm still investigating the options... I just need to know by Friday morning. At least I've decided on what we're having for breakfast: English muffins with poached eggs and hollandaise sauce - yummy. I've wrapped all but two of the presents. I even tried out my ribbon and bow scheme, which actually looked really good - Guy was so impressed he thought I got a professional to do it. I still have some ribbons left so I might try it out on a few other ones. I'm looking forward to the 17 days off I have over Christmas and new year. Only 5 more working days: two of which I will be working from home. Then I will be free to relax and bake... if Theia will allow me. I also have two more recipes to hand out over the blogosphere this week; one being the glaze for the ham, and the other being my chorizo and butternut squash soup... a fab starter on Christmas day... mostly cause I make it on Christmas Eve. Not long now people... Merry blogmas ** Images For Use By Upgraded+ Only ** |
| This will make enough for a small gingerbread house. The key is to have a good stencil. You can down load lots from the internet, or if you are brave you can even make your own. Your house can also be as simple or complex as you want… it doesn’t even have to be a house. I chose a simple one. Four walls and a roof, but I cheekily added some stain glass with some melted boiled sweets. I’m currently waiting for it to set into position and I will finish decorating tomorrow. The ingredients for the gingerbread:  250g of unsalted butter 200g of muscovado sugar 7 tbsp of golden syrup 600g of plain flour 2 tsp of bicarbonate of soda 4 tsp of ground gingerYou can choose anything to decorate the house: sweets, nuts, chocolate, icing sugar… I’m going with: 2 egg white 500g icing sugar, plus extra to dust Glacier mints or any transparent boiled sweet Chocolate buttons for the roof Chocolate fingers for the wall panels and door Smarties and gumdrops for extra decoration A flake for the chimney How to make: Heat oven to 200C (fan oven 180C), or gas mark 6. Melt the butter, sugar, and syrup. Mix the flour, bicarbonate of soda and ground ginger, and then stir in the butter mixture to make a stiff dough. Roll out a quarter of the dough to about a half a centimetre. Place your first template on top of the dough and cut out one of the sections, then slide the gingerbread onto a baking sheet. Repeat with remaining dough until you have the walls and roof panels. If you have cut out shapes for you windows pop in a few transparent mints (clear or coloured) into the gaps; these will melt and look like glass. Bake for for 12 mins or until firm and just a little darker at the edges. Cool for a few mins to firm up, then trim around the templates again to give clean, sharp edges. Leave to cool completely. Mix the egg whites with the sifted icing sugar to make a thick, smooth icing. Using a medium nozzle and piping bag join the walls together; pipe generous ribbons of icing along the wall edges. Place a small bowl, or something similar, on the inside to help support the walls and allow to dry for a couple of hours. Remove the supports once the panels are dry, then fix the roof panels on. Let it dry completely – I leave it overnight. To decorate: Pipe ribbons of icing along roof in several rows and gently add the chocolate buttons; you may need to dab the back of each button to help them stick. Run the piping along the join at the top and stick gumdrops/tinytots into place. Using icing stick the smarties sweets around the edges of the windows and door. Pipe icing on the back of the chocolate fingers as well, and stick them to the walls of the house – side ways. Use three, upright, for the door. Cut a flake on an angle and then fix with icing to make a chimney. Pipe a little icing around the top. Dust the roof with icing sugar. Lay a winding path of sweets, and fix gingerbread trees around and about using blobs of icing. Your gingerbread house about a week but will last a lot longer.Tip: If the dough won’t quite come together, add a tiny splash of water. Roll the dough out on baking paper this will make it easier to slide onto the baking sheet. Make trees and people from any leftover dough to help decorate your sculpture You may need to hold the roof in place for few minutes until the icing starts to dry. Be creative!!!Merry Blogmas ** Images For Use By Upgraded+ Only ** |
| Ok I wimped out again. I’m full of a cold and have been working all day. I can’t face making a wreath… maybe on the weekend. Today/This evening we are making Christmas decoration – baked salt dough ones. There are many recipes out there, some are baked, some are non-baked, there is cinnamon dough made with apple sauce… the list is pretty much endless. This is one I used last year and seemed to work. OK I’m going to say this just as a safety warning…. DO NOT eat this dough… it is NOT edible… I know most people would know this anyway, but some people seem to have little to no common sense…. Ingredients:  Salt – 1 part Flour – 4 parts Water – 1.5 partsI use cup measurement, but can use whatever you have to hand… jars, bowls, jugs, measuring spoons… the equation is still the same. Tool: Bowl Rolling pin Cookie Cutters Baking sheet or greaseproof paper Drinking straws Paint and brushes Ribbons/string Glitter Vanish - this seals porous surfacesHere is the how to make the dough: Preheat oven to cool to moderate: 150/160 C (130/140 in a fan over, 300/325 F, or gas mark 2/3 Mix flour and salt together in a bowl and add the water a little at a time. Once the mixture comes together use your hands, and knead until the dough is soft and pliable. Roll out on floured surface to about 1/8 inch thickness. Cut shapes with cookie cutters If you want to do hand prints press palm and fingers firmly into the dough to get an impression – then cut around or use a big cookie cutter to do the edge. If you are going to hang them use the straw to cut out a small hole in the top of the shape. Place on greaseproof paper or baking sheet. Bake for about 30/40 minutes, or until completely dry and don’t forget to turn over half way through Allow to cool Once cooled decorate to your hearts content with paint, glitter and ribbon. Once the paint is dried you can seal with a craft vanish – this will help them keep for years.Tips: Do not use self-raising flour – only use plain. Add in a good pinch of Christmassy spices or oils (only a drop) to add a nice scent. Use warm water and lots of kneading to avoid the dough puffing during baking – also the thinner the dough the less likely to puff. Be patient with the baking, the thicker you roll the dough the longer it will take to bake. Slow, low and steady is the key. If you roll the dough out thick to 1/ 4 inch it will take about 60/90 minutes to bake. Keep an eye on the dough as it bakes and tweak timings as needed. Little hands upside down can be used to make Santa’s head…or Rudolph's, and fingerprints can be wonderful baubles on Christmas trees.. or just as super cute baby mementoes. Side note: I finally got round to making my mother and mother-in-law's Christmas presents at Glazed (the local pottery shop). From me and guy they both have a plate clock which has Theia's footprints all over it. I painted the numbers on etc... and Guy and I paint and "planted" Theia's feet. They actually look really cool. AND from Theia they have a tree decoration with either a footprint or handprint. They are being fired in the kiln on Sunday night so will be available for collecting on Monday - Yippee. Once I have them back I will upload photos. Tomorrow is gingerbread biscuits AND gingerbread houses!!!! Merry Blogmas, ** Images For Use By Upgraded+ Only ** |
| Originally I was going to do a blog on how to make a Christmas wreath with dried oranges and limes, but instead I'm going to write-up an extra yummy hot chocolate recipe - perfect for those cold wintery nights. I made this a couple of years ago and it was a HUGE hit. It's originally a Jamie Oliver recipe but like most of the recipes I come across I have to tweak them - I can't help it. Now I make it regularly through Dec-Feb and have a jar of it in my cupboard ready g go at a moments notice.. So here it is..... this will make a big jar of it – enough for about 8/10 mugs. The mix:  4 tbps corn-starch (cornflour) 6 tbps icing sugar 8 tbps cocoa powder 2 pinch ground cinnamon and nutmeg 200 g dark chocolate (70%) – you can use milk or white chocolate if you want a sweeter taste, but I would dial the icing sugar back by a tablespoon if you do. 4 tbps of malt power (this isn’t necessary but I think brings something extra to the mix – if you are going to use full fat milk you could easily do without if) To decorate:  20g of dark chocolate (you can use white or milk if for prefer) A handful of marshmallows Whipped cream Nutmeg/cinnamon to dust.How to make:  Grate the chocolate and add to a large jar with the rest of the dry ingredient and mix/shake together. Store until ready to use. Use around 2/3 heaped tablespoons of the mix for each mug you are making. Bring the milk to a simmer on a low to medium heat – do not boil. Add the chocolate mix to the warm milk and stir/whisk in. Leave to bubble gently for a few minutes until it is thick and glossy. Top with marshmallow, whipped cream, and/or grated chocolate to finish. Tip: I use soya as I’m lactose intolerant. I think this gives the hot chocolate and extra nuttier edge, but you can use skimmed, semi-skimmed, or even full fat milk. The high the fat content the richer the drink will be….. You can add more milk as you go to suit your taste if it’s a bit too thick for you. Switch the plain chocolate for a branded version like Terry Chocolate Oranges, or Matchsticks Try a bit of added spice with a dusting cinnamon or nutmeg to finish? Try adding half a tsp of vanilla extract for every mug you make. You could divide this out into individual jars for homemade little stocking fillers or cute additions to a Christmas Eve box.Merry Blogmas, ** Images For Use By Upgraded+ Only ** |
