Showing posts with label booze. Show all posts
Showing posts with label booze. Show all posts

Tuesday, 24 December 2013

Home for Christmas 2013

In the first 24 hours I was home, I was kidnapped by my sister. She is in Edinburgh/Lincolnshire for Christmas with her boyfriends family.

SOOOOOOOOOO excited to watch Frozen with a gingerbread latte and brownie

She planned an early Christmas meal on the Sunday so we did it together...

This chappy had a nice brisk walk in the cold... We tired him oot wi all the hoose work


Nigel Slater's Christmas Trifle made by moi

One of my tasks was to draw up some novelty table decorations, was fun drawing again and considering it's from scratch it's no too bad if I do say so myself

She flew away on Monday so I was released back into the care of my parents where we cleaned the hoose, did a booze run to Mainland Stores, iced my Christmas cake, wrapped gifts etc.

My first ever Christmas cake, made by me (subtle ombré effect)

Once we wir finished we lit the fire and curled up in front of Scrooged with a dram. It's meant to be a rubbish day today (Christmas Eve) brally windy and rainy so I am hoping to get some serious knitting done even if I have to do it by candle light.

Molly trying very hard to get up on the new couch

What are you doing to keep warm this festive season?

Lead Up to Christmas

You might be able to guess from the absolute lack of posts that I haven't had much time for creative things. At the start of the school year I had surgery on my lower back so sitting up right was difficult then the new National Curriculum hit wis with a bang (I am a Maths teacher) and every spare minute was spend developing the course, materials and assessments.

It is now time to try me and dad's cider and it is very nice, dry but I like that.

I have managed to potter with peerie things over the year but disappointed that I still haven't finished my Aztec blanket (goal to finish that by end of January).

I have done another 4 rows but must finish it soon

 
For a few weeks me and the lasses would meet up on a Sunday morning and knit, I made a tea cosy from Smith & Jamieson's book... All that's left is to add a pom pom to the top.


As you may have guessed by now I feel strongly about homemade christmas gifts. I feel that now days people just give gifts because they feel they ought to but I like popping past a friend hoose with a peerie something and knowing that they'll get some joy oot of something I have spent time making. I definately do not do it just to get something back. When I wis a teenager whenever my mam and dad asked me what I wanted for christmas I would say a book, perfume or Lego... And I still do.

Festive fireplace, West End Hotel in Kirkwall

This year I had big plans for the peerie boys gifts (there are 4 of them now this year - congratulations to Gina & Robert on peerie Josie) but time ran away with me and then will be next years plan. Instead I made them some sock toys to keep their zebra's company.

Josie's first christmas gift from me ... A peerie sock teddy
 
Oliver's dad has a farm and on that farm they have a collie, so I made him a sock puppy

I also made Lucas a puppy as they have a beagle called Spencer and thought he'd like another.

Last time at was at Ryan's hoose there cat had gone missing so I made them a sock kitten

I made some christmas vodka for the man who started this craze in my flat, Murray my old flatmate, he would always make raspberry gin and something equally as tasty in the festive season so I thought he would appreciate this.

Making Christmas Pudding Vodka at the same time I made a pumpkin pie

Playing on Pinterest I found instructions for making candles which sounded straight forward and original so I made the lasses cinnamon candles in some beautiful glass tumbler I found. [In my excitement I forgot to take a photo of these so plan to beg one of the girls after Christmas Day]

What do you do in the lead up to Christmas?

Sunday, 15 September 2013

Boozy Winter Preperation

Over the summer I made cider and ever since I wanted to try ginger beer. Whilst searching for recipes, I would find one that looked good then look a little further and find another recipe that seemed to supersede the last. I finally settled on one that used fresh ingredients and seemed to follow a similar pattern than the cider I had just made.



I got the recipe from a search engine but it turned out to be River Cottage which is always a good place for these type if projects. I was starting with cold when I heated up the lemon and ginger so I also believe this helped to easy my symptoms.

