I popped into the shops and managed to find a few turquoise bargains. This dress from Topshop. The lovely mug was hiding in Boots and will be perfect packed with Biscotti as a Christmas present next year and Next provided the turquoise wrapping goodies for next Christmas. 

I really need to get into the swing of eating breakfast again and I am feeling a bit like mince pies don't count as nutritious breakfast! These are a step in the right direction I feel.

I used the Mixed Berry Muffin recipe from the Hummingbird Bakery Cake Days Book but only used blueberries. 

Made 14 muffins.

Ingredients

300g plain flour
155 caster sugar
1 tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1/2 tsp salt
250ml milk
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla essence
85g unsalted melted butter
100g blueberries fresh or frozen 

1. Preheat the oven to 190C
2. Sift together the flour, baking powder, bicarbonate soda, salt and 115g of the sugar into a large mixing bowl.
3. In a jug mix the milk, eggs and vanilla essence
4. Make a well in the middle of the dry ingredients and pour in the egg and milk mixture, mixing together slowly until smooth.
5. Add in the melted butter and mix until smooth.
6. Stir in the berries by hand to make sure they are evenly mix.
7. Spoon the batter into muffin cases.
8. Sprinkle the tops of the batter with the leftover sugar.
9. Bake for 20- 30 minutes until golden.

These are really nice, light and refreshing. I think they would be lovely with a little lemon rind in them too. 

On Christmas day our cat loves to join in with all the unwrapping. Hope you all had a lovely day.

Christmas Eve is a time I love to spend with family. I like to make my mince pies and mulled wine, have everyone over and then go out to watch a film at the cinema. I'm a bit behind today so need to nip off and make my mince pies. But before I go I just want to say a big thank you to all my blog readers. I love it when you comment and show me the things you have made and I am really grateful for all the new friends I have made through the blog. I have only been blogging for 4 months but I have been welcomed by such lovely people into the blogging community. A big thank you to all of you and Happy Christmas. x

These are my favourite Christmas decoration. My turquoise antlers bought form the V&A a few years ago.  

These were so quick to make. Marks and Spencer are currently selling tree shaped marshmallows. My friends and I made these last weekend. We added a stick,  some melted chocolate and sprinkles and voila!

I made these cupcakes yesterday. I wanted them to look like a snow flurry but they didn't come out quite right. I used the Primrose bakery chocolate cupcake recipe. Not sure I am totally convinced but will let the taste testers have their opinion first. I hoped my buttercream wouldn't be so yellow but it was. I am still learning with cupcakes. The snowflakes were cut out of ivory royal icing but they still look so white. Anyway with a bit of glitter and some lovely wrapping they will do nicely. 

I make these every year and it just doesn't feel like Christmas without them. They are so simple but take a little time to dry out.

You need:
Condensed milk
Peppermint extract
Icing sugar


I only used half a tin of condensed milk as I used the other half for the glitter rocky road. For these I used about 400g of icing sugar. You need to get the mixture until it is really thick. Then shape with cutters and place on a nonstick surface. Leave out for a day to dry and then turn over the next 12 hours. When they are dry package up with ribbons. 

I made this as an alternative pudding at my friend's Christmas dinner. It was light, refreshing and looked all Christmassy and jewelled.

I know the slice looks a bit scrappy and I am very annoyed at myself for not tidying the edges but this is a really lovely dessert and very simple to make. It also has to be made ahead so it is one less thing to deal with on Christmas day or when friends are coming round. It is a Nigel Slater recipe that I found in a Sainsbury's magazine. I couldn't find it online so I will write it out here. I added pomegranate seeds to the recipe and also used my Vodka soaked cranberries from the Orange and Cranberry Vodka to give it a kick!


Ingredients
250g cranberries
3 tbsp sugar
500ml of double or whipping cream
175g meringues (I used shop bought and tasted fine)
Seeds from one pomegranate
Grated zest of 1 orange
Few drops of vanilla extract


Method

1. Loosely line a loaf tin with clingfilm
2. Put the cranberries into a pan and add the sugar. Heat until the sugar has melted but make sure the sugar doesn't burn and that you do not crush the fruit.
3. As soon as a little red liquid is visible and the sugar has melted, take off the heat and place the bottom of the pan in cold water to quickly cool the cranberries.
4. Pour the cream into a chilled mixing bowl and which until soft and thick but stop before the cream form stiff peaks.
5. Crumble the meringues into the mixture.
6. Add the orange zest, pomegranate seeds, vanilla extract and cooled cranberries.
7. Very gently fold everything into the cream.
8. Scrape the mixture into the lined loaf tin. Make sure it is nicely packed into the tin.
9. Cover in clingfilm and place in the freezer.
10. Take out half an hour before serving. 

This salt body scrub can be made with any fruit you like. We used blueberries, raspberries and cranberries but you really don't need much fruit. A little goes a long way.
All you need is:
Salt (34p for a bag from Sainsbury's)
Fruit
Jars

Take a small handful of fruit and mash it up either by hand or food processor. Add a tiny bit of water if using a processor. In a bowl mix in the salt until you have a thick salt consistency. Add to jars and label. The salt preserves the fruit and it doesn't need to be kept in the fridge. I have some that has lasted months. It smells delicious!

This is one of the simplest gifts to whip up and I make it every year. This year I added a good dose of glitter. This recipe makes a nice gooey rocky road that does harden but still stays nice and soft.
You can really add whatever you want. I used:
100g condensed milk
200g plain chocolate
2 tbsp golden syrup
50g small marshmallows 
8 crumbled digestive biscuits
Handfuls of sultanas, mixed peel and chopped glace cherries. Add as much as you like until you get a nice consistency.
Sorry it isn't an exact science but as I said it is a really adaptable recipe.

We will be using the rest of the condensed milk in peppermint creams so wrap it up and stick it in the fridge ready to use.