Tuesday 11 October 2011

Let's make Christmas


I have two simultaneous reactions when I hear the word Christmas.  The first reaction is sheer excitement and joy.  I just LOVE Christmas.  Open fires, holly, mince pies, sherry, Christmas dinner, carols and laughter.. lots of laughter.

My second reaction is a sober moment when I think of the cost and that creepy feeling that comes over me when I realise how much money I’ve spent.  What really gets to me is that much of what I buy is so unnecessary.  So many of the gifts I buy are discarded two days later as the children seem to have had their thrill of opening the presents and I am left feeling that the commercialisation of Christmas has stolen the joy that gift giving it is meant to bring.

Then I have such trouble choosing gifts for some of my family too.. I mean who actually needs anything? My dad for instance has more scarves, hats, gloves, books and toiletries that you can imagine and my sister said just the other day said enough is enough and that her house is totally cluttered with gifts she just doesn’t need. That said ..  I still love giving.

So this year I am taking a stand.  Yes I know that it’s October .. but that is entirely my point .. this year I am going to plan it and make Christmas.   I know it will save a fortune and so I am going to make the best food gifts imaginable and wrap them beautifully.  I’ve several classic recipes in my book Prepped and I’ve bought a copy of Dan Lepard’s Short and Sweet which has got a whole chapter on making sweets in it it's fabulous and I can’t think of anything better than a homemade gift.




So my first gift that I am making is Sloe Gin. I’ve been out and about picking sloes each time I walk the dog.  I have a secret ingredient in my recipe.  It's very subtle and you only need the tinniest amount of star anise to lift warm undertones into your liquor.  

Ingredients 
450g Sloes
350g Caster sugar

Method
Prick your Sloes with needle. If the first frost hasn’t hit then freeze your sloes, even an hour helps as it breaks down the fruit slightly to get a fuller flavour.
Fill a bottle with the sloes, add the sugar and the gin and pop the lid on.  Shake gently to mix up the sugar and gin.  Keep turning the bottle each week until the sugar is dissolved. It can take up to 3 weeks.  Your gin will be ready to decant about a week before Christmas.

I’ve read in a recent article that cheap gin is fine to use.  I couldn’t disagree more. If you want a floral fragrant and complex flavour then use a good quality gin.  For the few pound extra I think it gives a far superior taste, so I’ve chosen a gin made quite locally to me from Waitrose called Greenalls Bloom London Dry Gin. It's created from juniper, chamomile, pomelo and honeysuckle and I feel using this particular gin adds notes of orange and honey behind the robust sloe for a far superior finish.



So there’s’ my first gift sorted .. I think that says so much about the say that you feel about someone and so I am inviting you to take part in Let’s Make Christmas 2011.

There is a prize for the best post.. a - a new K- mixer from Kenwood .. please see details here!

If you’d like to participate .. 
1) Use the Let’s make Christmas logo in your blog post and link back to this page.

2) Please make a comment in the box below to tell me that you are taking part. 

3) Tweet this page with the #LetsMakeChristmas

4) Remember to email me your blog post to Recipes@VanessaKimbell.com

I’ll do a round up of everyone’s post on the 15th November .. which hopefully will give us all a truly fabulous collection of inspiring idea’s to make Christmas in plenty of time. .. but do keep sending your recipes in  .. I will keep on adding them !




71 comments:

  1. What a fantastic idea! I am sure there would plenty of ideas that would be blogged.

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  2. Am going to think of some Indian inspired gifts to post

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  3. Count me in, I LOVE the Christmas season, and I LOVE making stuff to eat and give! I will get my thinking cap on for something a little different.
    Karen

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  4. I already have a recent post I can use, will link up and email you. Have already tweeted this too!
    Karen

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  5. Yeah, I think I may take part too, i'll get my thinking cap on. Gotta love Christmas.

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  6. I am absolutely in, Christmas time it's one of my favourite part of the year and I love the feeling of anticipating the Christmas mood by wrapping home made gifts well in advance! I'm in! I'm in!

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  7. Absolutely taking part! Hand and homemade gifts are so much more meaningful, in my opinion! I love this idea, Vanessa.

    I suppose with the November 10th deadline, there will be lots of our people wondering if they're the lucky recipient, in the lead up to Christmas ;)

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  8. Forgot to say that your sloe gin looks great and has my name in it I think!

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  9. This is another lovely idea (I'm not stealing this for the Guides though, I've still got 14 weeks of Random bakes of kindness left to go!) I've got my sloe gin on the go already and my elderberry cordial is just waiting to be decanted and have some extra cloves added so I'll definitely join in.

