Good bye 2011

The last post of 2011.   I have never liked New Year's Eve and this one is no exception.  Tonight I have been catching up with all of my favorite blogs and today Sue from Our New Life in the Country has written a post which completely sums up for feelings for 2011.
http://ournewlifeinthecountry.blogspot.com/2011/12/goodbye-2011.html?showComment=1325365584273#c3285727401403921475

This has been a year of the most incredible sadness and loss,  part of me will be glad to start a new year,  the rest of me will be incredibly sad to leave 2011 for very many reasons.

I am hopeful that 2012 will be a year of positive changes.   For me and Mr Milly to take control and made our lives better and different.

Sue starts her post with these very moving words;-

You were a strange year, a year of learning, of realising.  One of strengthening bonds and knowing the true value of love.

You gave us great heartache, you gave us laughs, you took what we most valued and then tried to take some more.

We will look back on you with sorrow, with joy, with love and with hatred.

You were just a year

 

Wishing you all a very Happy New Year

Alison x

 

 

Last minute bits and pieces

The little nephew's Christmas tops are finished..   a slightly tamed down version of the grown up girls Christmas tops,  which I think is about right for the 2 boys!  The grown up girls wore theirs to Tesco yesterday - which was entertaining!

The last days of the Advent Calender have passed with a few more little sweetie bags hidden around the house.   This has definately been the best Advent calender ever!!  I now look at sweets in a whole different light when I am in shops - and wonder what they could become!  What an exciting life hey!!

My Boy popped in today,  he is working both Christmas Day and Boxing day this year - 7am until 7pm both days so we won't see very much of him.  Not his choice to work these days,  but a downside of working shifts in a 24/7 industry.   As in previous years we are all hoping he will be able to finish early and spend extra time with us.  

I did tell him that I have some stocking goodies for him and for him to take them home on Christmas Eve to open in the morning,  his face lit up and he was really pleased that he has one.  BUT I then worried that he would feel left out as the girls have the lovely Kirstie Alsopp inspired Christmas stockings that I made yesterday.   I am sure I was worrying more about this than My Boy would be,  but as he was pleased he has a stocking I thought he should have a lovely home made one too.....   Didn't want this one to be too girly though.......  Another that I am really thrilled with!  

This is really getting me thinking though,  they are very inexpensive to make and each one takes less and less time to complete and I think these would sell really well - what do you think?  A project for next year maybe!

Wishing you all a Very Very Happy Christmas,   From all of the Milly's!

Note to self

Do not watch Kirsty's Homemade Christmas just 4 days before Christmas!

The programme is full of all sorts of  goodies and brilliant ideas,  I do wish it had been on the TV a few weeks ago..... 

As always I was inspired and fingers itching to have a go........ I did convince myself this morning that I really wouldn't have time to make anything and definitely no time to shop for supplies.    The more I thought about it, the more I realised I probably had the supplies and lo and behold and a quick rummage through my fabric stash,  I did find all the supplies I would need.  The next problem was time - one of the advantages about working at home - when you take a lunch break you get a whole hour,  no travelling back to the office, just  a 20 second walk up the stairs and Mr Milly on hand to help with ironing and tidying up!

Trusty Google provided the template,  a bit of material cutting up and some time at the sewing machine.........

I love them!!

The poor dog has had a Christmas make over, courtesy of My Girl and the Portuguese Housekeeper!

She is such a good dog!  She is wearing a pompom on her collar,  Rudolph sticker on her head and look closely you can see her sticker earrings - she has worn them all day!!  What the camera will just not show is the glitter My Girl has decided to rub into her coat - she does look sparkly and pretty BUT there is now glitter all over the house :o)

Talking of Google - have you tried typing in Let it Snow into the search bar??  Try it - it is very cool!

19th December

In the advent calender today;-

The message;-

It was a very vague clue,  so it was fun watching the 2 girls run round the house trying to track down the little gift!  (They were by the front door hiding behind the curtain!)

Gifts for my work colleagues have been packaged up today ready for transporting into the office in the morning - that will be challenging,  it's a 15 minute walk up a steep hill,  so I will be trudging along with handbag, laptop bag and some other bag with all of these goodies in!  Keep your fingers crossed that it is not raining.

And finally - with just 6 days to go My Girl and the Portuguese Housekeeper have been scouring the shops trying to find fun novelty Christmas tops/jumpers to wear - I have no idea why,  just something they decided they wanted!   Believe it or not, these type of things are in very short supply this year and none at a reasonable price could be found.   They did get a resounding NO from me when they asked if I could knit them one (That is 2 jumpers 7 days before Christmas, and working full time - superwoman I am not!)

