Intermission

Whoosh!  Intermission between Christmas and New Year 2012.

Happy Everything!

Wishing you all a Happy Yule, Happy Christmas and Happy Everything!  That is a bevelled edge mirror and not a double chin by the way!

See you all next year

X

New Holly Tag Design

 The holly and the ivy

When they are both full grown

Of all the trees that are in the wood

The holly bears the crown

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Christmas Bark

I have seen a few recipes for 'bark' on the Internet so I thought I would have a go at making my own version.  This recipe is for those that have a super sweet tooth!

Ingredients
White chocolate (about 200g)
Dried sweetened cranberries (Ocean Spray are good)
Freshly chopped mint

Method
Break the chocolate pieces into a heatproof bowl and melt over a saucepan of water.  Put a piece of greaseproof paper onto a baking sheet and when the chocolate has melted pour onto the sheet.  Move the paper about so that the chocolate is of an even thickness.

Sprinkle the cranberries and mint evenly over the chocolate and leave to set, then refrigerate.  After a couple of hours remove from the fridge and cut the chocolate into thin shards or into fancy shapes if you prefer.

Conclusion
The mint really helps prevent the white chocolate from being too cloying.  The cranberries add a pleasant tartness and texture.  I think it goes down well with a nice cup of coffee!

Edited:  I was going to do a whole series of Bark recipes but poor light has not done justice to my photographs so I have listed some tried and tested variations below instead.  They all follow the above method unless stated otherwise.

• White chocolate, cranberries, lime zest (my favourite!)
• Milk chocolate, rice crispies (stirred into the melted chocolate), chopped dried ready to eat apricots
• Milk chocolate, chopped glace cherries, dessicated coconut

There are so many more variations you could try including swirling different types of  chocolate together (white and dark), topping with mini marshmallows, mini fudge pieces, dried blueberries etc etc.  Go on! Give it a go!

The Nativity

I have had this nativity scene for over ten years.  It is porcelain and very well made with spaces for Christmas lights to be placed within the dwellings.  The shop where I bought it was closing down and the set was inside a dust covered box.  I didn't pay very much for it and year after year it comes out to decorate our living room.  It looks as good as new.

I like my house to look cosy and welcoming at Christmas time.  At times I like a modern, minimalist look, but when the snow begins to fall and outside temperatures plummet, I like my home to be warm and inviting.  You wont find any cold electric blue lights here no matter how much my husband likes them!

It has been a while since I featured food on my blog so I may have a sweet treat to share with you over the next week IF my experiment comes out right!  Have a lovely weekend. x

A Little More Festive

The house is slowly getting decorated for the festive season.  The tree went up and a garland went over the fireplace at the weekend.  I will gradually add to the decorations over the coming week.

I attended a personal development course today as part of a course on working in the voluntary sector.  We had to individually stand up in front of the group and talk about the personal achievements of the person we had been partnered up with.  Afterwards we were put into groups and members of the group had to say what our strengths were.  I was told that my strength  was the fact that I was very composed whilst giving my presentation.  Me composed?  I chuckled inwardly as I hate public speaking and felt very nervous about standing up and talking in front of a group of strangers.  Isn't it funny how we are perceived by others?

From now on I am going to be very 'composed' in the run up to Christmas and keep my ruffled feathers under wraps.

Quiet Time

Before the gaiety of the season kicks in, I just want some quiet time.  Time to sit and reflect on the past year, time to take walks out in nature away from bustling, eager shoppers, time to be thankful for the past 12 months.

I will quietly work on my craft projects, and quietly work alongside my fellow workers at the vineyard.  I will quietly make mince pies and quietly sample them.

I will quietly remember the laughs that I shared with a friend who now resides in a hospice.  I will quietly sob.

I will quietly go about my everyday duties and quietly give thanks for all that is good in my life.

Wishing all of you some time for quiet reflection amongst the mayhem and merriment of the season. x