Drink Labels

Keeping track of your drinks at parties can be tricky sometimes. You put your glass down to talk to someone and then it can be hard to remember which one is yours. With Christmas approaching and lots of festive gatherings planned, we have come up with a fun, creative way to label your drink.

Decorate a pile of Elasti-Note tags with strips of  washi tape to match your party theme.

Alternatively put out a pile of  tags and a pen on your drinks table and get your guests to label their own drink. Be creative - they can use their name; a Christmas message; or a word to describe their personality. The possibilities are endless!

You will never lose your drink again!

ElastiNote tags have an elastic band which makes it easy to attach them to drinking glasses; wine glasses; beer cans; or water bottles. The tags are coated to repel water and moisture so they will be durable throughout the party and can be easily slipped on and off a variety of beverages.

Disclaimer: This is not a sponsored post. We were provided with a Martha Stewart Home Office with Avery Sample Pack of products to review. All photos and opinions are our own.

Strawberry Jam

Nothings beats homemade jam when it comes to taste.  You can preserve the fruit when it is at its peak, to really capture the flavours of the season. Don't be put off by the process of jam making – simmering the fruit and waiting for it to reach the gel point. There is a much easier and faster way with no-cook Strawberry Freezer Jam which uses powered Jam Setta with Pectin.  Using only four ingredients, and spending around 30 minutes in the kitchen you will have some delicious jam.

Strawberries are plentiful and cheap at the moment in our part of the world. We have been buying punnets of strawberries over the past few weeks, and wanted to make some jam while they are still available.

Strawberry Freezer Jam

Ingredients

(yield – 3 x 225g jars of jam/approx 3 cups)

250g (approx 9 oz) punnet of strawberries
2 cups sugar
One third cup of water
25 g jam setta with pectin
3 x Glass jars with lids

Method:

1.  Thoroughly wash and dry jars. Place empty jars in an oven set at 150 degrees C (300 deg F) for 10 minutes to sterilise them.

2.  Wash and hull strawberries. Slice berries; place berries in a bowl and crush them with a fork or masher. You can use a blender if you prefer a smoother consistency to your jam.

3.   Measure one cup of crushed berries, and add the sugar. Let the strawberry mix stand for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

4.   Mix water and jam setta in a saucepan on low heat. Bring to the boil and allow to boil for 1 mixture while stirring constantly. Add jam setta mixture to the berries mix and stir constantly for 3 minutes until the sugar is dissolved.

5.   Fill prepared jars. Let stand at room temperature for 24 hours. Jam will keep for up to 3 weeks in the fridge or in the freezer for up to one year.

Strawberry Jam is so easy to make. Before freezing, it is recommended to add a label to your jam so you can recall when it was frozen. We used the Martha Stewart Home Office Labels by Avery. We love that they come in red and aqua to match our kitchen, are moisture resistant, and can be easily removed without any residue.

Jam is a great gift to give around Christmas time. You can find some of our other favourite jam and preserve recipes here:

Nectarine Jam

Mandarin Marmalade

Apple Sauce

Lemon and Passionfruit Butter

Disclaimer: We received a sample pack of Martha Stewart Home Office with Avery products. All opinions and images are our own.

For your daily sugar fix you can subscribe or follow us on facebook, twitter, google plus and pinterest.   

Easy Chocolate Chip and Vanilla Cake

There hasn't been much baking going on around Chez Sugar lately. Sarah is in exam mode so hasn't had much time to potter in the kitchen. Fortunately she only has one exam left and will soon be on holidays. It will be great having her home over the summer and we can work on our Christmas baking and craft projects together. She is already dreaming up a fantastic menu for our Christmas dessert buffet. (Stay tuned!)

Sarah had time to make a quick recipe on Sunday. She was in and out of the kitchen in next to no time and the results were delicious. So if time is short, try our Easy Chocolate Chip and Vanilla Cake recipe. It is made in a lamington pan (31.5 x 21.5 x 3cm.), and only needs 20 minutes cooking time.

