From My Home to Yours

The Christmas preparations are nearly finished.

Yesterday the lovely Emma from Green Parlour dropped off the new wreath and floral arrangements I ordered (I always like to refresh my fresh floral Christmas decorations a couple days before Christmas.) I’m so pleased with them.

I’m all set for Christmas entertaining.

This morning my husband, son and I went to Pangbourne in what is becoming a traditional Christmas Eve visit. We stopped into the gift shop, the bakery and the little grocery store for some last minute bits and pieces and also went to Green’s, our wonderful local butchers, to collect our Christmas order. We were queued out into the street to collect it and everyone was chatting. There were some amazing things coming out of the shop. Beautiful pastry wrapped Beef Wellingtons, geese, hams and of course, turkeys. Everyone was in a festive mood, and folks reminisced about Christmases gone by - and one lady told us about a dish she once had featuring seven birds, all cooked inside each other (a turkey somehow stuffed with a duck, goose, pheasant, quail and two other birds I can’t remember).  It was fascinating, if not very appetising!

Anyway, after a very pleasant few minutes chatting with everyone, we collected our turkey, a cooked, sliced ham, a wonderful pork pie (the pastry wrapped cooked kind with hard boiled egg in the centre) and luscious pastry wrapped sausage rolls.

We came home and had some of the fresh sausage rolls for lunch with some wintery apple salad. While my husband, who is working from home today, works in the study, there is a frenzy of cooking, present wrapping and card delivering going on. I am loving every minute of it.

I hope that wherever you may be you are loving every minute of the Christmas season too!

 From my home to yours, wishing you and yours a very Merry Christmas!

April

The 21st Century Housewife

A Merry Christmas To All

Well, I am about as ready for Christmas as I am going to be. We've collected the turkey and the hams from the butcher and they are ready to be put on ice for the journey. I've just got two more stuffings to make and a few more things to do as we pack up and get ready to go to my husband's parent's house for Christmas.

As I look back on this year, I'm really excited by how The 21st Century Housewife's Kitchen© has evolved, and I'm looking forward to even more exciting things next year. I'm especially grateful for the support of all of you, my readers, and I hope that you have enjoyed lots of inspiration this year. Most of all, I hope that I've encouraged you to be more relaxed about cooking, and that cooking has become for you (as it is for me) a real source of creative expression and enjoyment.

I'm really looking forward to writing about more restaurants and food issues as well and am hoping to expand that side of the blog in the New Year. Watch this space!

I hope that you are spending this Christmas with people you love, and that you will enjoy lots of fun, food and celebration. Thank you for being a part of The 21st Century Housewife's Kitchen© this year. A very Merry Christmas to you all.

April

The 21st Century Housewife's© Mincemeat and Brandy Cake

This is such an easy recipe to make and it just tastes of Christmas! It is also wonderful for people who are not big fans of traditional fruitcake (like me!) because although it has many of the elements of a fruitcake, the sponge makes it so much lighter. It will keep for three or four days if you wrap it well and it tastes even better the day after it is made. It isn’t the prettiest cake in the world, but it sure tastes good!

1 cup mixed dried fruit
3 tbsp brandy - dark rum or whisky work too, but you have to slightly adjust the name of the cake to Mincemeat and Rum or Mincemeat and Whiskey Cake :)
½ cup plus 1 tbsp butter, softened
¾ cup white sugar
3 large eggs, beaten
1-¾ cups flour
1 tbsp baking powder
1 cup mincemeat
3 to 4 generous tablespoons of demerera sugar for the topping

Put the mixed dried fruit in a bowl and pour the liquor over top. Stir and set aside. Grease and flour (or line) an eight or nine inch square pan.

Cream the butter and sugar in an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add the eggs and beat in. Gently blend in the flour.

Using a wooden spoon, fold in the mincemeat and soaked dried fruit (along with any liquor left in the bowl), stirring until just mixed through.

Pour into the cake tin and sprinkle the demerera sugar over the top. Bake at 300℉ (150℃ ) for 30 to 40 minutes. Ovens vary so radically in how quickly they cook, it really is worth keeping an eye on this the first time you bake it so it does not brown up too fast. The cake is done when a skewer (or piece of uncooked spaghetti) inserted in the middle comes out clean.

Cool, and the cover tightly with foil or store in a sealed tin. It is lovely served on its own with a cup of tea, or serve it as a dessert with some good vanilla ice cream.

