Get California Almonds for Christmas!

Everyone has nuts at Christmas. And almost everyone loves Almonds. But is every Almond equal? The answer is, no. They are not.

To ensure you get some really good, tasty and wholesome Almonds, you would be better off insisting on only genuine California Almonds.

Californians are very passionate about the food and drink they consume. They are also equally passionate about the food and drinks they produce and export all over the USA and to the rest of the world.

That's one of the reasons why they created the Almond Board of California, to ensure that only the best tasting Almonds are produced by the nut farmers of  California.

To learn more about Californian nuts such as snack tips and delicious recipes the California Almond Board have launched a UK website at www.almondboard.co.uk.

Santa catches the train in Mid Wales

Santa will be taking to rails in the run up to Christmas in Mid Wales. 

Mid Wales is hosting a series of wonderful ‘Santa Specials’ on privately owned steam railway lines during December, offering a chance for a great family day out in Wales.

You can catch Santa at many Welsh railways through the month. It will be at Bala Lake Railway on December 8 and 9, Vale of Rheidol Railway, Ffestiniog Railway and Welshpool and Llanfair Light Railway on December 15, 16, 22 and 23, Fairbourne Railway, Welsh Highland Heritage Railway and Corris Railway on December 15 and 16, Tal y Llyn Railway on December 22, 23 and 24.

You can even meet Santa at Llechwedd Slate Caverns, Blaenau Ffestiniog. Elves will drive the Santa Train underground to his spectacular subterranean grotto in the heart of Snowdonia. The Santa Train runs on December 1, 2, 8, 9 and 15 to 24

Llechwedd Slate Caverns is situated near the historic slate mining town of Blaenau Ffestiniog and is 10 scenic minutes away from Betws-y-coed and about fifty minutes over the mountains from Llandudno. If you are staying near Porthmadog you are only half an hour away and can get here on the fabulous Ffestiniog Railway – with just a short connecting bus ride. For those staying on the beautiful Lleyn Peninsula they are about an hour from Pwllheli.

Make your Christmas a Laverstoke Park Farm Christmas!

For some people Christmas is about doing everything themselves. Creating everything from scratch is the way they like it.

But there are others who, due to lack of inclination or a lack of time, really do need to have a greater or lesser degree of help.

Both types of person will love Laverstoke Park Farm, as Laverstoke Park covers everyone's requirements. all your needs.

No matter which wau you need to go, Laverstoke Park – they are an organic and biodynamic farm - they have everything you need to enable you to build the kind of Christmas you want and deserve!

Laverstoke’s organic Norfolk Black Turkeys are slow growing and have pecked their way to their very best on the farm’s pastureland – planted with 31 herbs, clovers and grasses. This ensures a varied and nutrient rich diet, which results in a great tasting turkey. The birds have a depth of flavour with gamey undertones that single them out from all the other mass-produced alternatives. Laverstoke Park Turkeys taste how a turkey should taste, with a succulence only found from slow bred birds on the free range farm.

Some people prefer beef for Christmas dinner. (EDITOR: We have Turkey on Christmas Day and beef on Boxing Day in our house!) Laverstoke Park Farm's Native Angus, one of our oldest and rarest breeds of beef cattle in this country, really is a delicious treat. It is so rare a treat that it's only made available at Christmas and cannot be reared in high volume. 

What would Christmas dinner be without all the trimmings? Take a little shortcut to happiness and order Laverstoke’s very own stuffing? It's a full flavoured and meaty stuffing, with the perfect balance of fresh herbs and seasoning. Or why not go the whole hog (EDITOR: No pun intended) and order the best pork sausage meat from the free range organic outdoor reared pigs at Laverstoke Park and prepare your own?

There will, of course, by Yuletide feasts made up of late night suppers, impromptu lunches and snacks. Be assured that Laverstoke has everything that you could possibly need or desire.

There are cold pies to suit just about everyone's taste. These include Game or Turkey and Cranberry. Or why not opt for the Honey glazed Hams, Breaded Hams and Classic Hams? These are available ready for the table. 

But for a little contrast why not try adding some of Laverstoke’s delicious, perfectly balanced Salt Beef along with the farm’s Buffalo Brie? Delicious and oh so enjoyably satisfying!

A friend told me the other day: "I do not like Turkey. Just pile, my plate high with pigs in blankets and I'll have a happy Christmas!"

Perhaps I should direct her to Laverstoke Park Farm? As their Pigs in Blankets are a renowned as a real crowd pleaser!

They are made with mini organic sausages, wrapped up tight in the farm’s own nitrate free bacon!

Then there are the farm's delicious organic quiches. These come in five delightful varieties: Sundried Tomato, Mozzarella and Basil, Buffalo Brie and Bacon, Leek and Smoked Bacon, Cheddar Cheese, Cheese and Bacon and finally Ricotta and Spinach.

And for those of us who like to indulge in something sweet, there's the Buffalo Milk Chocolate, rich creamy and beautifully smooth, and the Buffalo Milk Fudge which is “melt-in-your-mouth” delicious!

