First there is time for a spot of reflection. Christmas 2011 . I have been called many things in the past but ‘Wrapping Guru’ is one of my favourites. I have been known to double wrap presents. Firstly using normal wrapping paper, then throw in a handful of glitter or other sparkles and then wrap again with clear cellophane. This year I went for a far more simple approach. Brown paper and red ribbons. To give the gift more of a craft feel I added tags and adornments. Have a look at the photo below and see what you think. You could use any ribbon or twine you liked and you don’t have to stick with a Christmas theme. The choices are endless.

I sourced the ribbon from Notonthehighstreet.com a really great website for unusual gifts and bits and pieces which will add a professional touch to your homemade crafts. Check it out, you’ll be surprised what you can find and what they stock. You may also notice the personalised gift tag. , which I thought was a nice touch. The rubber stamp used to create this also came from Notonthehighstreet.com, it really is worth a look.

One of my other homemade Christmas presents this year was ‘Chocolate Bark’. I think this has its origins in France. Basically you melt some chocolate and then drop in a selection of dried fruits. I used dried apricots, cranberries and sour cherries. Then I sprinkled it with edible gold leaf to add an extra luxurious texture. Edible gold leaf is available at supermarkets and specialist cake decorating shops. You can also add a few nuts if you like, but do bear in mind ,if you are going to give the bark away, is that nut allergies are a lot more common than you may think! Still it’s worth a go and looks great. It goes well after dinner with coffee and really is easy to make.

Like many families at Christmas time we have our own traditions. One of them is to make a wreath to take to the local cemetary in rememberance of my grandparents. They all loved Christmas and being with the family. This year, for the first time, the task fell to me. Previously my mum had always made it but she now has the early stages of Alzheimer’s so we made the wreath together. I hope you like the outcome. The design came ‘out of my head’.

We used  florist’s foam (Oasis) in a ring shape as the base. It was soaked first and then we stuck some off-cuts of the Christmas tree into it but made sure they were all going in the same direction. It just seemed to look better this way. The roses were just placed in the bottom of the ring, and I tried to make sure that all the foam was hidden. The ribbon was held in place using florist’s wire.

Well as I said before Christmas has come and gone and this year it had a very ‘crafty’ feel. Lots of homemade presents from friends, and some books. Jewellery for beginners seems to be a theme for 2012!

1 box of sea salt flakes – such as Maldon
2 tsps pink peppercorns
4 star anise
2 tsps of chilli flakes

Mix all the ingredients together in a bowl and pack into dry sterilised jars. It makes about three half pound jars and you can use any combination of spices but the pink and red ones are very festive and very pretty.

Next up is the Beer Mustard which really couldn’t be easier. This is what you need:

175g yellow mustard seeds
175g black mustard seeds
500ml beer (I used a local beer VB from Randalls Brewery)
1tbsp sea salt
Pinch of crushed chilli flakes
175ml cider or White wine vinegar
6 tbsp runny honey
1 tbsp ground mace or nutmeg

This is what you do. Mix the mustard seeds with the beer, cover and leave over night. The seeds will soak up the beer. Then sterilise the jars either by washing them in very hot water and then popping them in the oven for 10 minutes or so or by running through the hot cycle on the dishwasher. Next stir in the remaining ingredients and then blend in a food processor until nearly smooth.  This may take longer than expected and you may need to do it in batches.  The mustard will thicken the finer the seeds are chopped. You are now ready to pour it into the jars. Don’t forget to tap the bottom to knock out any air bubbles before putting the lids on. This makes four 250g jars.

The dried Christmas Fruits in Sweet Sherry really couldn’t be easier.  This really didn’t take good photos, but it is worth the mimimum effort required and is great over ice cream! Perhaps I should have done that? All you need is:

250g mixed dried fruits – they even come in boxes ready mixed! You can also add your own favourites too
250ml Pedro Ximenez – a very sweet sherry that is like liquid caramel. I used a normal (and cheaper) sweet sherry in which I had dissolved 3 tbsps dark brown sugar and a large splash of cooking brandy for the same effect.

Mix them all together and pack into a sterilised 500ml jar.

Finally the Candied Citrus Peel in Dark Chocolate. This is what you need:
2 oranges
250 water
1 tbsp orange flower water
250g caster sugar
4 or 5 cardamoms – gently bashed!
150g dark chocolate

First of all you need to score the peel, this is best done in quarters for easier peeling. Then cut each quarter into strips.

Now plunge the strips into somes hot water and simmer for five minutes. Discard the water and repeat the process. Meanwhile dissolve the sugar in the water, once completely dissolved add the cardamom seeds, orange flower water and finally the peel. Bring to the boil and simmer until the peel is soft and opaque. This should take about an hour or so. I put mine in the bottom oven of the Aga with the lid on. Whatever cooker you have be sure not to let the peel dry out. Top up with water if necessary.
When they are ready remove the peel from the water and leave to dry in a warm place. This can take up to 48 hours. I left mine on the top of the Aga overnight. When ready they will feel slightly sticky when touched and will have firmed up. Now for the fun bit! Melt the chocolate in a bowl over a pan of near boling water, being careful not to let the bowl touch the water. Once melted dip the peel in the chocolate and place on a tray lined with silicon paper. Then dust with the cocoa powder and wait until set.

