Allotments 4 All

.......... so is anyone else working on Christmas stuff.

With no veggies to deal with this year due to flooding I find I am really bang on up to date with some Christmas stuff.

Mincemeat is made, cakes are soaking and will be baked this week, and I have already started to work on my treats which I freeze ahead of time. I make a big selection of tray baked tiny squares ,all different flavours,colours etc(about 30 types usually) ,and pull them from the freezer in mixed batches for chomping on or for gifts.

I have started to make hand made Christmas gifts, knitting, sewing etc.

It would be good to hear what others make, especially for gift giving, inspiration from others is always welcome.

Must  remember to buy oranges to make my Grand Marnier jelly.

I am knitting a Muffin the Mule from a darling Alan Dart pattern, to be followed by some others from his range.

Working out which Gifts in a Jar I will be making and for who. Special coffees for one, soup mix for another and Christmas cookies or Brownie mix  for someone else.

With all this time I plan to make a bigger more elaborate Gingerbread house too.

So come on, share please, what are you making for Christmas.I love home made stuff and could use some new ideas.

XX Jeannine

I know it's strange, but I make most of my Christmas cards in January!!!! - well I'm still in the festive spirit then.

I'm gonna try to make some soap this year and also having a go at Marrow Rum

I love Christmas though, I'm a big kid at heart ;D

Kathi

Quote from: Jeannine on August 29, 2007, 12:49:08
I have started to make hand made Christmas gifts, knitting, sewing etc.
I am knitting a Muffin the Mule from a darling Alan Dart pattern, to be followed by some others from his range.
With all this time I plan to make a bigger more elaborate Gingerbread house too.

to my shame I've got out of the habit of making things for people â€" used to do it all the time when I was a poor student. when we first met, for christmas I made OH a little wooden cabinet to put his playstation games in, etched a Alphonse Mucha picture on the glass door and everything... the completely underwhelming reponse when he unwrapped it put me off bothering again :( ::)

please please please post pics of Muffin and your gingerbread house when they're done, I'd love to see them ;D
might inspire me to start making things again, although I won't even say the C word until it's December!

My bro made us all a hand knotted key fob last year, and my niece has made cassis and I'm hoping to be a recipient ;D. I'm going to have a bash at jewelery making,soldering metal on metal. We have rule in our family, home made or amusing and cheap.(Another brother and I have an ongoing competition to see who can give the tackiest gift- there have been some corkers ;D ;D)
What are your tray baked  squares made of Jeannine?

HI Guys,

Although i have parsnips and carrots started for christmas i dont have to worry about the christmas dinner itself.

We have a tradition of splitting the meal across 3 familys in our village.

We cook breakfast (hubbie does it) and our friends cook the meat (turkey, duck and goose) and the trimmings. As well as a starter and desert is split between the lot of us. I bake the ham and bread stuffing.

One of the familys is a fellow allotment holder so the veg comes from there plot.

We split the food up after for the next day and the meat is sliced for a birthday party 2 days later which we all cook food for as well.

In terms of gits thats something i would normaly have started on but i have not bought anything yet.

I know more or less what i want to buy people its just a matter of getting it all bought.

For example my dad (man who has everything and never wants anything) always said he wanted a good set of knives. I am going to take him for lunch in Harrods one day and bring him in to look at the knives and work out a set for him and then buy him the bag and a knife for christmas and then he will get a new knife for birthdays and christmas till he has the whole set.

Hubbie keeps changing his mind as to what he wants but will be getting a wii :)

Cambourne7

I popped into our little nursery today to get some new trellis, and guess what, they were unpacking the Christmas display!  Went to Wyvales on Saturday to get some seeds, Christmas crackers as far as the eye could see!

Rumtopf is made and full ready for the Christmas period.
Sloes located ready for gin making - all the men in the family get a bottle.
Jams, pickles and preserves all made ready for little foody hampers the children give out.
I am making an eggless Christmas cake this year, for obvious reasons, so I will wait a while before making it as it will be....ssshhh.....booze free also!  I will make some mincemeat once the sprogs get back to school, and I might make a small traditional boozy cake just for the adults.  Lots of yummy berries frozen for trifles and pies.  That is it so far.

Hi, this is the picture of Muffin the Mule  from the pattern,I have nearly finished him .