Laverstoke Park Farm point out that both are ideal little stocking fillers or for something rather special for the Christmas table.

And do not forget their special organic Christmas Puddings. These are carefully and lovingly made with Laverstoke Ale, mixed fruits, apples, prunes, brandy, treacle and more besides. Which can, of course, be  perfectly topped off with Laverstoke’s real Brandy Ice Cream. This is the pudding of all Christmas Puddings - with full on flavour and depth. 

And please don't forget the Mince Pies - Laverstoke produce the very best with a home-made, farm produced feel, they are organic of course and full flavoured with pastry that has a satisfying bite and are made to founder Jody Scheckter’s family recipe.

And if you want Christmas delivered to you – or a loved one’s - door, either in varying degrees or all in one go – look no further, Laverstoke’s Fresh Hampers have the wow factor – the selection includes the Ultimate Christmas Day Hamper and includes everything you need for the perfect Christmas Day with everything from Turkey and trimmings to the sweet finale! 

And there's a whole lot more, besides: Ales, wines, cheeses and more. To learn about something good for Christmas please visit www.laverstokepark.co.uk.

Real coffee at Christmas. That's my treat!

There is one thing that I always treat my wife and myself to at Christmas. And that is real coffee, properly made with ground coffee.

Throughout the year my wife and I are a pair of typical professionals. We rush hither and thither and rarely have time to think, let alone make a decent pot of coffee.

But even I, the journalist and blogger have to take some time off over Christmas and I always make it a point to make my wife and I pot of fresh coffee every morning of the Christmas holidays.

Weanie Beans makes a fantastic range of coffees and also some other drinks, too.

There are Mulled Cider kit/Parcels and Spiced Wine Bouquets, as well as chilli hot chocolate for the tee-totalers, or for those who love chilli chocolate and a nice tipple!

Weanie Beans today unveiled its range of distinctive and delicious Christmas products, proving itself to be a cut above the rest when it comes to innovation and quirkiness, while keeping its own blend of hand-roasted coffee at the heart of every product. 

From unique gift sets to moreish coffee blends, mulled drinks parcels to stocking-filling confectionery, spoil your loved-ones this holiday season with a tantalising offering designed to suit every palette. With prices ranging from just £3.00 for Chocolate Coffee Beans to £30 for the legendary Camping Coffee Kit, Weanie Beans makes the perfect purse-friendly gift this Christmas. Further information on all of the Weanie Beans Christmas range along with all prices are available from the official website.

Just nip over to  www.weaniebeans.com and see what's available!

Something different. Air-dried lamb

We decided to try something a little different this year. My wife and I both love the taste of traditional air-dried hams, but were intrigued to find out that the very clever people at Woodside Farm in the Weald of Kent are producing a new delicacy which, in time, we feel, will be just as famed for flavour as the more traditional air-dried hams.

They use only the highest quality lamb reared on their own Kentish farm. The meat is produced only in accordance with the exacting Farm Assurance Scheme standards.

They cure it, then they marinate it in red wine, honey and herbs. They then cold smoke it over oak sourced from their very own farm's oak woods!

The flavour is a bit different. It looks just like a fine smoked ham, but it has the taste of best Kentish lamb, intermingled with just a hint of smoke flavour and the other ingredients.

It's ideal for eating as a snack, with a salad, as a starter or as part of a main course. I can well imagine this being served up as a starter at a Christmas or New Year party! If you can resist nibbling it allbefore you serve it to your guests!

Woodside Farm also sells boxes of half a lamb, lamb sausages and burgers, plus a variety of lamb cuts. They also supply lamb shanks, ideal for catering customers in part due to their high quality but also due to their remarkably keen prices.

Also tested by our team of taste testers was their new product, lamb biltong. Not all of our taste team liked it, but then, they do not like biltong. All the other tasters declared it a very tasty version of biltong, but better than some biltongs, as the meat was still reasonably succulent and not like leather.

To find out more please visit www.woodside-farm.com

Muscadet Sevre et Maine

Muscadet Sevre et Maine is an excpetionally good white wine. It is not too sweet, yet nor is it too dry.

It is deliciously fruity undertones and a compelling finishing in the mouth.

It can be drunk with friends after a hard day's Christmas shopping, at a party or at Christmas dinner, in the opinion of this wine taster. My opinions tend to vary from other wine tasters or tasters as I go by what I like, not what tradition dictates!

To find out more, visit www.chereau-carre.fr

Crosta and Mollica Biscuits and Italian flatbreads

From the famed Piemonte region of Italy, come Crosta and Mollica biscuits and Italian flatbreads.

The biscuits are light and buttery (ideal if you want some special biscuits but want something a little lighter than the traditional shortbread biscuits) and will be a welcome addition to anyone's Christmas time dining table.

Or ideal if you want some nice biscuit treats for the coffee table when you are watching the Queen's Speech on Christmas afternoon.

