Today’s post is a little round-up of this year’s festive posts, to celebrate the end of another crafty & Christmassy period on the blog! I’ve had such a lovely time sharing all of my festive ideas with you over these past few weeks— I hope you’ve enjoyed reading the posts too!

So, without further ado, here’s what’s been happening over the past 24 days on the blog!

Table of Contents

• Blogmas At Home: The Stats
• The Posts
  • Bullet Journal
  • Crochet
  • Knitting
  • Recipes
  • Other
• A Final Wrapping-Up

Blogmas At Home: The Stats

I may have intensely disliked statistics during my maths A Level, but I am a fan of a fun, numerical summary, so here’s the Blogmas At Home 2024 edition:

• Posts shared: 24
• Words written: 39,938 (I’m not known for my brevity…)
• Bullet journal pages set up: 127
• Crochet patterns shared: 1
• New cookbooks: 3
• Gingerbread Defenders made: 1
• Hours said Gingerbread Defender stood upright for before collapsing: 36
• Kulkuls rolled: 75

Anddddd, here’s the Blogmas At Home 2024 distribution of posts by category:

• Bullet Journal: 5
• Crochet: 3
• Knitting: 3
• Recipes: 8
• Other: 5 (including this one!)

And, because I love a pie chart…

As expected, Recipes turned out to be my biggest category this time around!

The Posts

Here, you can find links to all of the Blogmas At Home 2024 posts, grouped by category (for easy navigation):

Bullet Journal

Crochet

Knitting

Recipes

Other

A Final Wrapping-Up

So that was Blogmas At Home 2024! I hope you’ve enjoyed the daily dose of festive fun and crafty chaos over the past 24 days. I’ll be back in January with some more posts and general, sugar-filled joy. I hope to see you then!

Wishing you & your families the holliest, jolliest Christmas and the sparkliest, happiest New Year,

Gemma

xxx

I dream of becoming one of those amazing, gingerbread architects who make the most elaborate, inventive, super precise & gorgeous structures at Christmas every year. However, I am not an architect, I am not particularly logically minded and I am yet to master the art of precise piping. To achieve my dream, then, I must practise my gingerbread art form, and so, over the past couple of years, I have been undertaking a new gingerbread project every Christmas to learn new skills, practise old ones and, in short, become at one with the gingerbread.

Two years ago, I made a Gingerbread Christmas Market. This was particularly special to me, because I created the whole thing by myself: the idea, the templates, the construction— the whole lot. Through that project, I practised my engineering skills, my piping skills and the use of tempered chocolate in gingerbread decoration.

Last year, I wanted something a little more simple, so I decided to make my family’s traditional, classic Gingerbread House, with a few little decorative changes, here and there. The main focus of this project was finding new, exciting ways to incorporate sweets into the design, for the most Hansel and Gretel-esque house I could possibly make.

This year, I wanted to practise some different skills. I saw this Gingerbread Defender on Pinterest and I was absolutely BLOWN away! I’m not big into cars, but this felt very Christmassy and original and it really stuck with me— I couldn’t get it out of my head! The maker (@chlorosiswolff on Instagram) has actually made her templates + tutorial available for free (you can find these via the link in her Instagram bio), which is so incredibly generous & convinced me to give it a go myself! With all of the hardcore engineering work done for me, I figured this project would give me a chance to work on some new, gingerbread-related skills, including making sugar windows, using caramel glue and assembling a more complex structure. I also knew it would give me a chance to practise my piping skills, so it felt like the perfect project for this year’s gingerbread undertaking!

I made this Gingerbread Defender with my (soon to be) sister-in-law, and, while it was a daunting project, and our defender is less… precise than the original (and, unfortunately, only stood strong for 36 hours), it was SO much fun (though we both needed several naps to recover after making it)!

Table of Contents

• The Gingerbread
• Cutting out & Baking the Pieces
• Making the Sugar Windows
• Making Caramel Glue
• Using Caramel Glue
• Making Royal Icing
• Piping the Details
• The Wheels
• Final Thoughts

The Gingerbread

To make this Gingerbread Defender, I opted to use a different gingerbread dough to the one I would normally use for my gingerbread structures. My typical gingerbread recipe (that isn’t really gingerbread at all) is on the softer, thicker side, which I didn’t think would be suitable for a super detailed, complex project like this.

Instead, I used my favourite, proper gingerbread recipe, which is the Light Gingerbread Dough by Mima Sinclair, from her book Gingerbread Wonderland. I love the taste of this dough and it works so well for building— you can roll it very thin and bake it until it’s super dry, so it is nice and strong. I made one batch of the dough and it was more than enough for this project (I had a bit leftover, which I used to make a bunch of tiny gingerbread house pieces, using these cookie cutters from Søstrene Grene).

Cutting out & Baking the Pieces

It was at this point, when I was painstakingly cutting out the template pieces with a craft knife, that I began to wonder if this whole thing was a mistake. Cutting out the templates was rough and all I could think about the whole time was how I had to do it all over again, but with gingerbread dough.

To be honest, though, cutting the pieces out of gingerbread ended up being easier than cutting the paper templates out. Go figure. Freezing the rolled out dough before cutting them out helped hugely, so I’d definitely do that again in the future!

I also froze all of the cut-out pieces for about 15 minutes before baking, to help limit any spreading. After cutting out all of the pieces, I baked them at 140°C for 8-20 minutes, depending on the size of the pieces on the tray (I did try to group pieces of a similar size together, so they baked evenly). The lower oven temperature helps to fully dry out the gingerbread, without it browning too quickly, so it can be used for building.

I did get a bit of spreading, though, so I just made sure to use a small, serrated knife to trim down all of the important, structural pieces as soon as they came out of the oven, before the gingerbread hardened too much. I just placed the corresponding template on top of each piece and trimmed around it as best as I could.

Making the Sugar Windows

Now onto the most exciting part of this project (for me, at least): the sugar windows! I’ve never actually made sugar windows in any of my previous gingerbread projects, so this was something entirely new for me and I think it worked SO WELL!

I’ve heard of using crushed boiled sweets before, but a) clear boiled sweets are a little tricky to come by these days and b) what are you supposed to do if your gingerbread spreads in the oven? However, the tutorial supplied a different method, where you make a sugar syrup, cook it to hard crack stage and pour it into the window spaces of the cooled, baked gingerbread pieces. I followed the instructions exactly (although I used glucose syrup instead of corn syrup) and they turned out perfectly. Overall, the process was much easier than I expected it to be and I can definitely see myself doing this again. LOVED this.

Making Caramel Glue

Using caramel to stick a gingerbread structure together is something I’ve seen a lot of (mainly on Bake Off, let’s be real), but never actually done myself. I’ve heard caramel glue is stronger than royal icing, so it seemed like a necessary step for this more complex project.

I used the recipe for ‘Caramel Glue’ from the same Gingerbread Wonderland book, and it only took 2 attempts to get right (I accidentally crystallised the first batch). I actually took the caramel off the heat before it was done and it continued cooking in the pan so much that within a minute it was very nearly burnt! However, I just caught it in time and from then on I had no problems with keeping it at the right consistency: I just set it over a very low heat while we assembled the car.

Using Caramel Glue

The caramel glue was… a little hard to use. The tutorial said to brush it onto the pieces, but this was actually quite tricky? I also don’t think it worked as well as I expected it to at keeping the pieces stuck together— there was definitely some movement (the back wheel fell off about 10 times)! My biggest problem with the caramel glue, though, was the weeping! I wonder if our kitchen environment is just too humid for using caramel, because it got quite sticky (making the joins less secure), it wept quite a bit (actually through the royal icing overnight, which made it look like… brown snow… which is not the vibe at all) and the icing didn’t stick so well over the top, which was a whole thing. Also, after a day and a half, our Gingerbread Defender did, sadly, collapse (RIP). Overall, I feel caramel glue should work well for gingerbread assembly and I’m very glad that I’ve tried it (a new skill!), but I think I’ll stick to my faithful royal icing in the future!

Also, a quick note here, I think you need more caramel glue than the tutorial calls for! I ran out towards the end, which was a bit stressful. I could have just made more, but I was kind of sick of it by that point…

Making Royal Icing

The original tutorial suggests using a thick glacé icing for this project, but I decided to use a royal icing instead, because it would dry hard and I think it’s just better for piping finer details. To make the icing, I just whisked together 400g of icing sugar, 2 egg whites and 2 tsp of lemon juice until smooth and thick. I ended up using about 3/4 of the icing in total.

Piping the Details

I… am not the best at piping fine line work (I blame my shaky hands). I think, together though, we did pretty well! I’d still like to practise this a little more, and I think I probably should have used a slightly finer piping tip for extra precision, but it’s pretty recognisable as a car, right?

Also, piping the icicles was a lot of fun. That was my favourite part! Let’s not talk about the huge gob of icing I managed to drop on the back wheel though… that was an unfortunate mistake…

The Wheels

The wheels gave us the most strife, which was unfortunate, seeing as they are supposed to bear the weight of the whole structure (which I still can’t quite fathom). We ran into lots of problems with the wheels: one ended up all tilted after the attached skewer slipped in the caramel while it was setting, one snapped off its skewer after I dropped it (that was obviously my fault), the skewers on the base of the car kept falling off (see aforementioned caramel troubles) and the whole wire-binding thing was troublesome and unsuccessful (for us, at least!).

Ultimately, we had to improvise. We ended up jacking the car up on a large hunk of marzipan (pictured above, camouflaged by hastily applied royal icing!), then removing the wheels from their smaller skewers and just propping them up against the central skewers, in the right position. We also covered the serving board in a thin layer of royal icing, so that the marzipan/wheels had something to stick into, then attached the car to the marzipan with a little more icing. The marzipan we used was golden marzipan, so it was quite visible and, at the last moment, I decided to try and human pretzel myself so that I could cover it in royal icing, while it was under the car. If you’re doing this, you should definitely add the icing before you put the car on top.

