Set the Fire to the Third Bar

(If you're lucky enough to still have electricity) It doesn't seem to take much to knock the power out these days, but fingers crossed that ours remains on today, as that North wind plus our first bit of post-Christmas snow is making it rather chilly.

We haven't ventured out since Christmas Eve and I don't think we will today. We've enjoyed ourselves with food, drink, films, fun, presents and food... Many of our lovely gifts involved food. Look! A cheese-making kit AND we can make halloumi with it! Can't wait to try that out and there's a real Swiss fondue pan, how lovely is that?

And, as Jamie said when he gave me his present, "it's what every girl really wants" a mole repeller! Well, maybe we won't need to buy sprouts next Christmas (I know! It felt bad doing it).

 These beautiful plates are amazing - they even make washing-up pleasing.

And they were a great addition to our Boxing Day lunch, which included the carrot lox we made the other day - delish.

We love a feast of tapas, so this book will come in very handy and my Spanish lessons start again in the new year so it's handy to keep the Spanish vegetable names in the forefront of my mind! It's got some nice quick recipes for using veg that we grow.

Of course, Tenerife is never far from our minds and we've been enjoying cactus jam breakfasts and Honey Rum tipples - now that does warm you up!

My snowman cookie cutters have come in handy a few times.

And here's another handy book. It has humour and some great little tips in it, like "Seedlings will grow stronger if you brush your hands over them a few times a day".

Well, it feels like time to eat something, I think the allotment can wait another day or two...

Snow Patrol provide the great title track.