Travelog post for: Hector

Tomorrow is the last day of school. Fi had decided to give the children's teachers a platter of home baked biscuits as an end of year gift. Nice, but she only started baking once the children were in bed! We got roped in to help - to speed things up, but all the posing for photos actually slowed things down  We ended up going to bed at 4 in the morning!  We had an extra pair of fins to help. A little turtle called Squirt arrived from Okinawa today.

First up: Pistachio and cranberry biscotti (if you want any recipes just ask Fi)



Looking good, but a bit too big...



That's better!



Pop them on a baking tray and in the oven they go!



Shall we mix the next batch while that bakes? Good idea!



Okay, we need butter...



Chopped nuts... Fi wouldn't let us help here; she said the knife was too sharp and dangerous.



Oooooohhhh! Treacle sugar! Yummy!



Now that it is all mixed up we need to add the nuts and chocolate chips... it is very hard working with all these yummy things and not being allowed to eat anything - my tummy is grumbling... 



Tada! The first batch of choc chip cookies!



The biscotti comes out the oven and the choc chips go in...



The loaves get sliced...another big sharp knife!



...and put back on the baking tray... biscotti means 'twice baked biscuit'.



The choc chips are done! The smell! My tummy is EATING itself....




The biscotti are done! There is a hole in my stomach...I think I am digesting my own stuffing...



Fi says she usually uses the ends of the loaves as 'testers'. She gave us one to taste (heavenly - what a relief for my poor starved tummy) it got passed around and we all had a nibble...



Going….



Going….



Going….



All gone! Next up: gingerbread! Ooohhh...molasses!



The dough was all mixed up and the counter cleared, ready for rolling. Can you make out the time on the clock behind us? 23.20! We'd better get moving.



Good grief! What a lot of cookie cutters! And these in this jar are JUST the Christmas ones...



I tried to get Fi to use these bear shaped ones but she said no...



Rolling out the dough was such hard work we had to take it in turns.





Oh my hat! It has just gone mid-night and Fi is starting on fudge...it takes almost an hour to make... yaWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWn



I can't keep my eyes open any more...I need to sleep now... fudge is setting, gingerbread is decorated...what more?



Ah, trays! Fudge is till to warm - Fi says she will get up early to sort it out  she hasn't even gone to sleep yet and it is four in the morning! I bet she will have a mid morning nap!




Bed time!