Skincare Pamper Box for Mums and Daughters from Comme des Jumelles this Christmas

This Christmas, lovingly created brand Comme des Jumelles invites mothers and daughters to enjoy pamper time together.

Created by a mother wanting to spend more quality time with her three girls, Comme des Jumelles cares for the natural beauty of mums and their daughters and nurtures the bonds between them offering the opportunity of special moments of beautiful togetherness.

Consciously and cleverly made to cater for young skin as well as older skin with a minimum of 95% natural ingredients and easily recycled packaging, the product range offers natural, eco-friendly skincare that celebrates eternal beauty and is respectful of mums and daughters' skin as well as the environment. 

The concise range consists of the Magic Gelée, Double Act Gel to Milk Cleanser & Hydrating Mask and and Comme Une Caresse Hand & Body Cream. Both are available individually and together in the Pamper Box retailed at £59.

The gel to milk & mask Magic Gelée effectively removes daily grime as well as make-up, leaving skin nourished, clean, and fresh. Sweet Almond Oil harnesses powerful restorative properties while helping improve acne whilst Argan Oil melts away impurities creating the perfect combination for young skin facing challenging hormonal changes. Raspberry extract acts as a powerful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory, whilst apricot gently moisturises any dry areas, providing balance to any complexion. Fragranced delicately with Vanilla Absolute, your skin is left with a beautiful, warming scent.

Comme Une Caresse Hand & Body Cream which means ‘like a hug’, deeply moisturises with Jojoba Oil and Shea Butter and envelops the skin with a veil of unique yet subtle honey, vanilla and lavender scents to relax and calm. Clarifying and antibacterial Blue Tansy Oil minimises redness, and provides a soothing sensation when applied, while the Sodium Hyaluronate deeply hydrates.

With two beautiful, delicate, and caring products to be used by mothers and daughters, Comme des Jumelles celebrates women and their special bond and encourages ‘us time

These will make absolutely gorgeous Christmas gifts from the women in your life. 

http://commedesjumelles.com

Sustainable lifestyle accessories and gifts from LanRetro

LanRetro is a Surrey based small company, specialising in handmade hair scarves, customised accessories, and gifts.

They are passionate about creating beautiful accessories that are also good for the planet, too.

Made to order, their cotton hair scarves are available in a variety of colours/patterns and where possible, produced from recycled fabrics. 

You can also choose a gift from their range of vibrant lifestyle accessories including clutch bags, phone cases and holders.

LanRetro is committed to reducing its environmental impact, by using recycled packaging and shipping products in carbon-neutral packaging.

Contact: lanretrovintage@gmail.com

www.instagram.com/lanretro_vintage

Unique Christmas gifts from Hannah B Pottery

Are you looking for gifts for the person or people in your life who have everything?

If so, you will need to take a look at what who Hannah B Pottery has to offer.

Hannah B Pottery has a wide range of absolutely gorgeous and beautiful, unique handmade ceramics. Made slowly and with lots of love in Cambridgeshire. 

From bowls and mugs, to Christmas decorations and coasters there's lots and lots to choose from!

You can visit Hannah at www.hannahbpottery.com.

Festive Feasts: Catering for Vegan Guests at Christmas

The Christmas season is a time for celebration, togetherness, and, of course, indulging in delicious food. While traditional Christmas feasts often centre around meat and dairy-heavy dishes, there's a growing trend towards accommodating diverse dietary preferences and needs, including veganism. 

Whether you have vegan guests joining your festivities or are simply looking to introduce more plant-based options to your holiday table, catering for vegans at Christmas can be a delightful and compassionate endeavour. In this blog post, we'll explore the world of vegan holiday cooking, offering tips and mouth-watering recipe ideas that will ensure everyone has a jolly time around the Christmas dinner table.

Communication is Key

Before you start planning your Christmas menu, it's important to communicate with your vegan guests. Find out their specific preferences and dietary restrictions. Some vegans may not consume any animal products, while others may be more flexible. This information will help you tailor your menu to their needs and preferences, making the holiday experience enjoyable for all.

Embrace Plant-Based Staples

To cater to your vegan guests, it's essential to incorporate plant-based staples into your dishes. Here are some vegan alternatives to traditional ingredients:

Use plant-based milk like almond, soy, or oat milk in place of cow's milk for creamy sauces, mashed potatoes, and desserts.

Substitute vegan butter or margarine for dairy butter in recipes.

Replace eggs with flax or chia seed "eggs" or commercial egg replacers in baking.

Utilise plant-based proteins such as tofu, tempeh, seitan, or legumes like chickpeas and lentils for main courses.

Vegan Appetisers

Begin your festive feast with delightful vegan appetizers that everyone will enjoy:

Roasted Vegetable Platter: Roast a variety of colourful vegetables with olive oil, herbs, and spices. Serve with a vegan dip like hummus or a tahini sauce.

Stuffed Mushrooms: Fill mushroom caps with a savoury mixture of breadcrumbs, garlic, herbs, and vegan cheese.

