Jams And Syrups And Fudge, Oh My!

Assorted Jams

Not only did I spend a lot of time in front of the TV knitting this holiday season, I also spent a lot of time cooking in the kitchen! Thankfully, sitting and knitting was the perfect respite from all that standing and cooking!

I made pear and vanilla bean jams; pear cranberry cardamom jams, apple butter; lavender, rose, apple, jalapeño, ginger and mint flavored simple syrups; chai, mint, floral, and fruity tea blends; chocolate walnut fudge, toffee, chocolate truffles, a spicy nut mix; and chai spice, floral, orange clove, and allspice fir needle scented candles.

I know… I sound insane… perhaps I am, but I had a blast doing it all and surprisingly none of it was terribly hard or time consuming! All of my recipes and instructions were found on Pinterest and then I tweaked a few things to make them my own.Continue Reading

The Giving Spirit

Christmas Cookies

Gifts… what to get, who wants what, does anybody in my life really need more stuff?! These are the questions I ask myself every November as I start to prepare for Christmas.

I’ve always loved giving gifts, finding that perfect something for that perfect someone, but for the last few years I’ve found myself becoming increasingly flustered and stressed with gift giving. I’m not sure if it’s that I’ve simply run out of ideas for cool stuff to buy or if everyone in my life has run out of room for all that cool stuff. Either way, I’ve decided to change my gift giving tune.Continue Reading