Christmas!!!
Absolutely without a doubt my favourite time of year. The festive cookies, the beautiful tree and decorations, being on holiday with the family, the presents and just the general feeling of Christmas.
I've got so many Christmassy ideas and I need somewhere to put them, so...

   1. Recipes 
the most christmassy dessert I can think of is trifle. I make it  every christmas. I got this recipe from taste.com.au 
christmas trifle
ingredients

• 4 x 85g packets strawberry jelly
• 2 1/2 cups boiling water
• 1/2 x 800g light fruit cake, cut into 3cm cubes
• 2 tablespoons brandy (optional)
• 2 cups double thick vanilla custard
• 1 cup fresh or frozen raspberries
• 125g fresh strawberries, hulled, sliced
• 300ml thickened cream
• 1 teaspoon icing sugar mixture, sifted
• 50g white chocolate, grated fresh raspberries and hulled, quartered strawberries, to decorate. 

 method

Place jelly crystals in a heatproof bowl. Add boiling water. Stir to dissolve crystals. Stir in 400ml cold water. Refrigerate for 1 hour or until just starting to set (it should have a thick, syrupy consistency). 

Arrange cake in a 13 cup-capacity serving bowl. Drizzle with brandy, if using. Spoon half the jelly over top. Top with custard. Sprinkle with raspberries and strawberries. Spoon remaining jelly over top. Refrigerate, covered, overnight. 

Using an electric mixer, beat cream and sugar in a bowl until soft peaks form. Fold through chocolate. Spoon mixture over trifle. Top with raspberries and strawberry quarters. Serve. You could use leftover fruit cake or pudding in this trifle. Pauls Double Thick custard is twice as thick as pouring custard, and ideal for the whole family. Check out the handy resealable pack for recipe suggestions. You could replace brandy with orange juice. Top trifle with grated chocolate.

    2. Gift Ideas

For mom: of course, everyone is different. But I'm sure   

most  moms will love something for their kitchen, which they'd probably use everyday. A few cute things that I'd get for my mom are: 1. Gravity grinder.
     2. Multi-blade herb scissors.

     3. Anything Le Creuset!

For dad: my dad would love some new tools or anything gadgety.

For your sis: all little girls would love:

1. Lego Friends 

2. Barbie or Monster High dolls

3. Leap Pad Ultra

For your bro: all little boys would love:

1. Hotwheels cars and track

2. Bakugan 

3. Lego tranformers 

3. Christmassy decor!

I love these ideas:

1. Christmas stencils and spray. (this goes on windows and mirrors and is really cute.)

2. Wreaths are really pretty and festive on doors.

3. Poinsettias are beautiful and are the typical christmas flower.

4. Christmas lights hanging from roofs and window frames even put passers-by into the christmassy mood! 

 

Merry Christmas and a happy new year! :-)