Nacktschnecken omlet Cube

[Cinnamon]

I know we have a thread for this every year,but I am getting a bit stuck on new ideas for my hampers this Christmas,& am even, shock! horror!, wondering whether to bother with them at all

 

So,I need to be inspired please....what are you planning for this years hampers?

[Lesley]

You can't not make any!!

 

I've made a start......

'Branston' pickle

Pickled shallots

Piccalilli

Sweet Courgette Relish

Lemon Jam

 

I've also found some small bottles of Cotswold rape seed oil - can't remember the proper name.......

and I have some of the small tubes of Anglesey Sea Salt.

 

I'll add more Christmassy fare nearer the time.

[miffy]

can I be on your christmas list please ??? pretty please

[craftyhunnypie]

I think I'm going to do fudge & truffles - plus some nice biscuits this year. Oh & some marzipan little animals. I've also got a mini chocolate bars mould too. Hotel chocolat - eat your heart out! I'm going damson, sloe & elderberry picking one weekend. So there will be damson & sloe gin /vodka. Must remember to make more xmas cakes this year too. A few crochet bits & some little knitted cuties.

 

Emma.x

[Christian]

I know we have a thread for this every year,but I am getting a bit stuck on new ideas for my hampers this Christmas,& am even, shock! horror!, wondering whether to bother with them at all

 

Wash your mouth out Cinnamon!! It is Omlet tradition to do hampers!

 

I haven't decided on my hampers yet, but will do more biscuits, fudge, chocolate and sweet things this year.

 

If I can't lose weight, why should anyone else?

[craftyhunnypie]

The secret is ..make everyone fatter, then we look thinner!

 

Emma.x

[Cinnamon]

I know we have a thread for this every year,but I am getting a bit stuck on new ideas for my hampers this Christmas,& am even, shock! horror!, wondering whether to bother with them at all

 

Wash your mouth out Cinnamon!! It is Omlet tradition to do hampers!

 

I haven't decided on my hampers yet, but will do more biscuits, fudge, chocolate and sweet things this year.

 

If I can't lose weight, why should anyone else?

 

I am just not sure if they are appreciated by some of my family

 

That said,I am intrigued by Lemon Jam, & the Courgette relish sounds good too............

[Lesley]

The Lemon Jam recipe is already on here - I use it in the Lemon Courgette Cake - I'll ask Kate to post the Sweet Courgette Relish recipe..

[Cinnamon]

Thanks,my dear.

[Mrs Frugal]

I'll ask Kate to post the Sweet Courgette Relish recipe..

 

Just got Lesley's email

 

This recipe came from "The Preserving Book" by Lynda Brown (Dorling Kindersley)

 

Sweet Courgette Relish

 

2lb courgettes - finely chopped

1 large onion - finely chopped

16fl oz cider vinegar

12oz granulated sugar

2 tsp mustard powder

1 tsp turmeric

1-2 tsp chilli flakes

2 tsp cornflour

2 tsp coriander seeds

 

Put courgettes and onions in a preserving pan or heavy based saucepan. Pour over the cider vinegar. Stir to mix.

Add the sugar, mustard powder, turmeric, chilli flakes, cornflour and coriander seeds. Stir over a gentle heat until the sugar has dissolved. Bring to the boil then reduce the heat and cook for around 40 mins to 1 hour until the mixture has thickened. It should be slightly wetter than chutney.

Spoon into hot sterilised jars and seal. Keeps for 6 months.

[Cinnamon]

Thanks,Kate.

I will certainly be giving it a go

[stehaggan]

Hi guys,

Just got back off my jollies (got an extra 4 days due to French strikes ). Mother didn't pick the courgettes though so there is some whoopers and they'll need using, is this courgette relish nice?

[Cinnamon]

OK, I have Ginger marmalade & Cinnamon Plum Jam done now.

Am making a Chilli Jelly today.

 

just chopped all the chillies. washed my hands afterwards,then went upstairs to put my make up on. I obviously didn't wash them enough because I got the most painful Chilli burn though my cleansing wipe all over my face & eyes

[Olly]

Owwww!

