Advent day 9: Ballon friends

We wanted a craft the boys could do with ease.

Hence, we decorate balloon characters.

Advent day 8: Mince pies

Busy weekend over.

Lots of performances, parties, cinema trips, sleepover friends, and just non - stop busy.

Somehow, it is just that time of year.

And now, we are launching into an equally busy week.

There is another party Monday night, and the house, which has become a stop gap between places, is in desperate need of a little TLC.

That isn't really the fun part of the holiday though, is it?

The cleaning and laundry.

We've needed portable, shareable type goodies this weekend.

Hence, we made mince pies,

in giant batches. 

Which you will find the recipe for here:

http://followingourrainbow.blogspot.co.uk/2012/12/mice-pies.html

and of course serve with spoonfuls of brandy cream.

Advent day 7: Sequin crafts between activities

Today was the last swimming, dance and football class for the term.

Hatchling no1 performed in her ballet show's the nutcracker.

After which, we all sat and watched the Royal Opera House: The Nutcracker (ballet).

Hence, we needed a portable craft for today.

And these are what we made.

Advent day 6: Snowy day Snowglobes

The weather has been cold and very windy.

Too cold to spend anymore time outside, than is really necessary.

Thankfully, today, the wind eased.

And hatchlings could get outside,

and burn off some of their cooped up in the house,

bored with all things indoors

energy.

Some of the ducks came out of their house

and followed the hatchlings.

Never seeming to mind being the target of many a snowball.

This guy here,

he does not accept his ducks being turned into targets.

After giving his siblings a very loud lecture, he herded the ducks to safety.

Ducks do not listen to good advice.

Hence, they were back out chasing snowballs and lying down next to the hatchlings' snow fort projects within minutes.

The hens found the best sunbeam.

Before too long the wind picked back up.

When the girls declared they were cold, I made the boys come inside to dry their mittens. (I am so pleased with these. I've knitted at least a dozen pairs this year.)

Kitties snooze by the radiator.

Today's craft was snow globes. 

Made with clear plastic bowls.

So much easier than leaky, water filled jars. 

No broken glass either. Should your three year old throw his snow globe in the air with excitement.

Happy snowy day!

Advent day 5: Gingerbread cupcakes and Salted caramel frosting

Ingredients

• 140g/5oz unsalted butter
• 200g/7oz sugar
• 60g/2¼oz treacle
• 60g/2¼oz golden syrup
• 2 eggs, plus 2 extra yolks
• 300g/10½oz plain flour
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• 1 tsp ground nutmeg
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 240ml/8½fl oz warm milk
  
  For the icing

• 125g/4½oz white sugar
• 80ml/2½fl oz double cream
• ½ tsp salt(or to taste)
• 1 tsp vanilla bean paste
• 160g/5¾oz soft butter
• 200g/7oz icing sugar

Preparation method

1. Preheat the oven to 190C/375F/Gas 5. Line two 12-hole muffin tray with 15 paper cases.
2. Beat the butter and sugar together in a bowl until light and creamy. Beat in the treacle, syrup, eggs and egg yolks until well combined.
3. Sift together the flour, ginger, nutmeg, baking powder and salt. Add half of the flour mixture to the butter mixture, then beat in half of the warm milk. Add the remaining flour mixture and the remaining milk and beat until well combined.
4. Spoon the mixture into the muffin cases and bake for 20-25 minutes, or until well risen and lightly firm to the touch. Remove the cakes from the tin and set aside to cool on a cooling rack.
5. For the salted caramel buttercream, heat the caster sugar and four tablespoons of water in a saucepan over a gentle heat until the sugar has dissolved, then increase the heat and cook the caramel for 2-3 minutes, or until golden and slightly thickened. Remove the pan from the heat immediately and stir in the cream. (CAUTION: the caramel may splutter a little when you add the cream.) Stir in the salt and vanilla and set aside to cool completely.
6. Cream the butter and icing sugar together for at least 4- 5 minutes, then beat in the caramel. When combined pipe or spread the icing over the cup cakes and sprinkle with a little extra sea salt.
7. Decorate the cupcakes with the buttercream.

Advent day 4: Crafts on a windy afternoon

The hatchlings had dentist appointments today.

After which we went to the garden centre to amble through all the pretty decorations.

That alone would probably have been sufficiently seasonal.

However, we soon saw the pretty cakes, and the festive menu; hence, we stopped for lunch there too.

Turkey, stuffing and wensleydale with cranberry paninis for the boys, and roast pork and gravy on thick white bread for the girls. 

Finished with cakes so pretty, I really ought to have brought my camera.

Little edible works of art.

