[boosmummy]

Easter Eggs

hahahahahahahaha

[lacewing]

My shed is covered with climbing plants, not easy to spot....Hee! Hee!

[New shoot]

I don't ferment anything though -- I just soak the fruit in vodka with some sugar added.

How do you make this syrup, please?

Always keen to try differences on a theme 

Its raspberries and granulated sugar layered roughly half & half in a demijohn and fermented for 6 weeks.  The rasps dissolve almost completely and you shake the jar every so often.  Strain and mix with vodka - you need at least 1/3 vodka to preserve the drink but the exact measurement is to taste.  Somewhere between 1/3 to 1/2.  Its a happy afternoon mixing and tasting 

Ice has already told me my card is well and truely marked

Would that be your Christmas seasonal card? 

Somehow I don't think so   

[Ice]

That raspberry vodka sounds nice and would make a tasty winterval/solstice/midwinter treat for someone.  How many raspberries do you recommend per bottle of vodka New Shoot?

PS, I don't just set sheds on fire, you have been warned.

[boosmummy]

That raspberry vodka sounds nice and would make a tasty winterval/solstice/midwinter treat for someone.  How many raspberries do you recommend per bottle of vodka New Shoot?

PS, I don't just set sheds on fire, you have been warned.

I was thinking the same ice it sounds yummy x

[sion01]

Can you tell the shops who have already put out chocolate snowmen and various "decorations" including red suits trimmed with white? 

I couldn't believe it when I heard an advert for a supermarket on the radio on saturday mentioning the 'c' word.Let's get hallowen and bomfire night out of the way first(am I allowed to mention them now?)

As for 'frugal' present's ,I always find that letting the wife buy the gift's is very economical on my wallet as is becomeing pagan from 1December to after easter.As I don't want to upset christian beliefs I still accept gift's though.

[JaK]

I've only just spotted that I got told off, ignorance is bliss it seems. 
P.s. I promise to try not to mention it again, I will do my very best.... honest Mum. 

[New shoot]

How many raspberries do you recommend per bottle of vodka New Shoot?

I'm a bit spoiled with my autumn bliss rasps every year so I'd have to confess to never having measured how many I use.  I reckon to make enough of the syrup to be worthwhile you'd need at least a kilo of fruit, but its so nice I would have a go with whatever you have got 

[lazza]

Just started the damson gin soaking, so should be done for Christmas... hope enough survives to make it into some Christmas stockings!

Modified to remove abbreviation.

[arugula]

That's a sneaky way to get around the use of the word lazza. 

[sunshineband]

That method sounds rather fun New Shoot

[asd1]

Iv made a spiced vodka this year and it's been brewing for months, it's got orange, cinnamon, nutmeg and clove in it smells lovely

[boosmummy]

Iv made a spiced vodka this year and it's been brewing for months, it's got orange, cinnamon, nutmeg and clove in it smells lovely

that sounds delicious xx

[clairebeau]

Hello all!

Awwwww....you big meanies (only 80 sleeps to go eek!)

Oh I can't help it.... I love the hype and yes it's a let down but 'I CAN HEAR THE BELLS!'
Guess some of you won't know what the heck I'm on about but that's a quote from a certain film, subject being a certain festival.

Anyroad, I'm loving this thread and I have a question. We've come across rather a lot of what I think are Sloes.  I've read that I'm to leave them until a frost, would you agree?  Only I thought that if I picked them and then froze them I could get them in some gin already. What do you think? 
Unless there is a topic already discussing this, forgive me I've not looked.

Right, I hope you've forgiven me for my love for the big guy in red. But it's been my birthday today (honest) and now it's late and i'm rambling and, oh OK, I'm going.

Fa a la la lah la la la la!

x x x x x

[Trillium]

For my gardening friends, I start shopping in summer when the sales start. I look for something I know my friends would like or need, and wait for the sales to start. One year I got a really nice slate-style wall plaque with a honeybee on it for my good friend who keeps bees. She was thrilled with it and it now hangs at her doorway. Another got their first stainless shovel which I got at 75% off when the garden centre was closing for the season.

My mother loves fruitcake and each Christmas she gets a whole loaf just for herself. The rest of the family don't bother much with gifts; mostly we try to get together for a big noisy meal.