NEW YEARS EVE

I was about to take down the Christmas Branch when I thought I'd take a photo. I had to open the back door to try to get more light in and the breeze kept making the birds move. I kept the decorations very simple this year (less to pack away). What to knit next? a fast moving throw for me? or the zip up vest from Yarn Magazine for Dan or my Brother. Tonight I'm knitting a couple of dish cloths, though the cotton was expensive so I think I'll call them face washers and put one in Mum's birthday goody bag.

PIPARKAKUT CHRISTMAS BISCUITS

These biscuits are thin, crunchy and very spicy. The sugar content is high so they burn easily, I've found that working with smaller sections easier to handle and I roll them out between two sheets of plastic.

PIPARKAKUT

1 cup brown sugar
3 tbsp dark syrup
1\2 cup water
200g unsalted butter
2 tbsp cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger
1\2 tbsp ground cloves
2 tsp ground cardamom
zest of one orange
2 tsp baking soda-
(bicarbonate of soda)
4 cups plain flour-
(all-purpose)

Melt sugar, syrup and water in a saucepan.
Place butter, spices and orange zest in a large mixing bowl, add the melted mixture.
Stir until the the butter has melted.
Allow to cool.
Blend baking soda together with the flour.
Quickly mix the ingredients to a smooth dough.
Wrap in plastic and let rest overnight in fridge.
Lightly roll portions of the dough with a rolling pin.
Cut out shapes with cookie cutters.
Place the biscuits on silicon/baking paper.
Bake the biscuits at 200-220 C degrees for 5-8 minutes, middle shelf.
Check the biscuits while baking as they BURN EASILY!

My oven is a little temperamental so I have to stand watch right next to the oven for every batch. So I usually make them at night when it's cool and it helps to turn the tray about half way through the cooking time.
I finished Mum's throw at 1.00 am Christmas morning. This is the first year I've included handmade presents and Mum and Dad seemed to really like them. The colours of the mohair gave her skin a pink glow but not old lady pink. Then on Boxing Day I spent most of the day sleeping and I'm still tired.

NEW CHRISTMAS DECORATION

I'm almost ready for Christmas! there's still the sewing in the ends of Mum's throw/yurt. I think it's now taller than me! I'll have to get someone to hold it up so I can take a photo. To night in between doing the last few bits and pieces I'll make the Piparkakut biscuits (Finnish ginger/spice). Last year I was still baking at 11.00am Christmas day. Each year I like to buy one new Christmas decoration, this year I found this lovely candle mobile at kiki.k . When we lived in Sydney my family grew up best friends with a Finnish family called the Larkso's so we would have two Christmas's a Scandinavian one on Christmas eve then our more Anglo one the next Day.

DUCKCLOTH FABRIC

I've found a really nice online fabric blog/ shop called duckcloth . I found the scooter piece on sale and the Christmas panel I just couldn't resist. The red scooter has a more natural linen colour and there's two full repeats of the pattern. The Christmas panel is crisp and bright, not like my bad photo. What to make? the scooter will be a drawstring bag for a friend (she rides a scooter) and I'll make two little Santa Stockings with the Christmas panel.

THE ALL ORGANIC FARM

Today is an exciting day! we have just had our first box of organic goodies home delivered from The All Organic Farm. I spent $51.29 and as you can see apart from the fruit and veg there's also Elgar Farm unsalted butter and mozzarella, Sunday Hill blueberry jam, a large jar of tomato puree and a huge bunch of fresh herbs. Ive always had a vegetable garden but this house has three large native trees and a real problem with ants so I'm limited to pots.

BEETROOT RELISH

BEETROOT RELISH

INGREDIENTS
400 g grated beetroot
175 g grated green apple
1\2 red onion diced

1\2 cup white wine vinegar

1\2 cup balsamic vinegar
1\2 cup brown sugar

1 tbsp lemon juice

1\2 teasp Dijon mustard

METHOD
Heat a splash of oil in a large saucepan and saute onion until transparent. Add all of the other ingredients, cook on the lowest heat for two hours until it resembles jam, then cool.

FAVORITE CHRISTMAS DECORATIONS

This is one of my favorite Christmas decorations I've collected twelve of them over two years from Habitat during their Christmas sales. Each year I used to do a different colour scheme but for the last couple it's been red, white and silver. One year green, white and silver would be nice but then my red birds might get upset. I wish we had a white Christmas tree but they are just to expensive. Mine is homemade from dead branches painted white it doesn't look as even as the shop ones but it still does the job. This year all white fairy lights are on my shopping list the wires need to be white as well.

CHRISTMAS BALLS

I found the Christmas Bauble pattern on a site called canadianliving.com the pattern is actually from the book Handknit Holidays by Leigh Radford, and the pattern is Christmas Ornament. This is the larger size with an attempt at embroidery I think more practice is needed before I can give one as a gift. The knitting's fine but my stitching is a little 1.00 am crazy. I used red wool first but it looked dull and flat so the idea was to find some red sparkle beads in my stash of shiny things. No red shiny beads but I found some glossy embroidery thread! how I have this I have know idea as I'm not a hand stitching person. So the effect is a raised shiny snowflake? just don't look to close.

NEW SECOND HAND COMPUTER

The 6Th December was my birthday and this was the picture from my Cat Calendar. (by B Kliban) I now have a fantastic computer with XP thanks to my Dad, he's upgraded to a brand new whiz bang Apple and very generously passed his older one to me including monitor. I'm behind with my Christmas list!!! but I've almost finished Mum's throw, this has taken forever!!!
This years cooking will be Finish spice biscuits and I've found an easy recipe for beetroot relish. I was going to make small orange & almond cakes but I haven't found the right tins, not to big or small about 20 cm wide and 10 cm tall. I like to give everyone one handmade gift as well as our traditional gift vouchers (ready for the Christmas sales).