It's Hogmanay and I.M Jolly

I wanted to wish you all a Happy New Year with lots of happiness and joy for 2010 so I thought how will I post that....memories of Hogmanay as a child?  I'll enjoy this....

Oblongs of Madeira Cake

Pickled onions and Cheddar Cheese on cocktail sticks

Barrs Lemonade

and the amazing Scotch and Wry with the funny, funny, did I say funny already?, Rikki Fulton as the WONDERFUL Rev. I.M Jolly.

Enjoy!

Happy New Year with love, cupcakes and biscuits.

Ali X

Boxing Day bliss......or should I say recovery!

It's been hectic!

It's been mad! 

 Busy!

 Busy!

 Busy!

 Conveyor belt baking and knitting....

Christmas Eve Supper for nine, my boys' uncontained joy, Christmas Day out with family, presents which deserve their own post, comsumption of a 'loch' of wine (worried I'll soon be peeing red!), my own body weight in meat and chocolate (already!?!?), Doctor Who and a couple of weeks worth of lack of sleep.  Aah Christmas............

So by Boxing Day all I craved was a sit down, daydreams of turkey and stuffing sandwiches and knitting without deadlines!

Both bliss and recovery I think!!

X

Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer!

Ooh it's Christmas!

I'm so excited!

It's all so exciting!

There is much excitement!

If it's foggy I'll get to guide the sleigh!

My nose will glow 'like a lightbulb'!

It's too much!

I'm too excited!

I could burst!

I could wee! 

I could ..............

Ooops!

Oh 'Deer'!!!

Merry Christmas!

X

A Christmas strategy!

At this time of year I am sure, like me, you are busy! Endless lists of things to do, gifts to buy, wrap, post, cards to write.  Things to cook, things to bake, hand made gifts to make and events at school, parties, assemblies, more cards and pressies for the teachers and add to that the usual household chores and Christmas is set to be.....

 Stressful!! 

but I have a strategy.  You make a point to be Christmassy.

You use Christmassy cups

and keep with Christmassy traditions.

Bake childhood Christmassy memories

(theirs and mine) 

 
 madeira cake, 

for eating, trifle and a 'Scotch and Wry' New Year.

Make beautiful Christmassy gifts for near and far away friends.

Give your time for others to feel and enjoy Christmassy things.

 

helping the local nursery children decorate gingerbread for their trees.

(Ooh it was fun!)

Heading out to Edinburgh's Christmassy German Market

 

for rides, smells, tastes and tummy warm sights.

(I had MANY lovely photos planned but my camera batteries died- boo hoo and I wouldn't allow Hubby to steal away for more and miss the fun)  

then off for a family meal together, the most Christmassy word of all.

In all, trying to never lose sight of the reason behind the madness.

It's a good strategy!

To end, if none of the above is doing the trick, a view from my back door half an hour ago

Merry Christmas

X

Yule time bliss!!

 

A mighty, heartfelt thank you to the lovely Mrs B, a kindred spirit, for her suggestion to bake sticky gingerbread.

Christmas in a sniff and a bite!

X

Oooh Santa, I have been good, really I have!

All I want for Christmas is a fondue set.

A fondue set.

See, a fondue set.

Gee, if I could only get a fondue set....

....then I'd wish you a Merry Christmas.*

~~~~~~~~~~~

I know I could use a pot but I WANT one.  I want to pretend I'm up an alpine mountain sipping warm wine a dipping and a slurping.  Not actually skiing, I'm more of a soaking up the atmosphere type as in sitting on my bottom type, and hopefully, if I'm very lucky, flirting with gorgeous, much younger than me, men......probably best not to show Hubby that bit.  Aah, sounds good.  Doesn't it?  It does!!!  Oooh Santa, I have been good, really I have!

X