    Homemade chocolates and fudge are actually easier to make than many people think; for me it’s a messy business and I get chocolate EVERYWHERE, but that’s because I am a messy cook… Here are few recipes to try out. These are a little indulgent with the clotted cream, but it’s Christmas so who cares!! Clotted Cream Truffle: This makes about 30 truffles. The ingredients: • 227g clotted cream (one tub) • 250g dark chocolate 70%+ • 1 to 3 tablespoons of your favourite tipple prosecco/cassis/rum if you want a boozy twist. To decorate: • 200g of melted dark or milk chocolate • 50g of melted white chocolate • Coco powder How to make: • Melt the clotted cream in a saucepan on low heat. • Once the cream starts to bubble, remove from the heat, and stir in the broken-up chocolate; the heat of the cream will melt the chocolate. • Once it’s combined you can add in the alcohol if you are adding this twist. • Leave to set in a fridge for 3-5 hours or preferably overnight. • Once it has set, roll the chocolate mixture into small balls–size truffles – everyone’s truffle size is different so go with what size makes you happy. The decorating: • At this point the truffles will be quite warm and will need to be chilled. • If you want dusted truffles, just roll the chilled little ball in the coco-powder and then place them back in the fridge to chill. • If you want them dipped in chocolate place them on a piece of grease-proof paper and pop them back in the fridge to chill while you melt the dipping chocolate in a bain-marie (glass bowl place over a saucepan of boiling water). • Dip truffles one by one in a bowl of the melted chocolate; use a fork/spoon/chopstick to ensure they are fully covered. • Pop them back on the greaseproof paper and leave to set for another 10 minutes. • Once set, drizzle over the melted white chocolate. • Voila – yummy truffles. Tips: • Use a melon baller or two teaspoons to create the little truffle balls – this will help keep them roughly the same size and save you washing your hands so often from the melted/sticky chocolate mix. • For a spicy twist, add some minced chili into the mixture (at the alcohol step) • Or, a tablespoon of orange juice, or lime or a fresh alternative – maybe add a few grates of their zest to.    Clotted Cream Vanilla Fudge: This makes about 30 and can be stored for about a week. The ingredient: • 227g clotted cream • 275g golden caster sugar • 100g golden syrup • 2-3 drops vanilla extract How to make: • Put the cream, sugar and syrup into a large saucepan and stir gently over a low heat until the sugar has dissolved. • Increase the heat to medium and bring the mixture to the boil, stirring constantly to prevent the mixture from sticking to the base. • Boil for 10-15 minutes, until the mixture reaches 118C (the soft ball stage); if you don’t have a thermometer, drop a little of the mixture into a glass of ice cold water and it should roll into a small ball. If the mixture just dissolves, return it to the heat and cook for a little longer. • Remove the saucepan from the heat and add the vanilla. • Beat with a wooden spoon for about 10 minutes until it becomes thick and just starts to crystallise around the edges: it will look a little grainy and more matt. • Pour the mixture into the shallow tin lined with grease-proof paper. • Leave until set for about 30 minutes, and then score into squares while still warm. • Store in an airtight container.   These little beauties are great little treats to have around the home and they make great presents if you are stuck on what to buy someone. Pop a few in cellophane bag and finish with a ribbon to make a cute little present for friends. I take a tray of these to my hairdresser’s salon just before Christmas as a treat for all the girls – and they go down very well. I’ve also found that making these helps keeps me out of mischief between Christmas and New Year, at least for a few hours. Merry Blogmas, ** Images For Use By Upgraded+ Only ** |
| This idea came about when I was thinking about Theia sending her first Christmas cards. Personally, I LOVE Christmas cards. I love sending them. I love receiving them. Let’s face it they are way better than bank statements and junk mail. And they are relatively straight forward to do and great fun on a weekend afternoon with the kids – or baby. This year we made a few designs with our fingers, hands and feet – or more specifically Theia’s fingers, hand and feet. All we needed were some:  bright coloured paints paint brush and sponges to apply said paint wet wipes card - A5 card folded in half felt-tip pens.We made: Mistletoes – we used Theia’s feet and painted them green… a little tongue and cheek, but extremely cute. Santa Claus – we painted our fingers white for his beard and our palms pink for his face. We then used our fingers, painted red, to make Santa’s hat. Little fingers are perfect for his blue eyes. Rudolph – we painted our hands brown and used our finger as the antlers, then used our thumb print for his red nose. Christmas light – we painted each finger a different colour and dotted out finger prints across the page. Then we join them up using a black felt-tip pen for the wire. (we could have used leftover ribbon or string glued into place for the wire if we had any lying around.) Robins – again we painted our hands and fingers brown, using our fingers as the wings. Christmas wreaths – lots of finger prints in different shades of green, sprinkles with the odd ref one for holly berries – baby fingers make great holly berries.For all the finer detail, we used a black felt-tip pen – like the robin’s beak, or Santa’s nose and smile… Pinterest is a great place for inspiration and it has definitely helped in getting the creative juices going. Other quirky little ideas include:  Glitter designs – draw out the pattern or wording you want using a glue pen or paintbrush and then sprinkle the glitter over it. Let it dry for a moment and then shake/tap the excess off. If you do it in stages, you can add multiple colours. Think festive glittery green Christmas tree with robin red baubles, or colourful sparkly stockings. Get creative with felt. Just cut the shapes you want out using a pair of scissors and then glue into place on the card – voilà. Use up left over buttons (or buy a colourful jar). These are great as baubles and wreaths, but you can do just about any design just glue them into place and add a few ribbons as bows.I actually can’t wait until next year to try out some more designs. These might not be for everyone, but they are for us. My mum and mother-in-law are going to love them. |