My Mom's Mincemeat Tart Oat Squares

This recipe is one of my Mom’s, from the recipe box she left me. The box is such a treasure to me as it contains so many memories of my Mom and the things we used to cook together. I have to admit to playing with the recipe a bit over the years to make it my own, but the original idea is my Mom’s. These squares are great for this time of year as not only are they seasonal, but the oats in them almost allow you to convince yourself they are good for you!  It’s the perfect recipe for a Saturday afternoon, when hopefully you have not only the time, but also the inclination, to bake something delicious. Having said that it is so quick and easy you could even put it together after a frantic day of shopping.   These delicious squares can be cut in small squares for dessert buffets, or larger ones if you want to serve it as a dessert at a sit down dinner.  (In which case a scoop of good vanilla ice cream or a nice dollop of whipped cream is a lovely accompaniment!) Be sure to use proper oatmeal, not the instant kind.
 
¾ cup rolled oats (not instant)
¾ cup all purpose (plain) flour
¼ teaspoon baking soda (bicarbonate of soda)
¼ teaspoon salt
½ cup brown sugar, packed
½ cup butter, (cold, cut in small cubes)
1 – ¼ cups mincemeat (store bought is fine, but choose a good brand)
2 tablespoon rum, brandy, Cointreau or Grand Mariner
(Cointreau or Grand Mariner give the recipe a gorgeous citrus hit)
 
Grease and flour an eight inch square pan.  Preheat the oven to 350ºF or about 150º - 170ºC.  Put the mincemeat in a small bowl and stir in the liquor.
 
In a medium size bowl or in the food processor, combine the oats, flour, baking soda, salt and sugar.  Add the butter and either process or cut in until the mixture is crumbly.  Firmly press half this mixture into the square pan.  Pop the pan in the freezer for about fifteen minutes.  Put the remaining of the oat mixture in the fridge for the same amount of time.
 
Remove the square pan from the freezer and the remaining oat mixture from the fridge. Carefully spread the boozy mincemeat over the top of the oat mixture in the square pan.    Gently sprinkle the remaining oat mixture evenly over the top.  Bake in the oven for about 20 to 25 minutes.   (Ovens vary so wildly it is hard to say so please do keep an eye on the pan.)  When the squares are cooked they will be lightly golden brown on top.  Remove from the oven and allow to cool.  (Seriously, do not cut into these when they are warm as they will just crumble everywhere.)
 
When they are totally cool you can slice in either small squares to eat with your fingers as a snack or on a buffet, or in larger ones to serve with whipped cream or ice cream as a dessert.  If you have any left over, they will keep in a sealed container for a few days. You can store them in the fridge, but bring them to room temperature before eating.

I hope you enjoy these as much as we do in our house!

The 21st Century Housewife's© Christmas Parsnip Soup

There is nothing like coming home from a hard day's Christmas shopping knowing that you have something lovely and warming for supper in the fridge. Parsnips are plentiful this time of year and combined with the nutmeg, they just taste of Christmas. This soup is so easy to make, and although it takes a bit of time, very little of that is labour intensive. It is wonderful served with crusty bread or rolls, or with your favourite sandwich. It travels well in a thermos too, if you want to take it along for lunch on the go!

1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large onion, finely chopped
6 – 7 medium parsnips, peeled and cut in fairly small chunks
1 litre chicken stock
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg, freshly ground if possible
125 to 250 ml milk or single cream
paprika or a swirl of cream for garnish

Heat the butter and oil in a saucepan. Add the onion and cook over low heat until softened. The longer you can cook the onion the more flavourful it will be, provided you keep the heat very low. If you have time, you can leave them cooking away for about fifteen or twenty minutes; if you are in a rush, just make sure that they are nicely softened.

Stir in the parsnips, making sure to coat them with the melted butter and oil. Turn the heat down as low as you can and put the lid on the saucepan. Set the timer for ten minutes and let the parsnips sweat in their buttery coating. You can peek, in fact I encourage you to, just to be sure they are not sticking. Turn the heat back a bit if they do start to stick a little. Let them sweat away in the pan, giving them the occasional stir.

After ten minutes, remove the lid and add the stock. Bring to the boil. Now turn back the heat. Stir in the nutmeg and simmer gently for about 20 to 30 minutes until the parsnips are very, very soft. Take the soup off the heat.

