Who says Christmas has to be in traditional red, gold and green?! My Christmas is going pink!

I love Rosé wine. I could quite happily drink it all year round. So here's my Christmas Rosé cocktail! Plus there's a non alcoholic version for the drivers, pregnant ladies or kiddies at your Christmas parties!

You will need:

• Fruity Rosé wine (sweeter works better with the syrup so go for a Zinfandel)
• Lemonade
• Sugar syrup (you can but it ready made and flavoured in the supermarket coffee aisle or make your own with a 1:1 ratio of sugar and water. Bring to the boil then simmer and cool)
• Cranberries
• Cinnamon and sugar for the rim

Pour some of the sugar syrup onto a shallow plate. Hold your glass upside down to coat the rim.

Transfer the glass to a shallow plate of a cinnamon and sugar mix and turn the rim through the sugar and spice mix until coated.

Fill the bottom of your glass with cranberries and dribble a little syrup over the top. Pour in half a glass of Rosé and top up with lemonade. Watch the cranberries bob to the top!

Enjoy!

For a non alcoholic version use cranberry juice and sparkling water instead. I used an old Frappuccino glass jar for the kids and skipped the syrup!

Cheers to the Christmas holiday season!

Weston Cricket Club hosted an awesome handmade fair last week. As soon as I got to entrance door, I knew I would be going home with a boot full of goodies.

craftfair1

craftfair2

Bustling crowds, more stalls than I imagined and bargains galore. It was an Etsy lovers dream of local crafters who genuinely had no idea how affordable their prices were.

craftfair3

craftfair4

As predicted I needed a stall holder's husband to help me to the car. I spied these painted wooden shelves that are perfect for our newly refurbished dining room! Don't they look fab, adored with our best glasses? £35 - sold to the woman with the thick fringe! If only I had been quicker, I could have snapped up her painted vintage suitcase and added it to our luggage collection.

shelves

I picked up a vintage glass washboard for £10 which has made a beautiful wall hanging in the lounge and several Christmas gifts for friends and family, including a hand sewn fabric letter to Father Christmas envelope, a Santa's sleigh key to hide in the porch, a cute hair clip holder for £5 and this padded humming bird print note board for my office! An early treat from me to me!

washboard

board

It was great to see so many people supporting local crafters. Plus I discovered some incredible talent! Looking forward to the next fair on the 6th December at the Winter Gardens in Weston super Mare.

fcontent

I have gone a little mad with the desiccated coconut this week. Firstly, because I bought a whole bag to make Halloween ghost breadsticks and never got round to it and secondly, because you can stick it in anything! Try adding it to pan fried prawns with a little seasoning and balsamic vinegar. We had ours over pasta and it gave the prawns a sticky sweet and sour taste - delicious.

Or stir it through piping hot rice. I always order coconut rice if we have an Indian meal and now I can have it whenever at home!

But the best way to use it is in a magic reindeer mix!

Mix a cup of porridge oats, a cup of desiccated coconut and some edible cake sprinkles. Then when you scatter it on Christmas Eve to guide Father Christmas' reindeers to your door, it won't harm any birds or bugs who may have a nibble! So skip the glitter and raid your cake decorating supplies! Pour some into cellophane and tie with ribbon for a sweet gift to little ones.