Christmas.vg

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When my kids were small I used to buy them each a specific “Christmassy” book each Christmas, especially lovely pop up books, or mock Victorian ones with changing scenes. I then used to store them away in January when all the decorations were put away, but would bring them out the following December. Eventually we [...]

(Very absorbing activity over 3 days!! Or maybe a rainy weekend!)
Salt Dough recipe – 4 parts plain flour, 1 part salt, 1.5 parts of water.
Day one;
1. Make the dough by mixing all the ingredients, then roll it out, and cut all kinds of shapes using pastry cutters (gingerbread men, hearts, stars, e.t.c.). [...]

To warm up the welcome for family and friends;
1 bottle red wine 2 lemons
3 ozs caster sugar fresh nutmeg
2 inch cinnamon stick [...]

tThis tastes like shortbread, so the pastry is as gorgeous as the filling. (I always use vegetarian mincemeat.)
10 ozs Plain flour The grated rind of half a lemon
1 oz ground almonds [...]

“Vintage Binchy”
Maeve Binchy’s latest book is perfectly timed, just coming out when you start to get cornered by extended family regarding how you are going to spend Christmas. Each short story stands alone to entertain for an evening if you haven’t time to plough through the lot, and all delight and horrify in equal measure [...]