Easy Chocolate Chip and Vanilla Cake

Ingredients:

2 cups plain (all purpose) Flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 cup sugar
100 g (1 stick) butter, softened
2 Eggs
1/2 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup dark chocolate chips

Method:

Preheat oven to 180 degrees C (350 deg F). Grease lamington pan and line with baking paper.

Using your stand mixer, cream butter and sugar for 2-3 minutes. Add eggs one at a time and beat well. Add vanilla essence. 

Combine flour and baking powder in a clean bowl and mix well.

Fold flour and milk into mixture and stir until incorporated.Fold through chocolate chips.

Spread into pan and bake for approx 20 minutes, until mixture is set and browned.

Allow to cool, then cut into slices.

Recipe was inspired by Cooking is Easy

This recipe freezes well and has been appearing in the lunch boxes this week.

Some of our other quick, easy recipes include:

Almond Cream Slice

Easy Sponge Cake

Chocolate Cupcakes

A Pressing Matter

We are often asked for sewing tips and advice on how we achieve a professional finish on our sewing, quilting and dressmaking projects. One of the most important things, in our opinion, is regularly pressing and ironing the fabric at every stage of the construction. This results in the fabric sitting nice and flat before you sew.

A good iron is an essential part of your sewing tools. Successful sewing relies on successful pressing. Without the correct pressing equipment, sewing can look too "home made". Well pressed projects have a neat professional finish.

What you need:

• Good quality steam iron, preferably a steam generator iron
• A sturdy, height adjustable ironing board
• Pressing cloth - this will stop the iron marking the fabric or leaving a shine
• Appliqué mat for any appliqué projects or for when applying fusible interfacings

Many of the fabrics we use, including linen and cotton, have a tendency to wrinkle, so we are constantly ironing. We don't have room in our sewing room/guest room to set up the iron and ironing board. We use the adjacent laundry and have the ironing board and iron set up. We have an extra large ironing board (135 x 45 cm/53 x 18 inches) which gives us more room to lay out our fabrics, when we have a work in progress. It also has a shelf at the side to hold the iron. It is heavy duty, height adjustable, and sturdy.

We love an iron that has great steam power - which makes ironing so much easier. A Steam Generator iron holds a large tank of water which will keep you sewing and ironing all day without running out of steam. You also need an iron that has adjustable settings so that it is suited for all types of fabrics from silks through to linens. We usually use a Rajah Cloth for pressing.

Having an automatic turn-off feature is something we look for. I can be easily distracted when working on a new project and it prevents me from leaving the iron turned on. There is nothing worse that leaving the house to do school pick-up, only to worry that you have left the iron on.

Look after your iron and clean it regularly (following manufacturers instructions). There is nothing worse that have an iron that leaks onto your project leaving dirty marks. If you are using your iron for appliqué  make sure you use an appliqué mat so that the sticky adhesive doesn't end up on the soleplate of your iron. This can ruin a project.

The lovely people at Sunbeam recently sent us a Sunbeam ProGlide Plus (SR8700) Steam Generator Iron to put through its paces. Please be aware that I am one of the 5% of Australians that categorize themselves as ironing obsessives (Yes, that means I iron tea towels, pillowcases, tablecloths, all clothing. I do however draw the line at ironing underwear!). I used the iron over the weekend to iron business shirts, school uniforms, work uniforms, and general clothing; and then today to press fabrics for my next project! (I love Vintage Modern fabric - hope to share a new tutorial next week!)

What we liked about the Sunbeam ProGlide Plus (RRP $399)

• The iron itself is really light, as the water tank is separate, and it is a good ergonomic design
• Fast to warm up - approx 2 1/2 minutes
• Produces lots of steam. It even has a steam lock function and can be used for vertical applications such as curtains. 
• Great for delicate fabrics like silk. We just waved it over the fabric while it was pumping out steam to remove wrinkles. 
• Water tank has a great capacity - 1.4 litres (this is nearly 5 cups full of water). Enough  to keep you ironing for hours without having to refill. Perfect for sewing marathons!
• Will switch off after 15 minutes of non-use.
• Able to use tap water. It comes with a a descaling tablet and has a Calc Cleaner reminder light (the iron has not yet been used enough yet for us to have trialled this feature).

