Christmas Pudding: More Important Than Mince Pies?

This Christmas it’s all about the Christmas traditions as 92% of people are taking the decision to reject  the new fads and fashions for a traditional Christmastime. 

They want to enjoy the ritual of bringing out the same decorations each year and perhaps adding a few new pieces to add some extra sparkle. In fact, 67% of respondents use the same decorations with a couple of new bits each year, and creating a traditional Christmas feast with the usual favourites of meat, potatoes, stuffing and of course Christmas crackers, too!

With tradition being so important to us Brits, a recent survey (commissioned by LillyPuds), saw the Christmas Pudding ranked more important than mince pies for appearance on the Christmas table.

The same report saw 60% of respondents will have both a Christmas Pudding AND another sweet treat on their Christmas dinner table, 37% of people believe tradition is important when it comes to Christmas desserts and opt for an unadulterated indulgence; shunning “pimped up” puds for the fruity, boozy favourite.

A "must have" for every elegantly dressed dining table and the fantastic finale to a fabulous festive meal this year, has to be an award winning LillyPuds Christmas Pudding.

Made exclusively using only high quality ingredients and produced in England, LillyPuds produce scrumptiously light, fruit-filled puddings suitable for traditionalists and modernists alike.  

With a range of puddings suitable for those looking for a free-from offering too, LillyPuds produce Vegan, Gluten Free and Without Nuts options all which pack a punch in the taste department and their speciality Plum Pudding is orange free after orange allergy sufferers requested a pud they could enjoy too.

All of the ingredients used within a LillyPuds pudding are premium and also sourced responsibly, the packaging can be recycled and is beautiful enough to be given as a present too. So it's Christmas gifting perfection for those foodie members of the family or for a lovely festive hostess or host gift.

The puddings range in price and size, starting at £8.50 for two individual portions ending up going £21.00 for the gigantic 908g. That's almost a kilogram of pudding; so... yes please!  (That's just over two pounds in weight!) The smallest pudding is perfect for one person with the largest serving an entire family. 

Stocked at independent retailers, farm shops and delicatessens UK-wide, and online at the lillypuds.co.uk website.  They can also be found in Ocado, Liberty’s and Selfridges throughout the festive season.

So now the question of which dessert will sparkle on your Christmas dinner table has been answered, now you just need to decide if you’ll enjoy it with cream, custard, ice cream or brandy butter; sprinkled with icing sugar, doused in brandy and flamed, or covered in sparklers!

Christmas 2022 Essentials Sorted With Young Living

This Christmas, you should treat your loved ones, or even yourself (nothing wrong with self-gifting!) with these essential picks from the world leader in essential oils, Young Living. For the person that has it all, your gifts are now covered this holiday season with these fab finds below.  

2022 Countdown Calendar 

24 astonishing treats are now available with the 2022 Countdown Calendar. From fabulously festive oils to make-up favourites from the Savvy Minerals® line, this calendar offers you a chance to sample many of Young Living’s most popular products, with a fantastic overall saving compared to purchasing each item separately! The 2022 Countdown Calendar also features a selection of exclusive products that cannot be shopped anywhere else.

Very Merry VanillaMint Collection 

Whether you experience dry skin or simply want to enjoy some at-home pampering, Young Living’s Very Merry Vanillamint Collection offers pure luxury. Scrub away roughness and reconnect with yourself with the help of the sea salt scrub, which combines a pink Himalayan sea salt base with an invigorating bouquet of essential oils, aloe vera, and green tea extract. Put the finishing touch on your delightful moisturising meditation with the body butter, which uses mango seed butter, jojoba oil, and cupuacu butter for moisturised, soft, and touchable skin. The exclusive Young Living Vanillamint aroma uplifts and relaxes.

-Moisturising ingredients like mango seed and cupuacu seed butters deliver deep, long-lasting moisture for soft, silky skin 

-Exfoliates for healthier-looking and -feeling skin 

Includes:

-Vanilla Mint Body Butter 62 g 

-Pink Himalayan Sea Salt Scrub 97 g

Sweet Maple Bath Bombs 

Take a break from hectic holiday decorating and shopping and create a homey hideaway with a luxurious, Sweet Maple Bath Bomb-infused bath. Sure, it might be cold outside, but you can baby your skin indoors with Sweet Maple Bath Bombs’ naturally derived ingredients, including moisturising coconut and almond oil, magnesium-rich Epsom salt, and a complex, spicy-sweet scent to invigorate chilly nights and help you take a moment away from the cold and chaos. 