Cool for a few minutes so the liquid and parsnips are not scalding hot. When the soup has cooled a bit, puree it in the blender in batches. If I am going to serve it later, this is the point at which I allow the soup to cool right down and then refrigerate it as I prefer to add the milk or cream just before serving.

If you are serving the soup right away, however, wash out the pan and dry it, and put the soup back in. (If you made the soup earlier and you now want to serve it, remove it from the fridge and allow to sit at room temperature for about twenty minutes -so it isn't icy cold - before putting it in a pan on the stove. ) Place the pan over a low heat and begin to stir in the milk or cream. Now the amount of milk you add depends on the thickness of the liquidised parsnips and stock you have in your pan, and indeed whether you have chosen to use milk or cream (which is slightly thicker). Just take it slowly as there is nothing worse than thin soup. Remember, you can always add more milk or cream, but you can’t take it away! Heat until piping hot. Carefully taste the soup, adding a little bit more nutmeg if you feel it needs it.

Serve in bowls or mugs with a sprinkling of paprika or swirl of cream for garnish.

The 21st Century Housewife's© Creamy Christmas Turkey with Rice

I love leftovers - anticipating well in advance what I will do with them - so Christmas is a great time for me. It's the season of leftover everything - and the only limit is my imagination! The key to using up your leftovers is to be sure to cool them quickly and refrigerate them promptly. This keeps them fresh, safe and appealing. Also remember to buy extra fresh vegetables so that you can use them creatively with your leftovers - after all, you can only eat so many sandwiches!

Because the cream sauce is pale and delicate, I use only light meat turkey for this recipe. It's reminiscent of Chicken A La King, but with a much more evolved flavour and texture. Please don't omit the nutmeg - it adds a fantastic hit of spice that suggests Christmas, but is not immediately identifiable. It's one of those - "what is that?" flavours that takes a recipe from good to great.

It goes without saying that this works very well with leftover cooked chicken too. And please do not feel you have to make the stock from scratch, ready made or from a cube is fine.

To serve four people you need:-

2 tbsp butter (unsalted if possible)
2 tbsp flour
2 cups chicken, turkey or vegetable stock (you may not need it all)
½ cup light cream or half and half (again you may not need it all)
Leftover white meat turkey – roughly 2 cups chopped
1 red pepper
3 – 4 leeks, washed, thinly sliced and drained
1 cup frozen peas, measured into a cup and set aside to thaw a bit
½ tsp dried oregano
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg, freshly ground if possible
salt and pepper to taste

Melt the butter in a large saucepan over a low heat. Add the leeks and cook slowly, stirring occasionally. The longer you cook the leeks in the butter, the softer and more meltingly tender they will get. If you can leave them for about fifteen minutes that is wonderful. If you are in a hurry, ten will do.



Sprinkle the flour over the leeks and stir to coat. Add the stock gradually, stirring and allowing the sauce to thicken after each addition. You want it to be fairly thick, but remember you still have cream to add, so don't feel you have to add all the stock. Just go slowly.

Meanwhile, cook enough rice four people in boiling water according to package directions. (I usually find about a cup and a half of rice is more than enough for four, but check the package directions.)

Add the red pepper to the creamy leeks and sauce and cook for about five minutes. Add more stock if necessary.



Now add the turkey, frozen peas, oregano, nutmeg and about half the cream. Stir together and heat over low heat with the lid on, stirring occasionally if necessary. After about five minutes, add more cream if you feel it needs it. You want a nice consistency; not too runny, not too thick.

When you get your desired consistency and everything is heated through, take a small spoonful to taste. (Careful, it's hot!). Add salt and pepper if necessary. (I highly recommend a bit of pepper, but I've always skipped adding any more salt to this recipe. However taste is a personal thing so you should do as you like - except if you are on a low-sodium diet - in which case, please be good and don't add any salt! )

Serve the Creamy Christmas Turkey on a bed of rice.

The 21st Century Housewife's© Christmas Gravy

With Christmas on the horizon, I’ve been thinking about all things poultry, and have been doing a lot of experimenting in the kitchen around that theme. I first developed this gravy in an attempt to jazz up some chicken breasts. (It worked!!) It is brilliant with turkey as well, and I have even served it with sausages and mashed potatoes. It’s also a great multi-purpose gravy for everyone. Vegetarians can use vegetable stock instead of meat stock and vegans can do that as well as eliminate the butter and use olive oil instead. It’s delicious every way I’ve made it, and really, really easy. I know that onions are not necessarily a normal part of a Christmas gravy, but wow, do they make a delicious addition!