 

You are inspiring me - I am having a 'Domestic Goddess' weekend - organising, baking, and generally being a 'housewife' and I was just surveying the fridge and wondering what to do with the courgettes. I have everything I need for the courgette relish, thanks for posting that!

[Cinnamon]

The family had better brace themselves this Christmas............this is the hottest batch of Chilli Jelly I have ever made

 

I guess it comes from the home grown birdseye chillies

[stehaggan]

I made a batch of the sweet courgette relish and well it is delicious. I had lots of courgettes so I have made another 2 batches today. I have made them more into a chutney as they are less runny.

 

The ones I made today seem to be a darker colour and not really as yellow(picalilli) as the one yesterday but they still taste the same. The kick from the chilli flakes really does the trick

 

i would definately recommend making some.. this is coming from someone who doesn't really like courgettes.

[welovemarmite]

I am thinking of doing hampers this year, I did my first preserving last week, which was a bit of a disaster as I invented caramalised plum cooking jam (ie burnt sugar and so rock hard you could only use it in cooking). Anyway not put off I made blackberry and apply jam yesterday and it came out lovely. My new neighbour gave me lots of cooking apples last night so going to try an apply chutney today. It takes four hours to cook so will give me change to sort out all the kitchen cupboards etc

 

May try chilli vodka and some marmalade,not sure what else yet.

[Cinnamon]

I always have some sort of home made bake in mine too,like Gingerbread, Christmas cookies or Lebuchken (sp),but this year I fancy doing Florentines,which always look beautiful and festive.

 

I may try some bath find or salts too.

[welovemarmite]

oh yes.... hubbie has just got into baking biscuits so will get him on the job... and of course last minute the eggs will have to go in..... oooo could try pickled eggs for my dad.... he loves pickled eggs....

[Mrs Webmuppet]

I too am plannning hampers ( this forum has a lot to answer for).

 

One of my friends even gave me a 'wish' list of what she wants in her hamper ( oh and by the way could I put a 2nd jar of onion marmalade in for her Dad ).

 

So far I have made:

Plum jam ( plums from our tree)

Pear and Plum chutney ( pears and plums from our trees)

Blackberry and apple jelly ( using the glut of blackberries from the garden)

Blackcurrant jam

green tomato chutney ( tomatoes from a random tomato plant that sprouted in the front garden.

 

still to make:

Christmas puds & cakes

blackberry jam

raspberry jam

strawberry jam

chilli jam

onion marmalade

and orange marmalade

 

I would add there's quite a lot of hampers to do!

[welovemarmite]

Being new to it all, where have people found the best value jars and bottles? Also ideas for the hampers themselves, baskets etc?

[Cinnamon]

I use Lakeland for the jars,as they do a nice smaller size.

 

For the baskets i look on eBay, but this year I am going to do 4 of the small jars bundled up in a pretty tea towel & tied with raffia,or something. I can see it in my minds eye how I want it to look, & will try to get it as close to that as possible.

 

In the past I have used those lovely Hessian supermarket bags (not the ones with the supermarket name on) ,again from eBay, & they were very well received.

[welovemarmite]

oh yes i like the hessian bag idea, I know where I can get some good sized ones cheaply.

 

I have also just been told that I have a tonne of pears available to me. I have a poached pears in perry recipe, but stuck other than that.

[Mrs Webmuppet]

When it comes to jars the cheapest option is to buy the 'blue stripe' products from Tescos, dispose of the jar contents and put the jars through the dishwasher. The rather awful mint sauce comes in small jars (25p a jar) and the equally hideous Lemon Curd is in 454g jars (22p a jar).

 

For the big hampers I tend to use the large flat fruit boxes from the supermarket, cover them in wrapping paper, fill with shredded paper and cover with cellophane, finishing off with a nice ribbon bow. For the smaller hampers I use printer paper box lids.

[welovemarmite]

I like the principle of that but part of me hats the idea of throwing stuff away....