Christmas time means Candy Canes

I'm essentially obsessed with Candy Canes.
The shape, the colours, the twist, and oh oh oh, peppermint is the best flavour in the world.
Over christmas? I make the most of them (I love seasonal food!) and as such, I bake them into my childhood-recipe cookies.

Chocolate-Chip-Candy-Cane-Cookies
12 oz Flour
4 tsp Baking Powder
8 oz Butter
4 oz Sugar
4 Tbsp Sweetened Condensed Milk
1 pkt chocolate chips (uh ... the pack is like 2 cups?)

1 tsp peppermint essence
12 Candy Canes



Soften the butter, cream with sugar and sweetened condensed milk. Add the flour and baking powder. Combine. Add the peppermint essence.

Break up the Candy Canes! Sometimes you can slice them, most of the time we just unwrap them, put them inside two plastic bags, and a tea-towel, and have at them with a hammer.



my pretty pretty sister was a little too into it ...



Terrifying.



Result!

I add in the candy cane with the blade still in the food processor ...



But the chocolate chips get all broken up and turn the biscuits brown so I remove the blade and add them by hand.



Form into balls about the size of walnuts



Annoying huge chocolate drops. They don't work as well as chocolate chips.

Smoosh (Technical Term!) with a fork.



Bake at 150c for ... oh, like 10? 15? minutes. Until they are pale beige.



Sometimes the candy pieces are too close to the edge and they melt out and burn. But that doesn't mean they're all burnt!



Sometimes? they are all flat like this. Sometimes they are more like ... proper biscuits. Nice and fluffy.
I think it might be when the butter is too melted in step one. But I've never paid enough attention to work it out and sometimes they are perfect, sometimes they are less-than but still taste lovely.
This was one of the latter times. And I couldn't be bothered baking a whole 'nother batch just for pretty pictures.

Another little drone for the 'hive*

I finallyfinallyfinally have a proper full time grown up job. It's kind of interesting and has an important sounding title. I kind of love it.

But no, I won't tell you exactly where, with whom, or doing what. Because what would be the fun in that?

* Pictured between branches is the Beehive, the buzzing hub of New Zealand's parliament.

For my Darling sister in London ...

(I was obviously a great help!)

































We Missed You!

Friday Morning

I realised that it has been MONTHS since I spent the train ride to and from work in absolute hysterics.
That is to say, I miss this cute little face:



My Darling Sister Charlotte.



Seriously? How cute is she??

p.s. I might also be hugely jealous that she is spending christmas in London.

Ghostin' up the place

A conversation between sisters.

Jayne; Buuuh!
Me (walking down the stairs): What?
Jayne:You just looked all ... ethereal. I think it's the curly hair.
Me: And the ghostly pallor?
Jayne: Yea. Quit ghostin' up the place.


Officially my new occupation: Ghostin'.
Duties; a lot of wandering, occasional moaning, wearing of dresses, generally being pale.
Benefits: you never have to brush your hair and shoes are optional.

A conversation via Text Message

Sarah-Rose
Have an amazing time but don't die or get an STD. Love you!

Craig
I promise I'll come home in a good condition and no std. love you xxx

This weekend Craig is away at a Stag-Weekend. As in boys not deer. He knows and lovingly accepts my hyperbole. Which is why we work.

I have emerged from my doldrums to show you THE MOST ADORABLE WATCH IN THE WORLD.

Caution: This watch might kill you. It is THAT cute.



I think Betsey Johnson might have made this allallall just for me. It is perfect.





I first saw this watch when Tor of Fab Frocks professed her undying love for it. I however can resist everything save temptation and made it my own.



I am right handed but also wear my watches on my right wrist. Turns out, it is ridiculously hard to take photos of your right hand using only your left hand. Unless of course you happen to be ambidextrous.



I am not ambidextrous.


I might have to start wearing it on my left arm though. Because seriously? Cupcake PLUS bow? Too adorable for words.



It has been given pride of place on top of the mini wardrobe.
Along with my Keep Calm and Carry on mug (from Kat), Parma Violets, Eat Cake Worship Satan (heart City Down), and my beautiful modern art Melissa shoes.

It also deigned to arrive on a day when I was wearing these shoes:





And this cardigan:





If it had arrived YESTERDAY (because I am endearingly OCD I tend to plan out outfits days or weeks in advance, as happened with this one) I might have been forced to wear it with this necklace:



And One of these pairs of earrings:



(not the fangs!)

and this hair clip:



Oh god. And this ring:



I think it might be time for a bow intervention.


When I showed Craig the pictures of the watch his first reaction was NO!
Which meant that a couple of days later, after ensuring he was in a good mood, we had this conversation:
Me: Remember the bow watch I showed you? it was completely adorable and soooo me and you were all NO! and stuff?
Craig: uh .. vaguely yea. Did you buy it?
Me: Well, when I showed you the picture? I'd already bought it.

But thankfully! Just now we had this conversation:
Me: Oh! oh oh oh. This is just THE MOST ADORABLE WATCH IN THE WORLD! Isn't it?? isn't it??
Craig: Yea, it's pretty damn adorable.



Victory!!

An Ending

Today is the 30th of November.
It is the end of NaBloPoMo and the end of Mo-Vember.



Unlike Craig's moustache, I am going away. Not for long, I don't think. And not for any particular reason apart from lack of inspiration. I am tired. I feel existentially wrung out.



Basically? Until I feel a bit more fucking cheerful, you can just look at some photos I took of roses in my mother's garden.



Don't fret. If there's one thing I know, it's that the words constantly swirling around in my head are NOT going to go ANYWHERE until I arrange them all nice and neat on the internet. Or paper. But more likely, the internet.
And I need SOMEWHERE other than Flickr to display my photos. I haven't even shown you the ones I took while in London for August! Including the ones where we look like angels. Seriously.



Actually, maybe I'm not going anywhere either. Hmm.



This one is my favourite. Apparently it's called Gauguin. It's fuchsia but not too fuchsia. And it reminds me of peonies. I'm pretty much obsessed with peonies at the moment.

Maybe I should get a Peony tattoo ... or a Gauguin rose tattoo ...