Kirsty thinks about the foods you eat, so you do not have to

The problem is with people who are on restricted diets (gluten free, for one) is that their allergies or food intolerances do not, magically, switch themselves off for the Christmas period.

Those who are on diets to reduce their weight can laugh off the extra pounds that they put on over Christmas and address the problem in the New Year,  but for people who can't eat gluten or wheat eating delicious foods over Christmas can't be  compensation for the terrible pains that can, literally, have them rolling on the floor in agony.

So what can you do for your guests or family members (or even yourself) if they or you have such irksome food allergies or intolerances?

You don't need to do a thing, you don't need to think, puzzle, or worry, all you have to do is to let Kirsty do all the work for you.

Who is Kirsty? Kirsty is a young, professional chef who produces a range of foods that are designed to taste excellent yet to have no gluten and to have no dairy products in them, making them not only good to eat but safer to eat, too.

Kirsty states: "I don't think our products need dairy or wheat to taste delicious... so we avoid putting them in our recipes. That way everyone can enjoy them, including people with these allergies."

People like my wife, who has, usually, to be very careful about what she eats.

My wife said: "What I love about Kirtsty's meals is that I know the hard work about what allergens might be in them has already been done by Kirsty before I eat them. There are none!

"And I also love the fact that they taste so good! The sausages in the Sausage with Sweet Potato Mash were really tasty, the best sausages I'd tasted in a while and the sweet potato mash was really very good, too.

"I'm not normally a fan of gravy, but I ate all of the gravy as it was very good!"

To learn more visit www.kirstys.co.uk.

Currently the range consists of: Moroccan Vegetables with Quinoa, Sausage with Sweet Potato Mash, Beef Lasagne with a Rich Bolognese Sauce Thai Chilli Chicken with Rice Noodles, Cottage Pie with Sweet Potato Mash, Chicken Tikka Masala with Brown Basmati Rice and Spanish Chicken with Brown Rice.

It's a gift, Jim! But not as we know it!

LivingSocial has unveiled a very interesting selection of free gifts to spread Christmas goodwill.

Special ‘deals’ include promises to do the dishes on Christmas day, share the remote control and even entertain the in-laws!

Local discovery engine LivingSocial has unveiled six alternative Christmas deals to spread Christmas goodwill over this festive season.

In a bid to capture to true spirit of Christmas, the six deals will show that the best presents don’t have to cost you a penny.

LivingSocial’s six goodwill gifts:

1.      Do the dishes on Christmas day https://www.livingsocial.com/content/offers/554-dishes-xmas-uk

Once every last bit of turkey is eaten (and every last sprout brushed aside), there’s the inevitable pile of washing up. Only the chef is exempt so if you need to do your bit, don your favourite pair of rubber gloves and promise to do the dishes after Christmas dinner!

2.      Share the remote control https://www.livingsocial.com/content/offers/556-remote-xmas-uk

Christmas TV is hardly the best, but at the very least it should be democratic. Are you guilty of hogging the remote control? Can you not live without every second of Eastenders or the Downton Abbey Christmas Special? If you’re ready to relinquish control, then share this free gift and promise to let someone else choose for a change!

3.      Entertain the in-laws https://www.livingsocial.com/content/offers/562-inlaws-xmas-uk

Some say Santa Claus has the right idea…only visit once a year. And if that’s all it is, it ain’t too bad! Is it your turn to entertain the in-laws or chat to that wacky aunt this year? Share this free gift and promise to put the effort in this Christmas.

4.      Designated driver https://www.livingsocial.com/content/offers/566-driver-xmas-uk

A festive cocktail or two is a nice treat, but getting stuck in town without a taxi home is no fun on cold winter nights. Do a nice thing and designate yourself as a responsible chauffeur one evening this Christmas by sending this free gift to your friends.

5.      Take your pick from my wardrobe https://www.livingsocial.com/content/offers/570-wardrobe-xmas-uk

Christmas is a time to scrub up and don your glad rags but don’t forget – sharing is caring! Has your friend been dropping hints about your designer shoes, sparkly top or little black dress? Sate her green eyes this Christmas and promise she can take her pick from your closet.

6.      Free pass from the sales https://www.livingsocial.com/content/offers/574-salespass-xmas-uk

The pre-Christmas shopping frenzy is never quite enough, as we all know the best bargains are to be had on Boxing Day and beyond. Remember though, crushing through shopping centre doors isn’t everyone’s cup of tea. Send this promise to your long-suffering bag carrier and let them put their feet up for a change.

Steven Marritt, the ebullient CEO of LivingSocial UK told That's Christmas: "Christmas is all about giving a little back to friends, family and the people who have supported us throughout the year. This is why we've launched our free goodwill deals - to spread a little joy this festive season.

"Lost for ideas? Need a stocking-filler or two? These alternative Christmas gift vouchers are fun, free and exciting presents to share with friends, family and loved ones at Christmas."

The gift vouchers are available to download now from the LivingSocial website and from the links above.


For more information and for your downloads please visit: https://www.livingsocial.com/gb/

The Christmas time pilgrimage to Whittard

Every Christmas my wife and I make our regular pilgrimage to Whittard.

We both buy some of the delicious coffees (which we grind in the coffee grinder we bought from Whittard in our first visit more years ago than we care to remember!)  some teas (the instant teas and the loose leaf teas) and some of the drinking chocolates for me (White Winter is my favourite)  as my wife doesn't like chocolate.

We also like to buy some of the other items that one finds on a visit to Whittard. 

