In My Kitchen, December 2013

In my kitchen is a broken window.  Can you guess who did it?  Yes, it was Archie.  He’s lost three house keys since March and a few nights ago he came stumbling home in the early hours of the morning and realised (no surprise) that he didn’t have a key.  Rather than knock on the front door, he decided to try his luck at climbing in through the kitchen window.  Mission accomplished but he broke the glass.

Hmmm, a broken window

Hmmm, a broken window

In my kitchen are some cake boards.  A few weeks ago Celia mentioned she would like to give me ‘a few’ cake boards.  She found them in some remote shop where they were practically giving them away and knowing who could use them, she folded down the seats of her people-mover and loaded them into her car.

I have 'a few' cake boards

I have ‘a few’ cake boards

When she dropped in to deliver me ‘a few boards’, it took three of us to bring them up from the car.  I haven’t counted them but I’m pretty sure I have more than a few.  So far I’ve used three.  I might keep you updated with how I’m going at getting through them – in the weeks, years, and decades ahead!  Thanks Celia for your generosity.

A chocolate mask

A chocolate mask

Speaking of Celia, in my kitchen I have some of her expertly made chocolates and a lovely selection of them too.  A few days ago Tania, Celia, Lorraine and I had lunch together for the last time this year and we thought it would be in keeping with the season and add to the occasion if we exchanged homemade gifts.  Celia gave me these chocolates.  It’s always so special receiving Celia’s chocolates because they’re beautifully and so professionally made.

A wonderful selection

A wonderful selection

In my kitchen I have some honey infused with sage given to me by Lorraine.  I just love the jar as it looks like a bee hive.  The honey smells superb and I’m looking forward to using it in a variety of ways.  I think it will be very good in salad dressings.

Sage infused honey in a bee hive jar

Sage infused honey in a bee hive jar

In my kitchen I have some chocolate brownies decorated with melted snowmen given to me by Tania.  They are very cute and my little guy’s face just lit up when I showed them to him.  They look a little bashed because I lingered a little too long at the lunch and then had to run to school-pick-up with these in my handbag.  They’re suffering a little from being thrown around.

Tania's gorgeous chocolate brownies with melted snowmen

Tania’s gorgeous chocolate brownies with melted snowmen

In my kitchen I have a 2kg (5lbs) box of cherries.  The jars I had of my cherry chutney have all been given as gifts and I have a few more people on my list who I know would love a jar (you know who you are), so it’s time to make some more.  This time I’m making a double quantity.  Thank you all so much for your lovely and enthusiastic comments regarding that post – my mother and I were thrilled.  I just loved Chgo John’s comment.  He had just finished packing away all his canning and preserving equipment then sat down to his computer and there was my post.  The preserving equipment is back out of retirement.

Cherries for cherry chutney

Cherries for cherry chutney

In my kitchen are plastic sleeves filled with my mother’s Christmas recipes.  These recipes are treasured and have all stood the test of time.  I’m hoping to bring you as many of these recipes as I can, this December.

Treasured Christmas recipes

Treasured Christmas recipes

In my kitchen are a lot of pretty young things all standing in heels so high I’m not sure how they can walk.  It’s a birthday party for one of Arabella’s friends and so Miss Arabella has been in the kitchen, cooking.  I’ll spare you an image of the carnage.

High heels and short skirts are the dress code

High heels and short skirts are the dress code

If you’d like to do an In My Kitchen post, link back to Celia at Fig Jam and Lime Cordial.

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Comments

  1. Great wrap up Charlie! Those cherries and chocolates, oh my!

  2. So much fun happening in your kitchen! What stunning Christmas treats you have.

  3. G’day and thanks for allowing me to peek into your kitchen Charlie, abet your broken window, true!
    At least Archie was not injured, which is most important too!
    WOW! Love the choc masks and is always fin to exchange surprise pressies…
    Look forward to one day when we meet too!
    Cheers! Joanne

  4. Charlie, the girls are already all so tall, they would tower over me in heels like that! I hope Archie wasn’t hurt coming in through (literally) the window! And now that I’m looking at the photo of your cake boards, and Tania’s on her post, I’m starting to realise I might have been a bit manic – thank goodness for people movers! 🙂 It was so nice to catch up the other day, and I adore my cake, thank you so much! xxx

  5. Oh Archie! Hope he wasn’t hurt! All the girls gifts are so generous, but Celia’s boards, well, that just takes the cake 🙂

  6. Ha isn’t a December kitchen great. Looking forward tio your creative cake making Charlie. 3 down decades to go

  7. Oh no about your window!! Luckily it’s not too cold at the moment. Imagine if it were in the middle of winter. I hope that you like the honey and thank you for your beautiful cake! I have had to defend it from Mr NQN who has wanted to have a few slices before Christmas!