Final Thoughts

Overall, I was SO proud of our (slightly wonky) Landrover. She was a bit askew, she was a bit weepy and she was a bit improvised, but she’s one of the most complicated gingerbread projects I’ve ever undertaken, so I’m still very pleased with the whole experience. Making it was a chaotic process, but it was a lot of fun (and I definitely couldn’t have done it by myself— thank you, Amy!).

Here’s what I learned…

• Freezing sheets of the rolled out dough is a game-changer and makes cutting out the more detailed pieces SO much easier.
• Caramel Glue is not my vibe. I tried it, I had fun (and only burned myself twice), but it’s not for me.
• Sugar windows on the other hand, are absolutely my vibe and I want to make them all of the time. Will they be fun to eat? Probably not. Do they look absolutely incredible? Yes, yes they do.
• Icing covers a multitude of sins. Truly, once we added the decorative icing onto the car, it looked 1000x better (until the caramel weeped through, but we don’t talk about that).
• And, additionally, icing sugar covers even more sins! After the caramel weeped, I dusted the whole thing liberally with icing sugar for the photos and it really worked wonders.
• Use a smaller piping tip than you think for detail work. Also, speed is your friend when it comes to piping straight lines.
• Snowflake sprinkles make everything look festive. You can’t argue with the facts.

And that was my gingerbread undertaking for 2024! I learned a lot, I had a lot of fun and I fully intend to never make a Gingerbread Defender again.

Gemma

xxx

Last year, I set up a Knitting Journal for my mum, so that she could keep all of her notes & yarn-y plans in one place. It’s kind of a cross between a bullet journal and a project planner, with, of course, a focus on knitting (Mum’s favourite pastime!).

I’ve set up another journal for my mum for 2025, so today’s post is all about the spreads, designs & thought process behind this planner. Unlike with my bullet journal, in her knitting journals, I set up the entire year at once, so that she can plan as far ahead as she needs. I hope you find this spread helpful, and that, even if you aren’t a knitter, it gives you some ideas & inspiration for your own journal!

Table of Contents

• Journal
• Equipment
• Initial Pages: General Planning
  • Cover Page
  • Future Projects
  • Yarns to Try
  • Stash-Busting
  • Present Ideas + Plans
• Monthly Spreads
  • Projects Overview + Cover Page
  • Project Notes
• Final Pages: Christmas & New Year Spreads
  • Christmas Presents + Cards
  • 2026 Plans
• Final Thoughts

Journal

For last year’s knitting journal, I ended up using just over half of the pages in the notebook mum had chosen, so we decided to fit the 2025 spreads into the same notebook, using the remaining pages. I did have to condense some of the spreads a little, just to make sure I could get everything in, but it still has everything Mum will need to keep on top of her projects and plans.

The journal itself is the ‘Sun Solstice’ journal from Notebook Therapy, which was, unfortunately, a limited edition notebook that is now sold out. However, Notebook Therapy has loads of other journals to choose from, so definitely check it out if you’re looking for a new notebook! The ‘Sun Solstice’ notebook is an A5 journal (my go-to for bullet journalling) with a teal fabric cover, elastic closure and a paper pocket at the back. My only slight gripe is that it doesn’t have a pen holder, which I find incredibly useful in my own journals, but maybe Notebook Therapy will add that to their journals in the future!

Equipment

To create this setup, I used the following equipment:

• Uni Pin Fine Line pen: sepia, 0.5.
• Sakura Pigma Micron fineliners: black, 05 (0.45mm) and 08 (0.5mm).
• Kuretake clean colour dot pens: mild colours.
• Coloured markers (I used a combination of Crayola SuperTips and Tombow ABT Dual Brush Pens).
• Ruler.
• Pencil.
• Eraser.

Initial Pages: General Planning

At the start of the journal, I set up some more general spreads, for any overall notes/plans. Because I enjoyed my own 2025 journal setup theme so much, I opted to create a similar style setup here, using the same Kuretake dot pens, along with the brown fineliner for a softer look. I wanted this section to be super colourful, but also minimal, with plenty of space for writing in.

Cover Page

I kept the Cover Page for this setup pretty simple: just the title and some decorations made with the Kuretake dot pens (which look vaguely like worms, but we’ll pretend that’s not the case…). I wrote the heading in the centre of the page, using my brown fineliner.

Future Projects

Next up is the Future Projects spread, where Mum can map out when she plans to make any potential projects. To make this spread, I wrote the heading across the top using my brown fineliner, then divided each page into 6 sections using my Kuretake dot pens, so that I had 12 sections in total (one for each month of the year).

Yarns to Try

Next we have a double-page spread for Mum to jot down any yarns that she’d like to try out! I separated this spread out into 4 sections: one for fingering weight yarn, one for DK, one for worsted and one for any other weights. I chose these categories based on the yarn weights Mum most frequently uses, but this can obviously be adjusted to suit your own yarn preferences.

Stash-Busting

Like any hardcore knitter, Mum has a pretty extensive stash of yarns leftover from projects, so Stash-Busting is always on her agenda. This spread just gives her a space to note down any potential stash-busting projects, ideas/inspiration that she stumbles across or even thoughts on more specific plans. I’ve kept this spread nice and empty, just decorating it with a simple, dot pen border, so she can use it however she would like.

Present Ideas + Plans

The final spread in these initial, general pages is this Present Ideas + Plans page. I’ve set this out in exactly the same way as the Stash-Busting spread, so that Mum can use it in any way she likes. The purpose of this spread is to give her a space to note down any plans/ideas for gifts throughout the year.

Monthly Spreads

Now we come to the main bulk of this knitting journal: the Monthly Spreads. Each month is set out in exactly the same way over 2 double-page spreads, but each uses a different colour marker, to differentiate between the months and make the journal super easy to navigate through.

Projects Overview + Cover Page

The first double-page spread of each month features a calendar on the right-hand page and an overview of that month’s projects on the left-hand page.

While this is a knitting journal, Mum also likes to have a calendar layout to keep track of appointments and events, much like in my standard bullet journal. It’s also helpful for her to see the structure of each month (for planning knitting timelines, of course!). For all of the calendars, I’ve drawn out a grid (in which each box is 3×4 grid squares), using my brown fineliner. I used the colour of the month to add a band of colour above each row, on top of which I wrote the dates. I used a black fineliner (the 05 size of my Sakura Pigma Microns) to write in the dates, because I found that the brown fineliner did not show up very well on top of some of the coloured markers. At the top of the page, I added some larger dots of colour and wrote out the name of each respective month (using the larger, 08 black fineliner), one letter per dot.

I split the left-hand page into 3 sections: Ongoing Projects in the top left, Projects to Start in the top right and Miscellaneous Notes in the bottom. I drew the three boxes using my brown fineliner, then added small dots of colour to write the subheadings on (again, using the 05 black fineliner).

To finish off this spread, I added a wavy line of colour down each side of the paper.

Project Notes

The second double-page spread of each month is populated with 6 individual project sections. In these, my mum will be able to jot down any notes/plans that are specific to certain projects. To set up these pages, I divided each page into 3 horizontally, then outlined the boxes with my brown fineliner. I added more dots of colour in the top left of each box, on top of which I wrote ‘PROJECT’, so Mum can write in the name of each project beside it. Just like the previous double-page spread, I added a wavy line of colour down each side to finish everything off.

Final Pages: Christmas & New Year Spreads

After the Monthly Spreads, I set up a couple of spreads for Mum to use towards the end of 2025, specifically for Christmas and looking ahead to 2026. Because they aren’t necessarily associated with a single month, I used the same, multicoloured dot pen theme as the initial pages here, which bookends the journal nicely.

Christmas Presents + Cards

First up are the Christmas Present/Card Trackers. I used really simple, table style layouts for both of these spreads, with the first column for the name of the recipient and the second column for the present/address, respectively. Like with the other spreads that I created in this style, I wrote the headings in block capitals, using my brown fineliner, in the space at the top.

2026 Plans

This 2026 plans page is the final spread in this setup and another blank slate, with just a simple dot pen border around the edge. These pages are for Mum to note down any potential projects/plans for 2026, so she can get ahead with her knitting and keep track of all of her ideas.

Final Thoughts

Overall, I’m really happy with how this turned out (and so is Mum!). Setting up a whole year’s worth of spreads is always a little daunting, but the process was actually super quick and easy this time around— it only took me a few evenings to create this setup!

I still really love using the Kuretake dot pens to decorate, make borders and divide up pages. It’s an easy, slow & therapeutic process (though, at the same time, it always seems to fly by), which makes setting up spreads extra enjoyable.

I’m also really happy with the colours I picked for the monthly spreads this year! Last year, I went for a very bright, rainbow colour scheme, but I wanted to use more muted, rainbow colours this time around to tie in better with the pastel dot pens. I think this makes for a more restful, but still vibrant and colourful, setup.

I hope you’ve enjoyed hearing about this knitting journal setup for 2025— I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below!

Gemma

xxx

Bread and butter pudding is a quintessentially English dessert that… can sound a bit wacky if you’re not used to it. It’s essentially layers of (stale) bread that are spread with butter, sprinkled with sugar and dried fruit, then soaked in a simple custard mixture before being baked until golden and puffed. To the uninitiated, that might not sound great, but I love it! If it helps, you can just think of it as a big, baked version of French Toast— it’s a very similar concept!

Anyway, I wanted to make a festive variation on a traditional bread and butter pudding, so I created this: my Cranberry & Orange Bread and Butter Pudding. The cranberries are soaked in a zesty, orange syrup before being added to the dish, while the custard is lightly spiced with allspice and nutmeg for a super Christmassy, warming flavour. This recipe makes a great dessert, but I also really enjoy having it for breakfast too— it would make a perfect Christmas Eve/Day breakfast/brunch!

Ingredients

To make this festive bread and butter pudding, you’ll need the following ingredients:

• Bread

You can use lots of different types of bread for this: a plain, white sliced bread works well, or you can use an enriched loaf, such a challah or brioche, for an extra special pudding! The bread needs to be stale, so, if you can, slice the bread in advance and leave the slices out overnight before making the pudding. In a pinch, though, I find a very gentle toasting can also work!

