I think this is what everyone is saying, Christmas started this year even earlier than before! The pressure of the shops, the Christmas deals mid November, and I spotted Christmas cards in August… This week we have had several festive workshops.  For the wreath workshops I have collaborated with the talented Gaynor from Enfleur Design. This is the second year I have been working with Gaynor, and had some great sessions.  Groups of 10-20 ladies (sorry they have all been ladies

This time last week I was at Country Living Magazine – Christmas Fair at the London Business Design Centre. As always lots of wonderful gift ideas, beautiful clothes, stationery and jewellery. The food hall was packed to the rafters with great products, and seasonal smells. I was demonstrating on the Country Kitchen stage with Chef, Marie-Clare James and we got chatting about getting ahead for Christmas. Edible gifts which save not only money but when time is short. She loves

So I could do with three more weeks to get everything wrapped and sorted. Why do I always think I am organised and then realise actually I still have a huge amount of sorting out to do. With just two days to go I have to do pretty much all my wrapping and although I have been living in my local supermarkets visiting daily,if not twice daily, I will have to pick up the turkey (collecting Christmas Eve) and a few more bits over the weekend. I did joke with some friends last nig

Further down the list of festive preparations, however, I cannot find a purple tractor for my 5 year old nephew, every other colour, the hunt continues! My blog from this time last year where I talked about Christmas present ideas and home kits were popular.  Here we are again and there are still some of my favourites on the Delicious Magazine, Gift Guide for this year (like to think I am accurate with my predictions). “For the experimental – home-curing kits for salmon or ba

This week has been one of the busiest food related for the year, so far!  With the lead up to Thanksgiving my thoughts are back to our friends in America and the wonderful feast we used to share with them. Turkey and all the trimmings sometimes a bigger event than Christmas itself particularly when we lived over in Tennessee. Then in the US and now this side of the pond the Black Friday day of shopping. A day or now more like the whole weekend that I guess the retailers hope

Date: Saturday 9th December 2017 Time: 11:30-2.30pm Venue: Crockham Hill Village Hall, TN8 6RP Come and get all ready for Christmas…decorate your own festive wreath ready to hang on the door, lunch and a glass of bubbles to get you into the Christmas mood and a chance to see Christmas canapes demonstrated which can all be made in advance! Cost is £50 and includes all equipment needed for your wreath, food, and a glass of bubbles to get you in to the festive mood. #wreath #pre

Date: Wednesday 6th December 2017 Time: 7.30pm-10pm Venue: Crockham Hill Village Hall, TN8 6RP Come and get your festive entertaining sorted in advance with creative Christmas canapes ideas.  A chance to roll up your sleeves and make your own turkey wellington. Christmas cake decorating tips from Sally Boulton, for example make your own sugar paste robin ready to take home and pop on your cake! Cost is £30 and includes all food, a glass of bubbles to get you in to the festive

This is another one pot but even easier as it can be made in the microwave. Ingredients: 1 cup dried cranberries 2 cups hot water 1 med. Onion 1 cup uncooked Arborio rice 1 tbsp olive oil 2 ¾ cups chicken stock ¾ cups dry white wine ½ tsp each salt and pepper ½ cup blanched slivered almonds 2 stalks celery 2 oz cream cheese 2 cups cooked chicken or turkey breasts (I use a pre-cooked deli chicken) ¼ cup finely chopped fresh parsley (optional) Combine cranberries

I love this recipe as its a throw in one pot and pop in the oven. You add the sliced pieces of smoked salmon to serve with a little fresh dill. Ingredients: rapeseed oil for frying 500g leeks, thinly sliced 2 garlic cloves, crushed 300g risotto rice 500ml vegetable stock 750ml milk 100ml creme fraiche juice of 2 lemons 200g smoked salmon pieces fresh dill Heat the oven to 180C/gas 4. Using a oven/flameproof casserole dish with a lid, fry the oil and leeks for a few minutes un

So today the girls break up from school and the routine all changes as we have a couple of weeks of well earned holidays. Last night we went up to Kew Gardens to see the Christmas lights and they really are magical. Some displays are with music and others are just a feature like the ‘beehive’ – beautiful and if you are already booked in this Christmas to visit, I hope you enjoy as much as we did! Christmas presents are nearly all wrapped and I have posted all my cards (that w

