Last Moment Presents or unexpected guests - greet them with Cheese and Wine

As I walked around town the other day in search of some last minute bits and bobs, I wasshocked at the amount of tat on offer.  And tat with a hefty price tag.

Lots of you have been in touch asking for my thoughts on last minute presents and I thought I would share some of my suggestions with you today.  When you have to shop at the last minute and let's face it lots of us do, the most important thing is not - to buy any old thing that is sitting on the shelves, but to try and buy something the receipient will enjoy.  When I need to shop like this, I always turn to food.

I have never known anyone to turn down a well thought of bottle of wine, or a good plate of cheese.  These are prefect gifts for those difficult to buy for family members, or for friends, or hosts.  

Bottles of bubbles, never go a miss, in any household.  My favourites this season are Marks and Spencer Precesso, which is very dry, lightly bubbled and refreshing, its taste is smooth and fresh.  Precesso is perfect on its own, or mix one bottle with two dashes of Cointreau over ice, with a carton of Pomegranate juice and some clementine segments and a cinnamon stick for a Christmas aroma in a cocktail glass.

Presecco also works as an aperitif before a Turkey Dinner, or as a refreshing drink to accompany the heady flavours of a Turkey Christmas Dinner.

Bellante is a rose vino Spumante, also from Marks and Spencer has a refreshing strawberry flavour, with hints of cherry and summer fruits. Served icily cold it is a sweet aperitif.  Pink Bubbles are a present you can never go wrong with for those gals in your life.  Surprisingly both these sparkling wines are pleasant accompaniments to light snacks or a piece or two of Cheese.

I love the Acaia wood of this cheese board which comes with four artisan cheeses, a Manchego, a bake in the box brie, a piece of mature Cheddar Cheese and a creamy stilton.  This Marks and Spencer product takes the stress and hassle out of trying to chose or serve a cheese board, but cheeseing and presenting it for you, and on a soft and strokeabout woodedn board that can be used time and time again, and not only for cheese, Marks and Spencer allow you to tick cheese off your 'to do' list in one action.

Port is a natural accompanient to the end of a meal, and its not only for old men, but women and young people too.  Served with a slice of lemon, and a few cloves, some brown sugar or a dash of honey, it becomes a Porttoddy, and is infinitely sweeter than the traditional whiskey laced one.

This Marks and Spencer finest reserve comes in a gorgeous round bottle, which for the past four years I have washed out and used for salad dressings, oils and vinegars.  Port is commonly served as a digestif, but mixed with ice, tonic water and a squeeze of lemon, it ibecomes a drink that is slinky and soft a porttonic, and the rich berry flavours in this finest reserve make it a perfect.

I absolutely love this box of biscuits, the decore is very French, and the biscuits haven't been fiddled with too much, they are crisp, crunchy and the box is divine, one that will bring generations of pleasure to its users, when the biscuits are finished.

Maybe you want to buy a small whole cheese, then Marks and Spencer have just the cheese for you - Stilton in a Jar, and Cranberry and Stilon in wax, these cheeses are full of a flavour, and will bring days of great eating.

When you have to buy at the last moment, steer away from chocolate, and instead buy cheese and crackers, wine and cocktails.  Don't buy cheap flowers, or any packaged gifts.  Buy things you would enjoy eating, and you will be amazed at just how much your gifts are enjoyed.

That's it for now ...

Nics

Salt & Sparkle = Life REMARKABLE

Christmas Present Shopping at Marks and Spencer for Foodies and Friends

Marks and Spencer is always one of the shops I do a lot of my Christmas shopping in both for gifts, home decore, and Christmas food.  Today I am going to share with you some of my favourite things for Christmas Gifts from Marks and Spencer.

There are few things more pleasurable at Christmas than the smell of mulled cider, wine or juices.  I seem to constantly have a perserving pan filled with spices and liquids simmering away on my stove, when I am expecting company or even just to fill my house with the smells of cinnamon, ginger, cloves and orange.  THe aroma is inviting and the liquid warming and robust to drink.  Serving mulled drinks can be a bit of a pain and this red jug with Scandanivan designs is just the thing.

You can never have a big enough bowl or a sturdy enough wooden spoon in your kitchen.  I love colour, especially red, and this huge bowl is perfect for mixing cakes, cookies and bread in, and these spoons will mix even the stiftest of doughs.  What is it about wooden spoons, that they bring so much pleasure to the mixer! I love them, and use them constantly.

 

These cake stands make me smile.  The little one is a good size for children to leave Santa a mince pie on Christmas eve, while the larger one would work for a whole array of Christmas purposes - cake, buns, mince pies, and cheese.  These to me are items that will bring years of pleasure and use.

Vetiver is one of my favourite scents, I love its sharp citrusy burst, with a herby undertone.  This Vetiver candle has a full scent that fills a room with freshness.  A pleasant change from all those synthetic Christmas candles out there, that do nothing but fill my head with headaches!

Christmas is all about peace and these mugs with their peace and love messages allow words of life to be declared over everyone who drinks from them.