Some people like to remove the crusts off the bread for this recipe, but I quite like the texture they give. Do whatever works for you!

• Unsalted butter

I prefer using unsalted butter when baking, so that I can control the amount of salt. The butter needs to be softened/at room temperature, so it is spreadable. You can use salted, if that’s what you have, but I would recommend omitting the extra salt if you do this.

• Caster sugar

I prefer using caster sugar, instead of granulated sugar, because it dissolves more easily into the pudding, giving the inner, custard-y section a lovely, smooth texture, while still achieving a crispy outer crust.

• Milk

I like to use a 50:50 ratio of milk to cream for my bread and butter pudding, for the perfect combination of rich and creamy, but also light and fluffy. Whole milk is best, but you can use skimmed/semi-skimmed too, if that’s what you have.

• Cream

Use double cream for the best results.

• Eggs

I always use large eggs.

• Dried cranberries

This is where we start getting festive! I prefer to use unsweetened cranberries, but you can use whatever you would like.

• Orange

You’ll need both the zest and the juice for this recipe.

• Ground allspice

The first of the festive spices in this pudding, allspice lends a gentle warmth to the custard.

• Nutmeg

I prefer to buy nutmeg whole and grate it fresh whenever I need it, rather than buy the ready-ground stuff.

• Salt

Just a little pinch of fine sea salt, to help bring out all of the flavours. If you’re using salted butter, leave this out.

• Vanilla extract

Because this is a custard-based dish, it’s good to add a little vanilla extract to counter any potential egginess.

Method

Bread and butter pudding is so simple to make— it’s essentially just an assembly job! Grease the baking dish with butter (truly, don’t skip this step— It makes the clean up so much easier!), so it’s all ready for you, then get making. You can use any oven-safe dish for this— I’ve used a standard pie dish here, but I often make this recipe in a rectangular baking dish (18 x 27 x 5cm), which works really well too, so use whatever you have that’s roughly that kind of size!

For this recipe, you need to start by soaking the cranberries. Place them into a small saucepan, along with the orange zest and juice, plus a heaped teaspoon of sugar.

Place the saucepan over medium heat and stir frequently while the sugar melts and the liquid comes to a boil. Allow the mixture to bubble for about 30 seconds, then remove the pan from the heat and set aside to cool.

While the cranberries are cooling, you can start preparing the pudding. Spread the stale bread slices thickly on one side with the butter, making sure to use every last bit!

Next, cut the bread slices into whatever shape you would like: triangles (like I’ve done here) are popular, but cubes can also work well!

Place half of the bread slices, butter-side up, into your greased baking dish, trying your best to cover the bottom in an even layer (do a better job than me, if you can). Don’t worry about arranging the bread too nicely at this stage, as there’s another layer of bread to come!

Sprinkle half of the caster sugar evenly over the bread layer, then scatter over all of the cooled, soaked cranberries (along with any orange-y juices). The reason you add all of the dried fruit at this stage is so that it is sandwiched between the two bread layers, so it won’t burn in the oven.

Now you can top up the dish with the remaining bread pieces, again, placing them butter-side up. This will form the top of your pudding, so, if you want it to look extra fancy, arrange your bread pieces in a nice pattern (I went for this starry situation, because it is Christmas, after all).

Evenly sprinkle over the remaining sugar, then set the dish aside while you prepare the custard.

Place the eggs into a bowl.

Whisk the eggs well.

Add the milk and cream, then whisk again until completely incorporated.

Strain the mixture through a sieve into a jug. This removes any stringy bits of egg to ensure that the baked custard will be silky smooth. Don’t skip this step!

Once the custard has been strained, add the ground allspice, freshly grated nutmeg, salt and vanilla extract. Mix well to combine.

Pour the custard mixture evenly over the bread in the baking dish, then set aside at room temperature for 30 minutes, so that the bread can absorb some of the custard.

You want to make sure the bread slices are submerged in the custard during the resting period, so gently press down on them from time to time, if needed, until the time is up and they have absorbed lots of the delicious custard.

Once the pudding has stood for 30 minutes, you can bake it for 45-55 minutes at 170°C (conventional oven, not fan), until golden and puffed. Allow the pudding to stand for 5 minutes before serving (the pudding will deflate slightly as it cools).

Variations

• Milk or Cream

I like to use a 50:50 ratio of milk to cream in my bread and butter puddings, but you can use any ratio you want! Using 100% cream makes for a really luxurious, rich and heavy dessert, while using 100% milk makes for a lighter, less dense bake. A 50:50 ratio gives you the best of both worlds, but any ratio will work. Often, if I have a small amount of cream to use up, I’ll just put it in a jug, then make it up to 570ml with milk.

• Fruit

I’ve used cranberries here, to make this super seasonal, but you could use any kind of dried fruit you like. If you plan to use larger dried fruits (such as apricots or figs), I’d recommend chopping them finely before adding them to the dish. If you’re an anti-dried fruit kind of person, you can leave them out, or substitute them with chopped nuts or chocolate chips!

• Spices

I’ve included allspice and nutmeg in this bread and butter pudding recipe, to make it extra Christmassy and warming, but you can omit the spices if you’d prefer a fresher, fruitier taste.

Make-Ahead

Bread and butter pudding can be made ahead in a variety of different ways to suit your festive needs:

• Once baked, the pudding can be stored in the fridge for 2-3 days. Simply warm through individual servings in the microwave, or the whole lot in the oven, when you’re ready to serve it (apparently, it is also very delicious cold, but I can’t say I’ve ever tried that!).
• If you want to bake the pudding at the last minute, you can store the unbaked pudding (covered) in the fridge for up to 24 hours. You can bake it cold from the fridge, but it will need a little longer in the oven.

Making the pudding ahead means you can have delicious, festive bread & butter pudding at any time during the holiday season— even on Christmas morning!

Recipe

Print

Cranberry & Orange Bread and Butter Pudding

A classic bread and butter pudding, turned into a delicious, festive dessert/breakfast with cranberries, fresh orange and warming spices.

Course Breakfast, Dessert

Cuisine British

Keyword Allspice, Bread and butter pudding, Cranberry, Custard, Nutmeg, Orange

Prep Time 25 minutes minutes

Cook Time 55 minutes minutes

Resting time 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour 50 minutes minutes

Servings 6 servings

Equipment

• 1 oven-safe baking dish (a standard pie dish OR a rectangular baking dish, about 18 x 27 x 5cm)

Ingredients

• 60 g unsweetened dried cranberries
• 1 orange, zest and juice.
• 50 g + 1 heaped tsp caster sugar
• 60 g unsalted butter, softened (plus extra for greasing).
• 215 g stale bread, sliced (see Note 1).
• 2 eggs
• 285 ml milk (see Note 2).
• 285 ml double cream (see Note 2).
• 1/8 tsp ground allspice
• 1/16 tsp nutmeg, freshly grated.
• 1 splash vanilla extract
• 1 pinch fine sea salt

Instructions

• Grease the baking dish with butter and set aside. Don't preheat the oven just yet (the bread and butter pudding needs to stand for 30 minutes before baking). The pudding will be baked at 170°C (conventional, not fan).
• Place the cranberries, orange zest and juice, and the heaped tsp of caster sugar into a small saucepan over medium heat. Stirring frequently, bring to the boil, then cook for a further 30 seconds before removing from the heat and setting aside to cool.
• Spread the bread slices thickly with the butter, then cut into your desired shapes.
• Arrange half of the bread pieces, butter-side up, in the greased baking dish. Sprinkle over half of the remaining sugar, along with all of the cooled, soaked cranberries (and any liquid). Arrange the remaining bread pieces on top, butter-side up, sprinkle over the remaining sugar, then set aside while you make the custard.
• For the custard, whisk the eggs together in a bowl until combined. Add the milk and cream, then whisk well. Pour the mixture through a fine sieve into a jug, to remove any stringy bits of egg.
• Add the allspice, nutmeg, vanilla and salt to the custard and mix well.
• Pour the custard evenly over the bread, then leave to stand at room temperature for 30 minutes before baking.
• Bake the pudding at 170°C for 45-55 minutes, until golden and puffed. Allow the baked pudding to stand for 5-10 minutes before serving warm.

Notes

1. You can use lots of different types of bread for this recipe: plain, white, sliced bread works well, as do enriched breads such as challah and brioche. It needs to be stale to absorb the custard well. You can either leave the crusts on or cut them off— it’s entirely up to you.
2. I use a 50:50 ratio of milk:cream, but you can use any ratio you would like, as long as the total quantity of liquid adds up to 570ml.

Make Ahead

Once baked, the pudding can be stored in the fridge for 2-3 days. Simply reheat to serve. 

You can also store the unbaked pudding (covered) in the fridge for up to 24 hours. Bake the pudding from chilled, but be aware that it will likely need a little longer in the oven. 

It’s been a while since I’ve released a crochet pattern but, in today’s post, that’s exactly what’s happening! This pattern is for a super quick & easy, festive project that can be whipped up using scraps of cotton yarn (that you probably already have!). These are my…

❄️☕️ SNOWFLAKE COASTERS ☕️❄️

You can find this pattern on Ravelry here, if you want to save it for later!

Table of Contents

• Materials & Tools
• Pattern Notes
• Abbreviations
• Written Pattern
• Photo Tutorial
• Blocking the Coasters
• Final Thoughts

Materials & Tools

To make these coasters, you will need the following:

• Stylecraft Naturals Organic Cotton, in the shade Gypsum (7168), (50g = 104 m [114 yds]) (or other, DK weight yarn). You will need about 5g of yarn per coaster.
• 3.00mm crochet hook.
• Darning needle.
• Scissors.

Pattern Notes

• This pattern uses UK crochet terminology (please check the Abbreviations section below for stitch explanations if you’re unsure!)
• Gauge is not important for this project. I would recommend using a size down from whatever hook size you would usually use for a DK weight yarn- for me, this is a 4.00mm hook, so I’ve used a 3.00mm hook for this project.

