2011 in a nutshell

I thought 2010 was a huge year what with Tricky being born and having surgery and blah blah blah... but I think it's been trumped. 2011 has been full on. Some amazing things, some sucky things. So here is Glow of 2011 in a nutshell:

Nyuck, nyuck, nyuck. It's me in a nutshell!!! I'm hilarious.

But really, here's 10 things I got up to in 2011:

• Ranted about breastfeeding choices (setting the tone for a ranty year!)
• Tricky had his second lot of skull surgery for Craniosynostosis
• Took on my 'foster baby' FlogYoBlog Friday
• Was 'cured' of depression
• Won the Mummy Blogger with the X Factor Award and an iPad
• Watched my Dad get really sick and eventually have open heart surgery
• Celebrated my first ever Mothers' Day by Tricky almost breaking my nose
• Managed to find the biggest asshole paediatrician in Perth
• And the most incompetent GP in Perth too
• Celebrated Tricky's first birthday in swashbuckling style with an awesome homemade pirate cake
• Had a breakdown in Melbourne airport over a Mars Bar
• Stood at my Pop's bedside as he drew his final breaths
• Then got really Emo and ended up back on medication
• Got a writing job and a sales & marketing job
• Posed nekkid on the internet to much support and only a teeny tiny bit of flack
• Got flown to Adelaide for brunch
• Became addicted to baking
• Embarrassed myself in Vlog form (then again whilst tipsy)
• Mocked Hitler for my own enjoyment, then Magneto Bold Too and Woogsworld just for good measure
• Celebrated turning 30 with a tattoo, a kick ass rainbow layer cake a massive $3000 giveaway!

Busy, busy, busy! So busy that my list of 10 became a list of 20. Can't wait to see what 2012 has in store for me! My New Years Resolution is to... um, ya know... do stuff.

Was 2011 good to you? Or rather sucky?

FlogYoBlog Friday: The Auld Lang Syne Edition

Happy New Year, Flogsters!!!

Should old acquaintance be forgot, and never thought upon or something like that. Which to me basically means forget people who weigh you down and move on. I'm all philosophical today, huh?

In the new year there will be BIG changes happening at Where's My Glow? because, well, time moves on and things change. It's unlikely to be a redesign because, well, I can't afford one (plus I still have business cards that match it).

Have a happy and safe new year, Flogsters. Thanks for all your support over the past 12 months.

No time for sentimental crap, let's Flog it, for one last time in 2011.

P.S. I'm on holidays with slightly dodgy rural internet so this is posting on Thursday night but the linky will open at 6:30am AEDT on Friday.

How to FlogYoBlog

1. Follow Where's My Glow?
2. Bow down at the alter of Mummy Time; Blog-goddess, all round groovy gal and creator of FYBF
3. Grab the FYBF button and post it on your sidebar or in the post you're linking up
4. Link in your favourite/best post from the week (don't just put your homepage URL)
5. Follow at least 1 linkyer/blogger then be nice and spread the comment love

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FlogYoBlog Friday: The Christmukkah Edition

Merry Christmukkah Floggers!!!

‘Twas the Friday before Christmukkah, and all through the Blog,

Not a post was stirring, except for the Flog;

The gingerbread has been published so people can try it,

Make it yourself; you don’t have to buy it!

Add some shortbread to your feast post haste,

Just be careful or it’ll end up on your waist.

You’ll be surrounded by rellies when the big day arrives,

And for safety it’s best to hide all the knives,

Put up with a kiss from pervy Uncle Rick,

And cousin Peter who’s always been a dick,

Then second cousin Janey makes a comment so crude,

And the whole thing erupts in to one big feud.

At least you get a present, awesome, you’ve scored,

You’ve been a good girl all year; this is your reward!

Then when you’re feeling all nice and full,

Grab a giant cracker and give it a pull,

A shitty paper hat and a lame ass joke,

And it’s all because of some old fat bloke.

Enjoy the holidays, Floggers!

<center><a href="http://www.wheresmyglow.com/search/label/FlogYoBlog"><img src="http://i695.photobucket.com/albums/vv316/mummy-time/FlogYoBlog/flogyoblog-1.jpg " border="0" alt="FYBF" /></a> </center>

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Mild Gingerbread Recipe

I have gone a little gingerbread crazy this Christmas. I'd never made it before a few weeks ago and now I seem to be making a batch a week.

So why haven't I put on any weight? Well, because I don't actually eat gingerbread. I don't like ginger! But I love the way the house smells when I'm baking it.

I've been playing with a few recipes and having a bit of a tinker to try and make a mild version that I can eat and I've come up with this one.

Mild Gingerbread Recipe

(for those who get their spice elsewhere in life)

Ingredients

• 120g room temperature butter
• 100g brown sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla essence
• 1 large egg
• 100g golden syrup
• 3 cups of plain flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tbsp ginger
• 1/2 tbsp cinnamon
• pinch of nutmeg

Method

• Cream butter, sugar and vanilla on high speed
• Beat in egg and golden syrup on medium speed
• Sift in flour and baking powder
• Add in ginger, cinnamon and nutmeg then stir to combine
• Cover and refrigerate for an hour to firm the dough
• Roll out dough between two sheets of baking paper and cut however you like
• Bake at 180C for 10 minutes (or longer depending on how thick you like your gingerbread!) until golden brown at the edges

I've not tried a gingerbread house yet I've been too busy with the gingerbread men (above), an army of gingerbread Santas:

And an edible centrepiece Christmas tree just like the shortbread one:

 

Do you love or hate gingerbread?

Edible Christmas Centrepiece - White Chocolate and Cranberry Shortbread Christmas Tree

I am obsessed with baking at the moment. I keep getting in trouble on Twitter and Instagram for posting photos and making people hungry.

So it's about time I shared some recipes!

Instead of giving my mum a present this year I'm making her an edible Christmas centrepiece to decorate her festive table. She's really excited after seeing my first attempt and is now themeing her entire table around the centrepiece... I really can't blame her, look at it!

White Chocolate and Cranberry Shortbread Christmas Tree

Ingredients :

• 250g room temperature butter
• 3/4 cup icing sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla essence
• 2 cups plain flour
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries (craisins), chopped
• 100g white chocolate, chopped
• Cachous or mini MMs for decorating

Method:

• Cream butter, sugar and vanilla with an electric beater (or with a hand beater if you want to look like The Hulk afterwards)
• Stir in the flour, craisins and chocolate
• Pull dough together (it will be very crumbly), cover with clingwrap and place in fridge for an hour to firm
• Roll out between two sheets of baking paper and using nested star cookie cutters, create a bunch of stars
• Place in oven at 160C for 15 minutes - although it depends how thick you've rolled the dough

Once they're completely cool you can use royal icing to create your tree - start by placing a few dabs of icing on the base of the largest star and sticking it to your board/plate so that it doesn't slide off. Then turn each star 45 degrees from the last and place a little dab in the centre to hold it in place.

If you happen to drop one of the cookies like I did, don't panic, just use icing to glue each piece down, you won't be able to tell when the next layer goes on top. 

Place your cachous or MMs on as you go, while the icing is wet, so they stick.

My first attempt was a little wonky, but with the combination of cranberries and white chocolate it still tasted amazing!

Will you be decorating with a Shortbread Christmas Tree this year?