2 Festive recipes..........with a difference!

Here’s how to create a Christmas wreath; beautifully hand-crafted from locally grown materials foraged from the hedgerow and garden.  It’s the perfect gift for friends and family to celebrate the festive season in style. 

The Charity Workshops produce such a lovely variety of wreaths, everyone bringing along a wonderful assortment of foliage and it makes for a great mix!  So keep on the lookout for interesting greenery, blue spruce is great if you can find it, pine, ivy, conifer, ivy, eucalyptus, variegated and long lasted foliage of medium size, autumnal beech looks good too. 

Impress your guests and make your own wreath this year, it’s easy, just have a go, here I’ll help you!

                       RECIPE FOR CHRISTMAS WREATHS

Allow one hour per wreath.

1                          10” wire ring

1                           bag of fresh moss (medium plant pot should be enough to cover)

1                           ball of garden string, green jute
1                           bucket of freshly cut foliage, nothing prickly
1                           bundle of thick florist wire lengths
1                           Roll of wide, wired festive ribbon, colours of your choice
A selection         of baubles, cinnamon sticks, pine cones, dried fruits, orange & apples slices
1                            pair of scissors or secuteurs
1                            pair of gloves, optional, plus several layers of clothes & warm boots recommended

·         Into large barn or garage pour people, buckets of foliage and bubbles, and warm the mince pies.

·         Spread out equipment on large table.
·         Tie string to wire ring and taking small handfuls of unravelled moss, start wrapping the moss around the ring & binding it firmly with string, over & over until ring is complete moss covered.
·         Don’t cut the string.
·         Cut similar lengths of a variety of foliage, contrasting colours work well.
·         Place the greenery on the moss ring, in small bunches at a time, facing the same direction, and continue binding onto ring with the string, add another bunch, and bind working  all round.
·         Now add the decorations, some pine cone, bunched of cinnamon sticks, secured with the wire.
·         Stand back and appraise.
·         Finally add one large, or several small, hand-tied ribbons, these need to be demonstrated, just have a go!
·         Wreath ready to hang on door, will look good until 6^th January.  Maybe once or twice place on the floor and use a water sprayer to keep fresh.

TIP;

Oranges slices for festive decorations and holly wreaths.  Dry the sliced oranges very slowly on a baking sheet on top of Aga hot lid for several days or at the base of the bottom oven, try adding into the rind, cloves, and also cut out stars and shapes from the rind to dry too.

The workshops are always  fun and filled with festive cheer and the nice warm atmosphere of people gathered together, carols playing,  hot soup and mince pies and you know the Christmas season is just beginning………… Everyone makes one wreath to take home, and another one for me to sell for charity. This year we’re raising money for BREAKTHROUGH.

Xmas Wreaths for SALE, £10 each. 01308 424321/ www.highwayfarm.co.uk

 

     

                     RECIPE FOR PRESERVING CHILDREN!

 

1                              large green field
6                              or more children, any age
1                              brook or stream
2/3                         dogs or puppies if available
lots                         of pebbles or pooh sticks

 

·         Into field, pour children and dogs, allow time to mix.
·         Pour brook or stream over the pebbles until slightly frothy.
·         When children are nicely brown, cool in a warm bubble bath.  Dry thoroughly.
·         Serve with milk and freshly baked Christmas tree cookies.

This is a delicious recipe from my daughter’s first school teacher Mrs Clotworthy, who provided a wonderful start to school.

How about a Highway Farm KISS Cook Book as a Christmas present?  The cost is £5, proceeds to Cancer Research and Malawi, on sale at Groves Nurseries and the Ilchester Arms, or ring me