Abbreviations

• ch = chain: yarn over and pull through.
• ss = slip stitch: insert hook into stitch, yarn over and pull through stitch and loop on hook.
• dc = UK double crochet: insert hook into stitch, yarn over and pull through. You will now have two loops on your hook. Yarn over and pull through both loops.
• tr = UK treble crochet: Yarn over, insert hook into stitch, yarn over again and pull through. You will now have three loops on your hook. Yarn over and pull through two of the loops, then yarn over again and pull through the remaining two loops.

Written Pattern

Round 1: 11 dc in a magic ring. Ss to join.

Round 2: Ch 3 (counts as first tr), then tr in the same stitch (at the base of the ch 3). *Ch 4, skip 1 stitch, 2 tr in next stitch* until there is 1 stitch remaining. Ch 4, then ss to top of the ch 3 to finish round.

Round 3: **Start by working a ‘long arm’: (*Ch 5, skip first ch, then ss in next 2 ch* twice. Ch 4, skip first ch then ss in next 3 ch. *Ch 3, skip first ch, then ss in next 2 ch AND first 2 ch from second ch 5* twice. Ss to the 2nd tr from Round 2). 2 dc over the ch 4 from Round 2, then work a ‘short arm’: (Ch 6, skip first ch, then ss into next 2 ch. Ch 4, skip first ch, then ss in next 3 ch. Ch 3, skip first ch, then ss into next 2 ch AND first 3 ch from previous ch 6). 2 dc over the same ch 4 from Round 2, then ss to top of the next tr from Round 2.*** Repeat from ** to *** around.

Cut yarn and fasten off. Darn in the ends, then block before using (see instructions at end of post).

Photo Tutorial

I’ve also created a photo tutorial for this pattern, just to help make everything super clear and easy to follow! If you find the above pattern a little hard to follow (I’m looking at your Round 3…), hopefully this will help you.

Start by working 11 dc in a magic ring.

After you’ve worked the stitches, pull the tail to tighten the loop.

Then, to finish off Round 1, slip stitch to the top of the first double crochet stitch. Andddd there you have it! 11 dc in a magic ring.

To begin Round 2, work 3 chains. This ch 3 counts as the first treble crochet of the round.

Next, you need to work a treble crochet in the same space (i.e. where you worked the slip stitch to finish off Round 1). I’ve used a needle here to indicate the stitch you need to work into.

Like this! As I mentioned, the ch 3 from the start of the round counts as one treble crochet, so you now have a cluster of 2 treble crochets.

Work 4 chains.

Then skip the next dc and work 2 treble crochets into the dc after that (again, indicated here by a needle).

Like so!

Keep repeating this process (ch 4, skip one dc, then work 2 tr into the next dc), until there is one dc remaining on the round below (you will have just worked 2 tr into the previous dc, as pictured).

Work 4 more chains.

Then, to finish off Round 2, slip stitch to the top of the ch 3 from the beginning of the round (indicated by the needle again).

Like so! Now you’ve finished Round 2.

Round 3 is where things get a little more complicated, but it’s also the final round of the coaster, so you’re nearly there! Start by working 5 chains.

Now you’re going to start by working into the 2nd chain from the hook (indicated by the needle). You’ll be doing this throughout the rest of this process (after any chaining), so try to remember that rule of thumb— it will make things a lot easier!

Slip stitch into the 2nd chain from the hook.

Then slip stitch into the next chain as well, so you have a little row of two slip stitches at the top of your chain. This forms the first ‘branch’ on the arm of the snowflake.

Next, you need to make another branch, so chain 5 again.

And, again, you’ll be working into the 2nd chain from the hook (indicated by the needle).

Starting in the 2nd chain from the hook, work a slip stitch into each of the next two stitches to make the 2nd ‘branch’.

Now, it’s time to make the top of the snowflake arm. Start by chaining 4.

Then, starting in the 2nd chain from the hook, slip stitch into each of the next 3 stitches.

Now you’re going to come back down the other side of the arm, to make the branch symmetrical. Chain 3.

Starting in the 2nd chain from the hook, slip stitch into each of the next two stitches to make the next branch.

Now you need to anchor this branch to the other side of the arm. To do this, you want to slip stitch into the two remaining, intact chains from the 2nd chain 5 (the first of which is indicated by the needle here). These two chains are the first 2 chains of that chain 5, that you didn’t make into a branch.

Slip stitch into those two stitches, and you’ll see that the branch you just made has lined itself up alongside the 2nd branch. Success!

Now, it’s time to make the final branch on this arm, in exactly the same way as the previous branch. Chain 3.

Starting with the 2nd chain from the hook, work 1 slip stitch in each of the next two chains, then work 1 slip stitch into each of the two remaining chains from the first ch 5 of the arm (the first of which is indicated by the needle).

Like so!

To finish off this first arm, you need to anchor it back onto the top of the 2 tr cluster from Round 2. To do this, slip stitch into the top of the 2nd tr, indicated here with the needle.

Once you’ve done that, you’ll have finished your first arm! I call this one a ‘long arm’, because it is the larger of the two arm styles used in this pattern. You’ll work a ‘long arm’ over every 2 tr cluster, and a ‘short arm’ in every ch 4 gap. Next up, then, it’s time to work a ‘short arm’.

To set up the short arm, you need to work 2 dc under the next ch 4 from Round 2. To do this, insert your crochet hook from front to back through the gap made by the ch 4, as pictured.

Pick up a loop of your working yarn with the hook and bring it back through to the front.

Then, pick up another loop of the working yarn (over the top of the ch 4, this time) and draw it through both of the loops on your hook to make a double crochet.

Work another double crochet in the same way, so that you have 2 dc around the ch 4.

Now it’s time to make the ‘short branch’. Start by working 6 chains. This slightly longer chain length helps to offset the ‘short arm’ with the ‘long arms’ on either side of it, so your snowflake coaster will lie flat more easily and look nice and even.

Just like with the ‘long arm’, you’ll always start by working into the 2nd chain from the hook.

Starting with the 2nd chain from the hook, slip stitch into each of the next two chains to make the first ‘branch’.

Then, chain 4 to begin the top of the ‘short arm’.

Starting with the 2nd chain from the hook, slip stitch into each of the next 3 chains. This makes the top of the ‘short arm’.

To make the final branch, chain 3.

Starting with the 2nd chain from the hook, slip stitch into each of the next two chains. This makes the final branch, which will sit opposite the first branch on this arm. To anchor it to the other side of the arm, just like with the ‘long arm’, you need to slip stitch into the remaining chains from the initial ch 6 (i.e. the first 3 chains from that ch 6). The first of these stitches is indicated here by the needle.

Slip stitch into the three remaining chains from the initial chain 6 to finish off the ‘short arm’.

To finish off this section, work 2 more dc over the ch 4, so that your ‘short arm’ sits in the middle of 4 dc in total, which, in turn, sit over the ch 4 from Round 2.

Then, slip stitch into the top of the next treble crochet.

This sets you up for the next ‘long arm’, which you can work in exactly the same way as the first.

Like so!

After the 2nd ‘long arm’, work a second ‘short arm’, making sure to work 2 dc over the ch 4 from Round 2 before and after working the arm.

Like so!

Keep repeating that process, alternating between ‘long arms’ (on top of the 2 tr clusters) and ‘short arms’ (on top of the ch 4s), until you’ve worked right around the snowflake and come back to your first ‘long arm’.

Finish off by slip stitching to the top of the ch 3 from Round 2 (i.e. where you started that first ‘long arm’, indicated here by the needle), then cut the yarn and fasten off.

And that’s it! Your snowflake coaster is done. All you need to do now is weave in both ends and block the coasters to help them lie flat (the instructions for that are below).

Blocking the Coasters

Blocking the coasters helps them to lie flat and look more even. You can block them in whatever way you usually block projects made with cotton yarn, but I’ve used steam to block these ones!

To steam block your coasters, do the following:

Using a steam iron/clothes steamer, briefly steam the coaster.

Pin the steamed coaster onto a blocking mat. Place one pin at the top of each ‘long arm’, making sure they are nice and straight.

Give the pinned coaster another brief blast of steam, then leave in the pinned position overnight to set.

After that, you can unpin the coaster and start using it! The finished, blocked coasters are about 10cm in diameter.

Final Thoughts

I hope you’ve enjoyed this Snowflake Coaster pattern: it’s such a quick, easy project to whip up, especially once you get the hang of the repeating pattern. I’ve actually made 7 of these coasters for our Christmas table this year, which I just know is going to look so lovely and festive!

As I mentioned earlier, you can find this pattern on Ravelry, so you can easily add it to your festive queue/favourites for next year, if you don’t have time to whip some up this year!

Gemma

xxx

Last year, just before Christmas, I saw this amazing crochet garland on Instagram by @deliacreates. It was designed to look like a string of popcorn and cranberries, which is a festive tradition in the US that I have always been fascinated by! I could never bring myself to sacrifice so much delicious popcorn in the pursuit of pretty, Christmassy decor (I love popcorn), so a crocheted version felt like the perfect, fun alternative. As an added bonus, the (free!) pattern looked super simple and straightforward, so I knew this would be a quick and easy project for the festive season. Unfortunately, I saw the post a little too late to make a garland in time for Christmas last year, so I carried it over and made it this year, instead!

Table of Contents

• Materials
  • Cygnet Seriously Chunky: Mini Review
• Making the Garland
• Final Thoughts

Materials

To make this garland, I used the following materials:

• 1 skein of Cygnet Seriously Chunky yarn, in the shade Cream (0288).
• 87 x 12mm dark red wooden beads (I bought this pack of 100 on Etsy).*
• 6.50mm crochet hook.
• 3.00mm crochet hook.**

That’s it! Because I already had the crochet hooks, I only had to buy the yarn and the beads (which worked out at just under £6), so this was a super budget-friendly project!

* The original pattern used bright red beads, but I wanted a more realistic-looking, muted garland, so I opted to use these dark red beads, which I felt had more of a cranberry vibe!

** The original pattern calls for a 3.25mm hook, but I found a 3.00mm hook was easier to insert through the beads and worked just as well.