Tins of sweet biscuits are always handy to have in the cupboard at Christmas, offering a little something to give to visitors or last minute callers to your home, especially if you haven't had time to keep your tins full of baked goodies over the entire Christmas period - from experience I know that is no mean feat.  I love the mesage of joy this tin brings, and I can't wait to fill it full of lovely things and use for years to come.  JOY is another message of Christmas.

I have lots of little people to get small gifts for at Christmas, and I don't buy pointless presents.  I love to give presents that bring people joy, and I have never seen a child's face not erupt into a huge smile the moment Percy Pigs are produced.  These presents are both yummy and practical. For some of the children I have been teaching to cook this year, the Percy Pig timer will be perfect to help them time their own poached eggs, while the mug and keep sake time will get continual use throughout the year, and the tin with the biscuits is perfect for keeping pencils in after the cookies have been consummed.

I love candlelight, and these glass candlesticks make a great addition to any dining table.  I will be using them throughout the year, as nothing but nothing beats eating by candlelight.

I love chocolate but not just any chocolate - it has to be dark and delicious.  At the end of dinner rather than serve some sort of creamy concoction I have often been known to skip pudding and instead serve bowls of chocolates.  

These Chocolate Almonds bring a flakely almond together with a coating of dark chocolate and a dusting of cocoa powder, they are delicious with a coffee or on their own.  Salted Caramel seems to have been the flavour of 2012, these little balls have a crunch of chocolate and are filled with runny salty caramel, balancing sweet and salty.  

The mint chocolate buttons are perfection.  I really don't like fondent filled dinner mints, what I do love is mint chocolate, and these mints combine the darkest chocolate with pungent mint oil.

Any of these boxed chocolates would make a hostess gift that would be well received, or a great present for doctors, dentists, hairdressers and the like - they are decadent and delicious and packaged in rich chocolate and gold colours, which makes looking at them very appetising.

Serving a bar of chocolate at the end of dinner, especially one filled with crunchy macademia nuts, and chewy caramel nuggets makes of a delicious pudding that lifts the palate after a heavy meal.  I love to serve broken bars of chocolate after an apres-ski fondue, or a heavy roast dinner.  Best of all these chocolate bars are make in Ireland, by Lir Chocolatiers.

How is your Christmas Shopping going?  I hope these ideas have helped you fill the parts of your list that were causing your concern.

Merry Christmas,

That's it for now ...

Nics

Salt and Sparkle = Life Remarkable

Silence in the busyness of the Christmas Season

'In our chatty world, in which the word has lost its power to communicate, silence helps us to keep our mind and heart anchored in the future world and allows us to speak from there a creative and recreative word to the present world.'

- Henri J.M. Nouwen

Take time to breathe in the silence over the Christmas period, your soul, spirt, mind and body will thank you for it.

How do you let silence soak into you?

That's it for now ...

Nics

Salt & Sparkle = Life Remarkable

Stillle Nacht, Heilige Nacht

On a white Christmas Eve in 1818, there was an incident at the Nikolaus-Kirche,  in Oberndorf, Austria. Choirmaster Franz Xaver Gruber discovered that mice had knawed through the ropes of his organ.  Meaning, that the Christmas Eve Mass would not have any music.  

Having a guitar to hand, and using only three chords he wrote the melody, and the Priest of Nikolaus-Kirche Father Joseph Mohr wrote the lyrics.  Those attending Christmas Eve Mass heard one of the most beautiful Christmas Carols of all time, and my all time favourite Silent Night.

The beauty in the simplicity of the music, the soaring soprano, and deep bass, touch my soul, and make the hairs rise on the back of my neck every time.  As a little girl of eleven, it was the first carol solo that I sang at my primary school. 

What is your favourite carol?

That's it for now ...

Nics

Salt and Sparkle = Life Remarkable

I have got a feeling, this year's for me & you

I adore Christy Moore - his music is solace for my weary soul.  His ability to capture emotion, and tell a story in music, that somehow identifies with your story, with my story, is the magic that very few have, it is the wonder of the singer / songwriter.

"I have got a feeling, this year's for me & you - Happy Christmas"

Tell me about a Christmas Song that you like.

That's it for now...

Nics

Salt and Sparkle = Life Remarkable

Happy Birthday Gran

Make a Memory 

Today is the anniversary of my Gran’s birthday.  We were very close.  There really isn’t a day that goes by when I don’t think about her.  When she was alive we spoke nearly all the time, sometimes several times a day.  We talked about everything; the birds she had seen in her garden, the people who had come to visit, my latest romantic panic, but mainly we talked a lot about food, what she had baked that day, what we had eaten, what we were going to eat, who was coming for dinner and where we would seat them at the table.  On Christmas Day we often had 30 people for lunch. There was a lot of preparation to do the day before.