 ~~~~~~~
Thank you, youngest biscuit, for reminding Mummy of the words.

~~~~~~~

*  I don't mean this bit really, I love Christmas too much to ever take that wish away.

More Christmas fun!

Saturday afternoon was spent making our 'stained glass' biscuits for the tree.  It is one of the rare times Hubby joins in with baking and he likes to be in charge of the boiled sweeties. So the menfolk got on with the bashing in the pestle and mortar whilst I prepared the dough from the Christmas Tree Decorations recipe in Nigella's Feast.  My Hubby is very methodical and precise ("ahem...slow", she coughs) and therefore colour coded the bowls as best he could.

The boys then got on with rolling and cutting out of the dough.

My eldest, Billabong the mad, is very good at this job. I guess he's methodical and precise ("slow"!!) like his daddy.  Check this out......

He is good!!!

Youngest biscuit helped daddy place the bashed sweeties into the biscuits (no relation).

 Made sure to place a hole for ribbon.

 

The smell from the oven was amazing!

They are pretty!

Yesterday we danced and decorated to Bing and the result fills us with tummy warmth that will last into the New Year!  Ho ho ho!

 Merry Christmas

X

Fun at the Fayre!

It's Christmas!!!!

I am getting a little bit excited about Christmas now, when I say a little I mean ALOT and with yesterday being my boy's school Christmas Fayre I was definitely full of Christmas spirit.  I was let loose on the Home-baking stand and what fun, what joy, what a lot of concentration it takes to add up 20 and 50 pences over and over and over.  I just managed a few pictures before the masses decended........and they did really quickly.

 

 

 I do love a cake stand!

 

my knitted cakes- including the 'boob' 

(sorry the for the blurry photo - I was in a rush)

one of the mums made these; aren't they really cute?

 All of the above disappeared at lightning speed which is usually the way with yummy scrummy cakes and tablet.

I'll leave you with my little tigers, now don't be scared........

'raaarrrrrrrrr!'

Merry Christmas!

X

I am in love and he's not my husband..........gasp!

It is true...........

Wait till you meet him..........

We have something very, very important in common..........!

My nice postman brought him to me from the fab LimeMoose.
Last week whilst poorly I had a moment, a little happening all to myself....I fell in love.  He had to come live with me till death us do part.

Meet the Wolf.......... do not think Gladiators, you're way WAY off!!!!

I attacked the gorgeous packaging to reveal........

Look at him...........

No really, LOOK at him..........isn't he delightful and he loves cupcakes.  Do you see why it's love?  All day Wolf?  Me too, me too!

and check out the amazing embroidered picture. That Alex is talented, I'm inspired!

...and look what else

...my very own cupcake; a love token, if you will, to keep with me at all times to remind me of my beloved Wolf.  (thanks again Alex)

Sigh!!!!!

X

I made a boob..............

.....quite literally.  You'll see!!

 

An innocent iced bun with a cherry on top, I'm sure you agree!!

Until you do this.....

And people will.

The bun will be...excuse me for this, there is no easy way to describe.. handled, played with and squeezed, as in the nature of cute stuffed knitted things.

Suffice to say this particular colour combination will not be duplicated especially after discussing with Hubby and his comments about it being cold out! 

No this particular colour combination will not be duplicated!!

X

p.s the pattern comes from cakescakescakes at etsy.  It knits up wonderful Christmas puddings with the help of Little Cotton Rabbits free knitted holly pattern.

p.p.s Billabong the mad and youngest biscuit, just cause mummy is talking about it does not give you permission to make boob talk.  You hear me?? Good boys!!

It's Monday morning...........

...................and I am wondering:

1  -  Why did I volunteer to knit and bake and help set up and run the school Christmas Fayre this Friday?
2  -  How is it possible that I have forgotten that the last posting date for overseas is quickly approaching and I am thoroughly NOT organized.
3  -  Why when you clean something or somewhere it needs done again the instant (it feels) you finish?
4  -  Why other people can see my To Do List is unachievable but I can't?
5   -  Why am I on the computer blogging away when I have such a To Do List?
6  -  Why I have to write lists in the first place? 

Can you sense the mania???

I need to get some perspective!!!

The joys of porridge.......

I thought I'd join in with the lovely Mrs B in sharing the love for tummy warming porridge.  I took these photos last week on the official change over day from Weetabix, to celebrate the feeling of winter being here.  I admit first thing in the morning whilst preparing play pieces and lunches I cannot cope with anything more than gloop, something which slides down the throat and definitely no boak inducing chewing.  Every year I remember how I love porridge so.  It is a solitary (I'm the only one in our household who likes it) winter ritual...............

..........it has to be Scott's, no substitute allowed, the flavour takes me back to my childhood..........

........Piglet and me have precise quantities at the ready........

........I love to stir yet only the weekend brings a soothing turn of a wooden spoon, week day mornings are a little rushed..........

.......and always in the same bowl, only brought out for porridge.  If I see anything else in this bowl I just get confused it's not milky gloop and it has to be milky with a (quite large, I admit) sprinkling of sugar.......

...........my tummy is a happy, warm snuggley place.  I'm ready to brace the Scottish weather!!!

X