Tea and cup trays sets, biscuits and the like and every tray that we own came from Whittard. This includes a pretty yet very functional Alice in Wonderland Mad Hatter's Tea Party tray that has done sterling service with numerous servings of tea, biscuits, scones, teacakes and the like down through the years.

This year Whittard have an expanded range of Alice in Wonderland items including a delightfully quirky bone china mug a tea pot and more, besides.

To learn more about what is available, how to buy online or the location of your nearest branch, please visit http://www.whittard.co.uk.

I had hoped to show you a photograph of the Almond Praline gift set, but the taste team forgot to save any for the photoshoot!

Alice in Wonderland Tea Party Teapot £35

Alice in Wonderland Alice Mug £10

Alice in Wonderland Mad Hatter Mug with Key Handle £15

From the Gallo Family to your family this Christmas

Several years ago I made a mistake that could have, if not actually ruining Christmas dinner, would certainly not have been quite so good as it should have been.

Just before it was time to start serving Christmas dinner my wife said: "OK, where is the wine to accompany the meal?"

She looked at the expression on my face and said: "Please don't tell me you forgot to buy any?"

Of course, I had forgotten! In my defence I have to say that the life of a journalist can be a bit weird as you are never actually off duty, as such.

"Don't worry!" I said, sounding more confident than I felt. "I'll go to the 24/7 petrol station. They'll be open and I am sure I'll find something there!"

My wife sneered (well, you would, wouldn't you?) and off I set.

When I arrived at the petrol station the expression on my face must have been rather like that of Scrooge in the 1951 version of A Christmas Carol when he was met by the massive feast laid out by the Ghost of Christmas Present in Scrooge's own chamber.

For I saw a chiller cabinet and a large ambient temperature display stand filled with wines and there was a whole range of Gallo Family wines!

An assistant who was busy stocking shelves (he was, of course, wearing a rather fetching elf jumper!) said: "Yeah, the boss always keeps a good selection of wines in. And some bottled real ales, too!"

I made a selection of two suitable bottles of Gallo Family wines (one for the main course, one for desert) and returned home, triumphantly.

So the 24/7 Petrol Station and the Gallo Family helped save our Christmas that year and made me look something of a hero, rather than a forgetful twit!

For this article I am going to look at two wines from the Gallo Family.

The first is an Autumn Red. I am not normally a fan of red wines, but I speak as I find and I find this read wine as being absolutely delicious.

It has a warming, pleasing flavour, which tastes fruity and which reminds me of an Autumn (sorry, Fall!) trip I made to California several years ago, seemingly impossibly warm and sunny, yet still with touches of Autumn to the air.

It's silky smooth, buttery and, as I say, utterly delicious.

The second wine to be tested is a Gallo Family Pink Moscato, also from California.

It's fresh tasting and it is deliciously, wonderfully sweet, yet not overly so.

It is a delightful take on the rose type of wine. The scent is of Californian sunny summer days. Can you hear the buzzing of the bees of California when you open the bottle? Well, no, but you can almost hear them as you take your first sip of this delicious wine.

I have a friend from California (actually from Wine Country, as it happens) who assures me that Californian wines are the best in the world and bearing Gallo Family Pink Mocato wine in mind, I do think that she makes a fair point!

These wines are available from all good wine merchants, the major supermarket chains and at least our 24/7 Petrol Station, too!

Spice Kitchen Mulled Wine

All you need for an excellent mulled wine for your Christmas guests is a couple of bottles of decent bottle of wine (red, usually, but why not be adventurous?) and a packet of Spice Kitchen Mulled Wine.

What you do is follow the instructions that come on the card and the flavour-packed hers and spices in the packet (dried mixed peel, cardamom, cinnamon, black peppercorns, nutmeg, cloves, star anise and ginger) and you will be able to share with your guests one of the best mulled wines you will have tried in ages, perhaps ever, as it really is that good.

In fact, our advice is: Buy the spice in bulk and the wine by the case, because when you share this Spice Kitchen Mulled Wine with your friends and family, you'll be asked to make it time and again!

You do intend to share it? Don't you? Of course you do! After all, sharing is a big part of what Christmas is all about, isn't it?

To learn more about their stunning range of spices, please visit http://www.spicekitchenuk.com/.

Christmas at Wetherspoons

To find out about Christmas dining at Wetherspoons, please click on this link:-
http://www.jdwetherspoon.co.uk/home/christmas.

The perfect Christmas present for the car owner in your life

Turtle Wax have been producing the ideal car preparation and detailing products for several generations of careful drivers.

Now they have two new products that are sure to suit the car enthusiasts in your life.

There's the excellent Refine and Shine Clay Bar Kit at £16.99.

It provides the ultimate in vehicle surface preparation. Simply use the non-abrasive clay bar to safely shift hard to remove contaminants to rub over the surface of a newly washed car. There's even a special spray bottle of Clay Bar Lubricant, too. Use it with any Turtle Wax protective waxing product and the difference will be outstanding.

However, as comedian Jimmy Cricket would say: "But there's more!" and there is, in the form of the Turtle Wax Black Box Detailing Kit at £24.99.

Black is again becoming the number 1 colour amongst many car fans most who work hard to keep their black beauty of a motor car in tip top showroom shape.

This is now easier, with the help of yet another fantastic Turtle Wax product, the Black Box Detailing Kit.

What's in it?

Black pre-wax cleaner, special black caranuba blend wax, a black spray detailer, an applicator cloth, a sponge applicator and a microfibre cloth.

Just add some elbow grease and your pride and joy is back with its showroom shine.

Two great Christmas gifts for the driver in your life.