2 tablespoons plus 1 tablespoon butter
2 large onions, red or white, peeled and thinly sliced
2 heaped tablespoons flour
2 to 3 cups of turkey, chicken or vegetable stock
(made from cubes or store bought works just fine)
3 heaping tablespoons cranberry sauce from a jar

Melt the 2 tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Turn the heat back to low and fry the onions gently, stirring occasionally. Frying the onions slowly over low heat makes for a sweeter gravy, so I usually let them cook for ten to fifteen minutes. By this point, the onions should be softened and just beginning to take on a bit of colour.

Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of butter, and melt it through the onions. Give it all a stir and then sprinkle the flour over the onions and stir through to coat. Slowly begin to add a bit of the stock at a time, stirring constantly. When the mixture begins to thicken, gradually add more stock, a bit at a time, until you get a nice, thick, pourable gravy. (Keep stirring!) You may need slightly more or less stock, depending on how your mixture cooks up.

When the gravy reaches your desired thickness, add the cranberry sauce and stir to melt through the gravy. Taste, and add a bit of salt and/or pepper if you want to. Decant into a gravy boat and serve.

Very Versatile Vanilla Sugar

If you didn’t already know, the funny looking thing pictured above is a vanilla pod (sometimes referred to as a vanilla bean). Vanilla pods are the dried, cured pods of the vanilla orchid which grow most commonly in Mexico and Central America. Vanilla is also cultivated in Madagascar. Pollination of these plants is only done by certain breeds of bees and hummingbirds, so vanilla often has to be pollinated by hand - a very time consuming and laborious process. It is one of the reasons vanilla can be so expensive.

Now there is nothing wrong with vanilla extract, provided you use a good brand (not one that is artificially produced). However there is something else that you can use as well to give a lovely deep vanilla-y hit to your cooking and baking - vanilla sugar.

Vanilla sugar is often looked on as a luxury ingredient, most likely because of those tiny pots of very expensive vanilla sugar you see in the supermarket or speciality stores. I urge you to ignore these (except for gift inspiration, but more about later). For a less than the cost of one of those tiny jars you can buy a vanilla pod - and with it you can make lots and lots of lovely vanilla sugar. I’m not denying vanilla pods are themselves expensive - it is always a shock to pick up a very light, virtually empty jar containing one little pod and have to fork over quite a lot of money for it (they cost about £4 in the UK, and about $5 in the US and Canada). However you can make so much vanilla sugar with just one pod, it is a very good investment indeed.

To make vanilla sugar, all you need is the aforementioned vanilla pod and a pound (or about half a kilogram) of granulated white sugar. Pour half the sugar into a container you can seal tightly. I use one of these:-



but any container that seals well will do.

Cut the vanilla pod in half and put both halves in the container on top of the sugar. Pour the rest of the sugar on top. Seal and leave for at least two days. That’s it. The flavour gets deeper the longer you leave it and you can keep topping it up with more sugar as you use it. Just remember to give the container the odd shake from time to time so the vanilla flavour gets distributed evenly. One vanilla pod will flavour as much sugar as you can use for at least six months. I tend to run the contents of my container down when it gets close to being six months old - refraining from adding any more sugar - and then start fresh. I just give the container a good wash, dry it thoroughly and start with a fresh vanilla pod and fresh sugar.

You can substitute vanilla sugar for white sugar in almost any recipe, except for ones in which the primary flavour is savoury. For example, I use a teaspoon of sugar in most tomato based sauces and I sure would not use vanilla sugar in that case! But it is fantastic for baking - in everything from cookies to cakes and pies. It is worth pointing out here that I still use vanilla extract if it is called for in recipes in which I have substituted vanilla sugar for ordinary white sugar. It has never given too strong a flavour in my opinion. In fact, the flavour of vanilla extract is slightly different from that given by vanilla sugar and in my experience one enhances the other.

You can also get very creative if you feel so inclined and make a variety of different sugars based on vanilla sugar using smaller containers and smaller bits of vanilla pod. I like to keep a small container filled with sugar, a piece of vanilla pod and a couple tablespoons of ground cinnamon. It’s gorgeous on toast or stirred into hot milk or cocoa. You could also make versions with ginger or mixed spice if you wanted to.

