FRUITCAKE TOSS DAY

Did you know that January 3rd is the Fruitcake toss day? While I do not feel comfortable tossing the cake I've always wondered whether the fruitcake could be incorporated into other dishes.
This year my father-in-law ended up buying way too many cakes giving me a chance to make a fruitcake pudding with eggnog sauce.

Since fruitcakes come in all shapes, sizes, and textures you might want to adapt the quantities of the recipe depending on the cake you have.  My fruitcake was very moist; I tried drying it in the oven but instead of drying up it fell apart.  If your cake does not have a lot of fruit try toasting it before using (the same way you dry bread before making bread pudding).
I did not need to use any extra sugar or spices in my pudding, since the cake was quite sweet and spicy to begin with.  In fact I decided to add a tart green apple to compensate for the cake sweetness.  If you want your pudding to have more flavour add some nutmeg and cinnamon to the egg mix.
Finally, I made my pudding in a loaf pan.  I needed about 3 cups of crumbled cake to fill the third of the dish.  The recipe could easily be doubled or tripled for a bigger pudding.

What you need:

Pudding

3 cups crumbled fruitcake

1 green apple (peeled, cored, and cubed)

1 egg

1 cup milk

2 tbsp butter, melted and cooled

2 tbsp brandy or rum (could be replaced with rum essence)

Eggnog sauce

1 1/2 cup milk

1/2 cup cream

1 tbsp sugar

1 tsp ground nutmeg

1 tbsp brandy or rum (could be replaced with rum essence)

1 1/2 tsp cornstarch

What to do:

Pudding

• In a medium bowl lightly whisk egg and sugar (if using any).  Add milk and butter, mix well.  Add brandy.

• In the buttered baking dish (loaf pan) mix crumbled fruitcake and apple.  Pour egg mix over.  The egg mix should cover the fruitcake completely.  Let stand for at least 30 minutes.  You can leave the custard-cake mix overnight

• Preheat oven to 350F.  Fill a deep baking sheet with water.  Place it on the oven rack and put the loaf pan in it.  Cooking the pudding this way will prevent it from burning and overcooking at the bottom.  Cook for an hour or until the pudding is firm and no custard comes out when you press on it.  You can cover the pudding with foil if the top gets too dark.

 Eggnog sauce

• In a small sauce bowl combine milk, cream, sugar, and spices.  Heat up over medium heat, stirring frequently until light simmer.

• Prepare a cornstarch slurry by mixing cornstarch with 2-3 tablespoons of cold milk.  Slowly pour the slurry into the sauce, mixing constantly.  Add the alcohol and let the mix simmer for 2-3 minutes or until it reaches desired consistency.

The fruitcake pudding could be served as a dessert.  Personally I think it makes for a great breakfast so I am adding it to my BREAKFAST CLUB collection!
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A year ago: JANUARY "TO DO" LIST
Two years ago: CREAMY PARSNIP SOUP

CHRISTMAS AND APPLES

Looking for last moment decoration ideas  for Christmas?  Ever thought of using apples for your Christmas decor?  Here are tips I've shared a couple of years ago at PassiFlora magazine.

No time to arrange a centerpiece for your Christmas table? Red and green apples echo the holiday colours and could be used as a decoration for the dinner-table or mantel. Arrange fruits in a deep bowl and add other seasonal ornaments such as sparkling garlands, pine cones, or pine branches.

Use apples to create natural candleholders. With a sharp knife carefully cut out the round hole, with diameter of the candle, in the top of the fruit. Scrape out the flesh and insert a tea-candle. Arrange a group of candles on a plate or a tray.

Apples make great name-tag holders for the holiday table. You can create a monochrome decoration with red apples or combine red and green ones for a multicoloured design.  Simply fold the green paper in two and cut out 2 leaf shapes.  Write the name of the guest on one of the leaves.  Pass one end of the twist-tie between the leaves and glue them together, white side in. Allow 2-5 minutes for the glue to dry.  Attach the loose end of the tie to the apple by wrapping it around the stem two or three times. Shorten the tie if needed by cutting of the excess.

