These biscuits really are Jule's Finest

There are certain Christmas traditions that every family indulges in. Stilton and Port, Sherry and mince pies and some fancy biscuits.

This year you should make your biscuit selection to be Jule's Finest.

Jules Destrooper is the top biscuit baker in all of Belgium and has been for nearly 130 years.

And Jules' Finest Selection Box is a stunningly tasty collection of seven biscuits that are, it has to be said, amongst the Rolls Royces  of speciality biscuits.

Each one is baked to perfection, using a secret recipe, with craftsman-blended spices. Chocolate, nutty, buttery, crunchy caramel, there's something for everyone this Christmas.

Luxury Belgian biscuits at a non-Luxury price of a very reasonable £4.99, available from Tesco stores.

Best by twice the amount you are planning on, because they will be gone well before Christmas if the family see them!

Boris and the Dumb Skulls

What can one say about the latest book by author Frank Hinks' Ramion series?

It tells the story of Boris who used to be a punk rocker with a huge safety pin through his nose, but he doesn't have a safety pin any longer. Well, truth to tell, he hasn't got a nose any more, or a body for that matter, because Boris is a skull. A singing skull. And a special, faithful companion to Griselda the witch. The evil witch.

Sadly Griselda has been imbibing of a little too much of the hard stuff, the really hard stuff, evil spirits, which has encouraged her to bully Boris and the dwarves who decide to launch a punk band, with Boris as the head, sorry, lead singer.

They antagonise Griselda by performing their favourite punk anthem, Pretty Vacant and after she puts a curse on them this spurs them on to form their own punk band.

Besides Boris, Griselda her evil, yet dead ancestors, you'll meet victims of the guillotine who refused to die (yet kept on fighting and/or dancing), a music shop in Sevenoaks, a dancing dad, a body collector, a cat, a set of vampires, The Polhill Arms pub and much, much more besides.

What of Griselda's plans to take Boris as a bridegroom, providing she can get his body back? 

Will the band be a success? What will The Gardener make if it all?

Written and illustrated (with some pretty seriously fantastic colourful drawings) by Frank Hinks, the story is either charmingly alarming, or alarmingly charming, I'm not sure which.

However,  what I do know is that any child who gets this book for Christmas will be in for a real treat and it's a more than OK way to get into the Ramion series of books by Frank Hinks.

It's a hardback book and reportedly ideal for helping children who find getting  into reading a bit of a chore somewhat more fun and inviting.

It costs a very reasonable £7.99 and is the 16th book in the Ramion series and it is published  by Perronet Press, ISBN 97809 5470 4698.

www.ramion-books.com.

EDITOR: Picture taken from front cover of the book.)

Bring a touch of the Summer to your Christmas fayre

As a long-time fan of Crabbie's Alcoholic Ginger Beer, I would not have thought that you could improve on perfection.

I am happy to say that I was proven to be wrong, when I tried Crabbie's Strawberry and Lime flavoured Ginger Beer.

Yes, there's the traditional warming ginger flavour we have come to know and love. But! There's now so much more to enjoy with Crabbie's Strawberry and Lime flavoured Ginger Beer.

There's also now a subtle hint of zesty lime and also a strong, yet not overpowering, taste of real strawberries.

Serve chilled and over ice this is the ideal drink for just chilling with your friends and family during the Christmas and New Year holidays or even as an interesting replacement for the more traditional wines to accompany your Christmas Dinner.

And the Raspberry Ginger Beer is equally tasty and just as satisfying in its own unique way.

Here is a cocktail you can try
Crabbie’s Moscow Mule

50ml vodka

25ml freshly squeezed lemon juice

20ml sugar syrup

Crabbie’s Original Alcoholic Ginger Beer

Plenty of crushed ice

GLASS: A long Collins

METHOD:

Add the vodka, fruit juices juice and syrup to a cocktail shaker.

Shake well and strain into a glass filled crammed with ice.

Add a generous measure of Crabbie’s Original Alcoholic Ginger Beer, or use the Strawberry and Lime or Raspberry versions, to be a little adventurous.

GARNISH with a wheel of fresh lemon

Gin lovers, Whitley Neill Gin will make your Christmas

Although I am not, in the ordinary run of things, a gin aficionado, I can report that  Whitley Neill Gin will make your Christmas, if you are a gin lover or not.

It is a superbly produced example of the art of the true handcrafter of small batch gins.

We were supposed to be using Whitley Neill Gin to develop some new Christmas cocktails, but my wife, who is a true gin aficionado, would not hear of such sacrilege.

"You are not going to mess around with my gin, by adding other things to it!" she told me and so this Christmas there will be no gin cocktails. Well, certainly none that are to be made with Whitley Neill Gin!

What does it taste like? What makes it so special. so unique?

It's warming, so is an ideal stiffener after a bracing Christmas walk through the frosty countryside.

And when you taste it (sip, by glorious sip!) you know you are in the presence of pure gin making genius.

