making and baking winter



this post is for Silverpebbles making winter, it's supposed to January, but time got the better of me....

anyway, she wrote about baking, and comfort food and a "go to" recipe, one that never fails you, a perfect me pick for a cold winter day. I was about to make a batch of rock buns, to my favourite secret seven recipe, but then I remembered that I'd already posted a variation of them here - cranberry and orange rock buns.

so I reached for my notebook of recipes and looked inside, and the striking thing I noticed was that it wasn't just full of recipes, it was full of friends.

there are Val's dottycookies

then there is Nancy's fruit and almond cake. never fails.

Lucy's lemon drizzle

and Silverpebbles portable crumble.
and then there's Sue's bread, Laksa via Coffee Lady on pinterest, and soooo many more.

so my recommendation for how to cosyify  and survive winter, take a large group of friends,
add tea, cake and chat. enjoy.


oh and just so you don't think I haven't brought any cake to the party, here's a real quickie recipe for jam buns (sometimes known as thumbprint buns I think...)

8oz Self raising flour
3oz margarine
3 oz sugar
1 egg
2-3 tablespoons of milk.
jam

rub flour and marg together to resemble breadcrumbs, mix in sugar, beat egg and add along with a couple of tablespoons of milk to make a stiff dough. place small blobs of dough onto a baking sheet, press a dent in the centre and add a small dollop of jam. bake at 180C for 10-15 minutes till golden.

warning the jam is Very hot when they have just come out of the oven. I know this as hubby stole one off the baking sheet as they just came out of the oven. and then leapt about the kitchen saying "hot hot hot.................."

handpicked. flowers, a review and a givewaway!

for the first time this year I have something other than mud in my garden! what a thrill it is to look out and see signs of life. "So far" it's not been a harsh winter, especially compared to the last two, (although I'm not getting complacent, there's time yet.............................)

Anyway check out these gorgeous little snowdrops, they make me smile with their gentle simplicity, no brash colours, or fancy frills, just nodding heads gracefully bowing.
With the encouragement and inspiration of many lovely blogs, I have really enjoyed starting the act of growing and picking a few flowers and bringing them in the house, but last year I was constantly in search of teeny tiny vases to display the few little buds that I collected.
A recent email with the lovely people at the handpicked collection has solved my display problems beautifully.
This teeny tiny little caterpillar bud vase has six little bubble like spheres, perfect for one delicate little bloom.

Product name: Caterpillar Bud Vase
Product price: £9.95
Product details: Glass. Size: 24cm x 6cm.
Stockist name: The Handpicked Collection
Stockist phone: 0844 482 9736
Stockist website: www.handpickedcollection.com

The handpicked collection have a great range of products, there are some really lovely things that would make great gift ideas for Valentines or Mother's Day or just because....  My vase came very quickly and was packaged with those disolving packing peanuts, top marks from me there.  I am looking forward to spring bringing me more flowers to fill it with. I should like to have a different flower in each ball I think.

Now for the good bit,
 if you want a of caterpillar bud vases of your own, either
a)pop over and buy one - if you're quick they're in the sale!
or
b) UK readers can leave me a comment telling me which item they like best on the website and next Friday 3rd Feb I'll randomly draw a winner who will get a lovely vase in the post direct from the Handpicked Collection.

and just because I dont show my face often, here's me, with my pretty new vase gracing the mantelpiece, so you can see how cute and teeny tiny it really is. Lovely.

happy new knitting

I think I may have fallen into some sort of time vortex as the last two weeks have disappeared without me realising, and it is now far too late to do a last year round up, or a new years aspirations post, or just new years wishes, so instead how about some happy new knitting.

I've cast on a shawl using the sock yarn I bought at the knitting and stitching show, it's supposedly a very simple pattern, that uses yarn overs to create eyelets and to increase the shape. It was all going so well till I dropped the middle marker and then put it back in the wrong place...... oh well,  I just have a unique placement of holes that's all.......

Mostly I am mesmerized by the colour changes, and enjoying watching it grow and grow.

Have you started any happy new projects?

Merry Christmas

wishing you all a very Merry Christmas

may it be filled with love, laughter and happy memories

Christmas Eve

when you are sure that your Christmas tree (stick....) is perfectly decorated,

then it is time for a brisk walk,

and a little stone reindeer making

just incase Rudolf needs an extra helper this year

an excess of cookie cutters

there was some gingerbread dough left over from the pinecones so I got out the other cookie cutters to choose a few different ones. apparently (according to the rest of the family,) it's not normal to have two large(ish) boxes of cookie cutters, and I have a ridiculously large collection of them. so many in fact that some escaped into the garden.

well I'm sorry but I beg to differ, we're going visiting tomorrow, and if I come across any cookshops I know what I'll be looking out for.

what do you have lots of, but can never resist?

gingerbread pinecones

This post is inspired by Emma's making winter and her making winter pinecone tutorial
which looks fantastic, and I wanted to make some straight away but I didn't have the clay and was too impatient to wait......

but it's ok, I have an alternative, and it allowed me to indulge in one of my Christmas passions, and make pinecones too.

Gingerbread dough!

I couldn't get the cookies to shape very well, even when warm they cracked, but I stuck them together with icing, and I have a secret weapon when it comes to decorating.

everything Always looks better when covered with the icing sugar snow!

go here to see more making winter festivities