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A year ago: T IS FOR TREES
Two years ago: DIY CHRISTMAS LINKS part3

Christmas ...

To all my readers, celebrating this weekend, I want to wish:

And for those of you celebrating other winter holidays:

W is for Wreaths

I can't believe there are only 2 letters left in Handmade Holiday project: W and Y. Looks like I will be writing about Yule logs later on but today it's about:

Here are my favorite ideas:

• CONSTRUCTION PAPER WREATH - a great project to do with children.  Thank you, Rachel!

• An unusual and fun CHRISTMAS STRIPED STRAW WREATH.  Jen from Tatertots and Jello  shares a tutorial.

• Two Junk Chix made a fun SNOWBALL WREATH with balls of yarn.  Perfect for a knitter or crocheter.

• An easy and stylish PAPER WREATH at The Red Thread. 

• I absolutely love classy golden, white, and silver CHRISTMAS WREATH by Brenda from Deck The Halls of Home with Joy 

And don't forget to take a look at my "W" Pinterest board

December Daily update

Here are some of the pages from my DECEMBER DAILY.  I am not big on writing long descriptions so most of the days are summed up in a phrase or two:

Day 1 - playing with a new camera

Day 2 - "Artist's Date" at Montreal Museum of Fine Art

Day 3 - Goodbye party for a dear friend of mine

Day 6 - I love this page, even if the day was not much fun

Day 7 - I handed in my last final paper

And this is just a random shot a took another day ... I might use it for one of my pages.

Are you keeping December count down this year?  I would love to see your December albums!!!

T is for Trees

Time to talk about the main guest of Christmas season: the Christmas tree!

Even if you have a big, beautiful decorated Christmas tree, these little wonders will add festive spirit to your house.  They come in all styles, shapes, and sizes - pick your favorite one and start creating.

• Cute and easy-to-make CHRISTMAS TREE ORNAMENTS by Jennifer Johner

• Stylish LAYERED RIBBON TREES from Sparkle Pants Girl

• A DIY version of ANTHROPOLOGIE TREE by Dana at The Wonder Forest

• Amazingly cool FUNNEL TREE by Beth at Patina White

• Adorable MINI-TREE ORNAMENTS from The Sweetes Occasion

I also absolutely love Curbly's 12 UNCONVENTIONAL CHRISTMAS TREES

S is for snowflakes and stockings

We are less than a week away from Christmas.  Time to hang your stockings and look for beautiful snowflakes. 

Surprisingly, here in Montreal, we've been having very little of those ...  I am still hoping that Christmas and New Year eve will be white this year.  Well, while waiting for the real snowflakes, I will be making some of my own, following my favorite snowflakes tutorials:

• I absolutely love these SIMPLE SNOWFLAKES from Sinnen Rausch blog.  The tutorial is in German (I think) but step-by-step images make it easy to follow.

• Katie shares her tutorial for the RUSTIC SNOWFLAKE

• As a paper crafter I can not wait to make my own WOVEN STAR (tutorial at House Revivals)

• And do not forget about stockings.  With Amy's SIMPLE STOCKING TUTORIAL you can easily make a dozen over night!

• If you don't like paper and if you are not very good with a sewing machine, try making CROCHET SNOWFLAKES this season.  Hearthandmadeuk shows you how.

SAS's Snowflakes and Stockings Pinterest board has more ideas!

R is for Reindeers

Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner, Blitzen, Rudolph....  I will be honest, I had to look up names of Christmas

And now it's your turn to look at my favorite Reindeer projects:

• A beautiful HOLIDAY PAPER REINDEER POSTCARD from Eat Drink Chick

• Super cute idea of REINDEER NOSES from A Personal Touch

• Another cute idea: REINDEER COCOA CONES at Little Wonders' Day.  The whole posts is about reindeer-related kids activities, so take a look!

