Yummy Homemade gifts

Another thing that has quickly become important and part of our/my yearly Christmas tradition is the baking of yummy treats.

 Its not always easy, nor very budget savvy to be able to give gifts to all of your friends or family, however a small bag of treats can often mean more than an expensive present.

I like to be able to thank people for being a part of our lives. Thank them for their friendship, support and since we have moved, for making the transition so much easier than it could have been!

I tend to stick to the more traditional recipes and in the past few years I have made the same usual items ( See previous posts HERE and HERE) however this year I decided to make a few different items.

I have wanted to make a nice Tomato Chutney ever since getting our Thermomix,  and seeing as though my husband made a trip south, we were able to buy a heap of tomatoes quite cheaply (well at least not $5 a kilo like they are here !!) . A handful of other ingredients that I already had in the pantry and voila, yummy Tomato Chutney! 

I used THIS recipe , however the first batch was quite runny, so the second one I doubled the Corn Flour amount. 

The flavour is sweet and super yummy in a nice ham and salad sandwich! 

Other treats I have made this year are ; Apricot balls, Cherry Ripe Chocolate Fudge, Pistachio and Turkish delight chocolate treat and some mint flake chocolate. Ohhhh and some yummy ginger biscuits!

I used these cute bags from Kmart (only a few dollars for a pack of 10) and some pretty ribbon and tags and all bundled together, with some Chutney, it made a perfect little gift for teachers, and friends.

The gifts seemed to be a hit, everyone loves a bit of sweetness at Christmas! 

Festive Treats

After a slow and less than enthusiastic start to the festive season, I finally feel I have my Christmas Mojo back. As soon as I start the annual Christmas treat baking, it suddenly feels .... right.

Each year, I try to bake/cook a variety of treats that we can take along to functions, bring and share or just small catch ups and its nice to have it all on hand to create a mixed platter. But I also like to bake give them to friends as a small Christmas token.

You can read some posts from last year HERE and HERE and also a fantastic guest post and recipe HERE.

This year I wanted to try a few new recipes/ dishes and these cute Reindeer Biscuits were one of them!
I made them to take along to our Playgroup Christmas Party Bring and Share and they were an absolute hit!! Which is fantastic, especially when kids are surrounded by all sorts of food, and they are so easy to make!!

I got the idea off Pinterest of course, but they are simply a Milk Arrowroot biscuit, with chocolate icing spread all over it. A raspberry lolly for a nose, Pretzels for ears and I used a black icing pen that I already had on hand, for the eyes ( I think its just from Woolworths)

Stellas end of year school concert was a casual affair on the school oval. Take a rug or chair and cop a squat sort of thing, so I did up a mixed plate of nibbles to take along (more to keep the kids entertained!)

This included some Cherry Ripe and peanut Chocolate fudge ( I love THIS recipe from Clare at The Home She Made), Some ginger biscuits ( I also made some from the same batch into a Gingerbread shape) , the Reindeer biscuits and some bon bon lollies (Christmas isn't Christmas without Bon Bons in my family!)

This week, I have also managed to make some yummy Apricot and Coconut balls, Adults Rocky Road (dark chocolate, pistachio and Turkish delight), some choc chip cookies and some Candy Cane Bark.

And just today I brewed up 2 batches and countless jars of yummy Tomato Relish.

It sounds like a lot, but 2 easy afternoons in the kitchen an a whole lot of temptation later, and the food is on hand for when we need it. Teachers gifts, thank yous, small and inexpensive gifts etc. I will share the gift bags when everything is compiled and ready to be gifted.

Are you a make at home sort of person? Especially for gifts? Or rather a Store-Bought sorta gal?

I am definitely a home made lover, there is something to be said some home baked goodies, however the small the token may be!

Homemade Christmas Goodies

As I do every year, I baked and made some goodies to pop in bags and give away as gifts to the people that I wanted to say 'Merry Christmas' to but not actually buy a gift for.
Not only that , but I think that a little home made gift is better than anything that you can buy in a shop. It was made with love, thought about with care and packaged with joy.

After my husband bought me a Thermomix a few months ago, I have been dieing to make some jam, and thought of no better reason.
So a batch of Strawberry, Apple and vanilla jam was created and bundled up in cute jars with fabric and ribbon. Totally delicious and I hope people are enjoying them!

I baked a few batched of sweets and packaged them up for our daycare lady and ironing lady (women worth their weight in gold, and even though our twins are only in care a few hours a week, and we only get our ironing done once a fortnight, they make my life so so much easier than it could be!)

Smaller versions were packaged up in these super cute Kikki K bags and tags for close girlfriends/godparents and neighbours.

The sweets included;

Top deck rocky road

Gingerbread  biscuits

Chocolate cherry, hazelnut slice

Rum balls

Oreo Puddings

I also made some white Christmas (and it wouldn't fit in the bag)

and a mango fruit cake for a few back up gifts for those unexpected visitors that you feel the need to gift to.

