I'm back - just about!!

Hi!! Sorry for the absence but I have had my mum staying with me for the last few days so not much time for blogging. Whilst here she bought me a very fine new oil cloth cover for my kitchen table, retro kitsch to the max!

I am getting very excited about the coming festive season as we have got most of the boys' presents organised and we get the tree on Saturday. Eeeeek! 

I have been busy doing things in the kitchen, though. I am really getting into prep, making sure my freezer and Christmas cupboard are getting stocked with yummy things!

As you can see, the Gluhwein has already been started on, put in the mincemeat mix for my pies! The Amaretti biscuits I only bought because they are red and white and the basis of most of my Christmas decs are these colours.

Don't normally fall for stuff like this but couldn't resist the Christmas kitchen roll!

Over the last week or so I have managed to make another 10 jars of lemon curd, a pound and a bit or mincemeat ready for the mince pies, the cranberry and orange relish, two lots of savoury pastry to put in the freezer, a lovely bacon-wrapped sausage "cake" and today a very tasty pork, pistachio and cranberry pie ready for Boxing Day tea. Oh, and this is the first hamper of the season I have made and delivered.

Spiced fruit loaf, 2-cheese biscuits, fallen apple chutney, lemon curd and a mini Christmas pudding, made, fed with booze and ready for that final steam on Christmas day!

Well, hope to be back in a few days to let you know how I am getting on for the Saddleworth Creative Network Christmas Craft Festival. 

It is just a week on Saturday until the big day so her is just another reminder of the details.




  Hope to see you there on December 9.xx

Comments, hmmmm!

Comments are showing, just not any previous ones in the side bar so phew! 

Hope to see some shortly!x

Still no comments!!!

If any of you are stopping by after me being guest blogger on Teresa Crafts blog, then  I can only apologise for the comments gadget not working. 

I would love to be getting some comments from people, especially today. If you are on Twitter, then maybe you can tweet about my blog instead. I would really appreciate it sooo much!!! or visit my Facebook page at Cards, Cakes and Bakes.

Thanks.xx

Crafting and Christmas!

Well, today I have been feeding the Christmas cakes and puddings and they are already smelling delicious! 

I have been getting a few more things started and finished ready for the Christmas Craft Festival I have previously mentioned I will be taking part in on December 9.

Here is one of my covered diaries and a small hanging decoration I just added the ribbon to.

A6 sized diary and selling for £3.50.

Apologies for the sewing machine and lamp in the background!

 That is all just for now but hope more of you will be stopping by at Creating and Baking in the future! xx

Missing comments!

Very miffed as all my comments have disappeared, just as I might be a guest blogger on somebody elses blog. Very unhappy and cannot seem to reload the gadget. Harumph!!

Get me, guest blogger - possibly!

I thought I would let you know something very exciting might be happening. I have put myself forward to be a guest blogger on Teresa Crafts. How exciting could that be? 

I am waiting to hear for definite if my post is to be included; they said because it is a Christmas-themed post that they could put it up quite soon!!

If I get definite confirmation they will promote my blog on places like Twitter and Facebook and if I get a good response from people reading it I may get asked again.

It is a crafting blog, obviously, so no chance of posting my baking projects but that will spur me on I guess.

Talking of baking I made my Christmas pud yesterday using Jamie Oliver's Nan's recipe and it came out just beautifully. Steamed for exactly three hours in a 1.5 litre pudding basin with a really easy recipe. I had enough mixture to make a tiny pudding so hope to put that in the hamper for the school Fayre at the end of the month. Yum! They are now packed away waiting to be fed on Sunday with a little tipple of something special along with the Christmas cakes. 

I am hoping to get a batch of lemon curd made today, mainly for the Saddleworth Creative Network Christmas Craft Festival next month as I hope to be able to put together baskets of goodies on the day for people to take away. Some will, of course, be for presents and orders people have placed plus any more I hopefully get!

I tidied out the corner cupboard in the kitchen yesterday ready to receive my homemade goodies and already it is looking very tempting!!

Catch ya later and thanks for stopping by.xx

Festive foody treats!

Are you having a Christmas get together for coffee and mince pies with friends around the festive period? 

 

Why not order one of my cranberry, orange and pecan loaf cakes or perhaps a spiced fruit loaf as a delicious addition to your festivities for £3.95 each? 

Along with individual seasonal cakes I am offering foody gift baskets starting at £15.00. These would include one of the delicious seasonal flavoured cakes, as before, a jar of fallen apple chutney, a jar of my luscious lemon curd and a packet of two-cheese OR water biscuits, a perfect accompaniment to the chutney.

Orders are now being taken so email me, message me on Facebook or come and see me
at Uppermill Civic Hall on December 9th for the fantastic Saddleworth Creative Network Christmas Craft Festival.