Friday Randomly Sharing

Happy Friday everyone! Welcome to FRS where I share what has caught my eye recently - but where you could also share what has interested you - so please make full use of the comment box!

It is full on birthday preparations at ours, a little someone is going to be 3, and he will have a party. I made the same cake I made for his first birthday. I just need to be reminded of the good times, and his first birthday was definitely a very happy memory. Anyway, I did add some icing this time, because that's the only thing he actually likes in cakes. 

Check out Mimi G free DIY for a fabulous sequin skirt. 

I love this beanie hat - free pattern on De Rerum Natura blog - it resembles my own free pattern, but I like the way Beloved decreases better. Could it be a quick knit for Christmas (and he would get that red hat he has been asking for?)? 

I am juicing a lot - like everyday to make sure I get my intake of nutrients - but I have been wondering whether I have the right juicer (and may have been requested a new juicer from Santa). This discussion of centrifugal against masticating juicer is really useful! I am going for a masticating one, after months of using my centrifugal one - because I love green juices. 

I need a housecoat - just because Michelle sewed one and it is amazing!!

I love mugs, I love craft, I love quick projects - I could certainly make a message mug for someone right now thanks to this tutorial (and get those sharpie pens out of the box in the garage)

Here is a very quick Christmas hanging - super cute, super simple, super easy. 

I love this version of the Turia Dungarees - totally not the season for them in the UK, but will bear it in mind for this summer!

Do I have time to knit le Pull Claude from La Poule a petits pas - as seen on Maeva? Love the details on the sleeves, so feminine.

I am still looking for some knitting inspiration for Mr MiH - could Crag be it?  

A lovely DIY paper star garland - so simple - you could also made an oversized star just with this pattern. 

And finally the winner of the Pokiha Giveaway - no 7, Susan from PatchworknPlay, who has been following my blog for a long time. Libby also has a discount code, if you wanted to purchase the pattern. 

Easy Christmas Cake - The Rehearsal {Recipe}

In Britain, you can get ahead of Christmas preparations by making your Christmas cake (or pudding) on Stir-up Sunday, the last Sunday before Advent - 24 November this year. It is thought that the name originated from the collect for the day from the Book of Common Prayer, which begins: 'Stir up, we beseech thee, O Lord'... 

As this is probably going to be the cake for Baby MiH's baptism, I really needed to try the recipe before decided that this was the cake (and no I did not just want my house to smell of Christmas). And it is good, really good.  

The recipe is from the Good Housekeeping Easy to Make! Christmas and it is super easy and quick.. I have a feeling it may not be the traditional recipe, but you have to start somewhere.. And to be honest it tastes very nice, so I am not sure I can be bothered to find another one - unless someone tell me otherwise in the comment box of course!

Just a note - I halved all the measurements as this was a first trial. I realised that in fact I did not have saucepan big enough for all the ingredients. I give you the full recipe, and leave it up to you. 

• 1kg luxury mixed dried fruits 
• 100g ready-to-eat pitted prunes, roughly chopped
• 50g ready-to-eat dried figs, roughly choppped (I used dried apricots as I could not find figs)
• 100g dried cranberries
• 2 balls preserved stem ginger in syrup, grated and syrup reserved
• finely grated zest and juice of 1 orange
• 175ml of brandy 
• 2 splashes Angostura bitters
• 175g unsalted butter, cubed
• 275g dark muscovado sugar
• 200g self-raising flour
• 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp ground cloves
• 4 medium eggs, lightly beaten

Preheat the oven to 150 C. Grease and line the base and sides of a 20.5cm round, deep cake tin with greaseproof paper. 

Put all the dried fruit in a large pan and add the ginger, 1 tbsp reserved ginger syrup, orange zest and juice, brandy and Angostura bitters. Bring slowly to the boil, then simmer for 5 minutes. Add the butter and sugar and heat gently to melt. Stir occasionally until the sugar dissolves. 

Take the pan off the heat and leave to coll for a couple of minutes. Add the flour, spices and beaten egg and mix well.  

Spoon the mixture into the tin and smooth it down evenly - you will find this is easiest with the back of a metal spoon which has been dipped into boiling water.

Bake for 2-2 1/2 hours until the cake is dark golden in appearance and firm to the touch. Cover the top of the cake with foil if it starts to darken too much. To check the cake is done, insert a fine skewer into the centre - if it comes out clean, the cake is cooked.

This cake is really yummy so unlikely to last a week - so I will be back on 24 November to make it en famille, what will you be doing on Stir-up Sunday? have you got another baking tradition? 

And this is my contribution to the Making Christmas blog hop..

I am also on le challenge today talking about stripes, and my stripey entry.