I took it gently yesterday and was rewarded by feeling more and more with it as the day went on. I did some of rather a high pile of ironing (and will do the rest during Strictly this evening), I gave the kitchen a good tidy up, popped some washing in the machine and I went online and ordered some little bottles.
You may remember that a short while ago I made two fruit liqueurs, one damson and the other clementine. I checked the damson one yesterday and it's coming on a treat.
Anyway, I want to give some as gifts and that means nice little bottles, hence the order.
I can say in here because the recipients don't read my blog - we're having one of our girls' meals next month. It's a Christmas lunch as a local eatery and we always do gifts for each other with a price limit. I've decided to go home made and, for the limit, I can make up a Christmas treats pack with a little bottle of damson or clementine liqueur with a little bottle of sparkling something to go with it (I will have to buy that), a small pot of Jamie's festive malted chocolate drink powder (it's lovely, I've made it before) and a pack of home made biscotti to dunk in the chocolate drink once it is made up. I'm not counting the cost of the bottles as the chances are I will get them back again. I think I can also squeeze in some of my home made cranberry sauce, made with frozen cranberries, sugar, orange zest and a shot of cointreau. It's ever so nice!
It's amazing how much more you can get if you home make and none of the above is at all difficult to make.
Here's a link to the Jamie hot chocolate powder (and how to make it up into a drink).
https://www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/chocolate-recipes/epic-hot-chocolate/
Serve with a dollop of squirty cream, a few mini marshmallows and some grated chocolate with biscotti to dunk for a really special treat.
I just have to work out how to gift wrap them all.
Another thing I did was to look up how to ice a Christmas cake on you tube (lots of clips, all saying much the same thing so fingers crossed) and then some ideas for decorating. I think I will do something like one of these, but all white with maybe a few silver baubles and a tartan ribbon round, to go with the overall Christmas colour theme. I have snowflake cutters, so that's OK.
(photos borrowed from Google Images with thanks)
Today is a busy day as tomorrow is the Kitty Stitches open house so everything needs to be got ready today, I will spend the morning dealing with all the little piles of stuff in the living room and then Beth and I will be shifting furniture around and getting everything ready.
I've decided to make one more 'biscuit' (flapjack) for tomorrow. I have too many biscuits now but they will all freeze/keep so no problem!
I need to do a little shop too, for milk and squash. I have everything else in.
Jamie's hot choc mix sounds sinfully delicious! Hope everything goes well for you and Beth tomorrow xx
ReplyDeleteIt really is lovely - thick and creamy tasting!
DeleteThanks. Fingers are crossed that some people turn up!
xx
I'm interested in the hot choc mix, but I see that it includes cornflour - if you whisk it into boiling milk, doesn't it go lumpy? I'd usually mix cornflour with a little cold liquid first. I love the idea of making this up as a gift, I think I will be buying some ingredients.
ReplyDeleteI guess you could mix it in before it reaches boiling and then continue stirring/whisking.
Deletexx
I would love to make the chocolate drink but I can`t get Horlicks here - it`s banned in Canada! One of the ingredients is not approved by the health service. Maybe I could substitute something else. We do get Ovaltine here.
ReplyDeleteI would say any malted milk drink powder would do. I Googled 'what's the difference between Horlicks and Ovaltine' and the anwer was 'not much'.
Deletexx