Layers and texture

Different coloured pebbles created this ripple effect

Layers of colour and texture in any medium can be used to create a stunning artistic effect.

I loved the ripples created in this garden path (see post of 31 October 2012) and while thinking about Blue's tasty looking Christmas Cake I had an idea...

In a glass jar I layered the dry ingredients for decadent Chocolate Coconut Truffles, alternating dark and light ingredients to create the layers.

Then I decorated the jar including instructions on wet ingredients and cooking.



Emily inspects my latest creation!


These Cookies / Cakes In A Jar make a great gift for small chefs, busy people and those annoying family members who seem to have everything. You can do this with any recipe that has dry ingredients with contrasting textures or colours.

Tip: use sterlised jars and ensure the ingredients are packed in tightly by using scrunched up foil or cooking paper. Include a suggested use by date.

Here's my Chocolate Coconut Truffle recipe: layer one packet of crushed milk arrowroot biscuits (or similar), 1/3 cup of cocoa powder, 1/2 cup dessicated coconut. Finish recipe by combining dry ingredients with 1 tin (395gms) condensed milk and optional teaspoon of rum essence. Roll into balls and chill (or scoff on the spot!)

Christmas Cake Smells

Making Christmas cake is not a tradition for me, but I thought I would give it a go this year. I like the thought of it sitting in the cupboard and having to feed it with appropriate booze til eating time.

The fruit sat on in the kitchen soaking up the rum for a day or two longer than  necessary as I struggled to make sure I was round for the lengthy cooking time (3 1/2 hours!) but yesterday the planets aligned and I had a morning in the kitchen. I took the recipe from Nigella Lawson's "Domestic Goddess" (similar to this one here) and after a quick bit of crafty wrapping with brown paper to prevent burning it was soon wafting a christmassy spicy smell through the house. Surprisingly simple really.

Making the use of the oven being on I also whipped up a lemon sponge which the kids gave a big thumbs up to -  ahhhhh domestic bliss!?

Some gifts stink!

I haven't had a stinker for a while ... but I have been thinking about things I can do with the incredible fragrant and abundant citrus fruit in my part of the world. Tangy oranges and grapefruit, vivid green kiwifruit and crisp red apples. No wonder my friends call it the Garden of Eden.

Taking advantage of this wonderful produce, I made a fruit pot pourri - a Xmas gift for a friend living in Ireland. Creating an uplifting smell throughout the whole house, I fan baked slices of orange, kiwifruit and fresh ginger along with lavender flowers from my garden. A few drops of essential oil (I used mandarin) and a shake of Orris Root (to enhance the scent) and hey presto - a gift that stinks!!!

To make the gift uniquely New Zealand, I included a kauri bowl to put the pot pourri in (a lucky find in the local op-shop).

Fragrant, frugal and heaps of fun - give it a go!

Showing Off

Last weekend we went for a day out at the Waimate North P&I Show, which was celebrating it's 170th year. The sun came out and there was a fantastic variety of things to see and do....                                                  

Animals on their best behaviour (or not!) in the show ring, sheep dog trials (how do they get such control over their dogs and why can't I achieve that with our K9?), an amazing gourmet food marquee filled with local growers and producers, stalls and rides and traditional crafts like weaving.

And then the ingenuity and skill of exhibitors was truly gobsmacking. The exhibits were housed in  a wonderful old building with an impressive roof of open rafters, the perfect setting for an old and venerable show!

Which left me thinking - what are we going to enter for next year?!

Good hair days

A snippet from my life:

I like to think that 'good hair days' do carry through whatever you have on that day.

 

So to guarantee some sunshine, family harmony and no unexpected bills, after my morning shower I got out my old cosmetic purse of velcro curlers.

And so begins the game: each velcro curler is like a wee jack russell desperately clinging to it's chew toy (the cosmetic purse). As much as you pull, the dog pulls back - usually with a small snarl thrown in just to freak you out. And it's not long before all the dogs get together fighting over the toy.

With one hand delicately twirling sections of hair I use my free hand to wrestle the curlers apart and prize them out - all the time trying to suck in my belly so cruelly exposed in the mirror and dab at the sweat running down my face.

No wonder I need a coffee every morning!

Aprons and Things

Spurred into action by the School Sunday Funday Gala, I spent a lot of last weekend baking and icing cakes for the Cake Stall. Then in a fit of madness I got pedaling on my sewing machine (well it's electric really, I only bring the hand powered one out for high days and holidays) and made a couple of aprons for myself and missy to brighten us up as we did our bit.

Then just when you would think I was totally "caked out", this morning I found myself on the internet ordering this book of Vintage Cakes by the fabulous Jane Brocket, justified on the basis that it will have lots of scrumptious recipes to make for edible Christmas gifts....

Making gifts from gifts

 

I was just turning my mind to thoughts of gifts and the approaching silly season when I was rescued by our local school gala. Nothing like a distraction for a good cause!

 

There's always a bit of work involved with fundraising, but sometimes there's an unexpected upside. After the weary parents staggered out the school gates followed by bouncing hyperactive kids I was handed a surplus tub of sliced tomatoes:

"Can you do something with these?"

A quick surf on the net revealed this tasty recipe for Tomato Kasundi. I just need to make some Christmas-y cards to put on the jars and I have my first gifts.