Christmas Gift Guide - Food & Drink

Ryvita

£7.49

This limited edition Tin created by Ben de Lisi is available online including postage with some yummy and healthy Ryvita biscuits. You can even buy Ryvita in bulk here.

Malibu
£15 , www.maliburumdrinks.com/uk/

Think about warmer climates with Malibu.

Monin

£5.99, Tesco & Sainsburys

Monin is the brand used by the like of Costa and now you can have A selection of their most popular syrups Gingerbread, Caramel, Vanilla and Hazelnut. So you can recreate your favourite drinks at home. 

Smith & Kinghorn Hamper

£49.99 (Currently you buy one you get one free), www.smithandkinghornhampers.co.uk

This sexy little hamper includes pure indulgence with:

• Mercers Beer & Black Peppercorn wholegrain mustard
• Fairtrade Divine Milk Chocolate, Toffee & Sea Salt (sounds divine) 
• Bridges Christmas chutney spiced fruit
• Mrs Darlington's Orange Curd with Cointreau
• The Doormen dry roasted peanut dry & desirable
• Wild Elderflower Cordial from Thorncroft
• Walkers fruit cake
• Alpini chocolates from Thorntons
• Walkers fine oatcakes
• Walkers white chocolate & raspberry biscuits
• Mrs Bridges Christmas Marmalade orange & cranberry
• Cheese straws crispy puff pastry snacks

Cadbury Snow Bites
£1, most good supermarkets

Cadbury Snow Bites are the perfect treat to have on display or place in the bottom of a stocking.

Thornton's
Christmas wouldn't be the same without Thorntons Chocolates placed under the tree and here is our favourite selections.

1. Continental Collection Box 

£30 

This box of luxurious chocolates launched to celebrate Continentals 60th Birthday and it does not disappoint, look how many there are to chose from! 

2. It's the Snowdog

£3.50
In part of the Snowman and Snowdog range this cute little Snowdog model is perfect for any stocking for any age (hint, hint) - I know I would be happy to see this!

Prestat Red Velvet Truffles 

£11.50, www.prestat.co.uk

Want something rich, velvety and morish? Then all you need is these little balls of loveliness. In classic icing robed in milk chocolate dusted in crusted raspberries. Do I need to say any more?

Disaronno Limited Edition Versace Bottle

 £15 www.disaronno.com

Mix an exquisite designer with a beautiful spirit and you get this baby!!! I love Disaronno and I would love this to end up under my Christmas tree - just grab some apple juice and you are set! Or why not buy a mini version here.

Higher Living - Power

£4.79, www.higherlivingusa.com

Perfect for any tea lover these powerful teapees combine Gingko, Ginseng and Yerba create a powerful concoction to set anyone up on Christmas Day.

Beanies 

£22.50, www.beaniesflavourco.co.uk

Beanies create flavoured coffees, with a huge range of flavours there something to suit everyone. They do a range of Christmassy flavours in both instant and premium roast which are perfect for that festive feeling like, Mulled Spice, Winter Warmer and Christmas Pudding. The instant jars also a great shape for popping into a stocking!  They've also launched the Beanies Stashbox this year featuring 9 of their instant flavours perfect for the real coffee lovers! 

Nederburg Winemaster’s Reserve Sauvignon Blanc

£8.99, Tescos, Morissons & http://sawines.co.uk/

Melon and herbaceous nuances with fresh gooseberries and a hint of green figs.Sauvignon Blanc is a very food-friendly wine and is super with salads, chicken, seafood, veal and light meals.

Lindor milk & white truffles

£4.89, Good supermarkets

What better than Lindor chocolate milk & white Lindor truffles

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More Wine Please...

Last week I was lucky enough to go to Tesco's very own wine tasting at the South Bank Centre!  We were presented with a display of 100 different wines to taste, ranging from champagne to port - I had been presented with a challenge and I have graciously accepted!

Each wine had been hand selected from Tesco's finest range.

When we entered, a booklet was handed to us which had a page dedicated to each bottle of wine. We were then told to write down three key words that we felt best described that specific wine. These could have been the flavours we tasted, smells or even memories the wine reminded us of.

The aim of the evening, was from tasting to help create new 'Wine Words' to create wine clouds (as seen below), which will be used in upcoming marketing campaigns - so watch out. 

They explained to us, that usually wine labels are created by those who are wine connoisseurs, and something's it's not really clear what they are trying to say when saying a Fruity wine make a whole lot more sense.

This wine tasting was a great new way for Tesco to create new descriptions from people with a more down to earth view. 

Keep a look out for the new Tesco's finest range, you know never know, some of my memories and tastes could have had a influence!

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Cocktail Hour

The Price: Midori ranges from £11 to £16.99

Where2Buy: Midori is available to buy from a wide range of retailers including Tesco, Asda, Morrison’s and the drinkshop.co.uk.

The Gossip: Forget the Pimms while watching the tennis and liven up your drink with these two tipples:

How to make: Midori's Smashing Melons

Using: Midori, Melon Liqueur

Ingredients: 

• 50ml MidorI
• 20ml lemon juice
• 8 - 12 mint leaves
• 30ml apple juice

This refreshing creation combines the fruity melon flavour of Midori, with crisp apple juice, zesty lemon and fresh mint leaves.  It’s easy to make, served in a simple tumbler (although I went for an old school martini glass) and garnished with a crunchy slice of apple. 

Method:

Shake Midori, apple juice, lemon juice and mint in a cocktail shaker. Pour over ice, garnish with an apple slice and enjoy!

Next on the list is the SOUR SCOTSMAN

The Price: £36.99

Where2Buy: Whiskey specialists 

Ingredients:

• Juice of ½ lemon
• 1 ½ teaspoons sugar 
• 2 measures Auchentoshan 12 Year Old 
• Soda water to top up

Additional:

• 12.5ml of egg white

This is a modern twist to the traditional whiskey sour, using Auchentoshan 12 Years Old Whiskey, making the iteration lighter and slightly sweeter.

The Sour Scotsman can be adapted to a Boston Sour with the addition of egg whites - giving the cocktail a frothy head and smoother finish.

This can be served in a small tumbler.

Method:

Step 1: Shake the ingredients with ice, and strain

Step 2: Add a good dash of soda water

Step 3: Decorate with a slice of orange

                

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