Scrapping Tonight

We had a wonderful Christmas, very relaxed and chilled. Christmas day was spent at Nana's and Boxing Day was at ours.

I was supposed to be updating with crimbo photos and such, but instead have been tasting new cocktails concocted by Peter, and cooking in the kitchen for tomorrow nights party! ( actually I think its tonights party from the time!). Anyways I am going to bed now and will be back later....
Sleep well
Anna x

As New Years Eve approaches, I am back to manic chores around the house. Today was spent attacking everywhere with a duster and a bin liner, you would think it was Spring around here, as I have been "spring cleaning" like nobodies business!! As well as the cleaning , the kitchen will be beckoning me as I prepare food for our party guests. Once again we are hosting a fancy dress party, and I am glad to say the girls will be participating this year!!
Tomorrow I have a King to collect, a Southern Belle, some guns, a bowler hat and mustache....
Any guesses who we are all going as?? I am sure I can conjure up a little RAK for the most correct answers.
Clue : we are not related

Be back tomorrow with Christmas photos!
Thanks as always for stopping by,
Anna x

Hoping your Christmas was a good one, and you are still enjoying the holidays. We are very much, so this post has nothing to do with them, LOL that will come tomorrow. So until then, I am leaving you with Pencil Lines sk 167 digital template preview. This week we have been joined by the wonderful; Donna Downey and the digital template is not a freebie this week, but will only cost $1.00 where all proceeds will go to the MS Society. Your template will be emailed to you within 24 hours.

Its been a busy day in the Bowkis household. A last minute dash into town to Waitrose and some last minute gifts.
Then home for that yearly baking marathon!

Mince pies
Petite Fours
Peanut Brittle
Ham

Have yet to do more cookies and some brownies. We are hosting Boxing Day this year, so I have tomorrow to do some more baking! To include mini pecan pies with my new mini morsel tray!

As promised here is my Cranberry Sauce recipe. Photos have not been downloaded yet, sorry!
Do make this tomorrow morning, it takes 15minutes from start to finish!

Ingredients :

1 pack of fresh cranberries
1 cup of sugar or pure maple syrup
1 cup of orange juice or cranberry juice
zest of a clementine or what ever you have and the juice

Pop everything into a pan and bring to boil then simmer for 10 minutes.
The pour into jars (sterilize the jars if you are giving as a gift).

Enjoy with your Christmas turkey or in a cold turkey sarnie Christmas night!

Have a very Merry and wonderful Christmas!
From the Bowkis's
xxxx

My family are cookie monsters, so I am often baking a batch of cookies at short notice. I need to have a recipe that's quick, easy and ingredients that are always in the cupboard.


I have that perfect recipe and I am going to share it with you. Be sure to make a batch this Christmas, your family will be thanking you!
Now here goes the PW style cook class. Unfortunately I don't have PW light and a PW kitchen...

Ingredients for 12 cookies:

to be honest 12 is never enough and I ususally double this mixture.



4oz softened butter
4oz caster sugar
6oz plain flour
1 egg lightly beaten
1tsp of vanilla essence
6 - 8oz chocolate chips/ nuts/ raisins/ mix of all 3! ( I used a mix of orange infused cranberries, golden raisins and choc chips)



Pretty simple so far..

Pre heat oven to 180c/350f
Line 2 baking trays with parchment paper
Cream sugar and butter to a smooth consistency





Add egg and mix until you have a pale creamy and fluffy mix, not a scrambled egg consistency!

Keep mixing...



Add the vanilla essence
Fold in the flour and chocolate chip mix
Drop tablespoons onto your baking tray and flatten with a fork .



Bake the cookies for 10 minutes, or until golden

Pop onto a wire rack and try and leave to cool. Whilst cooling, pop the kettle on for a brew and then sit down and enjoy that freshly baked cookie!