Each package was tied with some cute string and popped inside the bag.

All traditional, simple yet effective (and YUMMY) baking but its sure to bring joy to those I care for.

Do you bake special gifts? A traditional item every year?

Bring A Plate- Guest Post

GUEST POST - By a gorgeous cyber friend, fabulous baker, amazing decorator and all round lovely lady - Jane Mayall

(An introductory post on my guest bloggers will tell you all a bit more about Jane, that's coming tomorrow , but for now, ENJOY!)

I am very honoured to be asked by Liz to contribute to her Christmas Series on her gorgeous Blog. A very Happy Christmas to all Bizzy Dayz readers!

This special time of the year requires many whip ups of yummy plates to share at festive tables. Tomorrow we have a Picnic and Christmas Carols at my boys’ school. I have made Malt Surprise Slice to take. I like it because it’s an alternative to the very popular Rocky Road and its super quick and easy.

Malt Surprise Slice

(originally taken from Women’s Weekly)

You’ll need

200g packet Eclair lollies

1 Tablespoon cream

1 cup Rice Bubbles

100g Marsh mellows, chopped coarsely

165g Malteasers



Prepare 8cm x 25cm loaf tin
Place eclairs and cream in saucepan and stir over low heat until smooth.

Remove from heat and stir in Rice bubbles and marsh mellows and finally Malteasers.

Press into prepped pan and pop in fridge until set.

Pass bowl to child…they will happily oblige to clean it!

I also love that this recipe can be make and stored in fridge for up to a week if its hidden!).

Cut with a serrated knife and serve.

Enjoy x



Giveaway Bonanza #2 - TUPPERWARE !

THIS GIVEAWAY HAS CLOSED. THE WINNER WAS PICKED VIA RANDOM ORG AT COMMENT 5 - Mindy Roestenburg.



I am so so excited to share with you this amazing set of Santa containers from my favourite plastic fantastic company Tupperware.

Get into the holiday spirit with Santa's special trio. Store your baked goodies and Christmas treats and keep them fresher for longer.

                                       

                                      

                                                                         SANTA CANISTER SET

                                                       1x Small Canister, 1 Litre - 15cm(d) x 9.1cm(h)

                                                  1x Medium Canister, 1.5 Litres - 17cm(d) x 10cm(h)

                                                                               1x Large Canister


How super duper cute are they? And functional too!! And guess what? You have an opportunity to win a set , right here!! Just enter below!

But did you know that Tupperware holds their Record Breaker Week once a year. And it just happens to be this week!!  If you attend a demonstration during the Record Breaker Week with more than 8 adult guests in attendance and you purchase a regular range product you can purchase the Santa Canister Set for HALF PRICE!! Bargain!!

Record Breaker Week runs this year from 22nd November - 28th November so if anyone wants to buy them they still have time to contact their local Demonstrator.

To try and explain my love for Tupperware is simple impossible. There is just something about Tupperware that I can resist. Lifetime warranty, gorgeous colours, practical and modern and then add a bit of Christmas cheer, a cute Santa and I am sold!!
I want a set of these for myself! They would be perfect to store Christmas craft supplies, some baked goods, or if you are really generous, would make a gorgeous gift for a special person or family. Fill them with yummy cookies, shortbread and some rum balls . Voila!! Best present EVER!!

To enter this giveaway- I have not installed Rafflecopter, but require you to leave a comment under THIS post and your FULL name.
In your comment, I would like you to tell me what your favourite piece of Tupperware is ( I know I have done this before but I loved reading the answers!) Or even the Tupperware piece/s that you are lusting over.
Goodluck! x


Terms and Conditions
This giveaway will be run on the bizzy dayz blog.
You MUST leave a comment with your FULL name .
The giveaway will end Thursday 29th November at 12pm and the winner announced on my Facebook page and also on this blog post within a few hours of competition closing.
The winner has 3 days to contact and email me in regards to their prize or I reserve the right to redraw another winner.

NB: Tupperware has NOT paid me to write this post, nor have they given me the products to give away. I am lucky enough to have a lovely and generous friend, whom happens to be one pretty awesome demonstrator and she has given them to me to give away!! How amazing hey?!

Christmas Goodie Bags

I know I know, I am rather tardy with the Christmas posts, but its such a busy time of the year , some things have got to give! However, it was only 3 weeks ago, although it seems alot longer, so if you can cast your mind back a few weeks, we can just pretend a little ;)

Every year I like to do some baking/ Christmas cooking, and give away little bags to my friends as a Festive gesture. It gets too expensive and OTT if you purchase gifts for everyone, however something small is always nice!

This time, as I have been rather busy giving birth and stuff, I didn't get around to ordering any cute bags, so I had to create them for myself.