| There are so many yummy chutneys out there to choose from that I’ve decided to select three of my favourites. Store these in a cool, dark place in unopened, sterilised jars, and make sure you chill in the fridge once opened. On the whole they’ll last for about 6 months. Bramley and walnut chutney This will keep for about a year. Ingredients: 1.6 kg Bramley apple, or any other cooking apple (peeled, cored, and chopped) 500 g eating apple (peeled, cored and sliced) 450 g onion (sliced) 1 red chilli (deseeded and chopped) 500 g light muscovado sugar 250 ml cider vinegar 100 g raisins 85 g stem ginger (chopped) 1 tsp ground cinnamon 1 tsp salt 85 g walnut (roughly broken)How to make it: Put all the ingredients, except the walnuts, into a large saucepan over a low heat until sugar dissolves – you may need to stir occasionally. Lightly toasted walnuts in a separate pan over a low heat – make sure they don’t burn by stirring. Once sugar has dissolved turn up the heat and boil until the cooking apples have broken to a pulp. The eating apples still need to hold their shape. This can take up to an hour. When the chutney is ready, stir in the walnuts and cook briefly. Decant into sterilised jars. Apple and Cranberry: This will keep for up to 6 months Ingredients: 500g cranberry 250 cider vinegar 500g granulated sugar 1 tsp peppercorns 50g fresh root ginger (finely chopped) 450 onion (sliced) 500g eating apples (peeled andchopped into large chunks) 1kg cooking apples (peeled and chopped into small chunks)How to make it: Add all ingredients, except cranberries, to a large saucepan and gently heat until sugar dissolves. Once sugar has dissolved, bring to the boil and then reduce heat to a simmer for 50 mins, or until the apples and onions are tender – make sure you stir frequently. Add cranberries and cook for a further 10 mins, or until just softened. Decant into sterilised jars and seal. Spiced Beetroot and Orange This will keep for up to 6 months. Once opened, refrigerate, and eat within 2 months. Ingredients: 1½ kg raw beetroot (trimmed peel and diced) 3 onions (thinly sliced) 3 eating apple (peeled and grated) Zest and juice of 3 oranges 2 tbsp white or yellow mustard seeds 1 tbsp coriander seeds 1 tbsp ground cloves 1 tbsp ground cinnamon 700 red wine vinegar 700 golden granulated sugarHow to make it: Mix all the ingredients in a large saucepan and bring to a gentle simmer. Cook for 1 hr or until the chutney is thick and the beetroot tender – you will need to stir occasionally to ensure it doesn’t stick. Once ready, let the chutney sit for 10 mins, and then carefully spoon into the sterilised jars and seal while still hot. Notes  The chutneys are ready when you can run a spoon through the mixture, leaving a channel, but there's no liquid pooling into the space. All of these make excellent presents and keep fairly well. Perfect for neighbours or work colleagues. These recipes originate from the Good Food website: www.bbcgoodfood.com |
| These are perhaps the easiest Christmas decoration to make as they can be as simple or as complex as you want (or capable of), which mean they are great to make with children. They are also very pretty and smell amazing. What do you need:  Oranges (one orange for every pomander you want to make). Make sure they are firm and fresh. Toothpicks, skewer, or a nail – anything sharp and pointy really Whole cloves. A zester or peeler. I also use a craft knife. Pins, ribbon and festive string for hanging the pomanders.How to make it: Cut shallow designs into the skin of the orange using the corner of the zester, peeler, or knife, but don’t go too deep. You can make any design you like; try swirls, or lines, maybe some stars, or Christmas trees. Once you have your designs marked out, poke a row of holes with the tooth pick and then push the cloves into the pre-made holes.To hang these pretty little decorations, you have two options: Option 1 – pin a ribbon around the circumference of the oranges – crossing twice (a bit like a present) and then tie a loop on the top. Option 2 – using a large needle, thread some festive string through the orange from top to bottom. Tie a knot at the bottom and loop at the top. Tips: These are pretty, but if you really want to jazz them up a bit more you could roll them around in ground spices for added fragrance: cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg... any Christmassy spice. You could also cover them in some craft glue and then roll in glitter to make some sparkly versions. Try using other citrus fruits such as lime, lemon, and clementine to give you centre pieces a bit of a twist.These tend to go mouldy after about 4/5 days. The best way to stop this is to dry them out by hanging them in a cool, dark place for a week. This will also enhance the smell. |
