Christmas raindeer

Every year my cousin in Florida sends a lovely pop up type Christmas card. The kind that you can stand on a table. I kept all of them for years.
The card this year is just delightful - I love it.

I have never been able to find cards like this here.

Ham with a fig glaze

I have been cooking a ham with a fig glaze served with peach chutney for about 10 years now. I keep thinking that I should try a new recipe but this one is so good I am worried that if I stray I will be disappointed.

It just works every time

Gift biscuits

I have baked all of the biscuits for my gift giving this year. Butter biscuits with cranberries and pistacios plus ginger biscuits. I always think that the smell of ginger and spices is a Christmas smell. When really in a sub tropical climate it should be mango's and frangipani. They are Christmas/summer smells as well but there is something about the spices that gets me.

Cranberry & pistachio 

My neighbour's garden

Bernice my elderly neighbour has gone into care. Bernice always let me pick the frangipani flowers from the wonderful tree that grows next to my fence. She also has 4 mango trees that I have made great green mango chutney from.
Late yesterday afternoon I did my usual check on the house and garden for her family (and reported that the mower man has still not been), I came across these wonderful Hydrangeas.

I have a vase full

Raspberry Slice

I have been making raspberry Slice since the 60's for my children. It was a definate childhood favourite for them.
I experimented with different recipes, and then stuck with the best one. I had to convert the measurements when we went metric and now I have to change it again if I want to use the new 'moist' coconut flakes. The moisture in the topping was calculated for the old fashioned dessicated coconut.

As I get older they seem to taste sweeter - probably as I am trying to cut down on sugar.

memories

I made these for the Dahrl Court Indian tenants Christmas Lunch.

Ginger biscuits test run

I did a test run of the ginger biscuits that I am making for Christmas Gifts this year. I have made these before but only one batch at a time. I am making up all of the dough and freezing it until the 'baking day'. I have realised from previous years that it depends of course how long you leave a ginger biscuit in the oven how the final texture will turn out. Do I do chewy ones or leave them longer and make them crisp?
Every one who has done the taste test gives me a different answer. There will be no time to experiment on the 'baking day', as I will be baking about 6 batches of different biscuits.

The smell is the best

This year I am putting a small piece of crystallised on each biscuit.

Last night at GOMA

I was interested first of all to see the new elephant statue. I really liked it -

Definitely worth the money

My camera doesn't do this justice

You have to see the whole log to appreciate this

Such wonderful colour

Wonderful detail

Very cool hat

This was along side the character below

Looked so unusual next to the madonna

This is all light globes

A tree made from inner soles

These are the pieces that really attracted my attention. Some things were very confrontational and some didn't photograph well. A wonder exhibition as usual.

Christmas Party

Last night was my last official duties at a work Christmas Party. The theme was retro Miami and everyone really got into the swing of the event.

The club 'OH Hello' did a wonderful job with the decor. Plastic beach balls, popcorn maker, and fairy floss dispenser were a hit.

This was my favourite

The changing graphics above the bar were spot on.

Setting the mood

Waiting to be filled

The welcome cocktail