Cygnet Seriously Chunky: Mini Review

Cygnet Seriously Chunky is a 100% acrylic, super chunky weight yarn that is sold in 100g skeins. Each 100g skein contains about 48 metres of yarn and (at time of posting), costs £2.99 on Wool Warehouse (my go-to for yarn-y purchases!). The yarn comes in a variety of colours (though it’s not the most extensive shade range I’ve seen), and I chose the shade Cream (0288) for this project, which was a nice, neutral, popcorn-esque colour.

I have to say, I truly forgot that this was an acrylic yarn as I was working with it- it has a real, wooly ‘fuzz’ to it that really tricked me into thinking it was made of natural fibres. While the ‘fuzzy’ look probably wasn’t quite the right vibe for making popcorn kernels, I do think this would be a great, budget alternative to a natural fibre yarn for other projects. Even though my kernels are a little on the fuzzy side, I still really love the way this yarn worked up for this project- I think it gives the garland a really homespun, felted look that feels very festive.

Making the Garland

When making this project, I followed the original pattern to the letter. It’s such a simple process, but it’s so effective (and so quick to work up- I made this whole garland in a single sitting!). The popcorn kernels are made from a simple puff stitch, worked in the super chunky yarn, and the cranberries are just wooden beads, added in between each kernel. I kept going until I ran out of yarn, then fastened off, and before I knew it, I had the perfect popcorn & cranberry garland, ready for Christmas. My finished garland, using a full skein of yarn and 87 cranberries, ended up being about 375cm long.

I did pick up a few little tricks and techniques when making this project, so I thought I’d share those with you here:

• Keep the beads at the front of the work.

When I first started working up my garland, I didn’t pay much attention to how I reinserted the 6.50mm hook into the working loop of yarn after I added each bead. After a little while, I found that this did have an effect on the garland- in some places, the beads were fully visible, while in others they were obscured by the yarn that runs along them. After a little bit of trial and error, I found that making sure the working loop wasn’t twisted when you reinsert the hook and making a conscious effort to keep the beads to the front of the work helped to minimise this problem. While the garland still twists a little, it’s much less noticeable than before!

• When adding the beads, keep the working loop of yarn as taut as possible.

Adding the beads is the fiddliest part of this project, because you have to pull a doubled piece of super chunky yarn through a pretty small hole! Honestly, this was easier than I expected- it took a couple of attempts sometimes, but, as the pattern says, if you split the yarn, you can just remove the hook, bring the yarn back together and try again! One thing that I found that really helped here was to hold the yarn as tightly as I could around the hook as I pulled it through the bead.

• Keep the beads in a bowl beside you.

This is such a small thing, it barely even warrants a bullet point of its own, but it made a big difference to my speed and efficiency! My beads came in a little, grip seal bag, which is great for storage, but not so great for quickly picking one up every time you need to add a ‘cranberry’ to the garland. I transferred my beads to a bowl and put the bowl on a flat surface beside me (a flat surface is important, if you would like to avoid beads rolling all over the place). This meant that I could just grab a bead super easily whenever I needed one, which really sped up the whole process for me.

Final Thoughts

I am so thrilled with how this garland turned out- it gives me such festive, homespun, felty vibes and I just love it! I particularly like how quickly it came together, how easy it was to work up and how effective the pattern was- I do really think it looks like a popcorn and cranberry garland!

I’m really glad that I opted to use the darker red beads- I think it not only makes this garland look more realistic, but it also looks a little more understated and classic. While the yarn I chose is a bit on the ‘fuzzy’ side, and so makes for slightly fuzzy popcorn kernels, I actually also really like that effect- this is, after all, a crocheted garland, and I don’t mind that being evident!

Overall, I loved working on this project almost as much as I love the finished product! It was the perfect, quick and easy festive project and I know I’ll be using it in my Christmas decorating for many years to come. Plus, no popcorn was harmed in the making of this garland, so that’s an extra little win.

If you're interested...

You can find the "Popcorn & Cranberry" Crochet Garland pattern here.

You can check out the Delia Creates website here.

You can find my Popcorn & Cranberry Garland project page on Ravelry here.

Gemma

xxx

The new year always seems to sneak up on me SO quickly once Christmas is over, so I wanted to get ahead this year and make my January bullet journal setup nice and early! As seems to be becoming a bit of a habit for me, I’ve gone for a super quick and easy style this month: a simple, blue plaid pattern, some (purposely messy) brown line work and, because it is me, after all, some brown craft paper.

Table of Contents

• Equipment
• Cover + Quote Page
• Monthly Calendar
• Weekly Spreads
  • Week 1
  • Week 2
  • Week 3
  • Week 4
  • Week 5
• January Review
• Final Thoughts

Equipment

To make this setup, I used the following equipment:

• Tombow ABT dual brush pens, in the shades 491 (Glacier Blue) and 553 (Mist Purple).
• Uni Pin Fine Line pen: 0.5, sepia.
• Sakura Quickie Glue pen.
• Brown craft paper.
• Scissors.
• Corner rounder.

Cover + Quote Page

For my Cover Page, I filled the majority of the page with a blue plaid pattern, made using the two Tombow pens. I used the brown fineliner to draw a messy border around the pattern and to write the ‘January’ heading on some brown craft paper, which I stuck in using my Sakura glue pen.

It took me a while to decide on a fitting quote for my Quote Page this month— I wanted something that reflected the fact that January is the start of a new year, but most of the ‘New Year, New Me’ quotes feel a bit too… on the nose for me. As I was desperately trying to find a qupte, Natasha Bedingfield’s song Unwritten just happen to pop into my head and… it was just the perfect choice, so I went for that.

Monthly Calendar

As always, I went for a classic grid-style layout for my Monthly Calendar spread, where each of the boxes is a 6×6 square. I drew the grid and wrote in the dates using my brown fineliner, then filled the majority of the remaining space with more of that same, plaid pattern. Just like with my Cover Page, I wrote the ‘January’ heading on brown craft paper, then stuck it into the space in the top left corner.

Weekly Spreads

I usually include at least a couple more pages before going into my Weekly Spreads, but I wanted to keep this setup simple and pared back, so I opted to skip those pages this time around and go straight into my weeklies.

I’m using the same layout for my weekly spreads that I have used in my setups for the past few months, because it’s been working really well for me. To create it, I just trimmed the central pages right down, so there’s plenty of space on the far left and right for me to put in some master task/notes lists, while the trimmed down pages then house the daily tasks lists. I also used a corner rounder to soften the edges of the trimmed down pages, just to tie in with the style of this setup.

Week 1

The first ‘week’ of January 2025 only contains 5 days, so I was able to give each daily box in this weekly a little more space than I usually would. The first weekly sits on the same page as the task list on the far left, so I had plenty of space to add in more plaid decoration.

Week 2

The second weekly features a full week of 7 days, so I used my classic, 2-up/4-down layout for the daily task lists, leaving a space in the bottom right for the weekly subheading. I still managed to squeeze a little plaid section in though, just to keep things cohesive!

Week 3

The third weekly is exactly the same as the second, but I’ve changed the location of the weekly subheading from the bottom right corner to the top right.

Week 4

Again, the fourth weekly has the same layout as the two preceding weeklies but, for this spread, I’ve moved the weekly subheading to the top left corner.

Week 5

January ends on a Friday this year, so I opted to include the first two days of February in this final weekly. This page also includes the space on the far right for notes.

January Review

Finally, we have my January Review page. On the right-hand page, I have the ‘January Review’ heading, written in brown fineliner on brown craft paper, plus a large section of the plaid pattern, on top of which I will stick my monthly polaroid.

On the left-hand page, I have all my usual sections: ATP & WTA Top 10, my #1 memory from the month and my monthly playlist. I laid these sections out in the same way as in my December setup, which gave me lots of space to add another plaid section.

Final Thoughts

I’m really happy with how this setup turned out and I’m even happier with how quick it was to create! I literally set the whole thing up in an evening (while watching Jamie Cooks Christmas, because of course). I also surprised myself with how much I like the purposely messy linework— I think there’s something about doing two messy lines over the top of each other that makes it look extra intentional.

I hope you’ve enjoyed hearing about my January 2025 bullet journal setup— I’d love to hear what you think in the comments below!

Gemma

xxx

Anddddd we’re back with another instalment of my Baking Around the World series, where I (attempt to) bake delicious, sweet treats from around the globe, in an attempt to broaden my foodie horizons! This time, we’re off to Iceland, with these Marens-Kornflexkökur.

A quick Baking Around the World disclaimer before we get into the recipe:

While I have done/will do extensive research for each of the recipes in this series, the recipes are unlikely to be 100% authentic because of differences in ingredient availability, variations within families/regions and multiple other reasons. I'm so sorry if I absolutely butcher your favourite childhood treat (and please let me know in the comments if I have made any unforgiveable errors), but please do give me the benefit of the doubt here- I am just a baker with a serious sweet tooth, trying to broaden her baking (and cultural) horizons through tasty snacks :)

Table of Contents

• Marens-Kornflexkökur: Explained
• Ingredients
• Making Marens-Kornflexkökur
• Final Thoughts
• Recipe
• Sources Used

Marens-Kornflexkökur: Explained

These Icelandic treats are really super simple— they’re just regular meringues, flavoured with a little vanilla extract and studded with chopped dark chocolate and cornflakes. I realise that sounds a bit wacky, but they actually taste really good! You don’t bake them in quite the same way as you would a normal meringue, so they don’t fully dry out and stay nice and chewy on the inside, but crisp on the outside, so you can eat them on their own, like a cookie!

I’ve had meringues containing chopped dark chocolate in in the past, so I wasn’t too fazed by that part, but I have to admit, the cornflakes were a little bit of a curveball (and the thing that drew me to this recipe in the first place)! They go quite chewy in the meringue and add a nutty (corn-y?) taste. They’re not for everyone (not all of my family members were on board with this particular bake), but I really like them!