| IT'S HOMEMADE WEEK - I'm both excited and anxious about this week's blogs; hopefully they turn out ok. MINCE PIES So the first recipe for homemade week has to be mince pies. How could it not be? These little beauties scream Christmas and you can make so many variations. I was going to just give you one recipe - my short crust mince pies, but I've literally just seen another one on TV that I think needs to be shared with the world.So, without further ado... Enjoy!! Short Crust Mince Pies This will make about 16 pies Ingredients 375g plain flour 260g unsalted butter, softened (just leave it at room temp for about30/45 minutes) 125g caster sugar, 2 large egg (one for the mix and one for the glaze) Icing sugar for dustingHow to make: Pre-heat oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7. Rub the flour and butter together in a bowl until it looks like breadcrumbs. Add the sugar and egg, and mix together. Lightly flour a surface and empty mix onto it. Fold mix until the pastry comes together, don't over mix. Wrap in cling film and chill in the fridge for at least 30 minutes - 60 is better. Cut pastry in half (this will stop you from having to re-roll the pastry, which could over work it) Roll out the pastry to 2/3mm thick. Cut out 16 circular bases (10cm) and place them into a muffin/cupcake tray. Then cut out slightly smaller lids (7cm) with the remaining pastry. Spoon 1.5 tablespoons of mincemeat (see "Invalid Entry"  or buy a jar) into each pie. Brush the edge with a little beaten egg and pop the lids on tip, pressing them slightly to seal. If you have made a complete seal pop a little hole in the top for the steam to escape. Glaze with the rest of the egg and sprinkle with a little caster sugar. Bake for about 15-20 minutes or until golden brown. Leave to cool before turning them out onto a cooling rack. Finally dust with icing sugar.Orange Pastry Mince Pies- bare with me and give this fruity twist a go..... . Again it makes about 16 mince pies. Ingredients: 450g of plain flour 1 teaspoon of baking powder 120g of soften unsalted butter (extra for greasing) 1 tablespoon of caster sugar 140ml of orange juice Zest of 2 oranges 1 beaten eggHow to make: Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6 Mix the flour, baking powder, salt and rub in the butter until the it looks like breadcrumbs. Add the orange zest and mix in. Gradually add the orange juice until the mixture comes together. Turn out the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead lightly until smooth. Wrap in cling film and chill in the fridge for about an hour. Once chilled, roll pastry out on a lightly floured surface and cut out the pie bottoms and tops. Pop the bases into the muffin/cupcake trap and add 1.5 tablespoons of the mincemeat. Brush with the beat egg and then seal with the lids - cut a small slit in the top of each mince pie to let the steam escape. Glaze the tops of the pies with the remaining beaten egg and sprinkle with some caster sugar Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until pale golden-brown. Dust with icing sugar. This recipe was from the Hairy Biker - http://www.hairybikers.com Tips: Cold hands are great for pastries, as are cold work surfaces and rolling pin. If you have space on you freezer/fridge, chill a chopping board and rolling pin while the pastry rests. You don't have to completely seal your pies. I have used  star , Christmas tree, and snowmen cookie cutters for the lids. This will let the mincemeat mixture bubble up a little more, so they may look a little "more homemade" but I love them like this. You don't have to use cookie cutters - I've used two different sized glasses/beakers/mugs Try making a HUGE pie - just one and then cover it in lots of smaller stars as lids; or try mince plait/strudel. BE CREATIVE!! You can freeze some of your uncooked pies in their tins for up to three months, just wrapped in clingfilm/gladwrap Just bake from frozen for about 20/25 minutes You can freeze them for up to 3 months. You can also freeze any excess (I never have left over pies...), cooked, mince pies as long as they don't have any icing sugar on them. Again they will freeze for up to 3 months. Serve warm or cold with vanilla ice-cream or brandy creamOn side note: We finally got to the Christmas market today. It was raining, we were ALL full of a cold (seriously I don't know how many tissues I have gone through I have lost count of the packets), and it was so packed that a pushchair probably wasn't the best idea - but we did it. We perused the stalls. We had hot chocolate. I picked up some craft presents (which I actually think I could make myself... project for next year me thinks), and we got a new Bath glass bauble to add to our tree!!! Theia and I even got our photo taken in the giant snow globe, which was actually the main reason for going!! Yippee I also managed to pick up presents for my sister, brother-in-law, two nieces and my nephew using my loyalty points from Guy and I, and ones from Theia. BONUS!! I just need to wrap them now. |
