Ten things I love about Christmas

• Time with my family. Not everyone gets to have time off over Christmas, and this year I have to work on Boxing Day, but I do love time with my family. Visiting distant relatives is easier too as roads are less busy (assuming you drive at what is usually the rush hour) and it's lovely to sit and just be, with people you love.
• Mince pies. People get a bit weird if you eat them at other times of the year, but I do love the slightly sharp, slightly sweet, often alcohol infused, taste of a mince pie. Best made at home with homemade pastry - though I've yet to be brave enough to make my own mincemeat. (and yes American readers, it really is meat - well suet - and fruit, the tudors were big on meat and fruit, and jolly well done I say!) 
• Marzipan. Life should contain more marzipan, Christmas seems happy to take up the slack left by the rest of the year. From marzipan fruits to dark chocolate covered marzipan and marzipan on a cake...mmmm marzipan.
• Eating odd foods at odd times. Turkey leftovers for breakfast, cake for lunch, toast for tea, Christmas seems to be a time when a sudden urge to eat walnuts is acceptable. The joy of eating what you like, when you like is oddly freeing (matched only by festival living) and while one may end up over full, it's only a couple of days so I think we can risk it..another sausage roll?
• Alcohol for breakfast. Bucksfizz, drunk only on wedding mornings and Christmas. An excuse to drink cava or champagne with the strange idea that it's healthy because of the orange juice. (don't have alcohol for breakfast if you are planning to drive and visit relatives, obviously)
• Watching people open gifts. I like getting presents but I know I'm a grown up because I now genuinely prefer to see other people open their gifts. The sight of a child realising as they tear the wrapping that it's the thing they've always (for the last 6 months) wanted...priceless.
• Helping Father Christmas. Sometimes the great man can't be at every house and so it falls to us parents to take up the slack, obviously we don't have to do this every year and he sends us special instructions when we do, but creeping into a sleeping child's room, hearing them (pretending to) sleep, watching the flicker of eyelids as they dream, and then popping their gifts into a stocking, is the best feeling.

• Left overs. Related to the eating anything at anytime, but left overs are great. Bubble and squeak, refried christmas pudding (fry a slice in butter - you're welcome) , picking turkey from the bones when you nip to the fridge for more beer, I love leftovers.
• Christmas lights. I love the festive look the twinkling lights of Christmas give to a home. Once our tree is up adding a coloured warmth to the lounge I never want to take it down.

• Memories. Memories that are being made and memories of Christmases past, each year we buy a new decoration for the tree and so I remember 2 year old DD choosing a shining toy soldier or a 4 year old DD choose a tinkling ginerbreadman bell. Each Christmas stored in a memory on the tree. I look forward to more memories being created this year too. Not all memories are so happy, as we think of loved ones no longer with us, but somehow the warmth and hope of Christmas (or it may be the sherry) let's us remember the happy times we shared with them.

I hope Christmas holds much joy for you and yours. And that memories, even the sad ones,  flow as liberally as the sherry.

Top Ten Smoothie Making Tips

I use a Smoothie2Go smoothie maker that was a gift. I like it because it’s simple, cheap and easy to clean, so it hasn’t been used once and ignored! Summer is coming and I’m feeling fruity! I thought you might be too so here are my top ten smoothie making tips.

Copyright: / 123RF Stock Photo

• Use recipes. If you are new to smoothies don’t be scared to follow someone else’s plan. Once you get used to making them you’ll get more adventurous, but at the start, before you are sure which fruits complement each other, use some recipes.

• Use a cheaper juice as the liquid. Smoothie makers smooth and blend fruit into a liquid but they need some liquid to start with! Use common juices as a base, orange, pineapple, apple. Later when you try new things branch out into coconut, cranberry or guava.

• Don’t add ice. Some people will suggest you add ice when blending to cool the smoothie, don’t. Ice just dilutes the smoothie and might stop the fruits blending. If the fruit is very warm the ice will melt even faster and not make a noticeable difference. Try using a chilled ‘base juice’

• Use frozen berries and fruit. Perfect to make a frozen smoothie but without ice! Buy a bag of frozen berries in the supermarket and you’ll always have fruit on hand for a smoothie. Or freeze your own when it’s in season.

• Add alcohol to a frozen smoothie. Make your own exotic cocktail (over 18s only) to drink on a sunny day or after work …mmmmm… almost healthy.

• Smoothies are best made and drunk fresh. Storing them is OK but they can separate or change colour as the fruit acids oxidise. Short term storage won’t hurt you but kids might be put off by the ‘weird’ look. So try and drink them fresh.

• Use milk and yogurt sometimes instead of (or with) fruit. Lots of recipes for more filling smoothies are out there. Ice cream is another fun dairy based addition, mix and match some flavours and make your own thick shakes. Honey is good as a sweetener for both milk and fruit based drinks.

• Warm smoothies are nice! You can make warm smoothies using milk bases and oats, apple, honey and cinnamon for example, tastes like apple pie! Delicious, and great for bedtime.

• Buy some smoothie straws. Ordinary straws are too narrow for smoothies. ‘Bits’ will get stuck in the straw and the power you need to suck a thick juice up a thin straw is surprising! Buy a box of wider smoothie straws, and maybe long spoons for those really thick frozen smoothies.

• Once you are used to the proportions of fruit/frozen fruit/juice or milk etc, take some risks and try your own recipes. Try some of your favourite fruits together. Experiment with tinned fruits too. Some fruits are more watery and bland than others, you need very few raspberries to add flavour but most strawberries are tasteless for example (in my opinion) Fruit that is getting past its best is great in a smoothie…bananas looking over ripe? Make a banana ice cream smoothie!

Good luck – Do you have a favourite recipe to share?

Poldark drinking game

First there was the Merlin drinking game, then there was the Musketeers (that's still on, do play along!) and now with the joy that is Aidan Turner as Ross Poldark in the new BBC adaptation of Poldark...there is the Poldark drinking game.

As before the rules are simple, if you see a thing on this list happen in the show, you drink. Choose wisely, use shots at your peril, maybe mouthfuls of wine (or tea) or even play with mini marshmallows or skittles, the choice is yours. Have fun, drink responsibly (because those stains won't come out of that sofa)

A beautiful Cornish sunset/sunrise - 1 drink

Two people share a horse - 1 drink

Anyone bleeds - 1 drink

Ross Poldark is topless - 1 drink

Anyone is naked - 2 drinks

Someone leaps to their feet knocking over wine glasses etc - 1 drink

A fight where anyone rolls up their sleeves or removes a coat first - 1 drink

Ross Poldark's ruffled shirt is undone - 1 drink

Ross Poldark brushes sweaty hair from his eyes - 1 drink
Cute dog in the scene - 1 drink

Heaving bosom - 1 drink

A woman slaps a man - 1 drink

A woman tends to a mans wounds - 1 drink

Someone pays for drinks in a pub by flinging money - 1 drink

Bar brawl - 1 drink
Horse canters across the Cornish fields in wide shot to music- 1 drink
Anyone on a cliff top gazing out to sea, includes on horseback - 1 drink 
Every time Ross Poldark has an alcoholic drink - match him drink for drink

That's enough to be going on with. I don't want to die.

Edited 15/03/2015 - Having now watched episode one I have added a couple to the list - sorely tempted to add 'drink anytime the music is so intrusive it makes you scream - but there is not enough alcohol in the land.

Let me know if you play.