Pot of Gold

As always I thank you for your wonderful comments, emails and support.  I would also like to welcome new followers and hope you enjoy our little adventures through life.  I live on the Western Isles also known as the Outer Hebrides the beautiful Isle of Lewis off the west coast of Scotland.  It takes two and  a half hours on the ferry to reach the mainland, so although remote it doesn't feel that way.  Shopping is certainly limited but I visit family regularly and shop when I visit the mainland.  Although we have only been here since April we call it home and love it, we have lost our hearts to this wonderful place.  Next week we travel to the mainland and start our journey to visit family who are spread throughout England, we are counting down the sleeps until we see our Grandchildren who are so excited that we are visiting.  We also have our exciting trip to Florida the sunshine state of America to look forward to which is why Christmas preparations started and finished so early.  The only thing we have left to do is write the Christmas cards, which hopefully will get done over the next day or so.  I am not usually this organised so I did feel as if I should explain the early preparations. 

I was asked for the recipe for the black treacle marmalade.  It is a traditional orange marmalade recipe with the addition of 2 tablespoons of black treacle added with the sugar.

3lb oranges
2 lemons
6lb granulated sugar
2 tablespoons black treacle

Cut the fruit in half and squeeze out the juice.  Remove the pips and membrane and tie them in a muslin bag.
Cut the peel into thin shreds, place in a preserving pan and add 5 pints of water.
Bring to the boil and simmer for about 2 hours until the contents of the pan has reduced by half and the peel is soft.
Remove the muslin bag and squeeze out all the gooey liquid - this contains all the pectin required to thicken the marmalade.
Add the sugar and stir until completely dissolved.  Add the black treacle.
Bring to the boil and boil rapidly until setting point is reached (about 20 mins).
Stir well so that the peel is evenly distributed and then pour into sterilised jars, seal and label.

Hope that helps and that if you make it you enjoy it as much as we do.

I am doing well with the crochet stockings, one complete and another 22 Granny squares ready to have their ends sewn in and then stitched together.  It is such a great make using 22 Granny squares, stitched together and then a round of popcorn stitches around the top.

A short post today as I have some ironing and packing to do.  I will leave you with a wonderful rainbow, here's wishing that there will be a pot of gold at the end of it for you.

See you soon.

Winter Project Link Party

Another busy few days trying to cram everything in.  As the date for visiting family and our holiday draws nearer each day so does the lack of time for completing tasks.  The lists are getting longer and longer, with not a lot getting ticked off.  The mammoth task of getting gifts wrapped starts tomorrow, I am hoping that they will all fit in the car, only time will tell.  The last of the Christmas puddings are in the slow cooker steaming away, a little early but too late to make them on our return. 

On looking through my lists of things to do I noticed that I had never completed or indeed ever started the crochet stocking that I wanted to make this year.  Whilst it is too late for the children for this year it would be nice to have a couple hanging off either the mantle or the bed for ourselves.  I really did enjoy sorting through the yarn and laying them next to each other and have come up with quite a nice combination of colours.  The trusty wool winder has been out and I have been winding some wonderful yarn cakes for ease.

Only a couple of squares done so far but at least a start has been made.  The project is easily transported so can be a something I take with me, if indeed it fits in the car.

My long term Winter project is to make a quilt for my Grandson Hector, all hand stitched and filled with love.  The fabrics have been chosen and the style picked out so a start will be made later today.

I am joining up with Jennifer thistlebearhome.com for the Winter Project Link Party in the hope that it will spur me on, they are both projects that have been on the list for awhile.  What are you working on at the moment?

See you soon.