Festiveness

I found this teatowel in a charity shop in Winchester, never used! Very suitable for the time of year. Perhaps I will try the pudding recipe next year.

Hope you enjoying a nice prolonged festive season!

Christmas Swapsie

Lakota over at http://faithhopeandcharityshopping.blogspot.co.uk/   organised another swap; and my partner this time was Norma (find Norma and her gorgeous quilts and sewing projects at http://rosyragpatch.wordpress.com/ ). It was great fun finding things for her!

I decided on a sewing theme, and as one of the items had to have a connection with a Christmas carol or song, I found some Holly and Ivy fabric to make a needlebook.

And here's what Norma chose for my parcel - all perfectly selected!

 



 

Norma made this lovely teacosy.

 

And this jug is beautiful!

 

 

Thanks so much, Norma, and big thanks to Lakota for another great swap, and a chance to meet another blogfriend!

Christmas Eve

I hope all your festive preparations are going well. Cranberry sauce made, and cranberry vodka, braised red cabbage with apple cooked, cake marzipan-ned and decorated, mince pies baked. House smells lovely! Christmas pudding needs two hours' steaming tomorrow, and the nut roast I will make in the morning.

To Midnight Mass later, then a hot chocolate, one present, and bed, ready to wake up early, and enjoy Christmas Day! Hope all of you do too. Thankyou for all your good wishes, and I send my best to you; a Very Merry Christmas!

Edible Christmas gifts

My Christmas gifts for the other Senior Leaders at school this year were Peppermint Creams. I hadn't made them for years, so it was nice to dust off the recipe again. I made little square white ones and green round ones. I found some sweet snowflake bags in the Poundland shop, which were perfect!

The last week of term flew by, with Carols, Celebration Assemblies, pantomime (Cinderella), and our End of Term Service on Friday in the Cathedral. Then a lovely lunch in The Ship, in Kennington Rd, and a cup of tea with Lizzie and Peggy, her gorgeous Kerry Blue terrier.

On Saturday a quick trip down to see Mummie, help her with a bit of shopping so she is all ready for Christmas.

Love this castle, made from sugar cubes, in the window of the cake decoration shop in Christchurch.



And this wonderfully imaginative sweet Nativity scene in the delicatessen, with oil and vinegar as Mary and Joseph and the shepherds, and a bread roll as Baby Jesus!

Giveaway winner!

The winner of the Christmas Cupcake book giveaway is ......... Mama! Congratulations! I'll get it off to you straight away so you can get busy in the kitchen in time for some festive culinary treats!! Thanks to all who left a comment.

Festive Giveaway!

Welcome to my first Giveaway! A little book of sweet ideas for Christmas cupcakes. All you have to do is leave a comment below and I will draw a name at random in a week's time, on Monday December 10th.

The Giveaway isn't just limited to UK readers - I will happily post anywhere!

 

Good luck! Mr sky-blu-pink will make the draw on December 10th.

Christmas cake

This Saturday was Christmas cake day! A big square one to divide up and share, and a baby round one for Mummie. They will be marzipan-ed and decorated with fruit and nuts as it's just me that likes icing! The whole house smells spicy and Christmassy already!

 

 Ingredients weighed and prepared ....

 



 Mixed, stirred and oven-ready......

 

I'll show you when they are decorated and ready.

 

How are your Christmas baking preparations coming along? I have a giveaway tomorrow to inspire you! Watch this space ............