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  10. Absolutely, count me in! I love Christmas as well!!!!!!

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  11. Count me in! It's just perfect as I was going to make food as presents for Christmas :-)

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  12. I always make as much as I can at Christmas, so I'll see what I can do. So agree with you about over the true spirit of Christmas - it's one of my favourite times of year.

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  13. I'm in - will think of a favourite to put in. Might need help with the linking up but will sort later. Thanks for the invite. Heidi

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  14. Like Karen, I've already made a start on Christmas, so will go back through some of my recent posts to see what I can submit.
    Great idea Vanessa.

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  15. As always you have tapped into the zeitgeist...this was a resolution of mine this year. Count me in - off to plot and plan...lovely!

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  16. Oh I'm useless at preserving and bottling, just never get round to doing it but I agree totally with the sentiment. So count me in!

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  17. It goes without saying that I am in Vanessa! Of course I will be included in Let's Make Christmas! I'm excited!

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  18. This is a lovely idea but just one post to share? I make everything for Christmas, every year, not sure I could get it all into one post :o/

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  19. Such a fab idea, thanks so much for the invite. I'm 100% in!

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  20. This sounds fantastic! Would love to take part!
    Totally agree about the presents and the little need of more stuff... Cooking and sharing is actually giving so I'm planning to do some home-made presents this year!

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  21. Brilliant idea for a round-up! I was talking with Helen from The Crazy Kitchen the other day about making presents for our families. I made a start on the weekend. I will definitely be joining!

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  22. Count me in, have already got apple and sloe vodka mincemeat in the cupboard and the christmas cake is maturing, also have lots of idea's for other goodies.

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  23. brilliant brilliant idea! Am totally up for it. No idea what to make though. Will get thinking cap on!

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  24. Hello I think it's a fantastic idea too

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  25. Just checking if you got my 2nd entry resent today ~ Orange Liqueur?
    THANKS!
    XX

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  26. I've posted a recipe on my blog Vanessa http://jessiescrazykitchen.blogspot.com/2011/10/spiced-festive-chutney.html

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  27. Hi Vanessa, what a lovely idea, hope its not to late to say 'I'm in'!. I've been making batches of chutney, sloe gin and flavoured vinegars and wanted inspiration for some new gift ideas so I can't wait to read everyones entries. What's the deadline for my blog post? gemma :)

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  28. What a lovely idea! Im in, would love to take part! Hmm what to make?

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  29. This is a fantastic idea - I have been thinking how lovely it would be to make some christmas gifts as it's so much more personal but not really knowing where to start! This is a great way to inspire me and get me motivated so thankyou and I will get some ideas going!

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  30. Great idea Vanessa! I probably would have done sloe gin if you hadn't! :P I'll put my Xmas thinking cap on...soon...Celia x

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  31. Great idea - just need to decide what to make - I'm in.

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  32. have posted my recipe on my blog as you know x

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  33. have just tweeted too. OOh I do hope I win the book but competition is fierce!!

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  34. Hi I am already working on my homemade xmas - have made Strawberry conserve, marmalade, ccranberry mincemeat and riverv cottage chutney photos on twitter @natlooy

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  35. Wonderful idea Vanessa - can't wait to get my teeth into this challenge.

    I made sloe gin last year and haven't gotten round to decanting it yet - hope it's ok!!!!!

    Fab photos as always.

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  36. Hi Vanessa, I'll be submitting my Blackberry Curd : http://thebotanicalbaker.wordpress.com/plants/blackberry/blackberry-curd/

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  37. so here I am with my recipe, home made mustard for you!

    http://en.julskitchen.com/preserves/home-made-mustard-gourmet-gifts-for-christmas

    Merry Christmas! ;)

    x

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  38. Would love to take part! Now just having a lil think of what to make...

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  39. Hi Vanessa, I have done a Pickle Post! http://thingswemake.wordpress.com/2011/10/25/pickle-post/

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  40. We had our first totally homemade Christmas last year and it was wonderful--like the best ever. What a great idea for a contest!

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  41. I've just emailed you my post for Rum Truffles

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  42. anch'io voglio partecipare!! bellissima idea! ciao, a presto, Franci

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  43. I'm planning to take part and I've decided what to make. I'm already getting excited about Christmas.

