Marshmallow Candy Cane treats for Christmas

 

The Candy Cane is one of the most familiar symbols of Christmas.

 

It dates back to 1670 in Europe but didn’t appear in the U.S. until the 1800s.

 

The treat we see today, where the shape is Jesus’s hook to shepherd his lambs and the color and stripes hold significance for purity and Christ’s sacrifice, became common in the mid 1900s.[6] (me too got to know it only now ;) )

 

Marshmallow -  Candy Cane Pops

 

 

 

You need

 

Candy Canes

White cooking chocolate

(red and green candy melts would be perfect for this, but that we dont get it here, had to add a drop or two of red and green food colour to the melted white chooclate)

Sugar

Red and green food colour

Marshmallows (large sized ones)

 

To do

 

Trim irregulary, the top edges of a marshmallow to make it look like an umbrella (opened, of course)

Insert a candy cane into the marshmallow.

Now melt the white cooking chocolate about 10 secs at a time, and divide it into two parts.

Add red food colouring to one and green colour to the other.

Take sugar in two bowls and add the green and red food colours to each. Some quick coloured sugar instantly done.

Now dip the marshmallow into the melted chocolate, gently let any drippings fall off the marsh...and roll in the same coloured sugar.

 



(sorry this goes as a very short quicky post...running out of time...)

Hearty seasonal greetings sent your way ....

 

 

 

 

Cucumber Chirstmas Tree & Destination -Broadway, Kochi - a flashback...

 "R" for Recipes..."R" for ramble writes...and those who are "R" for Regular here...will know..that I keep these two separate, in my two twin blogs - QP and PQ respectively. Unlikely this post, for a change,..thought of having both together.

 

A simple "green" edible Christmas tree inter woven with some flashbacks of the Christmas season still bright "red" in memories.

 

  

Christmas ? That's Jingle Bells....Carols....Christmas Tree...Crib...Cakes... 

 

Come December, and these are the typical thoughts that comes first to mind.

Well..for me...going a bit more hearty, to about a decade back.....

The busstop was right in front of my home, yet the almost 1 km walk to Vytilla junction (Kochi, Kerala) was the most common thing that I used to do, need I take a bus plying into the city centrals. In a way, this was also a guarantee that I did get a seat in the other wise crowded buses. Vytilla to Menaka buspoint -  my standard route. Could very well say that my GPS during those days had just these two locations ..the min-max limits. (on self-travel mode that is).

For the Cucumber Chirstmas Tree centre-piece, you need :

 

Cucumbers - sliced dialgonally (as shown)

A small sized onion bulb

A slice of carrot

Tomato ketchup
A bamboo skewer
 

(my Father gets me these custom made knives and my eldest son insisted that it sported a green coloured handle in it, coz its be to used for cutting "green" vegetables !...some matching matching concept ! )

          Destination One  - the most happening place that was then..The Convent Junction. 

  

Goodwill Collections (getting drowned in the tonnes of accessories).... Tops (some casual yet cheap outfit picks).... Steps/Heels ?? (forgot the name of that footwear shop, esp for the cute chettans who owned the shop..hope they don't see this post ;)...Eloor Lending Library....anything and everything from embroidery threads to oil pastels...need anything...it was Destination Convent Junction !!! 

Giving/ taking Christmas cards was soo much a part of  Christmas times then...and come any function, the first haven for any greetings and gifts was The Archies Gallery.  Browsing....browsing.....and browsing  through the endless rows of greetings cards, was kindof a Christmas tradition as well...something, which is getting extinct, by now...sadly.

To assemble the Christmas Tree

  

Cut the head and tail off of a small onion bulb and lay on the base plate - to form the base of the Tree.

 

 

Insert the base of a bamboo skewer into the onion base and get dragging down the cut cucumber slices round the pole.

 

Destination Two - Broadway..the most ironically named street now existant in our Namma Metro.

 

Being a crafty then, my main supplier for art work rawmaterials, was Jose & Co; towards the end of the street, and don't remember the countless number of times I have walked up and down the street. The tiny cowded way...with absolutely cramped parking spaces...but ironically, called "The Broadway ".

The wholesale shops used to look like this...fully adorned with stars, stars and stars in all shapes, sizes and colours.

 

 

 meanwhile...let the cucumber slices do a pole dance round the skewer ;)

 

 

During Christmas, the sale overflows even into the street which will be thickly packed with vendors and shoppers alike..and I was always a part of that crowd....

( image courtesy - Mr. Cochin Blogger -who whole-heartedly agreed to me borrowing one of his images from his blog. Thanks very much, Sir !)  

                       

                                  push the slices down in an inclined angle, as shown above

 

 

A drop of Tomato Ketchup on each of the Cucumber slice to resember some decoration.

A carrot-star cut out for the tip..and bingo !!!

 Nov 2013 - 10 years had made a world of difference in ME...but not a speck of difference to this world I was looking at right now. Got to walk the same busy wholesale section of the Street during my small one week vacation back home last month . The buildings looked the same....the crowd looked the same....the festive feel was the same....and for a moment....did wonder....