  8. It’s so sweet that you girls decided to give each other little gifts 🙂 And gosh Archie really needs to learn to keep his keys around his neck hehe but having said that I’ve done that before as well hehe ~

  9. Charlie, I keep seeing cake boards. They are everywhere.

  10. You always entertain me. Always. Broken window, cooks in high heels and short skirts, smashed snowmen…

  11. Everything in your December kitchen is special, even the broken window which, knowing Archie didn’t break anything else, or slash a vein or artery on the broken glass, can always be repaired and will probably lead to humourous stories told to his children/grandchildren when he’s old and gray.

    The food treats look delicious and I especially love the bee’s hive honey jar.

    I look forward to the recipes you share from your treasured collection. And the collection of lovely young things in your kitchen ready to party make me smile. I hope you get help cleaning up the carnage. 🙂

  12. Other than that broken window, everything in your kitchen looks so terrific. How nice to get a gift of a “few” cake boards! Good stuff – thanks.

  13. I love this post, love seeing into your kitchen. Those chocolates are so gorgeous and I love a good melted snowman treat!

  14. Delightful post except for the broken window bit. The chocolate mask is exquisite and love having honey and cherries on hand.

  15. A chocolate mask? How fabulous! And those tattered, but loved, recipes. Treasures. But best of all is that last photo–made me smile.

  16. So many tasty treasures Charlie! Homemade gifts are wonderful and delicious, and filled with love- isn’t that what Christmas is all about? 🙂 Merry Christmas Sweetie xox

  17. A whole box of cherries! After reading your previous post on Cherry Chutney, I plan to source some today. Your Kitchen is a busy one indeed.

  18. I was looking for cake boards everywhere and can’t find any 🙁

  19. Lorraine’s sage honey sounds very interesting. The chocolates look so professional. In my kitchen is a large quantity of cherries to make your chutney with. GG

  20. I got in so much trouble with my dad the time I thought I lost my housekey as a teen (I found it a day later) that it never, ever happened again. I still feel stressed out remembering how he was saying I might have to pay to change all the locks…

  21. That photo of Arabella’s friends is making me giggle 🙂 You have some gorgeous gifts happening Charlie, and I can not wait to see all the things you make and present on those ‘few’ boards!

  22. Your kitchen sounds like a fun and tasty place o be at the moment! I love the pic of Arabella’s friends in mini’s and heels 🙂

  23. P.S Thanks for pointing out my blogging mishap the other day :0

  24. My goodness they are some high heels!
    I just thought the snow men were meant to look a bit battered considering the poor things had melted. What a haul of cake boards. I’m sure they will come in handy.
    Oh to have more of Celia’s chocolate. I’ve eaten all mine 🙁

  25. lots of goodies to be had in your kitchen! Lovely Tania’s snow men look very cute.
    (…and those heels, oh ouch.)

  26. Ah! I loved this post. You have some pretty lovely things in your kitchen….and I wish I could come and borrow some of those cake boards! I never have enough!

  27. You’ll use those cake boards in no time at all with all the great cakes you make. What a haul of nifty things in your kitchen. Too bad about the window.

  28. I just love these ‘in my kitchen’ posts, I really need to get with the program and participate! Last week I assisted on a cereal motion shoot (commercial) and I had to but $400 of berries! At the end of the ten hour day I just couldn’t think and stupidly left the lot of leftovers there! If I hadn’t been so daft, I’d be dragging out my canning equipment like John!
    I’m so jealous that you had lunch with Lorraine! I’m also jealous that Lorraine got to meet you too!

