The Great Christmas Gift Guide, 2014

If, like me, you're busy buying gifts for family and friends and need a little inspiration.... behold, The Great Christmas Gift Guide, 2014 is here.

I hope there is something for everyone in there! Best of all, this can be ordered online - so no more crowded shops, long queues or sore feet, just the comfort of your own sofa.

The Diptyque Christmas candle - a stocking filler that makes your home smell of Christmas

For any chilli lover, Da Bomb hot sauce is THE BOMB of all hot sauces. You can get it in Selfridges, Harvey Nichols and Amazon.

My mother in law is a keen gardener, so for any green fingered friend, this personalized trug might come in handy

Backbeat2 wireless earphones. Nothing is more awkward than getting tangled up mid lunge. Designed for the fitness fanatic, these are sweat-proof and allow you to take calls, watch films and listen to pumping beats while working out.

Either way, this matt is perfect for a sister or girlfriend who likes a snooze or a yoga class

Uniqlo men's jumpers, with cashmere and wool at very reasonable prices these are great for both boys and girls.

If your mum is like mine, she loves a good bath. Who can blame her, she spends her days looking after my crazy family. These Jo Malone oils are a fantastic gift.

 

Glamping! This summer I had a weekend glamping in yurts with my girlfriends - it was the best weekend ever. Log fires, cava, marshmallows and sleeping bags! Take inspiration from Canopy & Stars (comfortable camping) and this, is a tree tent (!) which you sleep in while dangling from a tree

A curl up blanket, this shop has the best set of blankets and quilts to curl up in.

This book is full of beautiful letters. I have a friend reading it at the moment, she reads one letter a day.

Something to buy now and make for next year! Sloe Whiskey. My best friend has just told me about this... I cant wait to try it! And here is the ultimate kit to make it with.

The Lonely Christmas tree a bedtime story to get the little nippers off to sleep before Santa arrives...

Soft, gentle and lovely, these JoJo Maman Bebe comforters are used by my own niece and godson. Their mum swears by  them.

The Alexandra McQueen scarf - will this ever go out of fashion?

The BEST measuring cup by Anthropologi for the baker of the household

For the teenager in the household, these rock. I had a pair when I was 13 and pleased to see them back in fashion.

The coffee machine was a new arrival to our kitchen this year - it's been a real win. This one comes from John Lewis, but there are cheaper options here and here

The Guardian have rounded up a list of Charity Christmas Gifts - why not give big?

Every blogger is in need of a good diary... a portable charger and some followers

The ULTIMATE tote - for school, uni, work, gym or school run

I have a real thing for Bumble bees.

Ameretti and ginger nut chocolate fridge cake

Chocolate fridge cake is good at any time of the year, but with a little festive twist, this wonder cake can magically turn into a CHRISTMAS fridge cake. It is the BOMB!

One day, wondering around Whole Foods on Kensington high street, I spied an Amaretti fridge cake sitting quietly on the shelf - it.looked.divine.

Hurrying home I picked up a packet of amaretti and ginger nut biscuits (total cost £2) and prepared to bake! This is a Christmas find worth sharing...



Using the base of the Hummingbird Bakery's fridge cake recipe I swapped in amaretti biscuits, ginger nuts and glacier cherries to whip up a christmassy concoction. It's delicious!

Recipe
250g butter
150ml  golden syrupp
150g mini amaretti biscuits
75g coco powder
50g ginger nut biscuits
a tub of glacier cherries
3-4 handfuls of raisins

Steps
Melt the butter, golden syrup and coco powder slowly on the medium to low heat, occasionally giving it a stir.

Place all your biscuits, raisins and cherries into a big mixing bowl and give them a good mix, breaking up the ginger nuts into smaller pieces.

When the syrup, butter and coco powder has formed a delicious thick dark chocolately sauce, pour into the bowl of biscuits and stir through. Make sure it is even throughout.

Line a roasting tin with baking paper and add your biscuity mix, spread evenly and cover with another sheet of baking paper. Place jam jars or a large dish on top to flatten the mixture down. Leave to cool for half an hour and then put inside the fridge to set.

Once cold and solid, and if you're feeling fancy, melt down some dark chocolate and drizzle over the top.

Cut into big chunky slices (it's Christmas) and serve up.

How to put a simple cheese board together

Cheese is a great food and with so many different types from around the world, the cheese board is a fantastic way to discover excuse to try them.

As far as I'm concerned, a cheese board is a simple and effective way to avoid cooking desert when time is tight. It is a great easy entertaining trick and a card I always keep up my sleeve, it looks stylish and is a great way to drum up conversation at the table.

But... (and there always is a but *sigh*)...

... with SO many options of cheese out there, it can be very hard to choose the right selection. It's a bit like choosing wine. So, it helps to follow a few friendly rules. This is the first set I ever learnt, the rules for a basic board - you'll need to choose a cheese from each category:

The hard cheese
A solid Cheddar, a strong Parmesan or maybe a Red Leicester... something solid and weighty.

The blue cheese
Rich, creamy and full of blue mold - Stilton, Dolcelatte or anything blue

The semi-soft
Goats cheese is always a great option

The soft
A squidgy smelly Brie, Mozzarella or a stinking Tunworth

   

The Windsor Castle

Coming home pale and tired after a couple of days in Brighton, Sam took one look and decided that an afternoon in a sunny beer garden was in order!

The Windsor Castle is a fav pub in London and has been a favorite for many a generation. I  know that my mum and her friends used to regularly go there back in the day...

A traditional old boozer tucked just off quintessential Kensington Church Street, this old joint offers fine ales and delicious pub grub. Dark oak paneled interiors and a Victorian walled garden, the Windsor Castle is a popular place on a sunny day - an easy buzz with the garden full of couples on dates, one to one catch up with friends or big social groups. You'll find plenty of fresh herbs, fresh bread, good beer and big healthy salads!

and of course the occasional fury friend...

... like this guy here...

I can honestly say that if you ever need a sunny afternoon in a central london beer Garden just off buzzing Notting Hill, this watering hole is an unpretentious traditional lovely english pub, there's no other way of putting it.

Brighton - sea, sand, and girl time

Over the weekend I packed my bag, grabbed some sunnies and met with my best girlfriends post work at London Bridge Station. As we were off to Brighton!

An hour out of London lies the quintessential British seaside town Brighton. It's a place for sun, sea, fun fairs and plenty of parties (mainly hen or stag doos if we're honest). Fish and chips, Mr Whippy ice creams and candy floss are in abundance (what could be better?).



Dragging our suitcases we arrived at our tiny quintessential seaside Hotel, The Merridina.

Heads down on pillows after late night chats, a big Italian meal and plenty of wine we woke up the next day to see this....

... Brighton Pier in all its glory. The pier has been around since 1889 and a famous seaside town landmark, loved my many over the years. It's Victorian architecture stands out on a fine days, whisking you back to an era of pantyhose and bathing suits.

A wander round the town and there is plenty to see... from tiny tea shops in the Brighton lanes to musicians busking in the sun...

Pebbled beaches, rolling up trousers and paddling in icey water is a must...

and of course Brighton's VIP night life...

...So after all this, with our heads sore from the previous nights excesses there was one thing for it... to find matching sunglasses, kick back in the sun

and while away the afternoon. Afterall as a town famous for fish and chips and Smirnoff ice on tap, it was good excuse to grab a plate and a bottle to hand. When in rome eh?