CHRISTMAS SPIRIT?

We've been getting into the Christmas spirit this week here at Gaia Cottage, well not getting into as such more... creating!

You've seen the Limoncello (far left) in the last post but since then we have made (from left to right) Vanilla Liqueur, Vanilla Extract (for baking), Kahlua (Coffee Liqueur), Lime Liqueur and last but by no means least Orange Liqueur.

I know some people have been asking me how to make these drinks and they always seem shocked at how easy they are to actually make but just incase you were one of the ones who missed out here's how to make it.

PRESERVING MAD!

I've always wanted to replace those horrible mass produced ketchups and chutneys that we buy from time to time and decided recently to have a go.

My ever wonderful fiancé brings home some really odd things from time to time when I send him to the shops for some bananas and the like. This time he came home with some Seckel Pears which we both presumed would taste pretty much like any other kind of pear. If you can imagine biting into a potato which vaguely has a pear taste then you're quite close to the taste we got when we tried on of the pears. We weren't impressed but we had 4 more that seemed a huge waste if we just threw them away and as I had been perusing some chutney recipes the week before I wondered if they would be OK to use in some kind of pear chutney.

I eventually found a Spiced Pear Chutney and gave it a bash however I cooked it in my bread machine which can also make jam and it was a bit of a mistake. While it cooked OK, it didn't reduce the liquids enough so I had to put it in a pan on the stove to reduce the liquid further. I think I reduced it a little too far as when we opened it it wasn't as 'saucy' as I would have imagined but it was absolutely amazing with a little bit of organic cheese.

I was hooked!