• A gorgeous SET OF CARDS from Mulberry Muse on Etsy.

• PEANUT BUTTER REINDEER COOKIES from Bakergirl.

As usual, more projects are on my Pinterest board.

Q is for Quite moments

Although Holiday season is filled with music, laughter, chiming, conversations and carols it is also time to enjoy:

 I am building a collection of peaceful, quite, winter images over at Pinterest, like this beautiful photo by Lucy Snowe that you can purchase in her Etsy store

Photo by Lucy Snowe

Peace and love to all of you this holiday season!

P is for Presents

For the letter P which is about

I thought of bringing back an article I wrote a couple of years ago for PassiFlora magazine.  I've mentioned this project in the past - an online magazine, created by Eric, Liza, and me about all things green and eco-friendly.  Here are several ideas for eco-gift wrapping.

Christmas tree and sparkling decorations, cookies and milk, gift boxes and stocking stuffers are all part of the holiday seasons. However, most of the gift boxes, wrapping, and even decorations end up in the garbage day after the big celebration. This year make your holidays greener by incorporating these fresh ideas in your gift wrapping.

Be creative by using recycled and recyclable wrapping available at your house. For smaller gifts use brown lunch bags decorated with natural elements like pine cones and pine brunches. You can use figure-scissors to add a little twist to your packages.

If you want to be more creative paint bamboo-skewers and use them as fastening for the gifts. Make sure to use non-toxic environmentally friendly dyes. Simply create a pattern with the hole-puncher and “weave in” the skewer. It could be a nice way to get your children to help you.

Here is another great way to involve your children in gift-wrapping. Use plain brown paper to wrap the boxes and decorate it with children’s seasonal drawings and appliqués. Or you can release your inner child and do it yourself.

If opting for a traditional printed paper make sure to use the recyclable kind that is painted with non-toxic natural dyes. Try using strings and bows made out of natural materials such as hemp and cotton.

Another way to reuse this season is making gift tags from old Christmas and New Year holiday cards. Use the template provided below to cut the tags out of cards. If using signed side of the card glue two tags together. Punch a whole in the tag and embellish the gifts.

I really hope that these simple fresh ideas not only help you to make your holidays greener but also show that green holidays could be beautiful too.

Downloads

MITTEN TEMPLATE and TAG TEMPLATE

And do not forget to check out my Pinterest board for more ideas of handmade and wrapped presents.

What handmade presents are you giving this season?

O is for Ornaments

My second favorite thing after Christmas lights is Christmas

I specially like handmade paper ones, but I tried to be fair and include all types in my today's selection.

• FELT SNOW BALLS ornaments from Purl Bee would look so cute on my Christmas tree this year

• You can hang this ORIGAMI WREATH on a tree, use it for gift wrapping, or pop it into Christmas card for a little surprise.  Want to make one?  Domesticali has a tutorial with step-by-step photos

• I am in awe with WOVEN PAPER ORANAMENTS from The Cheese Thief.  I HAVE TO make some!

• Another simple and beautiful ornament idea: SECURITY STARS from Maya Made

• And last but not least: cute CINNAMON ORNAMENT from The Pink Couch

As usual, I have many more ideas pinned on my Pinterest board - make sure to check them out.  

Are you making any ornaments this season?  I would LOVE to see your creations and feature them on my blog.  Leave a comment with a link or email the Handmade Holidays project (handmadeholidays@gmail.com)

N is for Notes for friends and family

Did you start sending Christmas cards yet?  I am SO behind (like usual) with this ....  The only excuse I have is that there are too many beautiful handmade cards to choose from.

• Cindy Lawrence demonstrates how to make a SANTA CARD

• I am absolutely in love with Lucy's CHRISTMAS SWIRLS CARD

• Jen's RIBBON TREE CARD - so cute

• My simple BELL CARD from last year

• Connie's FOLDED CHRISTMAS TREE card with instructions

And I have more beautiful cards pinned on my Pinterest board.
What are your favorite handmade Christmas cards?