Overall, it you are looking for a new Steam Generator Iron, the Sunbeam Pro Glide is well priced with all the features you need.

You can see how we made our Laundry Wall Decals here.

Disclaimer: This is not a paid sponsored post. We did receive a Sunbeam ProGlide Plus to review. The ironing board is our own. All images and opinions are are own.

Feather Baubles

Whenever I am out shopping, I always gravitate towards displays of Christmas decorations. We certainly don't need any more decorations (I was shocked when a recent "clean and organise" revealed that we had enough Christmas decorations to fill 4 large tubs). I am like a kid in a candy store when I see decorations.

One trend I have noticed this year is feather baubles - glass baubles filled with delicate white feathers. They are gorgeous but at $10 a piece I walked away.  They inspired me to make our own Feather Baubles.

Last year (at the after Christmas sales), we bought some DIY Glass Baubles for a bargain. We had planned to make some Glitter ornaments, instead we have filled them with white feathers

They were quite tricky to photograph, but we are so  pleased with how they turned out. They could quite possibly be the easiest and quickest craft project ever!  Using tweezers, we placed one feather in each bauble. Then put the cap back on and threaded some gingham ribbon through the metal loop. Simple!

We love Poinsettias - they are so festive. We picked one up at the supermarket this week and re-potted it into a white ceramic pot from Ikea. 

It will go beautifully with our Christmas decorating.

We can't wait until December 1 when we put up our tree and start decorating our home for the Christmas season. Our favourite time of year....


For your daily sugar fix you can subscribe or follow us on facebook, twitter, google plus and pinterest.   

{Book Reviews} Making Mini Books; Quick Weekend Quilts; Creative Stuff.

Do you have books on your gift list this year? We always love to give (and receive) books - especially craft and baking books.  We have three titles today that would be suited for crafty types who like quick projects and creative activities.

Making Mini Books: Big Ideas for 30+ Little Projects by Kathleen McCafferty showcases 30+ projects for making mini books. If you are a lover of stationery and little books like us, you will enjoy learning how to make books in a variety of styles including Japanese stab binding, pamphlet stitch, and other traditional book binding methods. It also includes quick and easy no sew mini books that are suited to beginners.

Interesting and varied materials for the mini books include old hard cover books; playing cards; bingo cards; leather; wallpaper; and more to make lots of one-of-kind books. A basic toolkit is discussed, and then each project includes looks of step by step instructions, full sized templates, and photos to guide you through the process. We recommend this book for teens and adults who enjoy paper crafting. Some of the designs are super cute - especially the Seed Journal (made from vintage seed packets); Necklace Journal (to hold your secret hopes and dreams); and Record It (giving an old 45 LP Record new life as a journal cover).

Making Mini Books features dozens of inspiration and tips for making little books to use and to create for friends.

Book Details:
Publisher:    Lark Books
Format:       Paperback, 144 pages
ISBN:         9781454702009
RRP:           $24.99

Making Mini Books is available from Fishpond, Can Do Books, and Booktopia.

Quick Weekend Quilts by Debbie Mumm includes 45 fast quilting projects that can be made in a weekend. Projects are many and varied and include: quilts, wall hanging's  table runners, art quilts, kitchen accessories, and more. I taught myself to quilt using a couple of Debbie Mumm books and her country fabrics over 10 years ago. Her quick cutting and piecing methods got me hooked on patchwork. It is great to see that she has a new book out with a more contemporary range of projects.

The designs in the book are modern and varied.Quick Weekend Quilts includes full sized templates, detailed cutting instructions to save time, and lots of coloured diagrams to illustrate each step.  We recommend this book for beginner to intermediate quilters who like quick, modern projects. You can see a Google Preview of the book with more images at Fishpond.

Book Details:

Publisher:     Leisure Arts

Format:        Paperback, 128 pages

ISBN:          9781609004118

RRP:            $34.99

Quick Weekend Quilts is available from Fishpond, Booktopia, and Can Do Books.