Remember when we did some Christmas potato stamping?

Well to put them to good use (other than the kids art folders and a few scrapbooking pages) , I simply cut out some pretty Christmas cardstock and glued the stamping pieces to the front. Finished with a cute gingham ribbon in a bow and voila!

In the bags I put a few choc chip cookies (one for each child that my friend had ) as above.

A few pieces of White Christmas, a few pieces of different types of chocolate fudge (Rum and Raison and Cherry Ripe) , a rather large chunk of Rocky Road and some Peppermint Bark, pictured in front of above.

The bags were received quite well and I actually managed a few rave reviews about the fudge!

I was also lucky enough to receive a few baked goodies from my friends also.

A few were eaten a little too quick for photographing, but how cute is this one?

My clever girlfriend, who is also an amazing bake of some pretty yummy deserts and cakes, gave me this little package, with the piece of chocolate brownie being made into a Christmas tree.

Cute and clever!

I just love giving little goodies to my friends, the gift of giving is a special thing .

Christmas Baking

Last week I engaged in my love of baking, and for my favourite time of the year, what could be better?
The hardest part of it (apart from finding the time with the kids) was keeping little and big fingers off it!!

This year I decided to make some homemade goodies and bag them up to hand out as little pressies to my friends, bookclub girls and my life helpers (daycare lady, cleaning lady etc.)


I really enjoy baking and that makes it all the more enjoyable, if you however , don't like it, the supermarkets are filled with lovely goodies you could make little thankyou hampers out of.

First off I made Rocky Road (thanks for the inspiration Jess!) , now this was the hardest to keep in the fridge, DH was very tempted!
I simply melted 2 blocks of cooking chocolate (Cadbury) and poured it over a tin with chopped nuts, chopped lollies and marshmellos in the bottom (oh and I added some large White choc melts.

I then made some coconut macaroon balls. I found this recipe after seeing something on Today Tonight.

Add 2 cups of coconut , the rind of one lemon and a can of Sweet condensed Milk to a bowl, mix thoroughly and roll into balls. Bake on a tray until golden brown (ours are a little overcooked on the bases, hubby left in charge!) Yummo!!!

And Choc bit slice. Now I LOVE THIS !! SO easy, so yummy and really versatile to whatever you have left in the house at the time. Comment on this post if you would like the recipe, I will type it out and email it! BTW- My sister gave the recipe to me, Thanks Kristy!!  ( I believe credit where credits due, if you get an idea from someone , say so!! Share the love!) 

And finally some Choc chip muffins. Noel loves these so much one day I made a batch, went out for tea, came home and they were ALL GONE!! The whole lot, needless to say I didn't bake them for a while again. Apparently they are just like subway cookies!! Recipe found HERE. You will only regret it if you eat them all!!

So I packaged them all up in little plastic bags ( I had bought them off ebay for The markets once thinking they were going to be WAY bigger, alas they are not but have come in real handy since!! I used them for the lolly bags for the Christening too! Punched a hoel with the hole punch, added some gold curling ribbon and they were done! I was going to label them all pretty, but I ran out of time, and I think they are quite obvious anyway!

I also purchased a pack of small soft noughat bars (in centre of above pic) and some Christmas Choccies in a pack at Woolworths and added them .

This is how they looked when all finished and packaged up. I was so stoked with the way they turned out and I think my lovely ladies and recipients were chuffed too! Some handmade love that didn't cost much at all!!

Where to buy; -

 Obviously the bags are from Kikki K. I seriously LOVE this shop, everything organisational , which I am right into at the moment. (more on my purchases later). For those in Gero or Perth, there is a great shop in Karrinyup Centre. The bags are thing paper and fold down with a contrasting back.

The gorgeous labels are a free download from Eighteen 25. LOVE them, and thankfully my beautiful mother printed them for me on nice shimmery paper!! I just cut them out with scissors *Note to self- much add 3'' punch to Wish List.

Wooden christmas pegs were purchased from Red Dot- they are actually off a Christmas card holder , so I just snipped the string they were all attached to and voila!! 25 pegs for $2!!

And Green cord ribbon from Woolworths

Lined up for my 5 special friends in my book club!! I also have them in the fridge for those visitors that you think "oops" or anyone else you have forgotten, and our next door neighbour of course!!

For the people that keep me going (aka Daycare lady, ironing lady and cleaning lady , yes I have all 3!! Someone has to do them and they are worth their weight in gold and allow me to do other things, work and spend time with my children around that!)

These guys got bigger bags,more stuff, 2 lots of rocky road and some other nibbles.

These bags were purchased in a multi pack from Ikea!!

There you have it, my little goodie bags for some important people, hopefully they help in some way, or if not, try the recipes for yourself!! Yummo!

Luckily , for DH, another Rocky Road is setting in the fridge, oh he will be happy!!

Back tomorrow with some cool packaging for gifts.