Homemade Apricot Jam....yummy

A few days ago I went and picked some apricots from our neighbours trees.  What to do with them after we had eaten our share I thought.  Apricot jam came to mind.  So out came the trusty Edmonds Cookbook . Found the recipe and made some. 

Now in the pictures below you will see my Edmonds Cookbook is very tatty.  Obviously it is well used.  On my Xmas wishlist was a new one and Master 14 bought me one.  But I will never get rid off this one. It is not done.  I have four off them now, with one being a microwave one. My earliest one is from the early '80's, and in it chicken was just becoming more popular and only eaten on special occasions, so it had a whole section on ways to cook it.

My trusty Edmonds Cookbook

So I rummaged through my cupboards and luckily found enough jars and lids to go with them.

Jars washed ready to be sterlised

 Then came the washing and halving of the apricots.

In the preserving pan ready to be made into pulp

 Miss 15 saw how much sugar was being used and said she is never eating jam again as it is so much...lol

Wow!! 12 cups of sugar

After slaving away over a hot stove, on a hot day I finished.  I thought I had ten jars, but ended up with only eight.  Though I have a jug of the jam in the fridge to get into straight away.

All finished and labelled

 Very delicious it is.  

Next on my list is the ever so popular Tomato Relish.  next week I will get supplies for that.

Now on to other things.

Just before Xmas I entered in a Xmas Stocking Giveaway and lucky me won a gorgeous one from Sue over at supermomnocape

I received this delightful stocking filled with goodies.

Lots of goodies

 This delightful angel was made by a local crafts person.  Isn't it gorgeous.

And this Redwork Angel is also delightful.

Finally, here it is the present I made for my swap partner over at Our Craft Forum for the Xmas Advent Swap 2011.  If you remember I forgot to take a photo, but Sandy has and this is what I made for her. 

Xmas Advent Swap 2011

It's Boxing Day

Well Christmas Day is over and done with and my parents are currently driving home, back to their farm.  Yesterday all it seemed like is we ate and tried to miss getting shot at by Master 14 year old with his Nerf gun.  Now who decided to buy him one of those, I wonder????...lol.  Good day had by all and today we are still eating......leftovers.  Well what else is there to do on Boxing Day apart from going to all the sales in town which I am keeping away from, though Miss 15 is itching to go...to late now anyway as it is nearly 4pm here.

Each year we try and get a photo of the kids in front of the Christmas tree at some stage and we managed yesterday morning and it took quite a while as Miss 15 thought she would be a smartypants and play up.  No one was impressed, especially Master 14 who was an angel throughout it ...Nerf gun came later on.

Xmas 2011

I was lucky enough to get for Xmas a number of things I liked and amongst it all was this book. Yay, I'm part of The Farmer's Wife club now!!

Now to decide what material to do it in.  I have heaps of civil war fabric from my Civil War Love Letter Quilt I am doing currently.  Maybe I will use that too.  The decisions I have to make.

I also opened the last of my advent gifts from my Advent Xmas Swap I was participating in over at Our Craft Forum.  Sandra (Fay17) has sent me so many lovely and useful things in this swap.  An earlier post list some of the items and since then I have received a number more which are:

Tin with buttons on it

Rolls of trim

Hand soap

Satin ribbon

Quilters circle

DMC/Anchor/Madeira thread

Tape measure

Seam ripper

Pins

Handmade Xmas decoration

Buttons

Mirror Compact

Emeryboard

Moisturiser

Totebag

Servittes

Then yesterday I got these two lovely framed hexi coasters.  Very very nice.  

Thankyou very much Sandra for everything

Xmas Advent swap 2011 - 25th pressie

Now for my partner, I made for the 25th present a set of placemats made out of a Meadow Friends charm pack, but silly me in my eagerness to post them off, forgot to take a photo.  My partner Sandy (Quiltn'sandy) is aware of this and will take a picture for me.  Big thank you Sandy.

Christmas day here also would not be complete without the scent of Christmas lilies and I found some a couple of days before Christmas.  Love the scent, though my dad got sick of them after a while. I don't know why because my mum usually always has them.

And talking of my dad, here he is after a big lunch relaxing,

love ya Dad!!

Dad Xmas day 2011

and here is Anthony having a feed off one of the hams.  As I type, he has just finished of the last of the pavlova we had last night.

Must not forget the furry family either.  The cat and dog have come to an understanding.  Well the dog has had to.  The cat just sleeps either with him, or on him....lol

Xmas Goodies

Over at Our Craft Forum I have just completed another swap, This time it was a Xmas themed swap.  For this swap I sent to Nomes and received from Jeanette.

This is the table runner I completed for Nomes using 5" charms squares

And Jeanette sent me this lovely wall hanging which is now hanging proudly in my lounge.

Also over at Our Craft Forum I am participating in a Advent Swap and every morning I have been opening a little gift from Fay17. I have been getting some neat little gifts.  I have been lucky enough to be sending to Quiltn'sandy.

Day 1: A Scarf.  Absolutely love the colour.

Day 2: A Calendar

Day 3: Cute recipe cards and magnetic shopping list pad

Day 5: A Scissor Keeper and Pencil Case Pattern

Day 6: A Notebook with 3D cover

Day 7: Embellishments

Day 8: Mini 2012 Diary

Then over at Quilting Blocks Australia I have been sent not one but two lovely blocks from my November partner Erin

Now lastly do not forget I am part of the Quilting Gallery Blog Hop Party giveaway, so come back in a couple more days to see what I am going to give away

And then on Monday I will be starting another giveaway as part of Sew,Mama,Sew!'s Giveaway Day

So don't forget to come and have a look.

Day 4: A Xmas Fat 1/4