Strangely, it’s quite hard to find information about these cookies (from authentic, Icelandic sources) online. I wonder if, because they’re so simple (only 6 ingredients!) they’re more of a passed-down-through-families kind of recipe, kind of like how we have chocolate cornflake cakes in the UK? I’m not sure, but I do know that I ended up in the deepest depths of the Icelandic baking forums in my attempt to confirm that these were, in fact, a classic, Icelandic cookie (and they are! Though, like most traditional cookies, they seem to come in various different forms).

Traditionally, Marens-Kornflexkökur are made using the French meringue method, which is the simplest of the meringue-making styles. In this method, you add the sugar to the egg whites gradually, whisking all the time, until fully incorporated and the sugar has dissolved. I, however, seem to have a curse that prevents me from being able to make French meringue successfully, so I have adapted the process ever so slightly, taking inspiration from the meringue-making method created by the Meringue Girls. The only difference is that you warm the sugar slightly before adding it to the egg whites, which helps it to dissolve more quickly and create a stable meringue. It is a little extra step, but it’s really changed the meringue game for me!

As you can see, the Marens-Kornflexkökur do still bake up with some pretty dramatic cracks, but I think that’s inevitable with so many extra ingredients mixed in (or at least, I’ll tell myself that to avoid yet another French meringue-induced breakdown…)! Anyway, I think it kind of adds to their charm, so I’m not mad about it.

Ingredients

Marens-Kornflexkökur only require 6 ingredients, which is part of what makes them so simple and easy to make! You will need:

• Caster sugar

It’s important to use caster/superfine sugar, so that it dissolves quickly and evenly into the meringues.

• Egg whites

Make sure that you don’t get any yolk in your egg whites when you separate them, or you’ll have to start over. As always, I use large eggs.

• Salt

A small amount of fine sea salt is added to the egg whites as they whip, to help give them structure. I also like to sprinkle a small amount of coarse sea salt onto the meringues, once they’re baked (and drizzled with chocolate). However, if you plan to store the meringues for a while, I would skip this step, as the salt crystals do have a tendency to leave weird, salty, water-y droplets on top of your cookies over time!

• Cornflakes

Just regular old cornflakes! Use your favourite brand (or whatever’s on offer…).

• Dark chocolate

Use a good quality dark chocolate for the best results. I use this in two ways: firstly (and more traditionally) chopped into chunks and mixed into the macarons, then secondly (less traditionally, but very deliciously) melted and drizzled on top of the finished cookies. I took inspiration from Kate from veggiedesserts.com for this step!

• Vanilla extract

As with the dark chocolate, good quality vanilla extract will give the best flavour. You only need a small amount.

You will also need a small amount of vinegar (I use white wine vinegar) to wipe down the bowl/whisk attachment of your stand mixer. This is an important step, because it removes any little traces of fat in your machine, which might otherwise prevent the egg whites from whipping up properly!

Making Marens-Kornflexkökur

To make the Marens-Kornflexkökur, start by preheating the oven to 135°C. Line a tray with baking paper and set aside.

As I mentioned, I used a slightly adapted version of the French meringue method for this bake, so stay with me on this one! The first thing you want to do is to put the caster sugar into a frying pan. Shake it out into an even layer, then set over a low heat to warm gently.

You don’t want the sugar to melt, you just want to warm it slightly so that it dissolves into the egg whites more easily. Let it warm while you get everything else ready and it will be perfect. If you give it a shake, you might notice it sticking to the pan ever so slightly, like in the photo above.

With the sugar warming, you can get on with preparing the chocolate and the cornflakes. Finely chop the chocolate. Aim for small chunks— you want pockets of chocolate-y goodness, but you don’t want the chunks to be so big that they sink in the meringues.

Then, lightly crush the cornflakes. I just used my hands, but you could also do this with the back of a spoon, the end of a rolling pin, or even in a mortar and pestle! You just want to break them up a little bit, so that they can be distributed more evenly throughout the meringues and don’t get too chewy (you want them to be chewy, but not unswallowable).

With those ingredients prepared, it’s time to get on with the meringue.

Start by wiping out the metal bowl and the whisk attachment of a stand mixer with a little vinegar (I use white wine vinegar). This helps to clean the utensils by removing any traces of fat, which will prevent the egg whites from whipping up properly. It’s important to use a metal bowl, because that helps the egg whites whip up too!

Place the egg whites, along with a pinch of salt, into the mixer bowl and fit the whisk attachment.

Whisk on high speed until the egg whites reach soft peaks.

At this point, remove the frying pan from the heat and begin adding the warm sugar to the mixer bowl, a little at a time, while whisking on high speed.

Once all of the sugar has been added, stop the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl, so that all of the sugar crystals are in the meringue mixture.

At this point, the meringue will be very shiny and glossy, but not overly stiff, so keep whisking on high speed until the meringue holds stiff peaks.

Once the meringue has reached stiff peaks, it’s ready! If you rub a small amount of the mixture between your fingers, you shouldn’t be able to feel any sugar crystals.

Now, you can mix in the other ingredients. Start by folding in the vanilla.

Then, add the crushed cornflakes and the chopped chocolate.

Fold through again, and the mixture is ready!

Drop tablespoon-sized dollops of the mixture onto the lined baking tray. Don’t worry about getting them perfect— they’re supposed to look rustic, like snowy mountains!

Once you’ve used all of the mixture, place the tray into the preheated oven and bake for 25-30 minutes, until the surface of the meringues is crisp and the cookies are holding their shape.

Allow the Marens-Kornflexkökur to cool completely on the trays, then serve as they are, or decorate them by drizzling with a little melted dark chocolate and sprinkling with coarse sea salt. Allow the chocolate to set at room temperature before serving.

Stored in an airtight container at room temperature, the cookies will keep for about 2 weeks. If you plan to make these in advance, I would recommend not sprinkling them with the coarse sea salt, as it can cause little droplets of water to form on the chocolate if left for too long!

Final Thoughts

These Marens-Kornflexkökur are made with a combination of ingredients that I would never have thought to combine, but I actually really like the results! The cookies are chewy, crispy and super tasty. They also taste super festive, despite not containing any of the classic Christmas spices I associate with ‘tasting festive’.

They’re super easy to make, but it did take me a few tries to nail this recipe (mainly as a result of my French meringue curse)! You want to bake them for a short enough time that they stay nice and chewy, but it is also easy to underbake them, which can lead to squidgy cookies that don’t hold their shape. I’m glad I stuck with them though, because I think I’m finally making a breakthrough with meringue!

As I mentioned, these probably aren’t for everyone. The texture of the cornflakes is quite unusual and, overall, they are a pretty sweet cookie (even with the dark chocolate!), which makes them perfect for me, but not so perfect for those who don’t have much of a sweet tooth. I liked them, but, much like the Indian Kulkuls, I’m not sure they live up to the dreamy, almond cookies of last year’s festive, Baking Around the World instalments!

Have you ever had eeMarens-Kornflexkökur before? Or have you ever tried meringues with cornflakes mixed in? Let me know!

Gemma

xxx

Recipe

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Marens-Kornflexkökur

These Icelandic, festive meringue cookies are flavoured with vanilla and studded with chopped dark chocolate and crushed cornflakes. They're crispy on the outside, chewy on the inside and super easy to bake, making them a perfect sweet treat.

Course Dessert, Snack

Cuisine Icelandic

Keyword Cornflakes, Dark Chocolate, Meringue, Vanilla

Prep Time 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour

Servings 12 cookies

Ingredients

• White wine vinegar, for wiping down the bowl/whisk.
• 150 g caster sugar
• 2 egg whites (I used large eggs).
• 1 pinch fine sea salt
• 1 splash vanilla extract
• 60 g dark chocolate
• 30 g cornflakes

To decorate (optional):

• 15 g dark chocolate, melted
• Coarse sea salt

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 135°C. Line a baking tray with baking paper and set aside.
• Place the sugar into a frying pan, shaking it out into an even layer. Place over low heat and leave to warm while you prepare the other ingredients. You don't want the sugar to melt, just to warm up slightly so that it dissolves into the egg whites more easily.
• Finely chop the dark chocolate and lightly crush the cornflakes.
• Wipe down the metal bowl and whisk attachment of a stand mixer with white wine vinegar to remove any traces of fat. Place the egg whites in the bowl, along the fine sea salt.
• Whisk the egg whites on high speed, until they reach soft peaks.
• Once all of the sugar has been added, turn off the mixer and use a spatula to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Then turn the mixer back on to high speed and whisk the meringue until stiff peaks form. When it's ready, you should be able to rub a small amount of the meringue between your fingers without feeling any sugar crystals.
• Fold the vanilla extract into the meringue, then add the chopped dark chocolate and crushed cornflakes and fold again, until evenly distributed.
• Place tablespoon-sized dollops of the meringue mixture onto the prepared baking tray. Once you have used up all of the mixture, place the tray into the oven and bake for 25-30 minutes, until the surface of the meringues feels crisp and the cookies hold their shape.
• Allow the meringues to cool completely on the tray before serving/decorating. The cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 weeks.

To decorate (optional):

• Drizzle the cooled meringue cookies with the melted dark chocolate, then sprinkle with coarse sea salt (see Note 1). Allow to sit at room temperature until the chocolate has set, then serve.

Notes

1. If you are decorating the cookies in advance, I would recommend skipping the coarse sea salt. The salt crystals can cause little droplets of water to form on the surface of the chocolate if left for too long, which, while they don’t affect the taste, don’t look super pretty!

Sources Used

Saveur: Christmas in Iceland

Saveur: Icelandic Chocolate Cornflake Cookies

Guide to Iceland: Icelandic Sweets and Confectionery

Artic Adventures: Traditional Icelandic Christmas Food

Bland: Marengs Kökur

Gulur Raudur Grænn & Salt: Kornflex smákökur

Veggie Desserts: Icelandic Christmas Meringue Cookies

Baking with Nessa: Icelandic Christmas Cookies “Marens-Kornflexkökur”

Arctic Adventures: Icelandic Christmas

Roaming Taste: Marens-Kornflexkökur

Eggnog is traditional festive drink in many countries across the world, though it varies a little between regions and families. At its heart, it is a lightly spiced custard, often spiked with some sort of alcohol (rum, brandy and bourbon are popular choices), that can be served either hot or, more commonly, cold. It’s not a super common drink here in the UK, but I’ve always been interested in it (drinkable custard? Yes please!).

