Happy New Year!

Hi, Y'all! 

Today is January 7 already, but I want to wish you a very happy new year anyway! May we all learn to live our new normal, and maybe this situation offers us new chances and possibilities... In any case I wish you health, joy and success - and for the first time this is no shallow phrase, but an honest and true wish for us all! 

We startet our new year very cosy with G&T on our sofa, but then it got hectic somehow. You might know we share our sofa and our life with two furry guys who aren't in their spring any longer. Else is even competing with Methuselah with her 12 years+... 

And on Sunday we got the impression that something wasn't right with her. She behaved differently, and during the night we had to let her out in the backyard around six to eight times. No sleep till Brooklyn 𝅘𝅥𝅱𝅘𝅥𝅱𝅘𝅥𝅱𝅘𝅥𝅱, or better: no sleep till Monday morning. As soon as our trusted vet opened, I fixed an appointment, and an hour later our golden girl was checked - cystitis! Nurse Honey (aka me) is now regularly administering antibiotics, pain medication and vitamin b to help with her arthritic joints. I would do anything for you... 𝅘𝅥𝅱𝅘𝅥𝅱𝅘𝅥𝅱𝅘𝅥𝅱 But thanks to tender love and pharmacy, she is already feeling much better! The following night she had to potty three times, and the last two nights only once - massive improvement, I'd say.

Kudos to DHL - last Christmas 𝅘𝅥𝅱𝅘𝅥𝅱𝅘𝅥𝅱𝅘𝅥𝅱 all presents were delivered in time and in good condition, and therefore I can show you all the gifts I mixed in my magical cauldron: 

Let's start with a very healthy, low-calorie piece of cake for a teenage girl, and I thought, a small pouch is always a good idea. It has a zipper going all around, and it's pretty suitable for chap sticks, hankies, scrunchies, bobby pins or even a spare face mask.

And while we're at it: This season I made the largest part of my gifts in the kitchen, but a few things I produced with my sewing machine:

This photo admittedly isn't the best, but unfortunately the only one... Anyway, it shows a pillow cover with ruffles and hotel closure. Which means there are no zippers or buttons, but overlapping fabric in the back. Very handy, because there is no risk of lost buttons or a broken zipper. You might know this method from pillow covers by the large Swedish furniture company, they use it very often. In this case here, I used some leftover fabric from a pair of curtains I had to shorten. Thus Marie now has throw pillows perfectly matching with her curtains, and due to the color they aren't kitschy-girly but kind of elegant. And as the fabric is a heavy duty canvas, the ruffles don't get flat and stay fluffy. 

But let's jump right into the kitchen: Our girls changed their diet: one turned completely vegan and the other one does without animal protein. Therefore, I had to come up with some ideas reflecting their lifestyle. I started with caramel syrup: 

You can find a "how to" in one of my previous posts. I added the recipe for my vegan pancakes, because this combination is a match made in heaven! 

In addition to my apple-cinnamon-limes with vodka I made some raspberry-vanilla liqueur and cherry-jam with mulled wine: 

The liqueur was mainly for my mum, because she can't stand cinnamon. The mix of raspberry and vanilla is gorgeous, but you have to be awfully careful with it - devil in disguise!!!

The recipe for the cherry jam with mulled wine called for some gingerbread spice, and is paired perfectly with fluffy white bread and cream cheese. You could also use it as filling for a sponge cake, I guess. 

For the jars I sewed some covers from a felted fabric. When empty, you could insert a tealight or candle and thus re-use the jar. Pretty sustainable, isn't it?

On top this offered some additional protection for the jars. I had to ship everything due to the current situation, and the shipment of bottles and jars is always a risk. But it worked out, at least nobody told me about some damaged goods. 

As gingerbread spice is not to everyone's liking, I made an alternative spread inspired by the Raffaello pralines. Ingredients were mostly white chocolate, coconut, butter and sweetened condensed milk. Definitely fuel for the love handles :-)

Until now I couldn't unterstand the hype about sweetened condensed milk, it didn't make sense to me: I don't like condensed milk in my coffee, especially not sweetened, and besides: What's so difficult in spooning some sugar in the cup that you need an extra convenience product? But the recipe called for it, and I realized it had a texture like custard, therefore,  I would never ever think of putting that into my coffee!   

But it was perfect for my coconut spread, and therefore I tested a second recipe with that special ingredient: fudge with spiced biscuits (speculoos, I already talked about them).

I tried fudge for the first time in England and loved it instantly! Main ingredients for my batch were the aforementioned sweetened condensed milk, again white chocolate and the spiced cookies. Melt the chocolate, mix in the milk and cookie crumbles, brush it on a baking sheet and let it cool. Afterwards cut it in bitesize pieces and enjoy! 

And to please two special gentlemen who are very dear to me, I surely had to make a gigantic batch of truffles: 

The re-usage of milk cartons was tried and tested last year, and as you should never change a running system, I didn't dare to change this season's packaging for the truffles.

After all these rich and substantial gifts you might want to add more sports to your life - just ask me, I may have some good recommendations. Hubby and I didn't get substantially slimmer, but fitter - and moving regularly is defitively good for your immune system.

Have a good start in 2021, Y'all!!!