IF WISHES WERE HORSES

 If wishes were horses beggars would ride..............some wishes and thoughts some reasonable and some completely senseless.
  http://www.lakeland.co.uk/15636/Colourworks-4-Measuring-Cups
This is a link to Lakeland Ltd and the set of measuring cups I got for making SNICKERDOODLES. I didn't really need them but they looked pretty and came with a set of measuring spoons (that I didn't need either).

 

 I have been told that the link to the biscuits hasn't worked so I will try again.  http://buddingbaketress.blogspot.com/2011/06/blueberry-snickerdoodles.html
There are lots of other recipes that look worth trying as well - need more hours in the day. Having said that whlie I was mooching around the internet I thought of SALTED CARAMELS I have reied the ones from Hotel Chocolate and liked them and some of the recipes use them, it would be hard to get them in England so a recipe was needed. http://bakedbree.com/salted-caramels-week-5-of-12-weeks-of-christmas
I haven't tried this yet as I need corn syrup. That is now on my shopping list so I can have a go.

This is HEMISPHERE the largest sailing catamaran (currently) in the world.  It looks sort of like a juggernaut in a carpark of smart cars.  I am not quite sure what I think/feel about it.  The inside is beautiful, its kitchen is bigger than the one I have in my house, I am just not sure.  Still as this is probably as close as I will get to it I dont really need to worry.  I would love to spend some time on a luxury yatch one day - some of them are really things of beauty.  

My current dreamhouse - not the most impressive from the outside but it has 9 acres of land that includes woodland, part of the cliff and foreshore, a stream and a log cabin.  Less than a mile from Lyme Regis it has nearly everything I want.  Unfortuantly it has been sold, but who knows by the time I can afford it it could be back on the market.  http://www.vebra.com/stagsnew/property/22401161

A leaflet for BROTHER SEWING MACHINES fell  out of a magazine this week and although I am happy with the machine I have and even if money was no object the machine I would choose would be part of the BERNINA range.  But looking through it I kept thinking like it, like it and where could I put it, especially when I got to the embroidery machines.

http://www.brother-usa.com/homesewing/ProductList.aspx?cat=multi-needle#.Tr7SoPKhJv9

I am getting more interest in the items I have for sale in my ETSY shop I still need to make that first breakthrough sale, fingers crossed. http://www.etsy.com/people/dreamtimemakes . I am having fun on ETSY now I have worked out how to get Treasury lists to work and how to start my own and join other peoples circles.

I am thinking that I would like to try doing BATIK.  Now I have started to make bags I think that batik would make for interesting designs.  I have never tried it before and I do like trying new crafts.  I may ask for some starter equipment for Christmas.

They went with songs to the battle, they were young

Straight of limb, true of eyes, steady and aglow.

They were staunch to the end against odds uncounted,

They fell with their faces to the foe.

They shall not grow old, as we who are left grow old:

Age shall not weary them, nor the years condem.

At the going down of the sun and in the morning,

We will remember them.

                                                                                                          

Making a start - Christmas cards begun

This evening I spent a couple of happy hours in front of a log fire making the first of my Christmas cards.  I did a few last week but they weren't for me .  Back in the summer I decided that it would be a good idea to make some Christmas cards and give them to http://www.winghamwildlifepark.co.uk in kent to sell in their shop using pictures of their animals.  Having opened my Etsy shop it occured to me that I could use my good deed as advertising by putting my logo on the backs of the cards.  I set myself a target of two dozen A6 cards for them.

Today I was making ones for friends and famuly.  In the past I have managed to get organising Christmas a bit muddled.  I will have all my presents wrapped but no cards made let alone written.  As some have to go overseas this is not sensible.  So this year I WILL BE ORGANISED - maybe. 

It is also the time of year when the card and papercraft magazines have their big competitions, every year I mean to enter and somehow miss the deadline. I like the challenge of producing things of a high enough standard to be considered.  There are some very talented people crafting.

http://www.etsy.com/people/dreamtimemakes

Christmas cake recipe

This is my first upcycled bangle.  Chunky bangles  are so popular at the moment I thought I would have a go at doing some.  It was great fun to make.  This is a soft drink bottle with wadding wrapped around it.  Then I chose a selection of ribbons and wound them round the padded ring.  Three flowers grouped together finish it.

It took a while to get the photos for my latest bag for my Etsy shop because of the drizzle that kept coming and going throughout the day.  In the end I was getting quite worried because the light was going.  Managed to get some in the end and here is a sample.                                   
                                                                http://www.etsy.com/people/dreamtimemakes







CLASSIC BEAUTY - a 1967 Mercury Cougar.  Car of the year 1969, it is a thing of beauty.  I have kept this bag fairly simple because the car speaks for itself.

This was another busy busy day.  I put my labeled the  mincemeat that I bottled yesterday and put it away.

I made a batch of mixed fruit jam - some for us and some for Christmas presents.  Picked some more of my 'Blenheim Orange' apples, these are quite late maturing so now they are about perfect.  I ment to pick them all but after picking roughly ten pounds I decided to leave the rest till next weekend while I work out what to do with them all.

They are already in the mincemeat and the mixed fruit jam.  Maybe some mint jelly and some more apple cheese.

Naked Christmas Cakes

The Christmas cakes just before the sherry is added and they are wrapped up for a few weeks.  I love using my Grandmothers recipe for the Christmas cake, it feels right to use one that has been past down through the family.