The process for making eggnog is incredibly similar to the process for making ice cream (you just don’t freeze/churn eggnog!) Naturally, then, I decided to make an Eggnog Ice Cream. This ice cream is infused with vanilla, cinnamon and nutmeg, just like a classic eggnog. It also contains a dash of alcohol, but that can be omitted, if you prefer.

This ice cream is delicious on its own, but it’s also great served alongside all manner of warm puddings this time of year: sticky toffee, apple pie— whatever you fancy! It is spiced (and spiked), but none of the flavours are overwhelming— it’s still a neutral enough ice cream flavour that it can be served as an accompaniment.

Table of Contents

• Ingredients
• How to Make Eggnog Ice Cream
  • Infusing the Milk & Cream
  • Making the Ice Cream Base
  • Churning the Ice Cream
• Recipe

Ingredients

To make this eggnog ice cream, you will need:

• Double cream

Like all of my ice cream recipes, the base starts with a 50:50 combo of double cream and milk, which gives the perfect smooth and creamy texture.

• Milk

Ideally, you should use whole milk for this recipe. However, if you’re like me and never seem to have whole milk in the house, skimmed/semi-skimmed milk also work.

• Caster sugar

I use golden caster sugar, because I think it has more depth of flavour, but white caster sugar will also work. You will need to separate the sugar into two equal portions (60g each). One portion will be heated with the infused milk/cream, while the other will be whisked together with the egg yolks.

• Vanilla pod

The first of the 3 spices in this recipe, the vanilla pod gives a sweet, classic custard flavour to the ice cream.

• Cinnamon stick

The second flavouring in the recipe, cinnamon brings a festive spiciness to the ice cream. I’ve opted to infuse the dairy products with a whole cinnamon stick, rather than use ready-ground cinnamon, to keep the ice cream super smooth and silky, and prevent it from turning beige.

• Whole nutmeg

The final spice: freshly grated nutmeg has much more flavour than ready-ground nutmeg, so that’s what I’m using here. Make sure you use a fine grater for this, so the nutmeg is evenly distributed throughout the ice cream and doesn’t affect the texture too much.

• Egg yolks

You don’t need the whites for this recipe, so you can either use them straightaway for another bake (such as some macarons or meringues!), or freeze them for another time.

• Bourbon

This is my alcohol of choice for this eggnog ice cream, but you can use rum, brandy, or any other liqueur that you think would be tasty! The alcohol can also be omitted completely, if you would prefer to make a non-alcoholic ice cream.

How to Make Eggnog Ice Cream

It doesn’t take much to turn a regular old ice cream into an eggnog ice cream— you just add a bit of spice (and booze, if that’s your vibe).

The day before you plan to churn your ice cream, put the bowl of your ice cream maker into the freezer. The bowl needs to be really cold before you churn the custard, so you do (unfortunately) need to plan ahead!

Infusing the Milk & Cream

The first step is to infuse the milk and cream with the spices. Doing this, rather than just adding ground spices, helps to preserve the smooth, silky texture and neutral colour of the ice cream. It also means the flavours are stronger, so you get the best out of all of your ingredients!

Use a small, sharp knife to split the vanilla bean in half. Scrape out the seeds and add them to a medium-sized saucepan, along with the milk, cream, caster sugar, cinnamon stick and halved vanilla bean.

Grate in some nutmeg— I used about 1/8 tsp of nutmeg here, but you can adjust this to suit your tastes.

Place the saucepan over a low heat and, stirring every now and then to prevent the mixture from catching, bring it to just below the boil. When it’s ready, you’ll see little bubbles forming around the edge of the pan and there will be some steam rising from the mixture.

Remove the pan from the heat and cover with a lid. Set aside and leave to infuse for 30 minutes.

After 30 minutes, remove and discard the cinnamon stick and vanilla bean. Now, you can get on with making the custard!

Making the Ice Cream Base

Take about 125ml of the milk mixture out of the saucepan and set aside. Gently reheat the rest of the mixture over low heat until it comes back to just below the boil.

While this is happening, put the egg yolks into a large bowl with the rest of the sugar.

Using an electric whisk, beat the mixture until it is thick, pale and fluffy. This is called the ‘ribbon stage’, because the mixture should fall off the beaters in ribbons. To see if the ‘ribbon stage’ has been reached, draw a figure of eight just above the surface of the mixture with the beaters. If you can complete the figure before the ribbon settles back into the rest of the mixture, it’s ready!

Add the reserved 125ml of the cool milk mixture to the egg mixture and whisk to incorporate. This will slacken the egg mixture and make it easier to incorporate the hot milk mixture without cooking the eggs.

Once the milk mixture has come back up to just below a boil, you can start to add it to the eggs. While stirring the egg mixture,, pour in the hot milk mixture in a slow, steady stream, until it has all been added and everything is incorporated. It’s important to do this slowly, stirring all the time, so you do not cook the eggs and end up with lumps!

Pour the whole lot through a heatproof, fine mesh sieve (just in case there are any little pieces of cooked egg!) back into the saucepan and place it over a medium-low heat. If you use too high a heat, the custard might curdle, so be careful.

Cook the custard, stirring frequently with a heatproof spatula, until it has thickened slightly. When it’s ready, it should coat the back of a spoon— this will take about 8-10 minutes. Do not let the custard boil, or it will curdle. If you see any bubbles rising to the surface in the centre of the pan, remove the custard from the heat immediately (it should be thick enough at that point).

Pour the thickened custard into a heatproof jug and cover with clingfilm, making sure to press the clingfilm directly onto the surface of the custard, to prevent it from forming a skin. Allow the custard to cool slightly at room temperature before putting it into the fridge to chill for at least 3-4 hours, or preferably overnight.

Once the ice cream base is completely cold, before you churn the mixture, add the bourbon/other alcohol (if using) and stir well to incorporate. Adding the alcohol once the custard is cold will preserve the flavour (and kick!).

Churning the Ice Cream

I use the KitchenAid ice cream maker attachment to churn my ice creams, but any ice cream maker will do. This is not a no-churn recipe, unfortunately, so you will need some sort of ice cream maker!

Start by setting up the ice cream maker, as per your machine’s instructions. For the KitchenAid version, this just involves locking in the frozen bowl and attaching the churning paddles.

With the machine running, pour in the cold custard. It’s important to do this while the machine is running, so that the custard doesn’t immediately harden onto the sides of the machine, which will make it impossible to churn (and might break your machine)(I speak from experience).

Churn the ice cream for 10-30 minutes (or following your machine’s instructions), until it is thick and creamy.

Transfer the churned ice cream to a freezer-safe container, cover with a lid, then freezer for at least 3 hours (preferably overnight) before enjoying.

The ice cream will keep in the freezer for up to 3 months, so you can enjoy it throughout the entire festive season!

Recipe

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Eggnog Ice Cream

Homemade ice cream, infused with vanilla, cinnamon and nutmeg, with an (optional) hit of bourbon— the perfect, festive treat on its own, but extra delicious served alongside a warm dessert.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword Bourbon, Cinnamon, Eggnog, Ice cream, Nutmeg, Vanilla

Prep Time 1 hour hour

Freeze + Chill Time 6 hours hours

Total Time 7 hours hours

Servings 8 big scoops

Equipment

• 1 ice cream maker (I use the KitchenAid attachment).

Ingredients

• 300 ml double cream
• 300 ml milk
• 120 g caster sugar, split into 2x60g portions (I use golden caster sugar).
• 1 vanilla pod
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1/8 tsp finely grated fresh nutmeg
• 3 egg yolks
• 1 tbsp Bourbon (or your liqueur of choice, optional)(see Note 1).

Instructions

• The day before you plan to churn the ice cream, place the bowl of your ice cream maker into the freezer.

Infuse the milk/cream:

• Place the cream, milk and half of the sugar into a medium-sized saucepan. Use a small, sharp knife to split the vanilla bean in half and scrape out the seeds. Add the seeds, vanilla bean halves, cinnamon stick and grated nutmeg to the saucepan, then place over low heat.
• Stir every now and then while the sugar melts and the milk mixture heats up. Allow the mixture to come to just below the boil, then remove from the heat, cover with a lid and set aside to infuse for 30 minutes.
• After 30 minutes, remove and discard the two vanilla bean halves and the cinnamon stick.

Make the custard base:

• Remove 125ml of the infused milk mixture and set aside. Place the rest of the milk mixture back over the heat and stir every now and then while it comes back up to just below the boil.
• While this is happening, use an electric whisk to beat the egg yolks and the remaining sugar together, until the mixture is pale, thick and fluffy (the 'ribbon stage').
• Add the reserved 125ml of the milk mixture and whisk again to incorporate. This will slacken the eggs and make it easier to mix in the hot milk mixture.
• When the milk mixture has come up to temperature, add the milk to the eggs in a slow, steady stream, stirring all the time, until it has all been incorporated.
• Pour the mixture back into the saucepan through a heatproof, fine mesh sieve (to ensure the custard is smooth).
• Place the saucepan over a medium-low heat and stir frequently with a heatproof spatula as the custard thickens. Once thick (it should coat the back of a spoon, this will take about 8-10 minutes), remove from the heat.
• Pour the thickened custard into a heatproof jug and cover the surface directly with cling film, to prevent it from forming a skin. Allow to cool slightly at room temperature, then place into the fridge to chill for at least 3-4 hours (preferably overnight).
• Once the custard base is completely cold, add the bourbon/other alcohol (if using) and stir through well.

Churn the ice cream:

• Once the custard is cold and the alcohol (if using) has been added, set up your ice cream maker, as per your machine's instructions.
• With the machine running, pour the custard into the machine and allow to churn for 10-30 minutes, until thick and creamy.
• Transfer the churned ice cream to a freezer-safe container and freeze for at least 3 hours (preferably overnight) before serving. The ice cream will keep in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Notes

1. Rum and brandy are both often found in eggnog, so would make a good substitute. The amount of alcohol listed in the recipe gives a subtle, alcoholic flavour to the ice cream. If you want a stronger hit of flavour, increase the amount to 2 tbsp.