You can even give vanilla sugar - or vanilla cinnamon sugar - as gifts. Just find a pretty storage jar to fill with sugar and a vanilla pod, tie with a ribbon and you are done. (If it is a smaller jar, just use half - or a third - of a vanilla pod.) It is a great idea for anyone who likes baking and is a lot nicer than those jars of vanilla sugar you buy in speciality stores! You could even tie a little recipe card on the container with a ribbon giving instructions on how to keep the “starter” you have given going. It’s a really reasonable gift (depending on how much you spend on the jar!) and yet it looks like a lot.

There is nothing like vanilla sugar for baking your favourite treats, especially at Christmas, and if you start a container now it will be ready in plenty of time for either baking or gifting!

Food, Glorious Food

Food is such a huge part of Christmas. The flavours of the season are so important, and one of the things that warms our hearts is traditional foods and remembering people and times long gone through the food they shared with us. Perhaps that is why hampers have always been such a big part of Christmas here in England. In Victorian times, hampers were given as gifts to friends and family, and food parcels were often given to the poor as well. More recently, when food was scarce here during wartime, those who had moved to the New World sent hampers of non-perishables back by sea. Nowadays the tradition of hampers continues here in England, and it is not just at Christmas that you might receive one. However, Christmas hampers are the ones that people think of most, and one of ‘the‘ places to purchase your hampers is the iconic London department store Fortnum and Mason. Located at 181 Piccadilly, Fortnum and Mason has been in the same location since it was founded over three hundred years ago in 1707. Just walking through its imposing doors gives you a huge sense of history. Holder of perhaps more Royal Warrants over the years than any other store, Fortnum and Mason is an amazing place at any time of the year, but in the run up to Christmas it becomes nigh on magical. The decorations are stunning and I think the store is more beautiful than at any other time of year.

Now you might think it is a bit early to be thinking about Christmas, but here in England it seems to start earlier every year. Last week, Fortnum and Mason were hosting a ‘by invitation only’ Christmas Preview Evening in the beautiful St James’ Restaurant on the fourth floor of the store. (Being invited to things like this is one of the really great things about being The 21st Century Housewife©.)

Once my name had been checked off the guest list and a glass of champagne pressed into my hand, I was free to wander through the wonderful displays of ideas for Christmas 2009. There were decorations, cards and gifts galore, but most of all, there was table after table full of hampers. Fortnum and Mason have always specialized in “provisions” – food and drink that is just that little bit extra special. Their Christmas hampers are just incredible. Sadly, many of the hampers including fresh food are not suitable for export, but some of the smaller hampers are, so you can enjoy them even if you do not live here in England.

Hampers come at all price points, and there really is something for everyone. As I perused them, I was offered samples of many of the different items that were contained inside by waiting staff who wandered amongst the guests. There were piquant olives and spiced oat cakes, shortbread flavored with rose water, tiny scones spread with exquisite jams and fudge that absolutely melted in the mouth. Tiny cakes, biscuits and sweets kept appearing by my side on silver trays, and I found myself quite powerless to resist them.

The most reasonable hamper on display was the ‘Flavour of Afternoon Tea’ hamper at £35 (about US$55). A beautiful peaked wicker basket holds a quarter bottle of champagne, the cutest baby fruitcake I have ever seen, Cornish Clotted Cream biscuits, loose-leaf tea, a jar of lime curd (a delicious sort of spread for bread and scones which is also used as a filling for desserts), and one of raspberry jam. Other fairly reasonably priced options included ‘A Taste of Fortnum’s’, a wicker basket holding items chosen by ballot as the favourite items from Fortnum’s famous food halls. I’m not quite sure who participated in the ballot, but they definitely had good taste! The hamper is comprised of three kinds of tea including Fortnum’s Royal Blend, Bounteous Butter English Thins (what a great name!), Demerera Shortbread, various preserves and jam, Cognac butter to dress the Christmas pudding which is also tucked inside, mints and a bottle of Côtes de Rhone. What isn’t to love?

One of the hampers suitable for export that was reasonably priced was specially made for children and included two kid-sized china teacups and saucers along with other child friendly treats. This gorgeous hamper is definitely on my list for children of friends and family back in North America.

Humorously named hampers included The Entente Cordiale (a political agreement between England and France signed in 1904 and still in force today), with wines from France and cheeses from England. At £100 it is extravagant in a recession, but it doesn’t break the bank. The aptly named ‘Glorious Three Hundred’ however, costs three hundred pounds. Now, for nigh on five hundred dollars you would expect quite a lot of hamper, and Fortnum’s definitely delivers. Three kinds of tea, coffee, three boxes of chocolates, jams, marmalades, several boxes of cookies and biscuits, a fruit cake that weighs over a pound, cognac and rum butters, Christmas pudding, a bottle of champagne, three bottles of fine wine and a myriad of other treats are all a part of this extravaganza.