I couldn't quite get my head around the intoxicating mixture of flavours. It's gin, but like no other gin I have ever tried before.

My wife, who is knowledgeable about such matters, said: "It's because it's produced using African flavours, plus more traditional botanicals. It's the Baobab tree fruit and Cape Gooseberries, really. That's what makes it different and that's why you aren't adding anything to it!"

So, that's me told!

http://www.whitleyneill.com  will tell you all you need to know, including the fact that they have been small batch producing gin in an antique copper still for well over 250 years.

I think, when nobody is looking, I might try to make at least one gin cocktail. Actually, no. I've just had another sip and I'll take my wife's advice and enjoy Whitley Neill Gin as it comes!

Happy Christmas comes no happier, I think, than with Whitley Neill Gin and some organic mince pies!

Celebrate Christmas and New Year with a "Gold Standard" glass of bubbly!

This Christmas and New Year, why not really push the boat out and treat yourself, your family, friends and guests to a real "Gold Standard" experience, with a very special bottle of genuine 22 carat gold flake  Blue Nun Gold Edition Sparkling wine?

True, it's not champagne, but it has a good, clean fruity taste, with a warming, biscuity finish and the gold flakes really do dance and shimmer in the bubbles in the glass.

It's ideal for sharing over Christmas dinner, for drinking round a cosy real fire with some Stollen or some mine pies, or for welcoming in the New Year.

It's a truly luxury drink, but it does not come at anything near a luxury price, as it's available for just under £10, far less if you shop around.

Our taste ten panel declared it "delicious" but have asked me to remind you that it is best severed chilled or at least, slightly chilled.

And they add a note of caution, do be careful when you take the top off as it can be a bit lively!

The That's Christmas advice? You really can't go wrong with some Blue Nun Gold Edition Sparkling Wine.

New Christmas Cocktails

These new Christmas Cocktails are new, specially designed and tested by the team at That's Christmas.

All drinks used are available from all good quality wine and spirit merchants and most top end supermarkets.


Tequila Rose Christmas gift Cocktail
Two shots of Tequila rose in a tumbler, add two to three teaspoons of Cinnamon sugar, mix well and serve with a sprig of mint as garnish, if desired.

Lamb’s Navy Rum Present
Two shots of Lamb’s Navy Rum, a dash of orange liquor and two teaspoons of ginger sugar, mix well and serve, with ice.

Bootlegger White Grain Spirit Fruity shooter
Take a shot glass filled with Bootlegger White Grain Spirit and then add two good size squirts of Robinson’s Squashed Orange and Peach highly concentrated soft drink.
The fact that it is low calorie is good news, as is the fact that the delicious flavour is brought to the drink with no risk of diluting the alcohol content of the drink as would happen with other mixers. There are a range of other Squashed flavours, so why not experiment and give them a try, this Christmas?

Lambs’ Tale
Incidentally, adding Squashed to Lamb’s Spiced Rum creates a taste that combines the best vanilla ice cream you ever tried and an explosion of fruit flavours in the mouth! For a super enhanced drink, try Lambs’ Spiced Rum with Vimto Squeezy super concentrate. It’s delicious!

 Spiced and niced
Requires Lamb’s Spiced Rum and Southern Comfort.
2 parts Lamb’s Spice Rum and 1 part Southern Comfort and stir.
To add a bit of sparkle stir in one or two teaspoonfuls of Cinnamon Sugar and stir well.
If desired, serve with ice.

(Oh, yes, drink responsibly, blah, blah, blah)

New series of books make ideal educational gifts for children

A new series of educational books aimed at teaching children about the world of work is now available and will make absolutely perfect Christmas presents.

They present the information in a form that is both easy to read yet is not in any way patronising.

There are two books in the series, both written by Mairi McLellen. The series is called "What do the grown ups do?"

The initial books are called Fiona the Doctor and Richard the Vet.

They are in a paperback format and cost a very reasonable £7.99 each and are published by Matador imprint www.kidseducationalbooks.com.

Fiona is an MD and shows the equipment in her doctor's bag and explains what they are used for and how she treats people.

It explains the differences between a GP and a specialist and some basic facts, including why some people get smelly feet, whilst others don't.

It touches on a number of issues from basic hygiene to the amount of hours a doctor can be expected to work.

In Richard the Vet we learn about Richard's work as a large animal vet who specialises in equine medicine, which is the treatment of horses.

Richard also works with farmers to treat farm animals like cattle and sheep and explains how he deals with horse's teeth, the different breeds of sheep he works with and how he works to keep large animals in top health!

The wonderful thing is that Richard and Fiona are family to the author and this does come across in the books and makes them or the more enjoyable.

They make great books for children to read by themselves or with their parents.

Incidentally, other books in the series include Joe the Fisherman, Papa the Stock Farmer, Sean the Actor and Gordon the Wildlife Film Maker.