Vegan Cheese Platter: Create a cheese platter featuring vegan cheeses made from nuts or soy, paired with fruits, nuts, and crackers.

The Main Event

For the centrepiece of your vegan Christmas dinner, consider these options:

Nut Roast: A well-seasoned mixture of nuts, grains, and vegetables, baked to perfection, and served with vegan gravy.

Stuffed Squash: Hollowed-out acorn or butternut squash filled with a delicious mixture of quinoa, cranberries, and herbs.

Vegan Wellington: Layers of roasted vegetables, mushrooms, and a savoury filling wrapped in flaky pastry.

Sides and Salads

Vegan side dishes and salads can be just as vibrant and flavourful as their non-vegan counterparts. Consider adding these to your Christmas spread:

Maple-Glazed Brussels Sprouts: Roasted Brussels sprouts drizzled with maple syrup for a sweet and savoury twist.

Vegan Green Bean Casserole: A creamy mushroom and green bean dish topped with crispy onions.

Winter Quinoa Salad: A hearty salad featuring quinoa, roasted winter vegetables, and a zesty vinaigrette.

Decadent Desserts

Don't forget the sweet treats! Vegan desserts are delicious and a wonderful way to end your Christmas meal:

Vegan Pumpkin Pie: A classic dessert with a vegan twist using coconut milk or cashew cream.

Chocolate Avocado Mousse: A rich and creamy dessert made with ripe avocados and cocoa powder.

Vegan Gingerbread Cookies: Adorable and flavourful cookies, perfect for decorating.

Catering for vegan guests at Christmas can be a delightful culinary adventure. By embracing plant-based staples, communicating with your vegan guests, and trying out creative vegan recipes, you can create a Christmas feast that delights everyone at the table. Remember, Christmas is about sharing and togetherness, so why not share the joy of delicious vegan dishes with your loved ones this year? Merry Christmas!

(Image courtesy of -Rita-👩‍🍳 und 📷 mit ❤ from Pixabay)

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Feeding Christmas Nostalgia with Natural, Pasture-Fed Dairy from Hollis Mead

With Christmas just around the corner, who doesn't look forwards to those special nostalgic indulgences like cheese?

Hollis Mead is one of the only certified 100% Pasture Fed, organic dairies and creameries in the UK and produces a growing selection of award-winning soft cheeses.

Their organic Benville Brie and Truffled Benville Brie have both won 3 Stars in the Guild of Fine Food, Great Taste Awards in 2022 & 2023, an accolade given to less than 1% of the 14,000 entries each year. And their special edition Corscombe Camembert, also returns this Christmas and joins their Brie's to form the perfect Christmas triad of cheese!

Founded in 2020, the vision at Hollis Mead is to help people fall back in love with natural, organic, dairy. To do this they realised they need to demonstrate there is a different, healthier, and more natural way of consuming dairy which is in balance with nature.

They are developing a unique dairy brand which disrupts conventional dairy and the growth of plant-based, highly processed alternatives. Their cows eat 100% pasture from our organic farmland and live outside for most of the year until the weather makes this intolerable for their wellbeing. They only milk their cows once a day which means much less stress on the animal and (they believe), a much higher quality of life for them.

From their 100% pasture-fed, organic milk, they produce a glittering array of award winning, natural dairy products including cream, yoghurts, fine cheeses, butters, crème fraiche, cottage cheese and cultured kefir's as well as exclusive Christmas products like Brandy Cream and Brandy Crème Fraiche.

The Great British Cheese Hamper - £50

Treat your tastebuds to their award-winning Sustainable British Cheese Hamper. Hand made with fresh milk on the farm, using only traditional methods. Unique in quality and taste, because of their 100% pasture fed organic cows' milk.

The hamper contains their Benville, an award winning triple cream cheese (250g), their Truffled Benville, an award winning brie style cheese with wild truffles (250g), their Corscombe - a delicious camembert style cheese (250g) and their unique Cottage Cheese - a creamy, protein rich cottage cheese (300g).

The Hollis Mead Christmas Hamper - £60

Treat family and friends to their award-winning dairy products this Christmas! Made by hand with fresh milk on the farm, using traditional methods. Unique in quality and taste, because of their 100% pasture fed organic cows' milk.

The hamper contains their Benville, award winning triple cream cheese (250g),  their Truffled Benville – award winning brie style cheese infused with wild truffles (250g), their Corscombe Camembert, their popular camembert style cheese (250g), their Salted Butter, award winning and hand rolled brandy butter (200g), their special Christmas Brandy Crème Fraiche, made with their 100% pasture fed organic cow's milk with a splash of Brandy (300g), and their Brandy Cream, made using 100% pasture fed organic cow's milk with a hint of brandy (300g).

All Christmas products will be available from https://hollismead.com from mid-November 2023.

Photograph courtesy of Richard Budd Photography (https://www.richardbudd.co.uk).