-Formulated with naturally derived ingredients to soothe and moisturise skin

-Formulated with Epsom salt, which is rich in minerals to help soothe and soften skin

-Features pure essential oils and a unique combination of moisturising tamanu oil, virgin plum oil extract, and Vanilla oleoresin

-3 per pack

How to Use: Fill tub with warm water. Drop 1 bath bomb in warm water and enjoy the relaxing fizzy and sweet aroma.

Winter Nights Essential Oil 5ml 

Cosy up your home as the nights grow short and the air grows cold with Young Living’s exclusive Winter Nights essential oil blend. This Young Living signature scent combines the cool, inviting fragrances of Northern Lights Black Spruce, Peppermint, Cedarwood and Orange essential oils for a blend that’s simply stunning ahead of the frosty winter season. 

Provides an uplifting, relaxing and serene aroma 

The scent invites the peaceful feeling of a cosy winter night into your home

Can be used during a massage for an invigorating, spa-like experience.

How to Use: Apply to desired area. In case of sensitivity, dilute 5 drops in 10 ml of Young Living V-6®. 

Winter Nights Hand Lotion

With Young Living’s new Winter Nights Hand Lotion, you’ll have the opportunity to enjoy the crisp, sweet, evergreen scents of Northern Lights Black Spruce, Peppermint, Cedarwood, and Orange as they come together in a delightful holiday combination, bringing to mind the magic of softly falling snow, the peace of crisp midnight air in winter, and the warmth of cosy spaces. Made with naturally derived ingredients, this lotion lifts spirits and moisturises hands, helping you to focus on all the best that the winter season has to offer.

Leaves no greasy residue.

Specifically designed to pamper dry skin, including problem areas such as elbows, hands, and heels

Protects the skin’s natural moisture barrier and leaves skin feeling soft and smooth

How to Use: Pump on to hands and massage into skin. 

Winter Nights Foaming Hand Soap

Young Living’s new Winter Nights Foaming Hand Soap combines the woody, cooling fragrances of Northern Lights Black Spruce, Peppermint, Cedarwood and Orange essential oils for a stunning aroma that’ll bring the scents of the season to your home. While both cleansing and invigorating, this soap is also intended to moisturise, helping to prevent over-drying all the way through to spring. 

-Lathers instantly for quick washing 

-Leaves skin soft and clean, with a sweet, woody scent 

-Contains naturally derived, plant-based ingredients

How to Use: Pump foam onto hands, lather, and rinse thoroughly. 

Puppy Ultrasonic Diffuser

Meet the newest Young Living diffuser, Sprout the Puppy. So adorable, Sprout will delight younger members of the family who already love the previous cute diffusers: Feather, Snowy and Happy. 

Sprout comes in a specially-designed packaging, making this gift perfect for the festive season. Featured is a nightlight and white noise function, separate to the diffuser mode. There is a built-in speaker with five different sounds, depending on what atmosphere is desired: rain, birds ocean waves, fan and lullaby. Make friends this Christmas with Sprout, an ideal addition to the family!

Includes: 

-Puppy Ultrasonic Diffuser

The Spirit of the Season Set 

In this magical kit, Young Living included both the stunningly festive Christmas Spirit essential oil, and the Christmas Spirit Foaming Hand Soap, helping you to fill your home with warm and spicy scents that’ll make this a Christmas to remember! 

Includes:

-Christmas Spirit 15 ml 

-Christmas Spirit Foaming Hand Soap (236 ml)

Myrrh Essential Oil

Myrrh (Commipihora myrrha) offers a rich, smoky, balsamic aroma that is purifying, restorative, revitalising, and uplifting. It acts well when use during meditation and includes one of the highest levels of sesquiterpenes available.

Myrrh is referenced throughout the Old and New Testaments of the Bible. The Arabian people believed it helped improve the appearance of skin. Today, myrrh is widely used in oral hygiene products.

3 Wise Men Essential Oil 

Enhance your spiritual connection with this earthy and evocative aroma. Enjoy a sense of balance and bliss by dabbing on your pulse points during morning meditation. Revealing rich Royal Hawaiian Sandalwood*, moisturising Sweet Almond and grounding Myrrh. Or for a decadent treat, add a few drops into a hot bath, slipping into a pool of serenity.

*Royal Hawaiian Sandalwood is a trademark of Jawmin, LLC

The Gift Essential Oil

Capturing Sacred Frankincense, Myrrh and Jasmine for a rich, spicy and sweet day-to-night fragrance. Combining seven ancient oils that have been sought after for centuries for their soothing and calming scents. Try applying a few drops to your beautifying body oil for a sublimely nourishing and luxurious addition. This revitalising blend was inspired by the fictional character Shutran from The One Gift, a novel by Young Living founder D. Gary Young.

