Christmas Damper with Guacamole

Challenge 11 in our 12 Days of Christmas DIY Challenges is to make a healthy Christmas snack using ingredients you have in your house.

I chose to make super simple Damper (like scones) and added a fresh guacamole dip which complemented the dampers really well!

Damper Recipe

Damper has to be one of the easiest things to make ever. All you have to remember is 2 cups of Self Raising flour.  Then add whatever ingredients you want and mix to a dough using milk! Shape into rounds, flatten and bake at 200C (400F) for 20 minutes.

I made 2 different kinds for this challenge. One was fetta, sundried tomato, chopped friend onion and fresh herbs.

The other was fried onion, salami, cheddar cheese and fresh herbs.

Rather than just shape the damper into rounds, I rolled it out a little and cut it into shapes using Christmas Cookie cutters.

I cut mainly star and bell shapes!

They looked and smelled so nice when they came out of the oven!

The fresh guacamole - I just cut up and mixed avocado, tomato and spring onion and added a little lemon juice to stop the avocado from discolouring.

The damper and guacamole tasted SO good together!

A great healthy Christmas snack I will be making again for sure!

Have you ever made a healthy Christmas snack? Or do you have an idea for one?  Please do link up your Healthy Christmas Snacks to our linky party here.
The party will stay open until Christmas so there's plenty time to get cooking and be inspired too!

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Each day a challenge will be set by means of a video and blog posts giving some suggested ideas and crafts. These posts will also contain a linky party for anyone and everyone who wants to join in to link up their projects - both past and present, that answer the challenge.  The linky party can be found on all our blogs and we'll  try and come up with different ideas and tutorials for the challenges too. So please do visit us all, and then share your ideas with us as well! We're looking forward to seeing how these challenge are met!

Ready, Steady....Let's Christmas Craft!

The 12 Days of Christmas DIY Challenges is brought to you by

Jill @ Creating my way to Success
Vicky @ Vicky Myers Creations
Anna @ Tea and a Sewing Machine
Pam @ Threading My Way
Anne @ Domesblissity

Previous Challenges
Challenge 1 - Upcycle old clothes to Christmas Decoration
Challenge 2 - Make a Christmas Gift from a pair of old jeans
Challenge 3 - Make a fun Christmas snack - use what you've got
Challenge 4 - Make a Christmas Card from a cereal box
Challenge 5 - Make a Christmas Decoration from something in your shed
Challenge 6 - Use Fabric Scraps to make some Gift Wrapping
Challenge 7 - Use something from your garden to make a Christmas Decoration
Challenge 8 - Make Christmas Decorations from Chip Packets
Challenge 9 - Make something to wear for Christmas using what you have in your house
Challenge 10 - Make a stocking filler gift from Fabric Scraps
Challenge 11 - Make a Healthy Christmas Snack from foods you have in your house

Christmas Holly Shortbread

Challenge number 3 in our 12 Days of Christmas DIY Challenges is to make a fun Christmas party snack using only basic ingredients you have in your house.

I wanted to keep this as simple as possible - and something that could be made at the last minute too!

I used a basic traditional Shortbread recipe and simple added a little food colouring.

So only 4 ingredients are needed for this fun Christmas Snack:

250g (9 oz) plain flour

75 g (3 oz) caster sugar

175g (6oz) butter

red and green colouring

Here's how to make your own Christmas Holly Shortbread.

Mix the caster sugar with the flour, then cut the butter into small chunks 

and rub into the flour mixture with your fingertips until it resembles breadcrumbs. 

Divide this between two bowls and add a few drops of red colouring to one bowl and a few drops of green food coloring to the other.

Mix with a knife, then use your hands to knead together into a dough.

Roll each dough out and cut into shapes. I just used a knife and cut the holly leaves freehand. I used a small flower shaped cutter and a plastic scoup to cut the berries. 

Placed them all on baking trays.

Bake at 160C (325F) or Gas Mark 3

for 25-30 minutes.

Cool on a wire rack..