Creative Stuff: An Activity Book for Visual Thinkers by Dave Gouveia and Chris Elkerton is a workbook for Visual Thinkers, that includes interactive games, challenges, and exercises aimed at jump-starting your creativity, to get your creative mojo moving.This is the sort of book that you can pick up and do a few pages whenever you need some inspiration.  It includes lots of interesting facts and engaging activities. We think it would make a great gift for teens or adults interested in art, media, and graphic design. It really helps you think outside the box. You can see a Google Preview of the book at Fishpond.

Book Details:
Publisher:    How Books
Format:       Spiral Bound, 184 pages
ISBN:         9781440304200
RRP:           $29.99

Creative Stuff is available from Fishpond, Can Do Books,  and Booktopia.


Disclaimer: Please note that we are not paid to write book reviews but we do receive a review copy of the book from distributors/publishers. We are affiliates of Fishpond. 

For your daily sugar fix you can subscribe or follow us on facebook, twitter, google plus and pinterest.   

Cookie Cutter Ornaments

We are really excited about this years French inspired Christmas theme - using white, red, and gingham in our decorating. We try and make most of our ornaments each year to fit our theme and then just add a few of our coloured baubles and generic decorations. We love finding items around the home that we can turn into decorations.

This week we have been making Cookie Cutter Ornaments.

                   

We have been wrapping Christmas cookie cutters with gingham ribbon, and attaching twine to hang them from the tree. If you have a small tree in your kitchen - this would be the perfect decoration for baking lovers! We don't have our tree set up yet (we always wait for the first weekend in December) so we used our conifer in the back garden to see how they will look.

We raided our tub of Christmas cookie cutters and found some that we won't be using in our holiday baking this year. Each cutter used approx 1 - 1.5 metres  (1.5 - 2 yards) of ribbon. We wrapped the ribbon around the ornament until it was completely covered and secured it with double sided tape.

The best thing about these decorations is they can be unwrapped after Christmas and re-used again next year.

What everyday items do you use in your decorating?

For your daily sugar fix you can subscribe or follow us on facebook, twitter, google plus and pinterest.   

This project was linked up to The 36th Avenue Link Party

Chocolate Marshmallow Meringues

If you are after an elegant after dinner treat, you will enjoy these Chocolate Marshmallow Meringues. They have a crisp and crumbly outer shell, and a rich, dense, marshmallow centre. Made with good quality Dutch Cocoa and rich dark chocolate, they have a wonderful chocolate flavour and are very light.

Chocolate Marshmallow Meringues

Ingredients:

·         3 large egg whites 

·         ¼ tsp. cream of tartar

·         1/8 tsp. salt

·         2/3 cup sugar

·         3 tbsp. unsweetened Dutch-processed cocoa powder

·         1 tsp. cornflour

·         ¼ tsp. pure vanilla extract

·         60g (2 oz) dark chocolate, very finely chopped

Method:

Preheat your oven to 140 degrees C (280 deg F). Line a large baking sheet with baking paper.

Add egg whites, cream of tartar and salt to a medium sized bowl and beat on medium speed until foamy, about 25 seconds. While beating, gradually add the sugar, one tablespoon at a time. This will take a minute or two of beating. Increase speed to medium-high and continue to beat until stiff, glossy peaks form, about 2-3 minutes.  The egg whites will be white, thick and foamy.

Sift in cocoa and cornflour and beat on low speed until combined. Beat in vanilla. Fold in chocolate.

Pipe 5 cm (2 inch) wide rounds onto prepared baking sheet and bake for 25-30 minutes. Let cool completely before removing from tray. 

We baked the Chocolate Marshmallow Meringues to take to a dinner party as a little thank you gift.

We packaged them into a Muffin/Cupcake sized box. The meringues were wrapped in some printed waxed paper and sealed with a pretty sticker. We added a few chocolates to the top of the box.

The lid was decorated with a square of double sided scrap booking paper, and the box was tied with twine and buttons.  It was a pretty little treat.

You can find more of our Hostess gift ideas here.

Winner of Cricut Mini Digital Cutter

Wow - we have been blown away with the huge number of entries to win a Cricut Mini Digital Cutting Machine from Cricut.