Christmas Spirit Essential Oil

This inviting aroma is a Wintery blend of Orange, Cinnamon Bark and Spruce. Cosy up with this warming aroma applying to neckline, enjoying the revitalising and rebalancing notes. Use as an easy touch-up to get you in the spirit in the lead-up to Christmas. Or you may like to add a few drops to your body butter for a rich and decadently spicy scent, for nourished, cared-for skin.

-Warm and spicy festive scent.

-Supports a feeling of happiness, joy and comfort.

-Add to body butter for nourished skin.

Young Living, also has an extensive range of essential oils that can be added to your favourite holiday recipes for a delicious kick of concentrated flavour.

With flavours ranging from Lavender, Peppermint, Lemon, to Nutmeg, there’s something for every palette. Experience healthy cooking for the body, mind and soul - ideal for all dishes, hot and cold and both sweet and savoury.

Nutmeg+

What’s Christmas without Nutmeg! Whether it’s baked into spice cake or blended into tea, this pungent spice offers a warm, nostalgic taste and aroma.

Steam distilled from the fruit and seeds of the tree, Nutmeg+ essential oil food supplement has a sweet and distinctly spicy taste, making it a versatile essential oil.

Peppermint+ 

This delicious and versatile oil promises a bright, cool flavour and can be easily stored in your pantry at home. Thanks to this well-rounded product, you’ll have the opportunity to experiment with your baking or elevating your favourite Christmas treats with this beloved and flavourful oil.

Orange+

Embrace the versatility of Orange Plus essential oil as a culinary tool by using it in your cooking to brighten up or complement dishes with its citrus flavour. Use it in baked goods for an acidic contrast to the sweetness of your favourite Christmas desserts.

For more information, please visit the Young Living website: youngliving.co.uk.

Asda launches fantastic Christmas sandwich range

From festive favourites to special new launches for this season, Asda’s range of  seven Christmas sandwiches and wraps is sure to get shoppers well into the Christmas spirit!

Asda has announced the launch of seven Christmas sandwiches and wraps, including a Vegan ‘No Turkey’ Feast Wrap and new Smoked Salmon and Soft Cheese Sandwich.  

Asda shoppers will be able to enjoy festive flavours like roast turkey, sage and onion stuffing and cranberry and port sauce, plus a very tempting gravy mayonnaise. (YUM!)

The range is a key part of Asda’s largest Christmas range to date, with 723 new items across the store.  

The full range is already available in-store and select products are available now.

An Asda spokesman said: "Christmas officially kicks off when the festive sandwiches hit the Asda shelves. And with the launch of Asda’s 2022 Christmas sandwich range, we’re on the Ho-ho-home stretch to the big day."

From festive favourites to all-new launches, with the Festive Seven sandwiches and wraps to choose from, Asda’s new range is sure to get Asda shoppers in the Holiday spirit.

New for 2022, Asda’s Salmon and Soft Cheese Sandwich (£2.50) is a must-try. Atlantic Farmed salmon is perfectly paired with delicious creamy soft cheese, cut through with a hint of lemon for freshness and layered between slices of oatmeal bread. A very sophisticated sandwich, indeed.

For those eagerly awaiting the Main Event, Asda’s Festive Feast Sandwich (£3) is an utterly perfect choice. Turkey breast, Cumberland sausage and beechwood-smoked bacon are paired with sage and onion stuffing, gravy mayo and cranberry and port sauce. It's a Christmas dinner in a bite!

Looking for something a bit different? Then why not try a twist on a classic? Give the Festive Feast Triple Wrap (£3.30) a try. Turkey and all the trimmings are encased in a delicious tortilla wrap, with the addition of spinach for a touch of freshness. (Wow! Sounds ideal!)

Asda are determined to ensure that no vegan is left behind, so Asda’s range also includes a Vegan ‘No Turkey’ Feast Wrap. A bar-marked wrap complete with succulent soya protein pieces, sage and onion stuffing, braised red cabbage, vegan sage and onion mayonnaise, cranberry and port sauce and fresh spinach. There will be no compromising this Christmas as far as Asda's vegan customers are concerned!

Nothing beats a Christmas leftovers sandwich, but why wait for Boxing Day to tuck into this iconic festive delicacy? With Asda’s Boxing Day Sandwich (£2.50), there’s no need. Smoked turkey breast and oak-smoked ham are paired with cheesy coleslaw and balsamic onion chutney to create the perfect Boxing Day bite, even before the big day!