Sadly the hampers do get more expensive from here but their contents do become even more exotic. You could give someone everything they need for Christmas barring the turkey in some of these hampers (and Fortnum’s would be happy to arrange that separately). For example, The Christmas Feast which comes in at an eye watering £500 (US$800) really does have practically everything one needs for Christmas in England – from wines and champagnes to pickles, biscuits, cookies, chuntey, foie gras, cheeses, hams and even a bottle of 9 year old single malt whiskey. The crème de la crème of hampers is ‘The Windsor’ ringing in at £1000 (over US$1500). However it does contain a huge amount. The display hamper sat on the floor and covered an area of about four feet square. As well as contents like those in ‘The Christmas Feast’ there are also more champagnes and wines, 40 year Madeira, Port and such delights as brie and foie gras with truffles and even that most curious of English Christmas delicacies, pickled walnuts. Admittedly, these last two hampers are most likely out of reach for us ordinary mortal but they are beautiful to behold.

If you prefer to give a slightly less expensive, but slightly more intoxicating gift, Fortnum’s offer several wonderful hampers and boxed sets of Christmas tipples, including a not un-reasonably priced Champagne Tasting Box at £110 (US$175). It contains four bottles of different Fortnum’s champagnes. Based on my experience on the Preview Evening, these are extremely good. There is also a Provence Box with two bottles of red wine and two of white at £40 (a little over US$60). I was very taken with The Connoisseur Case which does sound expensive at £400 (circa US$600), but is actually well priced, as it contains a dozen bottles of excellent wines (including Gevrey-Chambertin and Pommerol), champagne and an excellent nine year old single malt whiskey.

I came away from this wonderful evening armed with a catalogue of many of the wonderful things Fortnum’s provides for Christmas, a gift bag and a head full of ideas. For as well as the wildly extravagant, Fortnum and Mason also offer exquisite items for those on a budget. Downstairs in their food hall, everything is available separately, so you could put together a rather lovely selection of treats to fit any budget. (Jams and chutneys start at around £5 each.) In fact, their iconic turquoise bags are so pretty you could present your gift in the bag, with the addition of perhaps a bit of tissue. I'd have no objection to receiving a bottle of one of their lovely jams or honeys tied with a ribbon frankly! Furthermore, there were some lovely gift ideas for those “hard to buy for” folk on your gift list including musical tins of yummy Christmas biscuits with an actual wind up music box on the bottom priced at under £10. Boxes of Rose and Violet Creams hark back to days of yore, and Turkish delight is sold in several different flavors. You can even buy your own ready-made gingerbread house covered in candies without breaking the bank.

I think my favourite thing of the evening, which really appealed to the child in me, was the beautiful Advent Calendar Fortnum’s have on offer. Made of wood, and painted to look just like the Fortnum and Mason store, its little doors have real wooden handles. No one at the Preview Evening could resist peeking inside. On opening, each little door revealed a small chamber containing a treat. There were little containers of jelly beans, chocolate and even miniatures of the traditional blue Fortnum and Mason boxes filled with sweets inside. You can choose to buy refills every year so that this beautiful calendar can be used again and again. It is even available for purchase empty if you want to fill it with treats of your choice. It’s gloriously extravagant, but charmingly so.

If you find yourself in London this Christmastide, do pay a visit to the historic and delightful Fortnum and Mason store. Just a few blocks down from The Ritz, its beautiful blue awnings stand out proudly only a few minutes walk down Piccadilly from Green Park Tube Station (heading towards Piccadilly Circus). Don’t forget to look at their wonderful window displays – they stretch all round the front of the store. But don’t be intimidated or confine your visit to window shopping, even if your purse is feeling the bite of the recession. I’ve always found the staff welcoming and helpful in Fortnum’s, even back in the day when actually purchasing something there was seriously out of the question for me. They are happy for you to browse, and should you want any help, they are friendly and approachable. It may be one of the oldest stores in London, and the staff may dress in formal attire, but it is anything but stuffy! It certainly is a great place for Christmas inspiration. And if a visit to London is not on the cards, you can always check them out on the web. Just click here, and let me be the first to wish you a Merry Christmas!