DIY BCUK insipired christmas pressies?

[Philbert]

Just thought I would show off my BCUK inspired christmas pressies. So hopefully some pics of my bottled sloe gin and bath fizzies are below.

Many thanks to B Red for his tutorials!

So any of you made anything to give to your loved ones this Crimbo?

Phil

 

[John Fenna]

QS £1.00 6oz hip flasks filled with Sloe Gin are going to several rellies, bottles of sloe gin, plum gin and blackberry vodka to others (should have got more of those flasks!) A couiple of bits of leatherwork are also going as gifts as well

 

[nicodiemus]

I am making some lime pickle for my mum. It's her favorite.

 

[Philbert]

Good stuff.

I have just finished re-bottling the sloes with vodka to make an interesting liquor for the new year.

Should be a good un!

 

[Toddy]

NIce, very nice

Hand spun, naturally dyed woolly bunnet for a bald uncle.
Home made chocolate gingers for HWMBLT and aforementioned uncle.
Home made lipsyl, rose and honey flavoured, little bottles of massage oils and home made herbal teabags for some friends.

cheers,
Toddy

 

[John Fenna]

Some of the prezzies I will be giving - a couple to myself!
"Bushcrafters Booze" motto "Aged in the Mouth"
This lot is the Sloe Gin - Plum Gin and Blackberry Vodka to follow when I have some more bottles emptied.....


And, yes, the picture is of the maker......not some RANDOM vagrant alki

 

[loz.]

Some of the prezzies I will be giving - a couple to myself!
"Bushcrafters Booze" motto "Aged in the Mouth"
This lot is the Sloe Gin - Plum Gin and Blackberry Vodka to follow when I have some more bottles emptied.....


And, yes, the picture is of the maker......not some RANDOM vagrant alki

Pavarotti made your booze ???

 

[gorilla]

Pavarotti made your booze ???

 

[John Fenna]

If only I had his money!

 

[British Red]

Glad the recipes came in useful Philbert

I've made a few things this winter - I didn't put most of the "How To's" on here since they didn't really fit under a "Bushcraft" heading

Turkish Delight

Acid Drops

Mango Chutney

Pears in brandy syrup

Brandy Butter

Port & Cranberry Sauce

Chocolate Brazils

Shallots in Sweet Balsamic vinegar

Okay, I like playing . I generally add in a load more preserves, different sweets, wine and mead etc. and make up hampers for the "Olds" this time of year

I suspect I have more fun making than anything but its very satisfying!

Red

 

[gorilla]

i bet the local WI curse you to hell when it comes to the prizegiving at the christmas fair
'and the winner of the best chutney, best preserve, best homemade confection, best wine, best...................................'

 

[Toadflax]

My first spoon for my first lady. How romantic!

Geoff

 

[Greg]

Glad the recipes came in useful Philbert

I've made a few things this winter - I didn't put most of the "How To's" on here since they didn't really fit under a "Bushcraft" heading

Turkish Delight

Acid Drops

Mango Chutney

Pears in brandy syrup

Brandy Butter

Port & Cranberry Sauce

Chocolate Brazils

Shallots in Sweet Balsamic vinegar

Okay, I like playing . I generally add in a load more preserves, different sweets, wine and mead etc. and make up hampers for the "Olds" this time of year

I suspect I have more fun making than anything but its very satisfying!

Red

Wow! Your a bit of an all rounder aren't you Red!

 

[British Red]

I think the expression is "master of none" Greg

 

[Dave Budd]

I made up some boozy drinks earlier in the year (blackberry vodka, damsoms in brandy, birch sap vodka and blackberries in brandy), but apart from a jar of the blackberries in brandy that I gave to my parents, the rest is for personal consumption I didn't make enough to serve others as well as myself!

Although, I haven't bought a christmas or birthday prezzie for years. I make them all instead So this crimbo people will be getting spoons (birch and hawthorn), a small bench/table of green oak, an indoor candlestick (oak), an outdoor patio candlestick (ash) with citronella candle, a baby mobile with carved wooden shapes made from cherry, birch and hazel. I think that's it, but I'm sure to forgmebody!

I'm not tight, just creative

 

[UKHaiku]

I made up some boozy drinks earlier in the year (blackberry vodka, damsoms in brandy, birch sap vodka and blackberries in brandy), but apart from a jar of the blackberries in brandy that I gave to my parents, the rest is for personal consumption I didn't make enough to serve others as well as myself!

Dave - don't suppose you could be persuaded to share your recipe for birch sap vodka, pretty please?
I've done the usual suspects - sloe, damson, blackberry - but birch sounds very interesting...?

Cheers,
Dave

 

[Tengu]

My mincemeat is going down very well. made two batches, the last few jars are for relatives visiting tommorrow

 

[Boon]

made some sloe whiskey this year, goes down a treat. my old man was very happy with it but my mom didnt seem to be overly impressed. mind you he did drink rarther a lot of it boxing day.

 

[John Fenna]

I got the RM Wild Food book.
I find it interesting but boy oh boy have their proofreaders been slack! Masses of typos!
The info is good but not very well laid out for practical use and the whole thing seems to be a bit of a rush job to get it in the shops to go with the TV prog/before Xmas.
Although the name of RM apears bigger and first on the cover it looks like the prof wrote most of the actual info - RM writing the non techie stuff I guess - and you can almost hear the profs voice as you read it.
I am not slating the book, but I am awaiting the Field Guide with more interest.....
I also got a new B&D Workmate to replace the one I inherited from my father 9 years ago and which gave up the ghost itself earier this year due to plastic fatigue in the winding gear.
The old one now has a new (ex-scaffold plank) top and is a non adjustable work bench while the new one replaces it for jobs needing the adjustability.....
Interesting to note that the old one had solid wood tops, the new one laminated bamboo.
Bamboo seems to be the new wonder material and used to make everything from chopping blocks to socks (I kid you not!) to chopsticks etc.
I also got some great booze and pickles etc on the FM Brantub...Mmmmmmm!

 

[Dave Budd]

Dave - don't suppose you could be persuaded to share your recipe for birch sap vodka, pretty please?
I've done the usual suspects - sloe, damson, blackberry - but birch sounds very interesting...?

Cheers,
Dave

Not so much a recipe as a first attempt I just put a couple of inches of birch sap (straight from the tree, minus bugs and bark) into a 1litre bottle and topped up with vodka It tasted fantastic straight away, but over the next 6 months the flavour changed. Still nice, but not the same flavour that I started with It didn't need any sugar added to it to sweeten it, which was nice

Next spring I'm going to make some more and see if storing it in the dark helps to preserve the flavour. I'm also thinking of making some sap Ice cubes so that I can make up sap-based tasties later in the year