On Christmas Eve, for as long as I can remember Gran and I hung out together in the kitchen – cooking and listening to ‘Carols from Kings’.  She taught me how to make stuffing, and prepare the turkey, how to cross sprouts, and peel vegetables – leaving them in bowls of cold water with wedges of lemon so they didn’t go brown - how to boil and roast the ham, with a special clove, honey, cider mixture, and how to make trifle, and fruit puddings.  As we followed ancient handwritten recipes in our family cook books Gran shared stories with me from when she was a little girl.  Stories that have become a part of my history – like when her sister, my great aunt decided to make a Christmas cake under the dining room table complete with butter, fruit, flour and no bowl – you can imagine the mess – this story has entertained people for generations.  Today as I prepare the traditional Christmas dinner for my family, I remember these stories, all her little kitchen tricks, the carols we sang and the laughter we shared and the importance of a well-set table and a good placement.  My mind is full of marvellous memories.

This winter as you prepare for Christmas enjoy listening to the stories of the older generation; they have great tales to tell and when they pass their stories pass too.  Take time to listen, to make a memory, you won’t regret it.

Nicky Cahill 2010 -

The text above is taken from a 'Thought for the Day' that I wrote for BBC Radio last Christmas.  I felt it was the best way to celebrate Gran, and the legacy she gave me today.  As I prepare for Christmas this year, each moment spent in the kitchen reminds me of the time Gran & I spent together.

A photo I took of Gran, just before we went to visit my newborn baby sister for the first time

A picture from the early 1940s of my Gran, taken my my Grandpa

Another shot by my Grandpa of Gran, Mummy & Tandy

My favourite picture of Gran, taken by Grandpa that I keep on the wall in my room

Gran I miss you more than words can say, Happy Birthday to you, hope the angels are throwing you one beautiful party.

What are you favourite Christmas memories?

That's it for now ...

Nics

Salt and Sparkle = Life Remarkable

Christmas Gift Guide - Daylesford Organic

Christmas Shopping can be tremendously difficult, and tiresome.  No matter, how much you love buying gifts, choosing presents, or shopping.  I think it has something to do with hundreds of people all on the same mission, crowded into shops, hurrying on streets, or generally just rushing around. 

I love giving gifts to people.   Pondering on what to give, is one of my favourite activities.  I want to give presents that will make the receiver smile.  

Last year, I thoroughly enjoyed reading all the gift guides, that flood the blogsphere, and I got lots of great ideas for my own presents.  This year, I thought over the next few weeks I would suggest some places, where I will be buying gifts, in the hope that my suggestions, help you with your own shopping.

Today, I have choosen to feature Daylesford Organic - a company I discovered, with my great friend Neil several years ago in London.  We were wondering around Pilmico, thinking of what to make for supper, we had two friends coming over, and wanted to serve something really simply, but divine in taste.  Well heaven was watching out for us when we stumbled upon what has to be one of the most beautiful shops I have ever been in - Daylesford Organic.

Everything about the shop made me smile - the sense of space, the beautiful products, the passion behind the produce, and the store itself, the care that the staff took when they served you, the little tasting plates that allowed us to try & nibble on a great selection of the products before we bought them, the ethos of organic, local, sustainable, tasty, green, the quality of the cheeses, and breads, the great selection of wine, the beautiful homeware.  

This was a shop that had been created with love.  

And, Neil and I feel in love with everything they had to offer.  We left with a basket full of the freshest produce. Everything with a provenance, that made me smile.  There truly is no better feeling, than being able to buy food from people who are passionate about their produce.  Our table that night had Bledington Blue Cheese, & Daylesford Blue Cheese, Organic Fennel Poppy Seed Crackers, Daylesford Organic Apple & Chilli Chutney, cured meats, smoked almonds, and the most delicious sourdough bread - that actually I could have just nibbled on without anything else.  Good bread - really is one of the joys of my life. For pudding we had a Daylesford Organic Lemon Drizzle Cake, which we served with a thick west country yogurt.  To drink we had an Organic Prosecco with a drizzle of Damson Gin - a perfect Christmas morning cocktail if ever there was one.

 

Daylesford have beautiful gifts from Christmas - all the food products I have mentioned above are available, as well as the most fantastic Christmas Hampers -

to stunning scented candles made with natural fragrances, that come in fabulous Kilner jars, which mean the fragrance of the wax does not get lost when your candle isn't burning because you can close it & they last forever - my favourite one was Geranium Leaf

To the most amazing wooden spoons - and wooden spoons for me are pretty much, the essential Kitchen item, getting a good one, with a comfortable handle can be tough, but for me Daylesford have it just right

Then there are these beautiful little Felt keepsakes - I actually was given the heart as a present, by a dear friend, and it hangs proudly in my study - these little gifts are handmade in India, and help women to help create a sustainable business for themselves.  With some many Christmas decorations and gifts of questionable provenance, to be able to give something that in turn blesses the maker, brings even more joy to me as the giver.

Not to forget the most divinely scented selection of soaps, creams, and all things smelly for the bath as well as a great Baby range - 

This is a company that I urge you to check out for Christmas Gifts that are good for the body and soul.

Keep an eye out for some further posts on Daylesford Organic coming in the New Year, that will tell of my adventures when I visited their farm, and cookery school.

That's it for now ...

Nics

Salt and Sparkle = Life Remarkable