There are only ten more sleeps until Christmas!
I’ve been crawling out of bed at 5am to temper chocolate before the Sydney temps climb too high (max of 38ºC today)…
I’ve had my hair cut short and my new Christmas sunnies have arrived from Zenni. Pete just rolls his eyes – I tend to lose my mind with excitement at this time of year! Four months of daily walks have given me a respectable summer tan…
I baked the first batch of Christmas cookies on the weekend, but Pete and the boys have already scoffed half of them, so I’m going to have to bake some more…
Gift boxes of fruit cake and chestnut flour brownies are ready to go…
I’ve been knitting dishcloths while waiting for the oven timer to go off…
My friends Olivia and Juan made me new Christmas earrings…
I think the backs are nearly as beautiful as the fronts…
Yesterday we visited Ian and Diana to pick up our annual garlic supply…
While we were there, Ian proudly showed us his new Flow Hive – this brilliant new Australian invention makes beekeeping accessible to the ordinary home gardener and allows the honey to be extracted without disturbing the bees…
Our lovely friends sent us home with a taster jar of honey…
…and the headsup on a sublime local gin (distilled right here in Sydney)…
It only seemed right to combine the two into a cocktail. Here’s my early Christmas gift to you – the Bee’s Knees cocktail comes from the 1920s and this recipe from The Telegraph is simply grand…
- 50ml gin
- 15ml lemon juice
- 10ml good, runny honey (use the best you can find)
- 5ml water
Stir the honey and water together to dissolve, then add it to a cocktail shaker with the gin, lemon juice and a few ice cubes. Shake, strain into a glass, and drink. Repeat.
I hope you’re all enjoying the silly season as much as I am! Let me end with a Muppets clip for you! ♥
Fig Jam and Lime Cordial 
Wow lots going on at your place! Beautiful chocolate trees and delicious baking. I absolutely love the beekeeper’s hive.
I am indeed. I am up at 6.30 am also, making little treats to give away. you look lovely in your new sunnies and short hair Celia and is that a Fabindia dress I spy?
Great post Celia. For those wanting to know a little more about the HoneyFlow unit, you can find a post I uploaded on my other blog back in Feb 2015.
https://permanicheblog.wordpress.com/2015/02/19/permatech-its-the-beekeepers-dream-turn-a-tap
or go directly to their website
http://honeyflow.com/
Seasons greetings to all.
Nick
You seem to have missed a step in the cocktail recipe. After “Repeat.” add “Often.” ;-)
Have a wonderful Christmas, my friend. xxx
Thank you for the Muppets!! Who can resist a skating penguin?
Ha you are cute and unstoppable. Tbe service industry is no place to breed the enjoyment of Christmas. But the Archie is one of my favourites and I would be very happy to drink repeat there
If you’re a gin fan, allow me to recommend Mt Uncle Botanic Australis Gin, distilled in Far North Queensland. The flavour profile is juniper, peppermint gum, anise myrtle, wattle seed, pepperberry, cinnamon myrtle, lilly pilly, lemon myrtle, lemon scented gum, eucalyptus olida, finger lime, native ginger, river mint and bunya nut. It’s the most wonderful stuff…
The Flow Hive looks amazing. I will be forwarding it to some beekeepers I know! Wonder if it would work in a colder climate as well. Your chocolate looks delicious.
I’ve been busy baking cookies as well. Sounds like you are getting excited! Have fun with your holiday preparations.
So much to love in one post!! I LOVE Christmas! Bring it on!!!
Wonderfully festive but I’ll stick to tonic and lemon in my gin. A Muppet Christmas carol is one of my favourite movie. Thanks for the clip. If you are doing anymore chocolate tempering can I come and watch? Where is best place to get the right thermometer and starter chocolate block?
Excitement is building here too, though sadly it is cold with little chance of snow. All of your productivity is amazing, and your new bunnies and earrings are fabulous.
Enjoy everything, particularly those cocktails. Chin chin!
That flow hive is awesome. Clever clever inventor. Gin……….mmmmm!
I love your new earrings, and admire your determination to have a chocolate-y Christmas despite the temperature!
I adore those earrings! Just love them! Have a gorgeous last 10 days. It is only the 14th here so we have eleven days to go! But NINE sleeps until I (weather willing) get on the plane to go see my son for Christmas. Your baking looks marvellous! c
Everything looks so marvellously festive! I so love this time of year
I cant beleive christmas is almost here! Looks wonderful! love this post!
The Bee’s Knees indeed! Happy Christmas!
I am soooo making that cocktail! Big hug x
Obviously we don’t have to deal with the heat here, it’s actually nice for once to warm up,with the oven on and not feel like I’m going to faint in the heat. I baked cookies last night while all the guys were gone and froze them or they would never last!
Merry Christmas! Love your earring designs!
Love your new ‘do’ and your glasses………..we on the other hand are at -18C in the morning!! It is winter……..still walking with the doggers and will be making a Black Bun next week and rye raisin loves for dtr to take home with her. Those trees (chocolate) are AMAZING! so much going on at your house…enjoy!
So much goodness Celia but those chocolate Christmas trees are just beautiful. I love them x
Even though I’ve been ‘friends’ with my peeps from down under for years, I still have a difficult time getting summer at Christmas. I’m loving the way you approach it though, before the heat of the day!
My dear Dad was good friends with Jim, he even asked my Dad to move to NYC and my Dad declined. Jim always asked my Dad to work with him every time he was in Toronto. He even gave my brother credit on Follow the Bird, filmed in Toronto, the year after my Dad passed! My brother was just an extra. Love those muppets!