                                                              Am I the only person that has changed in the entire crowd ???                                              Will these old buildings recognize me ?                                               Breathed life into them...may be...maybe...one or two of them would...                                    necessarily not....

Anyways.... with wishes for a very Merry Christmas and an even Blessed New Year .....





  ...let this "another wise woman" take leave for the time being....till then....have a great December !!!

 


 

Stay Happy...Keep Smiling !!! ;)

   

(the general images courtesy Award goes to.... most loyal, Google Search)



 (Let me put the blame on my new Canon for the negligence that howered around my blogs over the last few months. Was clicking more of places and people for my FB page and there was literally, no cooking happening at all. This, is my first post with clicks taken using my DSLR, and got to admit..I am pretty happy with the outcome. In a way..this also means, now..I get no more excuse to be staying away from my blogworld. Inshallah...i stay commited to my spaces. )

 

   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



just in a minute, Christmas Snack

Well..the kids call them "The Chips'ie Hats".

Made it for my son's christmas party at school, and this was instant hit. Back home, he was really excited. saying.."Mamma....everyone wanted my snack only, you know ! "

This item is on my Christmas Snack sale list .But as it was the most liked ..thought, well...would just share its making as well.

All that you need :

Hat shaped chips
White melting chocolate
M&M's (red and green)

..nothing much actually...just this.

How to:
Melt the white chocolate in M/W on 70 % power , 20 seconds at a time. Stir well in between and continue heating, till the whole blocks are melted. Make sure that the bowls , spoons used are perfectly dry with adsolutely no mositure content.

If chocolate comes into contact with even the tiniest amount of water while melting, it will suddenly "seize," or turn hard and grainy. A single drop of water or a whiff of steam can trigger particles in it to solidify into a dull mass.

 

1. Bip the hat shaped chips into the melted chocolate just at its outer rim.

 

Select red and green coloured M&M's and insert one into the chips.

Once the chocolate sets, it will hold the M&M in place.
 

Store in air tight containers.  A simple, cute snack ready just in less than a minute.

The only negative side it that, the kids once having this..will definitely ask for more and doing in large scale, well...this is definitely  time consuming.

Anyways, a happy smile on the younger one's faces is all worth the efforts, is it not.

A normal drink, the X'mas way...

Well...there is not much content in this post, even to write down. Two juices, served together with the seasonal festive colour theme.

I have taken - Kiwi and Lime Juice for the green colour, and Strawberry juice, filled in star shaped ice moulds and made to set.

Treat your guests to some simple welcome drink ..but...with style.

                           

  Add in the red star shaped juice ice-block just before serving.

                                                                       
                                                                           Cheers !!!

....also check out on a spicier treat, the Minty Kubus Christmas tree snack that was posted way back.

below is the link.

                              
                          http://ieatonline.blogspot.com/2012/01/kuboos-chutney-christmas-trees.html

Edible Pizza-Wreath

Christmas is very much round the corner, so what's more apt than something really simple but highly appreciated by kids and guests alike.

Pizza wreaths !

I am sharing the long cut and the short cut means to get it done. But, whatever be the way....the process is really simple.

For the pizza,

Roll the dough (recipe link here) into a circular shape and cut off a smaller circle form the centre.

Apply pizza sauce, top with shredded cheese and any toppings of our choice - chicken, sausages, diced peppers, olives.

I have layered the cheese and then the veggies on top, so that once baked the sausages and the peppers will be visible.
  

Pre-heat the oven to 180 deg C and baked till the cheese is melted and slightly brown.

..and just to share, this is the image of others foodies made form the very same dough. This was my very first attempt at making fatayers, and the challah...very much evident from the zig-zag pleating. But, its the first try..so i had my excuse.. I use the word "had", coz this was clicked about 3 years back. Was on a baking spree then and tried all that i could with the very same batch of the dough -  chicken mini pizzas, zatar and labneh fatayer, cinamon jam roll, cheese buns and plain challah bread.

So, keep this dough recipe. Its very handy. You can take my word.

And...back to our wreath...now, for the even easy short cut .
Well...i would always suggest that you keep a pack or two of frozen pizza in your freezer especially during christmas time. Just in case you have some unexpected guests...or...ur kid's friends coming over...then, this is the most quickest thing to make.

Defrost and bake as per package instructions, but just dont forget to cut off the centre from the pizza !!

Have a good day and a great Christmas with these edible wreaths !

Minty Kubus Christmas trees

Edible christmas trees , the spicier version.

You need:

Kuboos /Pita bread

Mint chutney

Red bell pepper

Bread sticks

 How to:

To prepare mint chutney, grind together mint and coriander leaves with ginger, garlic, green chille, coconut, a small bit of yogurt. Add salt to taste .

 Cut the pita breads in triangulae shape and insert a bread stick as shown.

Apply the mint chutney atop each bread piece.

 Decorate using red bell peppers. A quick starter for your christmas get-togethers.

Sorry, this has come after christmas...but, you have the next one coming 11 months from now.