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  44. Can I enter twice? I thought these could work fr Xmas too: http://thebotanicalbaker.wordpress.com/plants-2/cardamom/diwali-barfi-truffles/

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  45. Hi Vanessa! This is my italian recipe
    for your beautiful Contest! I love Christmas! By, Franci

    http://lasignoradeibiscotti.blogspot.com/2011/10/mostarda-di-pere-e-noci-alla-vaniglia.html!

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  46. Hi Vanessa,
    I have just posted my recipe for this event. It is for Posh Pickled onions!
    http://www.howtocookgoodfood.co.uk/?p=961

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  47. I've finally done my post for Apple Preserves (been very frugal).

    http://www.theboyandme.co.uk/2011/11/01/apple-preserves/

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  48. Hi Vanessa
    I'm just going to publish a post on Mini Cake Pop and Rum Truffles.

    I will attempt a tweet, (I'm still a newbie on twitter, and will email a link to you).

    Regards Jude x

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  49. I'm going to have a go. Now I just need to decide what to make out of all the lovely recipes out there. Hmm. Chutney, biscuit, truffles? Too much choice!

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  50. My post is up. I made Vino Cotto and bottled it up! http://eliotseats.com/?p=6365

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  51. Following with avid interest ... Just stumbled onto your blog and it's delightful x

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  52. here is my post Vanessa x
    http://www.workinglondonmummy.com/2011/11/christmas-cookies-home-made-christmas.html

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  53. I've done it - Golden Fig Rolls is my virtual present to you all: http://talesofpiglingbland.wordpress.com/2011/11/08/fig-roll/

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  54. Hope I'm in time - http://mycustardpie.com/2011/11/10/home-made-candied-peel-to-give-or-to-keep/

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  55. Hi Vanessa, I'm entering...post on its way over the weekend. xxx

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  56. Here is my contribution for vanilla; rose and lavender shortbread.
    http://notjustanyoldbaking.blogspot.com/2011/11/lets-make-christmas-heavenly-scented.html

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  57. My post for Dark Chocolate Mincemeat is HERE

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  58. I've tweeted @serialcrafter :-)

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  59. Here's my post for "lets make christmas" Mocha Ginger biscottihttp://lancashire-food.blogspot.com/2011/11/mocha-ginger-biscotti.html

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  60. I've posted Swiss Basler Läckerli (a spiced honey cookie) http://sarahbakes.co.uk/?p=1839 eaten all year round, but especially during the holidays. I've tweeted it and emailed!

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  61. Dear Vanessa, thank you so much for this inspiring challenge. I would like to submit an old post, if that's possible. I made this gift for my nephew last year, but I'm sure it would also be nice as a Christmas present for children. All you need is some bags of candy and little glass jars. The jars were inexpensive, I found them for 75 cent each in a gift store:

    http://louisabellissima.wordpress.com/2010/12/23/present/

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  62. I have posted my homemade Advent calendar with a list of ideas to include inside.

    Anna

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  63. Belatedly adding myself to the 'in' I'd written all the posts - but not bothered to let you know!

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  64. Hi Vanessa, just emailed you some recipes for boozy Christmas drinks and wrote this post http://dianastaveley.blogspot.com/2011/12/lets-make-christmas.html , this is such a lovely idea.

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  65. Hello Vanessa! I'm entering my mini Caribbean Christmas Cake Collection into your #letsmakeChristmas competition. I've added the logo and link to your blog too you can find my Candy Cane and poinsettia cakes here. will email you and tweet now too. Thanks! Such a fantastic idea and competition! http://princeproductions.wordpress.com/2011/12/06/the-caribbean-christmas-cake-collection-continued/

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  66. Brilliant idea! I've just linked up my recent post on ninjabreadmen. http://themorethanoccasionalbaker.blogspot.com/2011/12/ninjabreadmen.html

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  67. hahaha I know what you are talking about, Christmas also produces the same reaction of excitement and joy too and even more now that Christmas is here and the Christmas eve is around the corner!

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  68. So excited for this and im working on my projects over the weekend so will send a link on Monday :) Thanks for the chance and im loving all of the posts and new blogs ive found through this project :)

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  69. Will be putting up my entry tonight (fingers crossed) or tomorrow! Have really enjoyed reading what everyone else has submitted! Hope you will do the same next year too!

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If you are reading my blog I must warn you that I am not impartial. I want to influence you. I want to make you stop for just a moment and consider the effect of a lifetime of seemingly insignificant decisions and how making small delicious choices can change the world.

I believe that we can change the world one bite at a time.

It's a delicious revolution.