DIY Gifts from the Heart – Christmas Olives

oilives

2016 has been a whirlwind of a year and life doesn’t seem like it’s going to slow down any time soon.  I guess that is the life of a working mum of three kids. And a mum with a garden too!

Despite all the mayhem, there has been many fun days too. My children are growing and coming into their own.  But as we got to the end of the year, we still managed our Christmas DIY Gifts from the Heart. This year, we decided to make Herb infused olives for our family.  As usual, I spend the year saving jars and then decide what to do with them.  Here is what to do in case you’d like to make your own:

What you need:

  • Old jar, cleaned and boiled to sterilise
  • Olives – we used plain olives and a mix of black and green
  • Olive oil
  • Herbs – we used the following from our garden:
    • Chillies
    • Thyme
    • Lemon myrtle
    • Sage
    • Rosemary
  • Decorations/ wrapping
  • Some helpers 🙂

herbs-kids

What to do:

Add everything together. I filled half the jar, added some of the herbs and pressed a few against the glass to make it look pretty.  The jar was filled, I added the olive oil and decorated the jars.

herbs

The idea of the gift is also that once the olives have been eaten, the herb infused oil can be used to make salad dressing – just add lemons/ lime juice or balsamic vinegar.  This gift is so easy to make and looks special too.  Nooshejan

Making a difference

It is scary how spring like winter felt and how summer like spring is feeling in Sydney. Yes, lots of people are probably enjoying this unseasonally warm weather, and while I’m enjoying it too, I am a little worried.
Many people in the developed world can get by by having access to water and by turning on our air conditioner, but others including our flora and fauna have to manage with these changes somehow.
While a global solution is needed at the government level, I truly believe that individual action can have a big impact.
Here is an article I would like to share, hoping that it inspires you!

http://www.smh.com.au/lifestyle/life/your-planet-needs-you-10-ways-to-help-20131003-2uuub.html

September 2013 140