I love this fruit and chocolate mix i did. Another favourite is dried cranberries and white chocolate, mmmm.
Whats your favourite cookie mix?
Back tomorrow with my quick and easy homemade cranberry sauce, nothing like the real stuff on your turkey.


Thanks for stopping by, only 2 more sleeps left till the big man arrives!!
Hugs
Anna x

Abbreviations :
PW : Pioneer Woman ( see my blog list for link)

At long last, we had snow! It felt like everyone had snow, like I mean inches of the white powdery stuff, and I too wanted snow. My wish came true; last night it snowed and snowed. This morning the girls got up and dressed for some snow business!!

At least I am trying now that I am back on my feet and feeling alot more human than I have this past week. Christmas cards were written (not handmade I'm afraid), and a few presents were wrapped. Grabbed my camera and took a few close up snaps of the tree.

Nothing to report to be honest as I have been either in bed, or asleep on the sofa battling flu. I have not been this poorly for at least 6 years when i first had flu!
Don't wish it on anyone. I am feeling a bit better now and did manage to eat some dinner, as well as actually put some scruffs on this afternoon.
Peter and Izzy were out all afternoon, at the cinema to see Avatar 3D. From their faces when they returned, i am guessing it was amazing! Lilly and I spent the day on the sofa watching DVD's and playing Moshi Monsters. We also decided we had both been good girls and rewarded ourselves with a chocolate from the tree!

Christmas cards have not been handmade this year, due to the flu, and I am gutted. Peter and Izzy bought a box for me today so I can write and post out before last post on Tuesday. Christmas presents have been purchased over the net, and I tell you how glad I have been. I still had some shopping to do and had it all planned to do after work this week, but oh no, this was not to be and by Wednesday i was panicking. So when I had a "drug induced feeling better" moment, Internet shopping it had to be!

I am hoping and praying that I will woke up tomorrow fit to burst, and my kitchen will beckon, or even the studio, whichever it is, it will feel good to be up again.

Before I go, we have had snow!!! Just not a picture to prove it, sorry!
Hope you are all well and not stressed out.
Hoping to be back blogging as normal with piccies as well
Thanks as always for stopping by, I really do love reading your comments.
Hugs
Anna xx

I forgot to post my layout from the weekend for Pencil Lines! Sketch 165 went live on Sunday with Mel Nunn and Kaisercraft sponsoring the design team.

Me at 40!!! photo by Peter Bowkis
Cake by Nana, Izzy and Lilly Bowkis

life begins at 40, then my life has began! as I turned the ripe old age of 40 today.
Today was a quiet one, as my birthday treat was a night away in Windsor, staying over night at The Waterside Inn in Bray, home of 3 star Michelin chef Alain Roux, son of Michel Roux.

Whatever happened to the traditional nativity play, Away in a Manger and Little Donkey for songs?! This year Lilly's Christmas play was about Aliens landing on Earth, and the humans teaching them about the real meaning of Christmas. It was good, but there is nothing like the original story being told the old fashion way in my opinion!

I love the idea of making homemade gifts each year, and whilst I watch "Kirsty's homemade Christmas", I am warming to the idea more and more. But my only problem is time... Oh to have more on my side! I don't finish work until next Friday, and this weekend we are away. So whilst I dream of making homemade sweets, chutneys and soaps for my hampers, and handmade crayons for my kids at school, simple white embossed Christmas cards for 80, I think reality is likely this will not be happening this year...but this is me talking, and you can never be quite sure what will take my fancy tomorrow, LOL
Do you have any handmade gift ideas to share?

Tune in tomorrow for nativity plays with an alien twist, (what will they think off next!), and maybe some handmade gifts.
Thanks for stopping by
Anna x

The weekend has been spent Christmas shopping for presents and decorations, enjoying the sound of a brass band playing Christmas songs, whilst chomping on hot chestnuts! I am in heaven...This sums up the Christmas spirit for me. After a scrummy lunch we headed back home to unpack our new decorations and my craft companion (still in its box, just havnt add a spare moment to play yet).