I dove to Canberra (about 300km away) and on the weekend and stayed with Anne-Maree and her family. I had a lovely time knitting, baking and just hanging out.
I managed to slip in a visit to Maisie's, to see her stash and her baby. They are both lovely, as lovely as Maisie herself.
Her mother (Grand-moogi to all you KR-ers) taught me to make a Christmas cake and ice it. Wow! I thought it was a lot harder than it was. I guess it would be really hard to do a REALLY good job, but hey, for a first attempt this isn't too bad, is it?
I didn't do the writing and it DID have a shell edging, but the shell edging melted during the drive home. Anne-Maree made the decorations. I DID roll out the icing and put it on the cake. The lumpy bits you see are the air bubbles. Like I said, it's not perfect, but hey, for a first try...
Before melting:
After melting:
I guess it doesn't look too bad...
And look at the mess we made!
I re-started my shapely tank and it no longer is a shapely tank. I am going to make it a tank (not shapely) and have a leaf lace panel up the middle of the front. I'm plodding along.. and it's ot getting anywhere quick.
For Christmas ths year I am cooking turkey. Well, part of a turkey. I am cooking a turkey roll and some roast vegetables and potato bake. That's my contribution to the Hernandez clan Chritmas eve meal. Ok, that and christmas cake (and custard if I can be botherd to make it). I am thinking of making Portuguese egg tarts, but I may not have the time. For dinner with Sharlyn and family on christmas day, I am bringing pudding. It's too late now to make Christmas pudding, so I am going to cheat - I will buy a pudding and drown it in brandy a couple of days before Christmas. I think that will work..
Thank goodness I have done all my Christmas shopping! I heard that the crowds are really bad today at the shops. I am SO grateful I don't have to go shopping this week, well, apart from grocery shopping.