We have totally bought in to the Elf on the Shelf madness that is sweeping the globe with merriment and elfishness. Holly Noelle Tinseltoes arrived in our house on the 1st of December, finding a safe place to observe the family madness away from the inquisitive whiskey of one  Indiana Di Stefano , by sitting on top of the lounge room mirror.Her job is easy this year. It’s virtually impossible for  Theia to be naughty at nine months old, she is too cute and too young , so I’m not really sure what Holly reports to Santa every night – maybe she is secretly keeping tabs on me and Guy as well. Holly will of course come into play far more next year, once Theia understand the concept of Christmas and knows about Santa, and I can’t wait to see what tasks she comes up with for Theia to complete. Maybe she will be asked to:  Sing  her favourite Christmas   song ;  Read a festive story with  Daddy; Help Mummy make  mince pies ; Write her list to Santa Clause; Make a Christmas card for Grandma; Decorate the Christmas tree with Mummy and Daddy; Donate some of her old  clothes or  toys ; or Use some of her pennies to buy food for the food bank. I have many ideas I want to pass on to Holly for her consideration. I also wonder if there will be a task every day or just every couple of days….? And how will the tasks arrive will there be in scrolls or glittery envelopes….? So many question….At the moment Holly seems content to play hide and seek around the house. So far she has been found: Sitting on the mirror in the lounge room Curled up in the Christmas wreath Climbing the Christmas tree Hiding in the chocolate bowl Reading the Christmas cards Sleeping in the  Christmas stocking Talking to the decorative birds and butterflies in the Christmas flowers Playing with Chilli and Rudey the Christmas teddies (that aren’t teddies).We have pictures of each one so far… I wonder where she will turn up next. Tomorrow marks the start of Homemade week; 7+ days of recipes and homemade gift ideas, starting things of with a Christmas favourite - Mince Pies - Yummy. So stock up on vanilla ice-cream, brandy cream and mulled wine to go with them. Update/Side Note: We went to see Santa this afternoon and it was GREAT. It's the first time Theia has met the big man and we wanted it to be special!! And it was!! We had to pay about £17 (£12 for Theia and £5 for me and Guy), but it was worth it. The garden centre we went to had a little house/snowy tree scene set up in the waiting area. We'd booked an afternoon slot, knowing it would be quiet as most of the big kids would be in school on a Friday, so there was only three families waiting - including us. When the elf came out she gave us a gold coin token and told us it was special and would be useful later on (for a present from Santa's toyshop). We followed her in and all sat down in a little theatre with little wooden benches. The elf explained that she had to go check if Santa was ready to see us (as he was very busy in his toy shop), but that in the mean time there was a mini film for us to watch about Santa and a special reindeer called Rocket. It was a cute little cartoon and Theia actually seemed to like it. Once the cartoon was over, we got to follow another elf through a little maze of animated elf scenes where they were making toys - it was actually quite cool - then we walked into a lovely tented room, and there is the corner, sitting on a lovely wooden chair was Santa. We all sat down on the huge beanbag/cushions that had been spread over the floor and listened to Santa as he read a story to us. Theia did get a little bored - she is only 9 months old after all.... so she decided to crawl and explore, but no one seemed to mind. Afterwards she even got to have a photo sitting with Santa - And there were only giggles and smiles - no tears. The elves and Santa loved her little outfit - she looked like Baby Claus. Then it was off to Santa's toy shop to pick out a present. Theia actually picked out her own. She latched on the a pack of rattles, which couldn't be prised from her little hands... She even got a little, real, Christmas tree that we're going to plant in the garden - or at least a little pot... hopefully it won't die (I may have a reputation for killing plants) and then we can have a real tree each year. We will defiantly be going back next year. |
| As promised, my Spiced Apple Punch: Ingredients: 2 litres of apple juice 3 tablespoons of honey (if necessary add more to taste) 1 orange peel - peeled in stripes 2 sliced lemons 2 sliced clementine 5 star anise 5 cloves 2 large cinnamon stick 6 all spice berries How to make: It's simple - put everything in a saucepan and simmer on a low heat for 10/15 minutes or longer - make sure it doesn't boil. Tips you could try: use maple syrup instead of honey put all spices & peels in a muslin square/spice bag & secure with kitchen string, if you want a clean liquid. decorate with a curled piece of peel or slice, or a cinnamon stick. replace half the apple juice with a dry cider and 2 tablespoons of apple brandy or a cheeky twist. Enjoy ** Images For Use By Upgraded+ Only ** |
| Nothing says Christmas like mulled wine. It’s a festive tipple that warms you on a cold winters night. So here is my recipe for it and spiced cider (don’t worry the non-alcoholic versions are on their way tomorrow): Mulled Wine Ingredients: 1 x good red wine 1 x clementine (you can use orange and/or tangerine) 1 x lemon or lime (or both) 100 g x brown caster sugar 3 x whole cloves 1 x cinnamon stick 2 x fresh bay leaves 1 x nutmeg grated (you can use pre-grated but I don’t think it tastes the same and I prefer freshly ground.) 