'Make your own' Christmas

[Doodlekitty]

Ok, ok, I KNOW its only June. But I'm due to give birth late October and as it's my first and I have no idea what to expect I want to be all sorted for christmas by the time baby gets here. I'm also going to have no money when I'm on Mat leave so want stuff bought while I'm working but also want to spend as little as possible.

Last year I made Christmas pudding rum for my FIL who has never shut up about it since ( I used this recipe, www.wikihow.com/Make-Christmas-Pudding-Flavoured-Vodka but rum instead of vodka, if anyone is interested)

I think I made it in about November last time, but I'm thinking, if I made it in July then it will just be more yummy wont it, as it just has longer to infuse. also, last year when i told MIL I binned the fruit I used she was horrified, so I'm thinking i might put this in a jar for her (obviously with another present) as she said it would be lovely with ice cream. What do you guys think?

green tomato chutney MiL used this one recently and it's not bad now. My recipe books are buried and can't get to them. I've already made damson jam and bramble jelly. Sloe's are thick on the bushes around our way. But they've been hedge cutting and a couple of fields have had all the brambles cut back and a couple of good blackthorns hacked as well. Am hoping they don't want to cut them all before the weekend. I have regularly frozen sloes and blackberries for jamming.

Damson's are wild plums and come in a variety of shades. They also make good flavoured vodka.

I picked this book up for 10p at a jumble sale and it is great. Old fashioned but has a real good range of recipes, including a boozy marmalade that is really popular with the grandparents.

Think i've manage to read through all the amazing ideas. I haven't been here for a while but posted prviously under an old nn.

can anyone help me with tomatoes please. Some of mine are turning red now but I wont have enough in one go to make a chutney. Could I freeze what I have until I have enough?

A couple of questions. When can I make red onion marmalade? The recipe says it lasts 3 months in the fridge. So do I need to leave that until December?

Also for the chocolate bark is it best to use cooking chocolate or like dairy milk?

Thanks

I used dark chocolate as the main ingredient of chocolate bark as it sets hardest, but swirled in some milk and white chocolate too.

the green tomato recipe works for any unripe tomatos

onion marmalade never lasts that long in our house. :) I've made it in November and jarred it up fine. Never had to keep it in fridge, but we have a cool larder we keep jars and tins in. Was given as gifts in December.

I bought a big blocks of cheese from the cash and carry and chopped it into chunks, with crackers and a small block of butter. Along with 4 chutneys in a basket, made a great hamper. In the last few years the jams and chutneys are always more well received than a shop bought gift.

Thinking about sweet treats this year. Really want to have a go at making marshmallows.

I have this book which has marshmallows in.

For the chocolate bark I used Lidl's chocolate - dark with a layer of white on top. It was delish and cheap!

Hugh Fearnley-Whitingstall has got a marshmallow recipe too, it's in one of his books.

it is the HFW recipe. I picked up the bits at Easter, but never found time.

I really fancy these marshmallows;
www.mowielicious.com/home/2010/12/raspberry-swirl-marshmallow-and-happy-holidays.html

Doh! A proper link would be good wouldn't it?!
www.mowielicious.com/home/2010/12/raspberry-swirl-marshmallow-and-happy-holidays.html

Does anyone have a good recipe to use aloe vera gel, not edible but say hand cream etc. Have an unruly plant which has to go! We have loads of its offshoots but the mother plant is looking untidy so decided will harvest the gel.

Loving the thread

Apologies if this has been posted before but there are loads of gift making ideas on here, from home made foodie stuff to smellies.

www.marthastewart.com/christmas

Just put some bramble gin and rhubarb schnapps on to brew. DH will be so happy!

Love thia thread, can't wait to try some of the recipes out. Thanks for sharing

Marshmallows and lots of other lovely recipes in this book too. [http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1856269388/?tag=hydra0b-21&hvadid=9550946469&ref=asc_df_1856269388 Gifts From The Kitchen]]

Doh! Gifts From The Kitchen

Quick thought for those of you making sweet treats as gifts - I always give DS's teacher a nice mug filled with a bag of homemade truffles/fudge, lots of sachets of luxury hot choc and/or cappuccino, a few mocha stirring spoons, etc and wrap them up in cellophane and ribbons. I noticed today in Morrisons that they are selling nice mugs in spots or stripes in a variety of colours for only 75p. I am fuming as have already bought a china mug from Home Bargains for a whole pound. Grrr! Anyway, thought I'd share the tip (to comfort myself for not being able to take advantage of such a top bargain!).

I just picked some brambles (from the waterworks ancientmariner) and I'm wondering, can I freeze them?

marinator Doh!

Ooh, I've just received a Lakeland order, wish I'd spotted those spoons! Mind you yet another catalogue popped through the door this week so I suspect I might be ordering again soon. I was thinking of doing the spoons by filling plastic spoons with melted chocolate and covering with sprinkles.

I was thinking about you last week Mrs H - went back to the Rose Garden for another kilo of damsons and the trees had obviously had a LOT of other visitors! I hope you managed/manage to find some damsons if you go!

Brambles should freeze just fine - freezing reduces the pectin in fruit but brambles have so little that you will need to mix them with apples or similarly high-pectin fruit to get them to set anyway and you can do that just as easily after they have been frozen. Plus you can make a cheaty brambly sorbet by whizzing frozen fruit with a dollop of greek yoghurt and some honey.

Now you know why I am called the Ancient Marinator - I stop one mum in three and bore the pants off her with my culinary adventures ;-/

Ancient - if freezing reduces pectin, will I need to add pectin when I make my wild plum jam? All the recipes I have for it just call for sugar, but I'll be using fruit that has been frozen...