For an extra and slightly naughty treat, dip them in some Port for a truly decadent taste sensation. I did not believe how good this would be until I tried it. It really is delicious!

And as for the flatbreads? These are light and tasty and, as they are made with olive oil, very healthy, too. (Traditional Italian flatbreads are made with lard, you see.)

What to do with flatbreads at Christmas? Ideal with some turkey or ham slices, perhaps with some crumbled cheese. Or some Mozzarella.

To learn more please visit www.crostamollica.com

Prepare for Christmas with the Festive Gift Fair

The wondrous Festive Gift Fair will be back at the Birmingham NEC later this month, from 22 – 25 November.

Half the fun of Christmas is finding unusual and perfect gifts.  If you like a lot of choice, this is the Christmas Fair for you!  There are amazing special show offers, wonderful fabulous ideas and gifts from the affordable to the exotic.

You do not have to do lots of hard work tracking down that elusive, perfect Christmas gift. Because the Gift Fair organisers have done it all for you!

They have brought together in one place 325 stalls, just crammed to bursting point with literally thousands of neat gifts for all ages and tastes.  And this year there are 100 plus new firms attending.

There's even a present crèche so you can leave your goodies in safe hands, whilst you continue to browse and buy or whilst you have a well-deserved meal!

And to add to the truly festive spirit you can enjoy the great music from a variety of Christmas musical entertainment – from live bands, choirs and brass bands.    

It's the The 17th Festive Gift Fair and you have to know that it promises to be a 'Showstopper' of an event, so head along to Birmingham’s NEC to find a gift and tick your list!

What's there?

• Crafts
• Christmas Decorations
• Games, Toys and Stocking Fillers
• Food & Drink
• Gifts for Cooks & Gardeners
• Fashion, Handbags & Jewellery
• Health & Beauty Gifts
• Baby Gifts
• Decorative Accessories for the Home
• Gadgets
• And much, much more!

BOOK YOUR TICKETS NOW and prepare for some GREAT Christmas Shopping at The Festive Gift Fair open 09.30 – 17.00 from Thursday 22nd – Sunday 25th November.

For more information on Exhibitors and Visiting the Fair, visit www.festivegiftfair.co.uk .   Save money by booking in advance – adult tickets are just £8.50.

Book by phone by calling The Ticket Factory on 0844 581 0808/0809

Or Book online at www.theticketfactory.com

Gallo Wines, for the perfect accompaniment for Christmas

With Turkey: Barefoot Merlot

The perfect combo of cherry, boysenberry, plum and chocolate flavours. Raised right, it’s well rounded with mild tannins.

The Barefoot Wine range has a RRP of £6.69 and the 7 varietals are Pinot Grigio, Sauvignon Blanc, Moscato, Merlot, Shiraz, White Zinfandel and Cabernet Sauvignon, Barefoot Wine is now available at Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Asda, Morrisons, Waitrose, Co-op, across the convenience channel and in an increasing number of pubs, clubs, bars and restaurants. www.barefootwine.com  www.barefootwine.com

Christmas Pudding: Gallo Moscato 

This sweet light to medium-bodied wine has flavours of juicy peach, citrus, pineapple and orange blossom, which complement a crisp, refreshing finish. 

Gallo Moscato has a RRP of £6.79 and will be available from UK retailers including ASDA, Morrisons, Sainsbury’s, Ocado and Co-op. Please visit www.gallofamily.co.uk/moscato for more information.

(EDITOR: These wines are also perfect for unwinding with once the children are in bed on Christmas Eve, or when listening to Christmas Carols on the radio. These are some pretty awesome wines from the Gallo family of California.)

Weanie Beans goes for Christmas

Award winning, artisan coffee company Weanie Beans, has unveiled its range of distinctive and delicious Christmas products, proving itself to be a cut above the rest when it comes to innovation and quirkiness, while keeping its own blend of hand-roasted coffee at the heart of every product.

From unique gift sets to moreish coffee blends, mulled drinks parcels to stocking-filling confectionery, spoil your loved-ones this holiday season with a tantalising offering designed to suit every palette. With prices ranging from just £3.00 for Chocolate Coffee Beans to £30 for the legendary Camping Coffee Kit, Weanie Beans makes the perfect purse-friendly gift this Christmas. Further information on all of the Weanie Beans Christmas range along with all prices are available from the official website.

Here's an example of what they can do for you to help you spice up your party this Christmas:

Gift Set of Chilli Hot Chocolate, Mulled Wine Bouquets, Mulled Cider Parcels and Chilli Chocolate Almonds.

Get your party started with a kick! This Gift Set is all you need for some grown up festivities. We've put in the effort to make delicious mulled wine or mulled cider so you don’t have to - just pop a parcel in a pan with your booze or fruit juice of your choice, and you have perfect mulled drinks every time. For the non-drinkers, there is a proper grown up hot chocolate with our chilli hot chocolate and nibbles to get your guests talking. (£22)

To find out about the entire range visit their website at  http://tinyurl.com/bmyussl