1 x vanilla pod 2 x star anise How to make it: Option 1) You could just add it all into a saucepan and heat for about 10 minutes on a medium to high heat. Option 2) Put all the ingredients into a slow cooker and heat on low/medium for about 1 an hour. Option 3) Make a syrup using the rind of the clementine, lemon, and sugar, add the spices (except star anise), together with a little of the wine. Then add the star anise and the rest of the wine and heat: Peel the skin of the clementine, lemon/lime into large stripes – use a peeler. Add the sugar to a saucepan and heat over a medium temp, then add the pieces of peel. Squeeze in the clementine/orange juice. Add the cloves, cinnamon stick, bay leaves and about half the nutmeg. Split and add the vanilla pod (draw the knife down the center of it lengthways). Stir in about a quarter of the red wine (just enough to cover everything). Simmer until the sugar has dissolved, then bring to the boil for about 5 minutes. You’ll be left with a syrup. Keep on a rolling boil for about 4 to 5 minutes, or until you’ve got a beautiful thick syrup. Reduce to a low heat and add the star anise and the reminder of the wine. Keep at a gently heat for another 5 minutes, and it will be ready to serve.Spiced Cider Ingredients: 1 x litre cider 3 x cloves 3 x star anise Half a grated nutmeg 1 x cinnamon stick 1 x vanilla pod , halved Juice of an orange Juice of a clementine 3–4 tablespoons caster sugar How to make: Warm the cider in a pan on a low heat. Add the rest of the ingredients and bring to a boil. Once boiling, turn down to a simmer for about 5 minutes. Add sugar to your taste Serve both warn and in heat proof mugs or glasses, maybe with a mince pie… |
| I BELIEVE – I AM A BIG KID AND I BELIEVE!!!Santa is such a HUGE part of Christmas – bless the jolly old elf - and as a new parent I feel it is my obligation to introduce Theia to him. The Letter: I have just spoken to Santa and can confirm that Theia is definitely on the NICE list. He said he didn’t even have to check twice, he was that sure. He was very charming and jolly, reminded me of the letters he used to send me when I was a little girl….I explained that Theia was a little too young to fully understand  Christmas and Santa as she is only 9 months old and that this is her first Christmas. Santa was very excited to hear this; apparently “First Christmas” letters are his most favourite ones to write. He told me not to worry about writing a letter this year, but that he’d keep an eye out for one from Theia next year.I can’t wait for her personalised letter to arrive. It will even have a North Pole postage mark AND an official Santa was seal!! Santa is also going to include her NICE certificate. Yes, yes, I am fully invested in this now…. Can’t you tell. I had been meaning to arrange a letter from Santa for Theia for a while. And this morning on Facebook I saw that the wife of one of the boys I used to be in school with had posted that the letter for their little boy had arrived. It looked perfect, so I of course enquired and hey presto I was ordering one for Theia. We used www.classicsanta.co.uk. I am sure there are hundreds of these companies all over the world though. I also know there are loads that do it for free, but this was only £8 including postage, and it is super cute. I wanted something special for her first one. I will probably use them again next year, and subsequent years too, as you can really personalise them. The video: This wasn’t me. My niece actually arranged this for Theia. Again, it is extremely sweet – you just can’t help going “ah”!! It starts on with Santa behind a reception deck with one of his little elves writing in a big book; which turns out to be the “Big Book of Theia” – it’s where he writes everything to do with Theia. He even mentioned that he knew she had been trying very, very, hard to learn to walk (she’s pulling herself up on everything at the moment). It goes over Theia’s head entirely, but I loved it and so did Guy. We posted it on her Facebook page (yes, she has a Facebook page and Instagram accounts… she’s very socially aware.) so she can see it when she is older. I think Jodie (my niece) used www.portablenorthpole.com LOVE IT!!! Guy on the other hand went with “Elf Yourself” for some Christmas madness and fun. Five dancing elves jumping and wiggling around the North Pole Gift Company with the superimposed faces of Guy, Me, Theia and Jodie… even Indy the dog is in it and actually looks way cooler than any of us.Meeting the man himself: I have JUST booked this for this Friday afternoon at Whitehall garden centre. After much discussion, we decided that the first-time Theia meets Santa it should be with me and Guy, and not one of the Grandma’s – because we all know it would put the other one’s nose out of joint… Santa will read a festive story to everyone there and then Theia will get to meet him, his elves, and his reindeers . Apparently, she will also get a little present and a mini Christmas tree. She can even pat a donkey. YAY!!Cookies and Hot Chocolate: We of course have a plate ready for Christmas Eve for his cookies – which mummy needs to bake on Christmas Eve…. and a large mug for his Chocolate…. which mummy also must make…. Our “Santa Stop Here” sign is already hanging in the window, and as we don’t have a working chimney… we have our special key, which has been dusted with fairy dust, so Santa can let himself in. This year, next year, every year I know she won’t remember any of this this year, but she will have photos, videos, and other mementos, and it’s where the traditions and myth begin. Next year will be special in a completely different way, but this one is her first and that’s magical. On a side note: Our car was broken into last night - highly annoying. Nothing much was taken and there was NO damage to the car. I think there were a few coins hidden away in the centre console that were taken, but nothing else, which is lucky as Guy had left two expensive winter vests (the puff/weather proof kind) and Theia's pram was in there, which is worth... well a lot!! We only noticed because when we went to get in the car this morning the glove box and centre console were open. Some people are so RUDE and they definitely shouldn't be on the NICE list!!! |
