Ginger!

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I personally like everything about ginger.  My dad is ginger.  Unfortunately, none of his children are :(  Boo!  I'm hoping that if I have children the ginger gene will somehow rear its bright orange head.   I love ginger tea, crystallized ginger and if course, gingerbread.

Christmas for me means gingerbread!  It's the only reason I will visit Starbucks, because during the Christmas period they have gingerbread latte!  

This is my favourite recipe for making gingerbread men, which I found ages ago on the back of some packet or other, so I'm going to share it.

Gingerbread Men Cookies

120g unsalted butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup golden syrup
1 egg
2 1/2 cups SR flour
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tbs ground ginger
1/2 tsp ground cloves
2 drops vanilla essence
1 tsp bicarb soda

Cream the butter and sugar, add the egg, golden syrup and essence.  Add the sifted flour, spices and bicarb.  Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 20 mins.  Then roll out and cut away!  I also put the cut out men in the freezer for 10 min before they went into the oven, but these like to puff up a lot in any case!  Bake for 6 minutes or until golden at 180 C.

I do a pretty basic glace icing, and decorate them fairly simply.  They look very homemade :D

*NOM*

I really want to try a gingerbread house this year, but it look like a lot of effort.  If I make one I will definitely share!!

WIP - Poe-tay-toe?

Hiya.  As usual, many more WIPs for me than Fins... I've started two more things this week. 

Numero one.  I've been getting my amigurumi on.  Woo!  I won't tell you what it is yet.. can you guess?

I've been told it looks like a potato.  Hence the title to my post, which reminds me of this LOTR scene. Well, it didnt really happen like that but you get my gist. 

via (Also, all you whovians out there, have you seen this cool pic of Space Gandalf? hehe)

Numero two. My mother had this brainwaive of making the three grandchildren (my nieces) a little cardi each for chrissy.  I've been trying to teach her to crochet, but she is quite absent minded and doesn't like following patterns.  So I've been told I need to make three of these by Christmas.  Below is progress on the first one, I think I have about 5 rows to go, and only a couple of hours work.  Easy Peasy!  The pattern is Urban Girl Cropped Cardi.  I'm using Carnival Soft 8ply, just an acrylic, but look at the size of the ball it comes it!! Aieeee!  I have to carry this mother on the train!

An onto the CITY WATCH AUDIO BOOK CHALLENGE!  (Part 1 here)  I am now onto book 2:  Men at Arms.  I believe I have only read this once, so it is lovely to go over it again.  I'm really terrible with books, after finishing one I forget the detail right away.  I am generally only left with an impression of whether or not I liked the book, and a couple of images that really stuck with me. In this case it's largely Carrot and Angua.  There isn't as much Vimes as in Guards Guards, but its still very good to see how he is developed.  And of course Sybil.  Love Sybil. 



The City Watch Audio Book Challenge.  Progress:  Book 2 - Men at Arms.

And finally, here's a cool Pratchett flowchart I found on Pinterest!  A handy little tool if you're interested in Discworld and don't know where to start!  Because of this list I found out that I'd missed the short stories!  Shameful, I know.  You can read Theatre of Cruelty here, it has a funny exchange between Carrot and Death.  Perhaps I will re-read the Death books next...


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Remember to stop by Tami's Amis and Yarn Along for more yarny and literary delights!

My christmas paraphernalia is better than yours

I don't actually love christmas a whole bunch, mostly because family gatherings stress me out.  And it's all so materialistic.  And I don't really do presents except for the littlies, and the other half, because he likes stuff a lot.

But there are some things I like.  Like the food and the stuff.  Christmas stuff can be very cool.  I like to decorate the place to look christmassy, you know, with sparkles.  I like christmas crackers.  I recently picked up some cool stuff that I had to show off.

Number one, probably the best christmas toy you will ever see.  The reasons why this is better than anything you own are:

1. It has legs.
2. It has no face.
3. You press the button and it walks around to music.
4. The music it walks around to is Yakety Sax (better known as the crazy running around music from BENNY HILL!!). 
5. It actually pauses in time with the music. 

Watch this video.  It will be the best 29 seconds of your day, guaranteed. 

I can't even begin to describe the reasons why I love this item. It's a plushie.  It has legs BUT NO FACE!  BENNY HILL MUSIC!!  To whomever came up with this astoundingly christmassy concept, I salute you sir, you have my lifelong respect.

Oh hai, Merry Christmas!

Freddo advent calendar.  These things are extremely hard to find, and I am super happy that I managed to pick one up this year.  It matters not that you can buy a packet of 20 assorted freddos for under $5, while Cadbury sell this little sucker for $14.  I bought this baby for my office.  So in December I will get a lovely little chocolate treat every afternoon (and two on Mondays and Fridays!), while I merrily count down to Christmas.  Take me for a ride any day.

nom nom nom

My newest christmas tree ornament.  Who else grew up watching the awesome stop-motion classic Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer?  My favorite part of christmas was getting to watch all of the awesome Rankin/Bass christmas shows.  Rudolph was my favorite.  One of this year's Hallmark Keepsake ornaments was this cutie.  Absolutely couldn't resist.

As an aside, how hilarious are Hallmark Keepsakes?  Who out there has the Wicked Witch of the West, Darth Vader, the Two Mousekateers or Indiana Jones on their tree?  Don't get me wrong, I love Spiderman, Darth Vader, Tom and Jerry and Harrison Ford as much as the next person... but on your christmas tree?  Hmmm that being said, this is adorable!!

na na na na na na christmas!!!

I generally don't like to spend money on myself.  I will ummmm and aaaahhhh about spending $20 on a top for myself, but I will impulse buy a $20 tree ornament without a moment's thought.  What is wrong with me! 

Just getting into the christmas spirit I suppose....

(I found a much better way to keep track of stuff I like, and that I like to share.   PINTEREST!  Ok, not new, but very neat (and addictive).  If you need an invite let me know!)