I have been looking at what I think is ‘the thing’ this Christmas, for ‘foodies’ that is… and in my opinion its the ‘How to make’ kit… I have never seen so many on the market you really can buy a kit to make everything and anything, or so it seems. Make your own bread and cakes are always in the supermarket year round but even ‘Delicious Magazine’ had a few on their ‘top gift ideas’ for this Christmas. 30-minute fudge a top present for a teenager, DIY Delicious-ness with a Ch

Christmas Muffins Ingredients: 2 cups self-raising flour 1 teaspoon baking powder 1 teaspoon ground allspice ½ cup light brown sugar 1 cup fruit mincemeat 1 egg, lightly beaten ½ cup (4oz) butter, melted ¾ cup buttermilk 1 tablespoon milk 2 teaspoons Demerara sugar Preheat oven to 400F / 200C Mix the flour, baking powder, allspice, and brown sugar together in a large bowl. Melt your butter and mix together the mincemeat, egg, melted butter, buttermilk, and milk. Add the wet i

Adapted from Delia’s Happy Christmas recipe book. Ingredients: 450g cooking apples, cored and peeled and chopped small 225g shredded suet 350g raisins 225g sultanas 225g currants 225g whole candied peel,finely chopped 350g soft dark brown sugar zest and juice of 2 oranges zest and juice of 2 lemons 50g almond slivers 4 teaspoons mixed ground spice 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon whole nutmeg, for grating 6 tablespoons of brandy Method: Combine all the ingredients, except the bra

Hopefully Christmas cake is made and pudding too, if you make it from scratch.  I have also made homemade mincemeat this year which I love and makes a real difference in those mince pies! I have enough jars to get me through the holidays. Another delicious recipe idea is Christmas muffins. A delicious way to use up leftover jars of mincemeat after Christmas or to christen a new jar, whichever way, they are great with a cup of coffee over the Christmas period. As you know I ha

Our teenage daughter was born in the states, Tennessee to be precise so we used to celebrate Thanksgiving in a big way. It was a good time of year for family to come from the UK and visit away from the Christmas holidays and we found Thanksgiving was more popular than Christmas for bringing American families together. Falling on the fourth Thursday of November the festival dates from 1621, when a group of New England pilgrims served a feast to their Native American neighbours

These work for any round cheese brie or camembert. Chilli-Pecan Camembert Ingredients: 50 g pecan halves, coarsely chopped 1 fresh jalapeño chilli (or other fresh green chilli), seeded and finely chopped 70 g apricot jam 1 round (250 g) Camembert cheese (about 10-11 cm in diameter) 1/2 large French baguette (about 200-225 g total weight) Olive oil Directions: Preheat oven to 190°C/fan 170°C/Gas 5. Coarsely chop pecans. Finely chop jalapeño using Food Chopper. In small bowl, c

Thursday 15th December 2016 Christmas Cake Decorating Workshop – Harris Room, Crockham Hill Village Hall Sally Boulton and I will be running this ‘hands-on’ workshop. Starting the evening with a selection of Christmas canapés and a glass of festive fizz, sit back and watch Sally in action. Showing us some beautiful festive decorating tips and ideas for your Christmas cake this year. Come and learn how to marzipan, ice and decorate a rich fruit and a madeira sponge cake. You w

Thursday 8th December 2016 Christmas Cake Decorating Workshop – Harris Room, Crockham Hill Village Hall Sally Boulton and I will be running this ‘hands-on’ workshop. Starting the morning with plenty of coffee and homemade shortbread (of course) and watching Sally in action. Showing us some beautiful festive decorating tips and ideas for your Christmas cake this year. Come and learn how to marzipan, ice and decorate a rich fruit and a madeira sponge cake. You will go home with

Saturday 3rd December 2016 – Crockham Hill Primary School After 8 years dedicated to food, Jo Banks brings creative recipe ideas together through fun, clear, interactive presentations and hands-on workshops/classes. “Cookery is a life skill and a subject I feel very passionate about! I have two daughters and I feel the more children can be involved in preparing food – from the beginning – the more likely they will enjoy eating and exploring adventurous tastes and flavours.” J

This was an extremely busy week. Back to normal after half term, and Halloween on a school night, which I can never remember! It didn’t cramp our style too badly but I think we had a lot less visitors… The Spirit of Christmas has been on all week at Olympia in South Kensington. I got up for the day with Sue and we had a great day, although slightly rushed – I realised my watch was still on summer time, so we missed the Champagne Tasting. It really got me in the mood, I cannot