| This blog was supposed to be on The magic of Santa; the letters, videos, and plans we have to bring him alive, but today haven't gone to plan... I am beginning to think we should just STOP planning. Hospitals: The day started off pretty chaotic. We had to take Theia to the hospital this morning after a nasty night of coughing. It was horrible. I hate seeing her so ill. Especially when all I can really do is hug her. She is now on steroids once a day for three days to try and lift the chest infection.... She is only 8 months old.... Poor baby... She does seem to be doing better this evening thank Goodness, but she is still not right. We just have to get through taking Guy to hospital tomorrow and then we should be all ok... Hopefully... No more doctors... YAY!! My Mother-in-Law: There are only ten days until my mother-in-law arrives in the UK for four weeks, and there is a ton of stuff that needs to happen around the house - of the cleaning variety. I HATE PEOPLE STAYING AT MY HOUSE WHEN IT IS MESSY. She has never experienced Christmas in the UK; its only ever been Australia or Saudi, so its going to be very different for her. I wish I could say I'm looking forward to it, I mean I am, but also not so much. Its just a whole added heap of stress and adds family politics into the equation. I HATE FAMILY POLITICS ALMOST AS MUCH AS A MESSY HOUSE. I have started on her stocking presents. So far I have a lip balm and a Christmas scented soap bar. I'm limited to things that she can either use here or that will fit in her suitcase. Guy, of course, is absolutely NO HELP. I wanted to get her a clock with Theia's hand prints on in and a Christmas bauble with her footprint - "MistleTOES" but I need to book an afternoon off work for that. I'm going to get my mother the same. Presents for the family: The presents for the rest of the family have also been on my mind. We are know down to one wages as my maternity pay has officially finished, so we are limited on what we can buy everyone. I have about £40 of Boots (shop that does shampoos, shower gels and make up etc...) points that I'm hoping to use, and about £15 points at another shop. Hopefully that will be enough to get some presents for them. They aren't really the type to like homemade gifts.... Which is annoying, but they would also freak if I didn't get them anything... Homemade week: I have been thinking of what to make in homemade week - I'm am definitely doing mulled wine & spiced cider, mince pies, and shortbread biscuits, but I'm also thinking about spiced rum clotted cream chocolate truffle, maybe even a cassis favour to. Orange, lime and cinnamon garlands are also on the cards, and maybe some salt scrub shower wash, or sugar scrub lip balm. I'll just be giving those to my friends though. I gave my first homemade present today - my mince meat. Hopefully it will taste nice. ...watch this space... My to do list for this week: place the Christmas Day food order - turkey, lamb and gammon.... book timeslot with Santa. arrange a letter from Santa. get list of addresses for cards. write said cards and post them.The final touches around the house. We recently bought two cute cushions to go in our lounge - they are winter themed: white with a print of a bear on one and a stag on the other. This made us look around the house at other potential fishing touches. We are going to do some temporary Christmas art for the lounge. We have four photo frames that don't currently have photos in them that are hanging on the wall (it's a theme in our house at the moment as we haven't got round to picking out pictures), so we are going to do snow art scenes on them using some homemade stencils, all backed off on some black card to make it pop. We now need to go shopping for MORE baubles as Guy broke one of the individually monogramed "Buon Natale" baubles that used to hang under the lounge room mantle shelf.... I WAS NOT AMUSED. Unfortunately we aren't going to be able to get an exact replacement so I'm going to have to get a few of a similar design to work in.... I was also thinking of making tiny, fake presents for the stocking that are hanging on the stairs in the dinning room... and maybe adding a few Candy Canes... At the moment half the dinning room like Christmassy and the other looks plain... I don't like it... but I will resolve this little pickle of a problem. |
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Can't wait for him to open that one!
Hope it works out well for your family. 
Something fun/silly (the laughs you get from these are the real presents, I think!)
Amazing! I'd love that! Sounds infinitely better than the pack of Swiss Miss I generally use. 
I was just thinking of making my own stash of hot chocolate this year so it's nice to see your take on this yummy recipe! Keep them coming -- you're halfway through your blogging challenge already!