I hope you like all things Christmas, because for all of November and December this blog is going to get very Christmassy! During November I'm having 'A Very Crafty Christmas' and will be bringing you lots of fun crafty Christmas projects. Some will be nice and easy and perfect for first time crafters, some will get the kids involved and some will be a bit more ...
Christmas
Candy Cane Brownies
I love to put Candy Canes on the Christmas tree, but we seem to forget that they're there and I've always got some leftover after I take down the tree. Chocolate and mint go great together and this recipe is a delicious way to use up any leftover candy canes. The mixture is all made up in the saucepan, so you don't have too many dishes to clean up. Candy Cane ...
Gravlax
Gravlax is a salt and sugar cured salmon that looks and tastes lovely and posh but is super easy to make. All you need to do is cover the salmon with the salt cure and leave it for a few days to cure in the fridge, then you cut it up. I prefer the taste of Gravlax to smoked salmon and when I make a batch, I do a bit more than planned and we eat it for brunch with scrambled ...
Spinach and Cranberry Salad
Well here's my twelfth, and therefore last day of Christmas. It's been lots of fun putting together all these Christmas posts and I hope you've enjoyed reading them. This salad is a staple in our house during the Summer. I get requested to make it every Easter and we often have it at home for a light dinner. What I love about this salad is that it's a great way to to use up ...
Gingerbread Ice Cream
What could be better for a Southern Hemisphere Christmas dessert than gingerbread ice cream? This tastes just like gingerbread and you don't need to turn the oven on to make it. Christmas Day is forecast to be quite hot here in Melbourne, so we will be having this as a light and cooling dessert. Gingerbread Ice Cream makes 1.5 litres* 2 eggs 2/3 cup (150g) packed brown ...
Peppermint Schnapps
Day 10 of my 12 days of Christmas...and time for a drink! Peppermint Schnapps is a lovely and refreshing aperitif and makes a nice, home made Christmas gift. I can't figure out if there is a difference between Peppermint Schnapps and Creme de Menthe, but I don't think it matters. This recipe is made using grain spirit. It's also known as Polish spirit or Everclear. You can ...
Christmas Stocking – Tutorial
I'm really picky with the shape of Christmas Stockings, and I think I've finally settled on a shape I love. These stockings are quick and easy to make up and there is no end to the options for decorating these. They can be made from felt, burlap, Christmas fabric, velvet, old felted wool sweaters...the list goes on. Christmas Stocking You'll need: Main fabric - approx 40 x 60 ...
White Chocolate Christmas Cake
I first saw this recipe in the Sunbeam Christmas Recipe book and just reading the ingredients had my mouth watering. Hubby prefers light Christmas cake, so I thought this would be right up his alley. I've tweaked the ingredients a bit from the original, but it certainly does not disappoint. I also did some more testing with the Fresh Express and grated the chocolate up ...
Glitter Letters
Well, I'm now past the half way mark and pretty surprised I've managed to keep up all the Christmas posts. Roman has a cold and a new crop of teeth coming through this week :( He likes to get them in batches, which means we don't get a lot of sleep during the weeks he gets new teeth. I'm being very productive in my down time though, and these festive crafts are lots of fun. ...
Tasty Treats for Furry Friends – Dog Biscuit Recipe
There are a few dogs in our extended family, and I always like to give them something for Christmas too. That way, I don't feel so bad when they're begging for the meat off my plate... I'm definitely not going to share that! This dog biscuit recipe is flavoured with peanut butter and they smell pretty good when they're cooking. Last time I baked these at my Mother in law's, ...
Salt Dough Decorations
Making decorations with salt dough is a fun way to get the kids involved in the Christmas festivities. If your kids are too young to make decorations themselves, like Roman is, then you can press their hands or feet into the dough and cut them out. These make good keepsakes or gifts to give to the grandparents.This recipe made enough for me to make 8 footprint ornaments and a ...
Boil and Bake Fruit Cake
On the fourth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me...four colly birds! Did you know it was 'colly' birds? I always thought it was 'calling' birds. Apparently, the word 'colly' means 'black as coal' and colly birds are actually blackbirds. Learn something new hey... Anyway, today's post has nothing to do with birds and everything to do with cake...one of my favourite ...