Sweet Christmas treats Scandinavian style & Christmas cards

December 22nd   

 

Marzipan fruits

Every year we make our own marzipan and if we can
we try and time it so mamma can join in with us.  After all she handed me this tradition as did her mother to her.  I am hoping my children carry this on too.  Fingers crossed.  For how to make your own marzipan, see my post from last year Marzipan 2014

Once the marzipan is made we add food colouring, now over the years we have had varied success in this.  Many many years ago there was never a problem but in rennet years super market colourings in my opinion have become totally useless.  I resolved after the colour fiasco of last year to 'crack' it and by jove I think we have.  This time we have used the Wilton brand and I can highly recommend it.

Wilton food colouring

We usually divide the plain non coloured marzipan into fifths and leave one in it's original state and colour the other four, red, orange, yellow and green.  We then shape and mould into various fruit shapes and depending on the mood of the family the realistic or contemporary look materialises.  All this always take place with Christmas music in the back ground.
 

Mixing the food colouring into the marzipan

Concentrating on shaping the fruits

 

Marzipan fruits make a great addition to the
Christmas sweet variety and great gifts too

 

This year my son went a little
'off piste' but was very proud of his marzipan dice

 

 

Just some *blushes* of my Christmas tins
filled with goodies to eat and share over Christmas

Marzipan is so Christmas in Norway, that shops will be selling it in all
shapes and sizes but the most popular shape being that of the Christmas pig. 
Each year my children find one of these in their Christmas stocking along with
the traditional orange and nuts and other bits and pieces.

Nor forgetting to mention the Christmas card swap hosted by Amy. I was paired up with the talented Cath, also a UK habitant from the blog Clicky Needles.  Having just completed some Christmas paper cutting, very Scandinavian don't you know Paper craft, I decided to use one of my own pieces as my card swap.  Hope Cath liked it!

Card for Cath

And Cath obviously had the same idea as she made me this lovely Christmas tree and what I love the most and am quite envious of, is she is so neat, look at the back of the stitching too...

 

Card from Cath

Such neat work, this is the back!

In Norway it is not common to send many Christmas cards and therefore they are not usually displayed as is seen here in the UK.  One tends to read them as they arrive and then put them away to look at more at leisure after the festivities.  So here in our home, that is what we do, all cards are looked at and then placed near the front door in the 'Jul post' (Christmas post) holder until after Christmas.

I do love this card holder and enjoy empting it
and looking at the card properly after Christmas

 

♥  Wising you calmness in these last days before Christmas  ♥