Anyways,

Home we came to make the following:

http://static.spoonful.com/sites/default/files/3D-Paper-Snowflake-Christmas-printables-0110.pdf

http://static.spoonful.com/sites/default/files/christmas-train-playset-printables-1209.pdf

and these,

http://static.spoonful.com/sites/default/files/clf-3d-character-christmas-printables-1209.pdf

Advent day 3: Homemade Vanilla Extract

Homemade Vanilla Extract: The Recipe

Ingredients and supplies needed:

1/2 pound vanilla beans
1/2 gallon (1.75 liter) vodka, any inexpensive brand will do (or bourbon, or rum for gluten-free)
sharp paring knife or kitchen scissors
very clean 1/2 gallon jar with lid or two quart jars
place to store
little bottles (if making gifts)

Method:

The ratio of beans to alcohol according to this excellent tutorial is about 8 vanilla beans (1 ounce) for each cup vodka. A half gallon is 8 cups, so that will be your entire half pound (8 ounces) or about 64 beans.

Honestly though, you can use a little less, up to half (32 beans), and still have excellent vanilla. Other sources used 32-40 beans per half gallon.  Frugal and faster. Sounds good! You can also put your jars in the sun on warm days to speed up the extraction.

Make sure your materials, especially the jar for extraction, is as clean as can be (running it through a dishwasher on hot with heated dry should do it). You don’t want to risk weird stuff growing in your vanilla, since it will be sitting at room temperature for perhaps years.

To prepare the beans, you have 3 choices 

Cut the beans lengthwise with a sharp paring knife and scrape out the seeds, using all of the parts in the alcohol.

Snip the beans lengthwise and in half with clean kitchen scissors. 

Just snip the beans into smaller pieces so that they are totally immersed in the vodka and not sticking out the top.

Any of the methods work, but some believe that the more you open up the vanilla beans, the higher quality and flavor your finished product with have.

Seeds and beans all go into the jar; cover with alcohol and shake well.

For the first two weeks, try to remember to shake up your bottles or jars every day. After that, give them a good shake once a week (or whenever you bump into them in the cupboard). 

After about 6 months (or 10 or so, if you’re forgetful like me), just strain out the beans and seeds and store your homemade vanilla extract back in the jars you’ve been keeping it in or pour into dark bottles for gifts. (Really anytime after 3-4 months, you can strain the beans or pour off little bottles for gifts.)

Between the second and sixth month, you can begin to use the extract and simply top off the jar with more vodka as you go, tossing in a few beans if you like as well. It’s not necessary to add vodka, but it extends the quantity of vanilla you can make.

You can also try a second extraction with the same beans, although it might take a little longer to get a nice amber colour.

When you’ve used the beans as much as possible, you can still make vanilla sugar by covering the leftover (already used) beans with sugar, letting it sit and shaking it occasionally for a few weeks.

Advent day 2: Snowmen and Snowflakes

If I could only share the 

pride with which hatchling no5 built his snowman.

He took great care. Inspecting each cotton ball, before placing it just so.

He wasn't nearly so keen on snowflake cutting.

(His snowman is the one on the far right. Pretty good for a 1 year old, eh!)

I've not had time to stick up snowflakes, as the girls had a girl guides party to attend.

Nonetheless, it feels much more wintery in the conservatory.

Happy December 2nd.

Advent day 1: Our advent calendar

Yay! It's December 1st!

The hatchlings have only been waiting for December, since June January.

I know I have been a poor blogger, but this month I will post every day.

We have lots of homemade gifts, crafts and holiday treats to make.

I'd like to keep a bit of a family diary of these things; as well as, sharing them with you.

Not to mention, just to keep a little record of what will be a very busy month.

All together the hatchlings have 7 Christmas parties to attend, 3 separate concerts/ performances to take part in, all alongside a dozen other holiday events.

Have I ever mentioned the sheer stupidity of scheduling your children's routine dentist appointments in December? It means that for some bizarre reason, they always fall smack dab in the middle of the busiest week, of the whole year.

Anyways, we have been decorating.

I know it is only just December.

You see, I have been asked 3,000 times since Halloween if we could PLEASE put the tree up yet?!

Hence, I relent.

This fellow has been busy wrapping all his trains to put under the tree.

And these girls have made roughly 40m of paper chains.

Last but not least, today, we begin with the first day of our advent calendar. 

Years ago, I made little blue velour sacks, tied with gold rope.

Into each of these sacks, I put five treats, for five hatchlings.

They take turns opening them and being the one to share out the treats. 

This year I had a new idea.

I bought a puzzle.

The one pictured above.

So cute. All 500 pieces of it.

Last night, I worked hard at assembling the whole thing. So that I could put the pieces into the sacks, in a logical order.

And you know what happened this morning…

Hatchling no4 opened every sack and dumped them all out.

I'd threaten him with the naughty list, but the boy has an ego of steel. 

He'd just write his own list.

After far too much sorting, we have now started this year's advent.

We are are glueing the puzzle pieces to a board.

To avoid loosing them along the way.

Which seems to be a lot more challenging than expected, already.

I share the idea; just incase, you do not have an overly enthusiastic three year old, who loves to help.

Happy December 2013!

This is why I need a bigger desk...

Even he feels crowded!