Those of you who know me, know that I might just possibly, maybe, ok definitely have a mildly immense obsession of Christmas... To put it lightly.
So I have decided to do a blog series and dedicate it solely to the splendour of the Christmas season and all it's joy, happiness, laughter, fairy lights, mulled wine and delicious eats!
If you ask me, the Christmas season is just not long enough! I think it's the most wonderful time of year, not just for the presents and festive food, but for what happens to people and society around this time of year. There is love that can be felt in every corner of the earth, generosity is in abundance and people seem to forget their problems at large. Families come together, friends bond and no one seems to be forgotten. The world seems like a better place, made even better by the jingle of carols echoing through the streets and bellowing out windows.
So that said- number on on my agenda is : CHRISTMAS JUMPER DAY!! Get involved, do it! Give and wear a jumper (that's a jersey to us South Africans)!! 14 December is the day! And for those in sunny SA, wear a t-shirt or a Father Christmas hat! This is not in vain! It's for a charity, support the children.... Giving children the world over hope for a better life. So if you can- go to www.savethechildren.org.uk/jumpers and register or donate or get a group of friends together and have a fund raiser or if you want to, just wear a Christmas jumper and do a good deed that day or find your own charity to support! But it's in the Christmas spirit and there is no better thing to so than give!
Ok- so now for the juicy bits... The yumminess of Christmas!!
Over the next few weeks I'm going to be exploring London and its Christmas markets and scouting around for the best Christmas ideas.. Give these to you, then hopefully add my spin onto it! Just for the Christmas spirit!
walking down the streets of London, it's although Christmas has vomited all
Over it!! But in a good way! More like a glitzy shiny fairy light encrusted bomb has exploded! (Yes, that is a much better description)! Every street is lined with the most incredible array of lights and the shop windows are ho ho ho-ing! There are Christmas markets everywhere, Finnish markets, german markets and my favourite, winter wonderland!!
I have only visited the german Christmas market on the south bank of the Thames so far this year. It's a small market filled with wondrous Christmas goodies!, all set up in pine swiss chalet styled huts, laced with fake snow and beaming with lights, the air is thick with the smell of Glhuwien - or as the English call it, mulled wine! This is the ultimate toe warming, belly glowing drink!
It is traditionally made with a spicy more full bodied wine, such as a Shiraz , and then had a few spices thrown into it, a bit of sugar and maybe an orange or two then warmed up! Absolutely delicious!
I have decided to give you my recipe for the perfect mulled wine:
1 bottle of spicy wine such as Shiraz ( don't use the best quality ones as you are adding stuff to it and the wine makes would murder you)
Spices:
3 cloves
1 stick of cinnamon
2 cardamom pods (cracked open)
Vanilla pod split open (or a splash of vanilla extract)
1 star anise
A small knob of ginger
Zest and juice of 1 orange
2 table spoons of sugar (can add more depending on how much of a sweet tooth you have!)
1) Put the wine, spices, sugar and orange into a pot.
2) warm it up, with the lid on. Don't let it boil or you will boil the alcohol away.
3) when steam starts coming off, turn the heat off and leave the lid on and let it sit to infuse for about 15 minutes so all the spices can flavour the wine.
4) taste a little for sweetness; then strain off the spices and WARM up again to drink!
- remember to never bring it to the boil!!
Enjoy :-)
That's Christmas fever #1! Keep checking for more Christmassy updates!
Xxx
So I have decided to do a blog series and dedicate it solely to the splendour of the Christmas season and all it's joy, happiness, laughter, fairy lights, mulled wine and delicious eats!
If you ask me, the Christmas season is just not long enough! I think it's the most wonderful time of year, not just for the presents and festive food, but for what happens to people and society around this time of year. There is love that can be felt in every corner of the earth, generosity is in abundance and people seem to forget their problems at large. Families come together, friends bond and no one seems to be forgotten. The world seems like a better place, made even better by the jingle of carols echoing through the streets and bellowing out windows.
So that said- number on on my agenda is : CHRISTMAS JUMPER DAY!! Get involved, do it! Give and wear a jumper (that's a jersey to us South Africans)!! 14 December is the day! And for those in sunny SA, wear a t-shirt or a Father Christmas hat! This is not in vain! It's for a charity, support the children.... Giving children the world over hope for a better life. So if you can- go to www.savethechildren.org.uk/jumpers and register or donate or get a group of friends together and have a fund raiser or if you want to, just wear a Christmas jumper and do a good deed that day or find your own charity to support! But it's in the Christmas spirit and there is no better thing to so than give!
Ok- so now for the juicy bits... The yumminess of Christmas!!
Over the next few weeks I'm going to be exploring London and its Christmas markets and scouting around for the best Christmas ideas.. Give these to you, then hopefully add my spin onto it! Just for the Christmas spirit!
walking down the streets of London, it's although Christmas has vomited all
Over it!! But in a good way! More like a glitzy shiny fairy light encrusted bomb has exploded! (Yes, that is a much better description)! Every street is lined with the most incredible array of lights and the shop windows are ho ho ho-ing! There are Christmas markets everywhere, Finnish markets, german markets and my favourite, winter wonderland!!
I have only visited the german Christmas market on the south bank of the Thames so far this year. It's a small market filled with wondrous Christmas goodies!, all set up in pine swiss chalet styled huts, laced with fake snow and beaming with lights, the air is thick with the smell of Glhuwien - or as the English call it, mulled wine! This is the ultimate toe warming, belly glowing drink!
It is traditionally made with a spicy more full bodied wine, such as a Shiraz , and then had a few spices thrown into it, a bit of sugar and maybe an orange or two then warmed up! Absolutely delicious!
I have decided to give you my recipe for the perfect mulled wine:
Spices:
3 cloves
1 stick of cinnamon
2 cardamom pods (cracked open)
Vanilla pod split open (or a splash of vanilla extract)
1 star anise
A small knob of ginger
Zest and juice of 1 orange
2 table spoons of sugar (can add more depending on how much of a sweet tooth you have!)
1) Put the wine, spices, sugar and orange into a pot.
2) warm it up, with the lid on. Don't let it boil or you will boil the alcohol away.
3) when steam starts coming off, turn the heat off and leave the lid on and let it sit to infuse for about 15 minutes so all the spices can flavour the wine.
4) taste a little for sweetness; then strain off the spices and WARM up again to drink!
- remember to never bring it to the boil!!
Enjoy :-)
That's Christmas fever #1! Keep checking for more Christmassy updates!
Xxx
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| Dom and I at the turning on of the Regent Street Christmas Lights |
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| The Covent Garden Christmas Tree |
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