New Thrifty Gifty - Organised for Christmas and all ocassions 2010- Santas Challenges

Anglea

Didn't you say some time before how much she didn't like surprises, all those presents and now the photos LOL, OMG - and the local paper.....you didn't put up a big sign by the nearest roundabout too?

Hope you tell us what happened.

elysia2003

Thanks so much Fedupandskint! We like you - you can come on here again. :rotfl:

Welcome to TimnLaura too - as a novice jam/preserve maker any tips would be most appreciated. :j

Mum2one - on my 30th there weren't just posters outside my house but my Mum's too, and around the streets on the way there, and the local shops. People were stopping and pointing at me the whole day. Now I know what a celebrity feels like.

Anglea - apparently if you want to steam anything you can put it in the dishwasher - trouble is, we put our dishwsher on after our meal and not before. LOL :rotfl:

Hope everyone has a lovely day.

fedupandskint

elysia2003 wrote: »

Thanks so much Fedupandskint! We like you - you can come on here again. :rotfl:

Too kind :rotfl:

I was part of last years thread from July onwards BTW and took a break for the first part of the year as its too soon to think about doing it all again for me :rotfl:

Anyway I'm back and raring to go

cdsmiler

mary-op wrote: »

clare- sounds like you could plant something in it, herbs maybe - but if it were me I'd feel inclined to plant the herb (or whatever you want) in a plastic pot and put that inside the tin.........that way the plastic pot could have holes for drainage and you could put gravel in the bottom.

Thanks Mary!

fedupandskint - good to see you back! You've reminded me to get my bum into gear to look at making raspberry jam again. It went down really well last year, and the mother-in-law has already given me a bag full of jars!! lol think she's hinting?! COnsidering chutney too, but not sure who would appreciate the chutney. My Mum grows tomatoes so we're hoping there might be a bumper crop and we'll do some tomato chutney together.

Also thinking of doing small Christmas cakes - square ones - iced....not sure though. Maybe I'm giving myself too much to do this year with a little one and her birthday in December too! lol

mum2one wrote: »

Read somewhere the other day (think it was Prima), that you can sterilise jars by half filling with hot water and microwaving on full power for 5 mins!

No idea what u do with the lids thou!!xx

For the jam I make, I stick the lids and jars in the dishwasher (which steralises them) and then the jars in the oven before filling them. That's all I did last year, and I didn't kill anyone... lol

timnlaura wrote: »

Such an inspiring thread. Will plan my christmassy treats and get myself organised. Somehow my MIL can make the lids of jars not click as if they are unused. she is on a cruise just now, but i will ask her as soon as she is back what she does.

Hi timnlaura! If the jars are hot from the oven, and the contents are also hot/warm, then as long as you put the lids on soon after, the heat inside will pull the 'pop' in!

Proper homemade chutneys in food fayres etc are so expensive arn't they!! It's when I see those that I start thinking of doing a cottage industry.....but then realise the actual work it'll take! lol

mum2one - hope your Mum has a fab day!!

Clare x

Anglea

Hello all

I wonder how Miss Hoodies grandma is getting on? I bet there's been a lot of excitement in that household.

Clare, making small Christmas cakes seems like a good idea (I'll keep that in mind for me). Possibly easier for you than large ones because you've got a lot to do that time of year.

Jam making. My favourite jam to eat is damson and not easy to buy so last year after being given a load of fruit, thought I'd try some jam. However found the whole process of spooning up the pips while it was cooking really difficult and only made a small amount.

Mum also tried and over cooked so ended up with a sort of damson cheese, unfortunately put it in a jar so quite a few spoons got broken trying to scoop it out to use.

I've still got some fruit in the freezer which I planned to use for damson gin and haven't got round to it. I still wouldn't mind making more jam.

So girls, what's the secret to using damsons?

mum2one

Anglea wrote: »

Didn't you say some time before how much she didn't like surprises, all those presents and now the photos LOL, OMG - and the local paper.....you didn't put up a big sign by the nearest roundabout too?

Hope you tell us what happened.

She threw a hissy fit, dad took Bailey at 630am, and told her, when he came back she made him go and take them down, but he didn't see the one on the lamppost!!

Then the phone went - managed to get in time this was whike the hissy fit was happening - Argos - were be there in an hr...... I stayed in bed, heard the door bell, mum got it and went I didn't order anything, the bloke goews Happy Birthday - she was shocked and said how do you know, he went its on the lamppost by where we parked.

Once he#d gone she came up moaning threw the invoice at me, didn't want the damm table and chairs, what is she going to do with it, so I said sit on it, dad then came up - moaned at her, and said everytime I had something for my birthdays you've moaned like hell, (since he was 60 he's had party and trial lesson 2 seat plane, 2 x hot air ballon trips, helicopter flight, 4 x 4 off road experience and a rally car experience), she had a 60th party - she didn't go to... she then oh yes, can you get the argos on the computer so I can have a look at it - oh isn't it lovely, we're have to redecorate the dinng rm, have toget someone to help your dad put it up, oh I have been spolit........ Mothers..

Then 10am her flowers came, had them in a basket, got red roses and freshias (there her 2 favs), now shes over the moon, how spolit shes been best bday presents shes had...... won't put any flowers in her new vase (she had a danbury mint leaflet through the post - got the vase in £99... ) walking on air now....
xx

mum2one

cdsmiler wrote: »

Thanks Mary!

fedupandskint - good to see you back! You've reminded me to get my bum into gear to look at making raspberry jam again. It went down really well last year, and the mother-in-law has already given me a bag full of jars!! lol think she's hinting?! COnsidering chutney too, but not sure who would appreciate the chutney. My Mum grows tomatoes so we're hoping there might be a bumper crop and we'll do some tomato chutney together.

Also thinking of doing small Christmas cakes - square ones - iced....not sure though. Maybe I'm giving myself too much to do this year with a little one and her birthday in December too! lol



For the jam I make, I stick the lids and jars in the dishwasher (which steralises them) and then the jars in the oven before filling them. That's all I did last year, and I didn't kill anyone... lol



Hi timnlaura! If the jars are hot from the oven, and the contents are also hot/warm, then as long as you put the lids on soon after, the heat inside will pull the 'pop' in!

Proper homemade chutneys in food fayres etc are so expensive arn't they!! It's when I see those that I start thinking of doing a cottage industry.....but then realise the actual work it'll take! lol

mum2one - hope your Mum has a fab day!!

Clare x

Thank you - all ok now!!!

Thinking about the christmas cakes when we made small ones we used small baked bean / spaghetti tins great size for 1 person xx

Anglea

mum2one - it sounds like a soap opera in your house today - more dramatic than Eastenders!!!

Was there room in the house for the table and chairs that's what I want to know?

Has she opened her 65 individuals one yet?

Anglea

Just came across this recipe and though it could be an unusual idea for gifts

http://www.express.co.uk/posts/view/184235/Fortune-cookies

mum2one

Anglea wrote: »

mum2one - it sounds like a soap opera in your house today - more dramatic than Eastenders!!!

Was there room in the house for the table and chairs that's what I want to know?

Has she opened her 65 individuals one yet?

The table and chairs are in 3 big boxes, there in the dining rm, just enough space for a clear passage through to the kitchen, not sure when hes doing it thou.....

and sods law I can't find her 65 box........ but shes happy now with everything, the sun is shining out of my rear!! I ordered a crystal pendant of a spaniel, the chain that comes with it it 16in - would choke her, so got 22in from Argos, cut the picture of the crystal pendant - signed it off dad, and then told him when I put it on hos credit card!!....... He's got her the ring, but thought she should have something else.....