The lucky winner is Tracy G (We have sent you an email regarding your prize. You have a week to claim it). Congratulations!

5 Hostess Gifts Ideas

Sponsored by Target

It is starting to get to that festive time of year when our social calendar is getting very busy. There are lots of friends to catch up with - BBQ's, dinners, and casual gatherings to attend. We are often told not to bring anything, but we always like to take a little something for our Hosts. We usually like to give something a little bit more original that wine or chocolates.

If you are creative like us, and a little short on time, we have put together 5 Quick Hostess Gift ideas that are easily assembled, won't break the budget, but will be appreciated! They would also make great gifts to have on hand for neighbours, teachers, or for when you need an unexpected gift.

You can find all the gift items at Target. All gifts are best wrapped in clear cellophane. Hope you find something to inspire you in your Christmas gift giving this year!

Aussie BBQ Lovers

Christmas and BBQ's often go together. Here is a Aussie gift to take along to your next BBQ, complete with Eucalyptus leaves, Aussie BBQ sauces, and Aussie ornaments.

What to Buy:
Outback Spirit Wing and Rib Sauces (2 pack), $15; Bamboo Non Slip Chopping Board, $10; Christmas Tea Towels (3 pack), $8; Australian Tin Ornaments, $4 each.

Plus:
Eucalyptus Leaves; shipping tag; black ribbon; Twine.

How to:
Fold a plain tea towel around the wooden board. Position the BBQ sauces on top. Tie with black ribbon. Slip a sprig of Eucalyptus leaves under the ribbon. Decorate with Aussie Christmas ornaments. Add a Christmas greeting onto the shipping tag.

Chocolate Lovers

Chocolate is always appreciated! Fill a bright coffee mug with chocolate spoons to swirl through a coffee or hot chocolate.

What to Buy:
Pack of 6 Wiltshire Teaspoons, $6; Coffee Mug, $4; Chocolate Malt Balls, $2; Candy Canes, $2; Lindt Chocolate, $3.79.

Plus:
cellophane bags; narrow red ribbon; shipping tag.

How To:
Prepare the chocolate spoons following this tutorial, and package them in clear cellophane bags, tied with red ribbon. Fill a cellophane bag with chocolate balls and tie with ribbon. Fill the coffee mug with chocolate spoons and candy canes. Cut a star from patterned paper, and adhere to a small shipping tag.

Baking Lovers

For the hostess that loves to bake, wrap up a few baking supplies and team them with a loaf cake from your kitchen.

What to Buy:
Loaf Pan, $10; Tea Towels (pack of 3), $8; Jamie Oliver wooden spoons, set of 2, $6; red Christmas star, $4.

Plus:
baking paper, striped ribbon, twine, printed label, coconut loaf.

How to:
Bake a favourite loaf. (Sarah made Coconut loaf which is delicious!) If time is short you could buy a loaf cake from a bakery. Wrap the loaf in a strip of baking paper and tie with a ribbon. Fold a tea towel and place under the loaf tin. Add a printed label - Bon Appetit, and tie on with bakers twine. Include the wooden spoons, and decorate with a Christmas star.

Christmas Lovers

For the Christmas lover, decorate a basic cypress wreath form with ornaments and ribbon to create a one of kind wreath.

What to Buy:
cypress pine wreath, $12; 3 x Silver Noel Jiggle Bells, $2 each.

Plus:
Ribbon, twine.

How To:
Tie a big bow to the bottom of the wreath. Hang the silver bells from the top of the wreath with twine.

Sweet Treat Lovers

There are so many lovely Christmas platters around this time of year. Pile a stack of your favourite brownies on a festive plate and add a Christmas star.

What to Buy:
Christmas Rectangular Plate, $12; Star Ornament, $2.

Plus:
Brownies. (Sarah made Cheesecake Brownies).

How To:
Wash the plate. Stack brownies on the plate. Cover with cellophane, and add a Christmas star ornament.


There is a great range of Christmas gift items at Target. Do you have a favourite Hostess gift that you love to give?