GRAN WESTONS RICH FRUIT CAKE
1 kilo of mixed dried fruit
250g  dark brown sugar
250g butter
4 eggs
250g plain (all purpose) flour
pinch of salt
teaspoon mixed spice

Beat butter and sugar together until soft and fluffy
Add 2 eggs and beat in well, then add the other 2 eggs and beat well
Seive flour, spice and salt together
Add flour and fruit to mix alternatly
Turn into a prepared 9" round tin
Bake for 3 hours at gas reg 1 - 140degrees celcius   - 280 degrees farenheit

CHRISTMAS CAKES AND FIREWORKS

Today has been quite productive. I have got three Christmas cakes made, Got seven and a half 400gram jars of mincemeat maturing nicely and finished the bag with the picture of the '67 Mercury Cougar ready to  photograph and list on Etsy in the morning. Isorta dont want this one to sell because I want it - but I have felt this way about all of them its how I know if I have got it right.

Its lovely sitting here smelling the Christmas cake, I love Christmas. The baking, cardmaking, sweetmaking, making and buying presents, wraping presents (might get a bit fancier with that this year), making mulled wine, bringing out the tree ornaments that I have been collecting for over thirty years and trying to find a few new ones to add to the collection.

Tommorrow I am making mixed fruit jam.  I am going to use the Serif craft artist to design the labels.  We have friends coming rpund in the afternoon so another excuse to make Snickerdoodles.

Poor Bruce has not been enjoying the fireworks he spent some of the evening in the basement under a table.  He didnt used to be bothered by them until a couple of years ago.  There does not seem to have been that many this year - he hasnt sat sniffing the early evening air deciding if its safe to go out



         .http://www.etsy.com/people/dreamtimemakes

CHRISTMAS WRAPPING

I have been giving homemade cakes, sweets and preserves to friends and family for several years now.  Up till now I have been using packaging from Lakeland Ltd for sweets and saying I need the tin as I hand over Christmas cakes.  But while I was in Wilkinsons earlier this week I saw the potential of the plain red round tins they have on sale.  At only £3.00 for two tins they would make the perfect giftwrap (and if I get them back all the better though not important)

my tins but the red ones would work so well for Christmas

Perfect fit

I then remembered some little covered cardboard chest of drawers that I had got with a view to altering and hadn't touched.  A quick check showed they are the perfect size to hold jars of jam and chutney. So all I need to do is Christmasify them a bit.



 

As this idea of using tins as packaging really took hold it was quite a good thing that I went to Ikea yesterday.  For just over £5.00 they had sets of seven tins in various sizes.                            

so very pretty

These will be great for my truffles or biscuits.  This year I want to try making gingerbread shapes and possibly lebkuchen (my sister really likes these so it would be great if I find a recipe that she likes)

                                                                                                                                                                  I also got some of the 8x8"square mirrors in Ikea because they are so good to personalise and a very reasonable price.  I saw a link on Pintrest about transferring images onto wood and I want to give it a go.
The instructions for doing this are on YouTube  DIY wooden picture.

I have also just been given a couple of dozen jam jars which is great - my mincemeat can now be put into jars ready to mature and I have loads for mixed fruit jar and chilli jelly.

http://www.etsy.com/people/dreamtimemakes
http://twitter.com/#!/DREAMTIMEMAKES

HINTS AND TIPS FROM PINTREST

I know I have been goning on a lot about PINTEREST and I know mostly I am spending time there that could be better spent. BUT firstly there were all the recipes that I want to try , then there all the links to wonderful blogs, there was the amazing interest in my mincemeat recipe and now I have found alsorts of crafting tips and ideas.


So now I don't feel quite as bad about my addiction. 

New design.

Bruce doing one of the things he does best.  I think you have to be a cat to be totally relaxed.

A new idea for a bag design kinda threw itself at me on Sunday while I was stuck underneath the cat ( he refused to get off because he didnt like the strangers who were fitting a new front door). So with laptop by my side I layered seven different photos using SERIF DAISY TRAIL scrapbooking program.  I altered the transparency to give a misty other worldy look to it and so all the layers could be seen.  It took most of the morning but I am quite pleased with the end result.  I have tweeked the pictures with a bit of flower soft, stamping, paint, metallic rub and a few cogs and watch parts.  Just waiting for the glue to dry now so I can laminate it. I am going edge this one with some black lace round the top and braid ribbons into the handles.  I think it has a twilighty feel to it so thats its title.

I got the mincemeat made today.  It needs a bit of time to mature so has really to be done at the begining of november.  

Not all of it gets used in mince pies I have a lovely recipe for a traybake called MINCEMEAT SQUARES. 

The recipe I use is from THE GOOD HOUSEKEEPING COMPLETE BOOK OF HOME PRESERVING. It was published in 1981 but I noticed the other day my most used cookery books are the oldest.



RECIPE FOR RICH MINCEMEAT

500g Currants
500g  Sultanas
500g Raisins
250g Mixed peel
250g cooking apples - peeled, cored, and grated
100g Blanched almonds - chopped
500g Soft dark brown sugar
175g Shredded suet
1 level teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 level teaspoon ground cinnamon
grated rind of 1 lemon
grated rind of 1 orange
300ml Brandy

PLACE the dried fruit, peel, apples and almonds in a large bowl. Add the sugar, suet, spices, lemon and orange rind and juice and the brandy - mix all the ingredients together thoroughly.  Cover the mincemeat and leave to stand for two days.  Stir well and put into sterile jars, cover as for jam. 


ALLOW at least two weeks to mature before using.


makes about 2.75kg


This time I changed things slightly - I always use vegtable suet because so many of my friends are Vegetarian and its easier that way, I used flaked almonds and only about 80g of peel, I used 170g of glace cherries to make the weight up.

I think it tastes nice now but it gets better and better the longer it is left.

cookery book covers before being laminated

  The other thing I did today was to print the covers for the cookery books I am making for Christmas.