I hope that I have inspired you. Some of these will be added to the hampers I am putting together and some will be given separately. Even if you only try your hand at one recipe I am sure it will be well received.

So what was the finished product like? Well take a look but remember if you do want to have a go don’t try to eat it!!

The cake cut into twelve slices so we divided them up and took six each. I guess the next thing to do is to wrap them up. I think they will make great stocking fillers too.

Thanks to Martine for the photo.

‘Cafe Delices’ is in the Market Square. A bright and friendly cafe decorated in a shabby chic French country style. It is reminiscent of many such cafes in nearby Brittany. They serve a tempting election of galettes and crepes, salads and steak. There is a good selection of reasonably priced wines, French beer and even a farmhouse Breton cider. The one thing you absolutely must try is one of the ice cream sundaes made with a selection of home made ice cream. They are absolutely fabulous. My favourite is any one of them which includes the lemon meringue ice cream, althought the passion fruit sorbet is a must too.

As you can see I managed to visit on a very quiet day! Rest assured it is not always that quiet. In fact that was one Sunday morning as we had been trying to visit on the previous Saturday but couldn’t get in. Since then the owners have decided to shut on a Sunday as they need their rest. The cafe is so popular with locals and visitors alike the rest of the week as it opens for breakfast at about 8:00 or thereabouts.

The owners make all their own patisserie (which is also on sale in their near by shop), all the ice creams and sorbets, galettes and crepes. Why not pop along and try it, the cider is great too!

All you need is
1 bottle of red wine
750g caster sugar
A big bowl of blackcurrants (or very big punnett)

Method
Mash the blackcurrants, a potato masher is fine, pour on the wine, stir in the sugar and place in an airtight container. Then place in the fridge for three days or so and stir occasionally.
When ready strain the fruit out of the juice and heat to dissolve any remaining sugar, do not boil. Pour the syrupy liquid into a sterile bottle and get ready to enjoy!
This is particularly good poured over ice cream, or a teaspoon or two in a galas of White wine for a classic kir or even champagne for a kir royale if you fancy pushing the boat out.

It has a light colour and is full, and I mean full, of fizz with a light biscuity taste. I would say it is a very good substitute for champers and for under £20 a bottle is good value too. Good for celebrations, parties or just good times. We shared it before dinner on Sunday and everyone thoroughly enjoyed it. In answer to the question, ‘how does that work?’ It works very well, a very nice wine indeed.

The starter was Asparagus with pancetta and soft boiled egg on toast and this was followed by Barolo poached fillet steak with a celeriac mash. There was a variation on the theme as I didn’t stick to the recipes but added a few twists. Then we had a traditional tarte tatin which originally started life as a recipe from Rick Stein’s French Odyssey but has too changed over time! Finally some cheese, French Brie, Cornish Blue and an English goat’s cheese. We washed this down with some ‘bubbles’, a sauvignon blanc and a Beaujolais Villages with the cheese.

After dinner we retired to the conservatory for some chat and nostalgic iPod 80′s moments. Isn’t it amazing how everyone knows the words to ’99 Red Balloons’!!

Moving on to other topics I thought I would share one of my favourite simple suppers. This is the Dinner Club after all! So here goes………

Pancetta and Potato Crouton Salad with a Raspberry Vinaigrette.

You will need

1 bag of mixed leaves

Any other salad vegetables according to taste

1 medium potato per person cut into 1cm cubes

4 or 5 slices of pancetta per person – or small equivalent lardons (depending on taste and hunger!)

Extra virgin olive oil

Raspberry vinegar

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

A pinch of herbes de Provence

This is what you do….

Begin by par boiling your potatoes for about ten minutes. Whilst they are cooking fry the Pancetta, no oil needed, over a high heat until crisp. remove from the pan and drain. Then drain the potatoes and add them to the bacon fat in the frying pan and fry until crispy.
Sprinkle the potatoes with the herbs and set aside.

Assemble your salad using the leaves and whatever other salad veg you have chosen. Tip your potato croutons on the top and add the Pancetta. Then de-glaze the pan with a little raspberry vinegar and olive oil to make a light dressing and pour over the salad. Season to taste and enjoy.

Great as a light supper dish or as a simple starter for dinner.

Enjoy

To get started I thought I would write about a new app I have downloaded. it is a yoga app which includes some pre-set tutorials based on all levels from compete beginner (that’s me) right the way through to expert. it covers the principle moves and the calming voice explains what to do. So yes you still know what to do even if you are standing on your head, which, to be honest, is a bit of a bonus! You can also set your own goals based on what you want to achieve. So here goes I will report back as to how I get on.

Finally I would like to thank my good friend Martine from iMake for pointing me in the write direction. I have a sneaking suspicion that she may feature from time to time! I have included a link to her website for all those of you out there who are into craft, fabrics and knitting etc.