The second picture is from a book which demonstrates what squares are better then I could, it is a very North American tradition seen at all sorts of gatherings, they are all different, tray baked usually in about 9 inch square tins, then cut to about 1 1/2 inches square,some are no-baked types. some are even round. I have recipes for tons of different ones,some have nuts, coconut, cherries,  others are caramel, ginger chocolate, lemon rum etc, the list is endless, I also make several differnt truffles to mix on the trays with them. They are all differnt colours and textures and very easy to make. Most freeze well, as assortment makes alovely gift.   The trays look very pretty with a combination of colours etc on them and are so dainty. Drop dead easy to make especially with the kids helping.

I can share recipes but there are so many , give me a hint of favourite flavours and I will do my best.

XX Jeannine

thanks Jeannine for the pic of Muffin, I love him!!!
we just got our copy of "25 Toys to Crochet" in the post (I work as a book designer and we usually get a copy of every title we work on from the publisher for our work library) â€" and the photos in that are adorable: my current fave is Sir Waldorf Walrus ;D just wish I could crochet ::)

Muffin the Mule is a Federal Offense & I don't think it should be shown - not even in Watershed....it'll get Dan's site closed down ::) ;) ;D

WELL DONE TO YOU JEANNIE THESE ARE LOVELY! X

The book which I took the picture of the squares out of is called 

150 Delicious squares,by Jean Pare, from her Company's Coming range I have just looked on Amazon and their are several used ones on there for less than $1 plus overseas postage of  £2 75. This is an excellent book. I make quite a few out of this particular book, it is also on e bay but it is £5 something plus postage in the UK.

I have just bought afew of her other books from thr same series for 1p each plus the postage, another good one if you are looking is Mufifns and More also the  Desserts.

Company's Coming is a fantastic range of drop dead easy recipes , I have most of Jeans books and love them to bits.

There is a website if you want to look things up.

Best if Bridge is a similar series, but ALL the recipes from all their books are published on their site, lots of squares recipes on there.

XX Jeannine

QuoteMust  remember to buy oranges to make my Grand Marnier jelly.

Oooh, that sounds delicious. ANy chance of the recipe, Jeannine? ;D

Quotemy niece has made cassis and I'm hoping to be a recipient

Emaggie, do you think there is any chance she would let you have the recipe?

cj :)

I will mail her tonight Caroline. ;)

I will sort out my Grand Marnier one  for you

Thanks for all the info Jeanine, they look scrumdiddlyumotious.  ;D

How exciting! I love to try out new recipes and those 2 sound like winners!! Thanks both.

cj :)

Jeannine I just knewwwwwwwwww which book it was from  ;D as soon as I saw the pic. I have several of her books. I had totally forgotten I had them. Thanks for reminding me. My favs have always been Naniamo bars. So easy to make, yet very moorish. Yummy

Oh I want to make some now  :P

Lauren  :D

Hi Lauren, they are great books for this sort of thing, I love the muffin one too and the salad one. I want the pie one but I refuse to pay the earth for it.

So glad the reminder gave you a boost, my faves are

Lemon Graham   128
Magic Bars          122
Nanaimos
Matrimonial          50
Raspberry Bars    122
Cherry Almond      79
Lemon slice           48
Butter Tart bars     138
Cherry Squares       90
5 cup                       78

My book is all beaten up now, I have had it for years and it is stuffed with about another 100 recipes I have picked .

XX Jeannine

Delicious Jeannine.  I have put on about 6 Ib just looking at the picture!  Seeing that made me think of doing a Christmas cake as a tray bake, marzipaning and fondant icing the top, then cutting them up close to the big day and putting a small dec on the top.  My brain is working overtime....not good for me you understand!

well guys sorry to poop on your lovely hard work but 99.9% of my pressies come from a shop however i do make my own photograph collages for friends and family for christmas and other special occasions, i cut out varying shapes and sizes of photos of people important (pets too) to the recipient arrange them in a clip frame (the frameless type) and for special occasions i include something like an 18th gift card and those various metal confettis you can get scattered throughout, or I will print off their name and the year and include it, people love them children and adults a like very simple a little time consuming but easy to do with scanners etc have also done one for younger children with favourite cartoon characters etc