  29. Busy kitchen… those chocolates have me drooling…. I must read the cherry chutney recipe forthwith!!

  30. what lovely gifts – glad archie didn’t land on them when he came in the kitchen window 🙂

    love all your cherries – I could imagine eating our way through the box which is why I don’t get creative with cherry recipes but chutney sounds delicious – and I love your mum’s recipes – will have to look out for some of your family recipes over christmas

  31. Great post!

  32. That’s so neat! I love these In my kitchen posts. I hope Archie wasn’t hurt…you have outrageously adorable kids.

  33. Sage infused honey sounds heavenly and that jar looks refillable — two treats in one! My feet hurt looking at those high heels though. Wowza! I thought it was neat how you mentioned something about each of your kids and especially touching were your Mom’s recipes, Charlie. xo

  34. I think I’d like hanging out with you in your kitchen…especially after you’ve met with the blogger girlfriends. You always have a story that makes me giggle…don’t you just love the predicaments our big kids get into 🙂

  35. Loving all of the things in your kitchen! The chocolate mask is fantastic and those snowmen cupcakes are just adorable. Sorry about the broken window – have to admit it made me giggle though. I do love the stories with your kids. 🙂

  36. Your kitchen is always full of love and laughter and creativity and fun…and in this case, evidence of a young man’s late night out! Proof that I miss the days when my children were home creating havoc is the fact that I smiled and felt compassion thinking how shocked he must have been when that glass broke! Hahaha! Time changes perspective…I wouldn’t have been at all amused had it been my son years ago. Your home is lively and delightful, and I am looking forward to those Christmas recipes, Charlie. ox

  37. So many wonderful treasures in your kitchen Charlie, well, except for the broken window.
    Have a lovely day.
    🙂 Mandy xo

  38. I love reading your kitchen posts, I really have to get my act together and start writing one… if others enjoy it half as much as I do, it is totally worth it!

  39. I get the feeling from those shoes and legs that your young Arabella has a lot of gorgeous friends 🙂 Too bad on the broken window, that’s boys for you!! Your christmas recipe stash looks simply magical! xx

  40. Love this post!
    Love it more if I, too, could be IN YOUR KITCHEN! those chocolates and brownies and honey…good golly! I would install a loo and never leave! 🙂

  41. Haha, oh Archie. I hope you’re making him pay for that window! Wow, those chocolates really are beautiful…I bet they taste delicious too 🙂 And those snowmen…too cute!!!

  42. Aaahhh, darn kids anyhow! Man, to have legs like that again…. hhmmmppphhh

  43. Ohh noo I’m sorry to hear about your window!! Booo.
    I just love those snowman brownies, how adorable!

  44. You’ve had a very busy kitchen!!!! Wasn’t expecting the shot of all those long legs and even higher heels. How do people walked in those shoes!?! Love those chocolates from Celia! If she’s looking for another kitchen to deliver some chocolates to, mine is open. He he.

  45. Those legs! It’s enough to put you off your homemade chocolate gifts. Almost… Love the melted snowmen (so clever Tania). You’ve got a great haul this month. I just finished making spiced cherries for the ham for a party I’m going to on Sunday. Must be the season!

  46. I’m glad Archie is okay but the windows!! Oh boy, you have to buy the entire window! I’m jealous of Tania’s melted snowmen and cherries. Cherries!!!! Oh I miss summer. And nice ending with beautiful legs! 😉

  47. Haha, that is indeed more than a “few” cakeboards, lol! There’s something I don’t see enough of… and they’re useful as anything, aren’t they?!

    Loved the melted snowmen… I want to take a bite from that mask too – yum!

  48. I wanna to say simply wow! for all type of beauty in this blog.
    Ex., food, Girls. etc. 😛

  49. Hmmm…your kitchen looks much more tasty and fun than mine does right now. If only I could just pop on over and try a little bite of one of those chocolates!

  50. that sage infused honey is sooo intriguing!

  51. I shall have to try the cherry chutney as well!

  52. Lots of fun things to see in your kitchen! Love the cherries and the honey and those spectacular chocolates from Celia! The brownies with the melting snowmen are adorable!

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  1. […] my kitchen I have a big cake board.  It is unbelievable that after Celia gave me one thousand and one cakes boards in a broad variety of sizes and shapes, that there wasn’t one in the size I needed.  I […]

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