M is for Music, Movies, and Mulled wine

Favorite holiday album?

• Michael Bublé's CHRISTMAS and my collection of good old Christmas classics

Favorite holiday movie?

• LOVE ACTUALLY

Favorite holiday drink?

MULLED WINE aka GLINTWEIN

Mulled wine is an aromatic alcoholic beverage made with red wine, sweetener, and a mix of spices. Grog, punch, and glentwein/glintwine are all types of mulled wine. They are usually served in winter and come from mountain regions of Germany and Scandinavia. The main ingredient of mulled wine is red wine. Since spices and sweeteners are added to the mix you do not have to splurge on the expensive bottle. For a vegan version of glintwine substitute honey with brown sugar or agave nectar and make sure to get a vegan bottle of red.

What you need

1 (750ml) bottle of red wine
2 cinnamon sticks.  More for serving
½ vanilla bean (optional) could be substituted with ¼ tsp of vanilla extract
7-10 cloves
½ star of anise
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2-3 tablespoon honey (or vegan sugar)
1 orange, sliced
st of ½ orange
½ cup water

What to do

• In a small saucepan combine all the ingredients besides wine and heat slowly until boiling.  Cover and let simmer for 5 minutes.

• In a bigger saucepan combine wine and the spice mix.  Warm it up on the small heat.

• Do not let the mulled wine boil!!!

• Serve in a thick-walled glass garnished with a cinnamon stick.

L is for Lights

What do you like best about holidays?  Christmas decor is my favorite.  And how can you decorate without lights?

Here are several ideas from my Pinterest board

• Originally spotted at a wedding reception this LIGHTS UNDER THE TABLE idea is great for a Christmas supper

• Apartment Therapy describes how to make beautiful GLITTERING LIGHTSCAPE

• Make your own WINTER LUMINARIES following Amanda's tutorial

• A shiny alternative to a traditional Christmas tree: LIGHTS AND TOMATO CAGES TREES 

• Absolutely gorgeous VINTAGE VOTIVES from Annaboo's house  

K is for Kris Kringle

Time to get back to our HANDMADE HOLIDAYS project.

Christmas is less than 2 weeks away and Santa is getting ready:

Image via Pinterest

Just remember:

IRON ACCENTS

If you want to make your own Kris Kringle, check out a collection of tutorials on my Pinterest board.

J is for Jingle Bells

I had to take a couple of days off my blog - my term paper was due this week and I spent all my free time working on it.  I promise to catch up with all the "missing letters" over the next few days.  Today it's about:

Not sure what to do with all the pretty bells this season?  Why won't you ...

• Make a beautiful BALL AND BELL GARLAND, following the tutorial at Two Shades of Pink.

• Use small bells to SPRUCE UP YOUR GIFT WRAPPING (via A Gift Wrapped Life).

• Make cute JINGLE BELL FLOWERS.  The Crafty Crow got step-by-step instructions.

• Tie several bells together to make a MINI WREATH ORNAMENT.  Stephanie Lynn shows you how.

• Or maybe you are looking for a SIMPLE HOLIDAY GARLAND for your house decor?  Sarah from CozyCottageCute has a tutorial for you.

And if you want more ideas, take a look at my Pinterest board.

December Daily

I decided to document our 25 days to Christmas.  I know that first 7 days will be busy with school-related stuff but I will try to get some holiday magic every day.

Here is what I am planning on using for my December Daily book:

There will be a lot of stamping and tagging.  The small green tag is handmade and I am hoping to have a tutorial for it up soon.

The washi tape bug bit me last month.  I got several cute rolls for my birthday (thank you my dear sis) and bought twice as many myself.

And this is the first shot taken with our new camera. 

My ikebana teacher brought myrtle and cute red berries to our Monday course.  I got home, put them in a small vase and all of a sudden it began to fill like Christmas!