Looking beyond the Christmas classics, the range also includes a Pork, Apple & Stuffing Sandwich (£2.50) reminiscent of a Christmas Market treat, and Brie and Cranberry Sandwich (£2.50) perfect for lovers of a Christmas cheese board.

The full range is available to buy in-store now, with select products also available to buy online at https://groceries.asda.com/cat/christmas/1215684243334.

Poinsettia season under way for Christmas 2022

They only really became really popular in the UK in the 1980s but now poinsettias are as much a symbol of the beginning of Christmas as mince pies and Christmas crackers.

And that’s good news for British growers who are taking over from the Dutch as the main supplier of the beautiful and vibrant scarlet house plants. 

One of the UK’s biggest poinsettia growers is Bridge Farm Group, based in Spalding, Lincolnshire, who supply Tesco and who now grow more than a million a year. 

In fact in the last five years alone they have increased their supply to the supermarket by nearly 800 per cent. 

Tesco plant buyer Vicky l’Anson said: “When poinsettias first became popular as a houseplant in the late 20th Century we used to import them all from Holland, but now most of our stock is grown in the UK, with Bridge Farm Group our main supplier.  

“The British variety are more acclimatised to the UK climate, so not only do they involve fewer road miles by being grown closer to home, but they are also hardier too.” 

The poinsettia season is one of the shortest and they remain in stores for roughly eight weeks – from the end of October till the end of December.  

Bridge Farm Group Managing Director Louise Motala added: “Growing poinsettia at this time of year requires heat and we know Dutch growers have cut back on production this year due to rising gas prices.

“We have been able to manage our energy costs through the use of sustainable biomass heating, enabling us to continue to produce over one million UK grown poinsettias again this year and ensuring that consumers will still be able to buy this much-loved festive plant this Christmas.”

Poinsettias originated in Mexico where they originally grew much like a straggly weed. They got the name “Poinsettia” after Joel Roberts Poinsett who was a representative of the United States to Mexico as well as being a keen botanist. 

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Asda announces new range of speciality Christmas cheeses, starting at just £1

Perfect for hosting over the Christmas season, Asda’s new selection of a baker's dozen (13!) of speciality cheeses has everything from cheeseboard classics to innovative flavour pairings, ideal for spicing up your festive feasts. And they start from just £1!

Alongside standard and delicious Christmas classics, like brie and smoked cheddar, Asda customers will be able to discover new and exciting flavour combinations which include a show-stopping Double Gloucester Cheese Pâté with Sweet Chilli Jam.

The new range is available as part of the store’s largest Christmas range to date. 

Whether it’s for Christmas party nibbles or a Boxing Day spread, the cheeseboard is a pillar of the festive season. 

This Christmas, Asda has launched a new range of 13 speciality cheeses, including fruity fusions and flavour combinations sure to thrill any turophile.

Looking to impress? Asda’s Queso de Oveja con Aio Negro (Sheep’s Cheese with Black Garlic - £4) will wow any dinner guest with its distinctive veined appearance. A product of the La Mancha region where sheep have grazed for centuries, the Spanish cheese is blended with black garlic from a dairy in Albacete, then sealed and aged. The sweet and nutty cheese pairs perfectly with the balanced, tangy black garlic, which also gives the cheese its stunning marbled appearance.

For a show-stopping centrepiece, take a look at the Extra Special Belton Farm Double Gloucester Cheese Pâté with Sweet Chilli Jam (£5). This rich and creamy Double Gloucester cheese terrine is topped with a sweet and spicy sweet-chilli jam layer and set in a striking star shape, very much the star of the show.

A twist on a classic, Asda’s Extra Special Aged Red Leicester with Geeta’s Mango Chutney makes a sweet and aromatic addition to a cheeseboard, whilst the Extra Special Wensleydale with Fruit Infused with Cognac (£2) adds a tasty and zappy little kick due to the cranberries and raisins soaked in cognac that have been carefully blended with some tasty award-winning Wensleydale.

For those who enjoy fruitier flavours, there's Asda’s Extra Special Tuxford and Tebbut Potted Blue Stilton with Spiced Apple & Port Compote (£4.50)? 

Produced in one of Britain’s oldest creameries, hand-crafted Blue Stilton® is perfectly paired with a fruity compôte of Golden Delicious apples from Spain and Calem Velhotes Tawny Port, sure to get tastebuds tingling.

Shoppers can also find Christmas classics like a creamy Brie de Meaux (£3) and a rich and luxurious Smoked Cheddar with Wax Truckle (£1) as part of the range, meaning from the traditional to adventurous palates, Asda has it all fully covered.

The new range is available to buy online and in-store from 17th November.

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