Setting up the initial pages of my bullet journal can feel like such an overwhelming task, because a) I’m not known for my moderation, so there’s always SO MANY pages to create and b) it has to be done alongside a monthly setup. I wanted to keep the design for this setup really simple and easy to create, both to make the task feel a little less overwhelming and to allow me to focus on the function of the spreads themselves, to ensure that these pages are super helpful and useless to me.

I opted to use my pastel Kuretake dot pens to decorate all of the spreads in this setup, using them to create boxes, borders and even headings. I went for a simple, block capital font and used only one, black fineliner for all of the writing. I tried to keep the setups looking clean and minimal, but also colourful and happy, which I think will be just what I need going into the new year.

Table of Contents

• Journal
• Equipment
• Nameplate
• Cover + Quote Page
• 2025 Goals
• Future Log
• Tennis Schedule + Results
• Year in Dots
• Appointments + Prescriptions
• Blog Planning
• Ideas
• Bullet Journal Planning + Wishlist
• Finance + Knit & Crochet
• TV + Reading Trackers
• Final Thoughts

Journal

For the next 6 months, I’ll be using the Snowflake Polaroid A5 Dot Grid Journal from Coral and Ink (I purchased a B Grade version, for a discounted price).

This journal is a lovely blue colour— almost a cross between a cloud blue and a periwinkle. The pages have gilded edges and the front cover features a gold foil design of a polaroid and some snowflakes. The journal also has an elastic closure, pen loop, two ribbon bookmarks and a back pocket, for storing any journalling essentials.

Equipment

To create this setup, I used the following equipment:

• Sakura Pigma Micron fineliner, black 01 (0.25mm).
• Kuretake clean colour dot pens, mild colours.
• Tombow ABT dual brush pen, N89 (I got mine in this multipack).
• Scissors.
• Corner rounder.

Nameplate

I wanted to keep my nameplate for this journal in line with the theme of the other spreads, so I used my Kuretake pens to add 5 little dots of colour, before writing my name over the top (one letter per dot).

Cover + Quote Page

Like every spread in this setup, I wanted to keep the Cover Page super simple. I used a repeating sequence of the Kuretake pen colours to make a border around the page, then applied slightly more pressure to make 4 bigger dots in the centre of the page, on top of which I wrote ‘2025’.

For my Quote Page, I chose a quote from a poem I saw recently on Instagram, that really struck a cord with me. The poem was written by Josie Balka, and you can find it here.

2025 Goals

I have an on-off relationship with ‘goals’, because I’m not particularly good at following through with them and I always end up being either too ambitious or not ambitious enough with them. However, this time of year, as New Year’s Eve draws closer, I always find myself craving a little life reset and enjoying the prospect of making small, manageable changes that help me to feel happier and more aligned, so I’ve opted to include a Goals Page in this setup.

I have space in this setup for 6 separate goals and I made sure to give each one plenty of space, so that I can write down some actionable steps for each one, in the hopes that, for once, I might actually work towards them!

Future Log

Onto one of the most important spreads in my biannual setups now: my Future Log. This is essentially a yearly calendar, where I can see all of my appointments (of which there are usually very many), events (of which there are usually very few) and just a general outline of the year ahead. I set up two Future Log spreads in this journal: one for the months this journal covers (January to June) and one for the remaining 6 months of the year, so that I don’t feel completely overwhelmed and unprepared when June comes to an end.

I like to have a really clear, visual representation of the year ahead, so I use multiple calendar layouts within my Future Log spreads: there’s a mini calendar at the top of each month, so I can see the structure of each one easily, then I have a vertical calendar beneath to write in any important dates. On that vertical calendar, I like to highlight the weekend dates, just to help me visualise each week. In this particular edition of my Future Log, I used a different colour for each month, to help separate them out.

Tennis Schedule + Results

Now, onto my beloved Tennis Schedule/Results spread, for which I use 3 whole double-page spreads in my journal (worth it). I trimmed down the centre pages and rounded out the corners using a corner rounder (much easier than trying to use scissors!). I then wrote the heading for the whole spread across those two trimmed down pages, as pictured above.

I used the same layout for my tennis spread as always: ATP tournaments are on the left-hand side, while WTA tournaments are on the right. The numbers down the middle represent the weeks of the schedule, then I write the specific start dates of the respective tournaments in the columns on either side. I write the location/name of the tournament in the next column out, then the final column on each side is left empty for the surname of the respective winners.

Because there are so many tournaments in a year, I spread this table out over both remaining pages of the spread: so January-March is on the left-hand spread, while April-June is on the right-hand spread.

I also added in my code for what level of tournament each one is (plus a little added colour, to match in with the rest of the spread): 1/4 circle = a 250 tournament, 1/2 circle = a 500 tournament, 3/4 circle = a Masters 100 and a full circle = a Grand Slam. A star represents a different format of tournament, such as the United, Davis or Billie Jean King cups.

Year in Dots

I didn’t set up a Year in Pixels spread in my last journal, because I just wasn’t keeping up with it, but it is something I enjoy doing and I like having it there for reference, particularly in terms of my physical/mental health, so I’ve decided to give it another go this time around.

I’ve changed up the layout slightly by using these mini calendars, rather than one big grid— a bit like a habit tracker. I feel like I’ll be able to fill in the spread more efficiently this way, but we’ll see how it works out. Because I’ll be using my Kuretake pens to fill this out, each ‘pixel’ will be more of a ‘dot’, so I’ve opted to call this spread my ‘Year in Dots‘ instead.

One of the problems I found with the Year in Pixels spread was that when I’d have longer periods of ill health, I’d have to keep the context surrounding that period in my head, as I had nowhere to note it down. For example, I might have had 7 ‘ill’ days in a row, but it would be because I had a virus or because I had had a particularly busy day the week before. I decided to use the right-hand page of this spread to write down any of this information, so I can keep everything in perspective.

Appointments + Prescriptions

Next up, we have a page for keeping track of my Appointments. In this table, I can write down the date of the appointment, the type of appointment and any notes on what was discussed, management plans and the like.

Next to that, I have my standard Prescriptions page. It can be hard to keep track of prescription medications: when you’ll run out of them and when you need to reorder them from the pharmacy, so this spread helps me do that. On the coloured dots on the far left, I’ll write in the date that I am filling out the table. After that, each medicine is assigned to a column, in which I fill out the number of tablets I have left, the number of days that corresponds to and the date that I will run out of my supply.

This takes a little while to setup, and a little while every now and then to fill out, but I just do it whenever I get a new set of prescriptions, so I can always feel confident that I’m not about to run out without realising! It really does make a huge difference.

Blog Planning

Next, we have my Blog Planning spreads. On the left-hand page, I keep track of some general, blog-related info. I like to keep a note of my Instagram growth every month, so there’s a section for that on the left, and the HEX codes of my blog colours, so they’re always accessible if I need to make any graphics (the section for that is on the right). Beneath that, I have a space for any general notes.

On the right-hand page, I have my master list of blog posts. In the first column, I’ll write in the post date, then, in the second column, I’ll write in the title of the post.

Ideas

I don’t like too much structure when it comes to my Ideas spread, so I’ve kept this one super simple: just a simple border, with the title written on it. I use this as a kind of ‘brain dump’ style spread, so I can just jot down any ideas I may have, at any point, without worrying about making it looking neat or orderly.

Bullet Journal Planning + Wishlist

Now we come to my Bullet Journal Planning page, where I can note down any potential theme ideas for the year ahead. I sometimes find it hard to pick a theme, so having a list that I can create/add to throughout the year makes it much easier. A lot of my theme ideas are month-specific, so I laid this spread out as a table, with one box for each month of the year. However, I also have a space for ‘miscellaneous’ spread ideas at the top, in case I have any ideas that don’t necessarily have to be used for a particular month.

Next to that page is my Wishlist spread. Unlike my Ideas spread, I do like to separate my Wishlist out into categories, so I’ve separated this spread into 6 boxes: one each for stationery items, entertainment products, hair/skin products, clothing, homeware and other, miscellaneous products.

Finance + Knit & Crochet

I like to keep a general record of my Finances, so, on this next page, I have one table to keep track of my savings and one to keep track of my income streams. In the savings table (top), each row corresponds to a month, then there are columns for income, expenses, the amount I have saved that month and the total sum of my savings since January. In the income stream table (bottom), I just have 6 spaces (one for each month of the year), to note down where my money came from each month.

Alongside my Finance page, I have a space to keep track of my Knit & Crochet Projects. While I do use Ravelry to keep detailed notes of each project, I do also like to keep a general record in my bullet journal as well, so that I can easily look back over all of the projects I have completed/started in each 6-month period.

TV + Reading Trackers

Finally, I have my Entertainment trackers. On the left-hand page, I have my TV Tracker, where I keep track of the TV series that I’m watching and how far along in them I am. For each series, I’ll write down the title of the show, then use my Kuretake pens to add a corresponding number of dots to the number of seasons it has. As I watch each season, I tick it off.

Then, I have my Reading Tracker. I mainly use Storygraph to keep track of my reading habits, but I do like to have a record in my planner too. I’ve set this one out in a table format, so the first column is for the number of the book (I record this starting in January, so the first book I read in the new year will be #1, the second #2 and so on), the second column is for the title, the third for the date I started reading it and the fourth for the date I finished it.

Final Thoughts

Overall, I’m so, incredibly happy with how this setup turned out. It feels like the perfect balance of colourful and minimal, fun and useful, so I’m really excited to see how it works for me over the next 6 months. While it did take a little while to stamp all the little dots, I actually found the process quite therapeutic— I just put the TV on and stamped away in a little repeating sequence of the colours and, once I’d done that, each spread was super quick and easy to finish off.

I hope you’ve enjoyed reading about my 2025 setup! Let me know if it gave you any ideas for spreads in your own bullet journal!

Gemma

xxx