In My Kitchen - December 2014

December brings us summer and festivities.  We have been enjoying magnificent stone fruit, warm days and it is beginning to feel a lot like Christmas.

In my kitchen we are just finishing off the produce from a visit to Coburg Farmers Market two weekends ago.  Sylvia and I are still raving about the cherries and I was so sad when we finished the apricots.  I will write more about the zucchini flowers soon.  We have one apple left in the bowl and a bagel in the freezer.

In my kitchen we often have banana oat pancakes on the weekend.  Sometimes they are plain janes with lemon and sugar and sometimes they are fancy.  When I bought some early cherries from the supermarket they were a disappointment.  Nothing like the glorious cherries from the farmers market.  I rescued the supermarket cherries by stewing them and serving with vanilla yoghurt on the pancakes.  Lovely!

In my kitchen I value a good vegetable peeler.  My favourite one disappeared weeks ago.  It was given up for dead.  I was putting up with cheap replacements.  Then I made a batch of frugal freezer stock that I make with vegetable peelings that I keep in the freezer.  Inside the frozen scraps was my peeler.  Thank goodness those scraps went into the freezer and not the bin!

In my kitchen we have too many seldom used sauces and condiments.  They are hard to resist.  Pesto is possibly one of the sauces that gets used quickly.  I bought this Dairy Free Pesto at O'Hea's Bakery.  I was won over by the ingredients list.  This pesto includes smoked almonds.  Sylvia has asked for pasta tomorrow.  I am planning to break open this pesto.

In my kitchen we have a fine appreciate for Scottish products.  We brought home a half eaten packet of Tunnocks caramel logs that we bought at the Scottish Day at the Immigration Museum.  I liked them but if there had been a choice I would have gone for the caramel wafers which are probably my favourites of their products.

In my kitchen is the occasional impulse purchase.  I bought these Junior Mints because I have heard of them (thanks Seinfeld) but never tasted them.  It was a good decision as they worked well in the eyes on my owl cake.  I thought they tasted quite like After Dinner Mints, but rounder.

In my kitchen the dip of choice is usually hummus but we use lots of different dippers.  These brown rice chips with wild rice were excellent.  Crisp and only lightly salted but big on flavour.  Sort of like rice crackers but better!

In my kitchen we have spreaders.  Little blunt knives made specially for spreading dips and butter.  This set are a recent addition to our spreaders.  I love the bright colours.  Sylvia occasionally takes one in her lunchbox with some hummus.

In my kitchen are signs of Christmas.  Years ago a friend gifted me some snowflake biscuit cutters that he didn't want.  I hung onto them as I love my cutters.  This year with Sylvia's Frozen fever, they have suddenly acquired great popularity.

In my kitchen we haven't had any soft drinks for a long time.  Then I saw this Bundaberg Spiced Ginger Beer and it has gone down very well.  As well as ginger, it is flavoured with cinnamon and cloves.  This is the sort of Southern Hemisphere festive drink I am very partial to.

In my kitchen we have brought out the Christmas linen and the advent calendar.  Here is a selection of Christmas tea towels.  Our tree decorations will have to wait until we pick up the Christmas tree we have ordered.

In my kitchen is my new water bottle.  Long time readers may remember I have been in a quest to find a good leak-free water bottle.  I have had a long line of unsatisfactory water bottles, including the cruel bottle that emptied itself over a camera in my bag some years back.  I bought a Thermos water bottle for Sylvia to take to school.  It has been so successful that I have bought one each for E and myself.  They keep the water cool and they don't leak.  Highly recommended!

I am sending this post to Celia at Fig Jam and Lime Cordial for her In My Kitchen event.  Head over to join in (by 10th of each month) and/or check out what is happening in other bloggers' kitchens.