The ever trusty Google came to the rescue with some templates for a Rudolph and Snowman found, printed and cut out.  A rummage through wardrobes for some old tops to customise - then a swift visit to the Haberdashers for some supplies.   A couple of hours spent, cutting, ironing, sewing and positioning and they are delighted with their tops!  To be honest I loved doing these and am really pleased with the result.  The only downside - both my little nephews were here at the time, helping with pinning, cutting and sticking and now I have 2 more orders for their Christmas tops!

Gifting

The Christmas gifts are starting to be distributed to their recipients.   This week My dear father-in-law received his. 

This one has taken a while to put together and Mr Milly and I were very happy with the result and Dear Father-in-law seemed to be too!  This one was filled with all sorts of home made goodies including crochet dish cloths, chilli jam, jam, mustard, chutney  and soap. 

The creative streak seems to be rubbing off on the rest of the family,  Mr Milly has made some homebrew - with My Girl helping with the wrapping.  It seems a complicated business this homebrew, Mr Milly checks the temperature almost daily with the barrel of brew being wrapped in an old quilt and lovingly check daily to ensure all is ok.  Then washing and sterilising the bottles, adding sugar, re-checking all the levels again and then finally bottled and capped.  Mr Milly has enjoyed doing this though and I expect lots more homebrew will follow!

And continuing the Christmas spirit, I had another play with the Christmas decorations,  I liked the heart garland so much I decided to make another one.  I really like these and will be sorry to take them down after Christmas.  Although My Girl now has her eye on them and I expect they will find a new home when she returns to work!

Finally these pictures - just because!   Star wanted to surf the internet with My Girl!!  LOL :)

10 days to go

Christmas is coming up fast now, and although I feel I have been making and doing things in preparation for months, I still was not quite prepared for Christmas to arrive so early!

We have debated about Christmas trees and decorations for a while - should we/shouldn't we put any up this year.  Finally I relented and decided we really must make the effort.    The fat quarters I have had for months have now been made into the Christmas bunting and inspired by Kirsty's Homemade Christmas today Mr Milly and I jointly made a little heart garland.

A little tree has been purchased  a bargain basement price and decorated with some little coloured ball lights  - it actually is quite pretty and perfect for us this year.   Mr Milly is already bored with me saying "I am really pleased with the tree" - he must have heard it at least twice an hour for the whole day today!.

The pictures are not great - I think the bits and pieces are much prettier in the flesh.

8th December

The Advent Calender today;

A snowman came a calling;-

A frantic rush to the fridge;

Snowman soup was found!

I wonder who will visit next???

6th December

The Advent calender was fun today - and yes it is just after midnight,  but this seems to be a favorite time for 2 grown up little girls to open the pockets.

 In the number six pocket was a little message;

A frantic little treasure hunt followed to find what the fairy had left for them.   It didn't take very long and what had the fairy left?

Magic Fairy Wishes!   They loved them and I must confess they were great fun and very easy to put together.    And just like 2 little girls there were cries of "that was fun - can we do it again?"  (Remember they are 19 and 22 years old!!)

Well they will just have to wait and see what other surprises the Advent Calender holds!

Cherry and Walnut Cake

Following my post yesterday I have had a couple of requests for the recipe for the Cherry and Walnut Cake.
Here it is;-

Cherry and Walnut Cake

225g Walnut Pieces
225g Glace Cherries
340g Self Raising Flour
280g Caster Sugar
6 eggs
280g Butter

• Prepare cake tins.   This recipe will make 2  2lb loaf tins or one 20cm round tin.
• Wash the cherries in hot water and dry.   Ensure all the stickiness is removed to stop the cherries sinking.   You may need to wash them twice.
• Chop cherries and walnuts.  (Not too small - a gentle chop)
• Cream butter and sugar, add the eggs one at a time.
• Fold in the flour
• Fold in Chopped walnuts,  sprinkle the cherries with a little flour to lightly coat them and fold into the cake mix..
• Cook for 1.5 hours.  It's done when a knife inserted comes out clean.  If not quite done or becoming over brown, cover with brown paper until cooked.
• Cook on  Gas Mark 3 or 170 centigrade



The cake on the right was cooked in a silicone loaf tin.
 The shape is a little odd and I won't be using this one again.

Not recommended for this cake!



December

The biggest problem with this time of year is what to blog!   I am busy, busy getting all the homemade Christmas pressies finished.  BUT I can't post any pictures - it would spoil the surprise for my family who follow the blog!   I will store the pictures up and post them after the big day!

I have been experimenting with a few new recipes and trying some hand me down recipes.  This week it was Cherry and Walnut cake - this is a family Christmas tradition to have this cake always having been made by my Mum and her Mum before that.  This year it is for me to make the cakes,  a trial run this week and they turned out OK!  My boy visited today and he loves this cake - the verdict I got the thumbs up and yes it is just like my Mum made.  I am really pleased as I was worried I wouldn't get it right and this tradition of ours would be lost.

Tonight the dog has been naughty and sneaked up on the sofa with the 2 girls - I think only a little encouragement was needed!   She really doesn't look comfortable