Currently the ginger beer is sitting in a warm place in my kitchen and I can't help but watch it when I walk past, it's fermenting beautifully and almost looks like it is fizzing.

Once it is ready to drink I'll let you know how it tastes... Can't wait!!

DECEMBER 2013:
Sadly this wasn't as good as I would have hoped, the recipe wasn't so clear on how long I should leave it (and my local home brew sales man scared me by telling me I hadn't made cider I had made a bomb) so I left it for 3 months. When I tasted it for the first time it was too dry and didn't taste of anything so I added more sugar after a while this turned to alcohol after a peerie start and the next time I tasted it it was horrible, not even suitable for mulling.

Next plan is to try a kit!!

Thursday, 15 August 2013

51 Days of Summer: Week 7

I have set myself a challenge to take a picture each day of my holiday - to encourage me to do something exciting and help me remember what I've been up to.

Day 43 
Emma and Dave's New hoose

Day 44
We wir rushed off wir feet wi the move
 - although I was more in charge of washing dishes and priming shelves

Day 45  
Cider is now bottled and all we have to do now is wait

Day 46
Painting the pantry

Day 47
Made Blue Cheese & Chilli Pizza - Nummy!!

Day 48
 Early birthday present
 
Day 49
  Heading back to Orkney

Day 50
Second hand furniture shopping

Day 51
Birthday cake - ricotta & Nutella cake

51 Days of Summer: Week 6

I have set myself a challenge to take a picture each day of my holiday - to encourage me to do something exciting and help me remember what I've been up to.

Day 36
Pretending this isn't alcohol free

Day 37
Cider is ready to be bottled

Day 38
Me and Dad are making Cherry Whisky

Day 39
Me and Mam made Caramel Nut Slices

Day 40
Working away on our Hovis jigsaw

Day 41
Dis peerie guy was very badly behaved today
 
Day 42
Finishing off Emma and Dave's house warming gift

51 Days of Summer: Week 4

I have set myself a challenge to take a picture each day of my holiday - to encourage me to do something exciting and help me remember what I've been up to.

Day 22
Trying to find the beauty in amongst the fog
 

Day 23
The sun finally came out so we left the cinema went swimming, had Sunday teas
then I sat in the garden wi my book
 

Day 24
Book number 3 on my Summer reading list

Day 25
Emma bought a coconut so we had fun trying to open it
 

Day 26
Chilling in the front garden wi my folks and the BBQ
 

Day 27
Sunsets at Krugatoor are amazing
 
 
Day 28
Some bubbles to celebrate Em's Mortgage

51 Days of Summer: Week 3

I have set myself a challenge to take a picture each day of my holiday - to encourage me to do something exciting and help me remember what I've been up to.

Day 15
 
For Dad's birthday we went to the Scalloway Hotel it was good
 and appreciated after a big walk to Uyea
 
Day 16 
Book 2 of my Summer reading list
 
Day 17
  
Found this while I was helping my Mam take down a flower arrangement at the Kirk
its is my Grampa and Willie o' da Bouyn working at da cru
 
Day 18 
Frozen apples ready to make some cider
 
Day 19
 Watching Mam make potted mackrel
 
Day 20 
Cider is starting to ferment
 
Day 21 
 Was haunted by a GIANT black bumblebee

Friday, 12 July 2013

51 Days of Summer: WEEK 1

I have set myself a challenge to take a picture each day of my holiday - to encourage me to do something exciting and help me remember what I've been up to.

Day 1

Listening to the Rolling Stones at Glastonbury while waiting for the boat North

Day 2
 
Making baileys panna cottas with strawberries

Day 3
 
First walk of the summer with the pack... This is Meg in motion

Day 4
 
Working on the Aztec quilt and its starting to take shape

Day 5
 
Molly decided she was more important and escaped from the boot

Day 6
 
Working my way through my Summer reading here is book #1

Day 7
 
Pimms, Wimbledon and the new Simple Things magazine ... Enough said :0)