And serve up your super simple and quick Christmas Holly  Shortbread to your guests!

To see the video setting this challenge, and other ideas for fun Christmas Party snacks made using basic ingredients you have in your home, go to this post, where you can also link up your own recipes and ideas to the linky party there!

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For 12 days starting on November 2nd we will set a challenge a day to create something for Christmas using just the resources you have on hand. 
The idea is to show that Christmas Shouldn't Cost the Earth. If you're reading this, chances are you love to craft, but why not craft with the resources we have on hand - let's get creative!

Each day a challenge will be set by means of a video and blog posts giving some suggested ideas and crafts. These posts will also contain a linky party for anyone and everyone who wants to join in to link up their projects - both past and present, that answer the challenge.  The linky party can be found on all our blogs and we'll  try and come up with different ideas and tutorials for the challenges too. So please to visit us all, and then share your ideas with us as well! We're looking forward to seeing how these challenge are met!

Ready, Steady....Let's Christmas Craft!


The 12 Days of Christmas DIY Challenges is brought to you by

Jill @ Creating my way to Success
Vicky @ Vicky Myers Creations
Anna @ Tea and a Sewing Machine
Pam @ Threading My Way
Anne @ Domesblissity

Previous Challenges
Challenge 1 - Upcycle old clothes to Christmas Decoration
Challenge 2 - Make a Christmas Gift from a pair of old jeans

Chocolate Orange Pots

I make this super simple and very tasty chocolate pots whenever I have left over cream. All you need with the cream is chocolate, honey and orange juice. They make the perfect little snack or dessert.

Here's how to make them.

You will need

400 g plain chocolate

4 tblsp clear honey

3 tblsp fresh orange juice

500 ml whipping cream

Break the chocolate up into a heatproof bowl and pour over the honey and orange juice. Microwave in short bursts of about 20 seconds, stirring well in between to completely melt the chocolate and combine the mixture.

Let the chocolate mixture cool slightly while you whip the cream.

Carefully fold the chocolate mixture into the cream.

Then spoon into pots or bowls and refrigerate until you're ready for a yummy sweet snack!

If you liked this recipe, you can find more here.

I'd love if you followed me on Instagram or Facebook where I share pictures of things I bake, cook, and create.

Traditional Scottish Shortbread

Shortbread is one of the simplest cookies to make and tastes so good.

Here's how to make your own Traditional Scottish Shortbread.

You only need 3 ingredients: 

250 g (9 oz) plain flour

75 g (3 oz) caster sugar 

175 g (6 oz) butter

First heat the oven to 160C, 325F or Gas Mark 3

Mix the flour and sugar in a bowl and rub in the butter with your fingers until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.

Then kneed the mixture well to form a smooth ball of shortbread dough.

Roll this out into a rough rectangle shape around 1 cm (0.5") thick.

Don't ask me why my rectangle isn't straight on my board...things don't always work out the way you plan! :)

Using a flat knife, cut into small rectangles the size you want your shortbread to be.

Transfer to a greased or lined baking tray and prick with a fork to decorate.

Bake in the oven for around 30 minutes until pale and golden.

Enjoy with a nice cup of tea!

If you like this recipe you can find more here. 

Ginger Oat Cookies

These are one of my favourite cookies to bake. They are super simple and taste really good with a nice cup of tea!

My girls love them in their lunch boxes too.

Here's how to make them.

Ingredients

8 oz (200g) Margarine or Butter

2 dstsp golden syrup

6 oz (150g) demerera or raw sugar

4 oz (200g) SR flour

8 oz (200g) Porridge Oats

2 rounded tsp ground ginger

Preheat oven to 160 C  (320  F) Gas No 3

Melt the margarine and syrup together then add to the dry ingredients. Mix well then roll into balls and flatten on a baking tray.

Bake for 10 - 15 minutes.

Makes around 30 cookies.

As I mentioned earlier - they are delicious with a cup of tea!

If you like this recipe - why not take a look at the other recipes I've shared too! Click here.