I will be dead straight with you – I love real ale…maybe a little too much, but we all have our vices!
It comes as no surprise that I have managed to track down the most perfect Christmas gift for a real ale drinker, I was on a bit of a mission. Mini Cask deliveries are just too expensive, and anyway, I have found something much better.
The Mr Beer Real Ale Homebrew Kit from Treathim.com has been a real hit in my house. It is a homebrew kit, but do not be put off by poor imitations. The West Coast Pale Ale kit is more than just chucking ingredients into a bucket and hoping for the best.
There are two stages to the brew - preparing the ‘wort’, the mix that is the base of the real ale, and after a week to ten days the bottling process, which will naturally carbonate your beer. This takes at least a week.
After a week waiting, I tried my first brew. It wasn’t bad, but a little flat. I left it a few more days and went back to another bottle. A very satisfying fizz when I opened the bottle was just what I wanted to hear.
The brew is better than most guest ales you get in pubs. I really mean that. This week, I have to work hard and finish these bottles off as I have another brew waiting to be bottled, ready for New Years Eve!
The fact I made this fab real ale all by myself is just brilliant. I totally recommend the kit, it’s technical enough to be a slight challenge, yet simple enough to be an enjoyable task.
The results speak for themselves, my real ale would hold it’s own against a lot of professionally brewed ales.
If you are looking for the perfect Christmas gift for a real ale drinker, you have just found it!
If you’re a new parent, a Grandmother for the first time, or if you’re simply buying for a new born the BabyBlooms has some wonderfully stunning gifts available for all.
BabyBlooms is the UK’s leading new baby gifts company and is the pioneer of baby clothes bouquets - a beautiful and more lasting alternative to fresh baby flowers. They have an astonishing selection of heart warming gifts that would make great presents for all occasions.
I adore this Grandma Cushion – perfect for any Grandma any time of the year, but even better at Christmas time!
This delightful Hand painted ‘You Put The Grand In Grandma’ Cushion is a truly spectacular looking cushion. It’s of a nice size (16cm x 16cm) and would sit lovely on her bed, seat or on display on a shelf. This hand painted cream silk cushion is adorned with the message: ‘You put the grand in Grandma”. What a beautiful message! It’s sure to bring a happy tear to any Grandma’s eye!
The cushion is packed in a presentation box, and also includes free gift wrapping. Costing only £11.25, this should be ideal for those on a budget. Check out http://www.babyblooms.co.uk for ordering details and to have a peek at their further products available.
When you want to get the perfect gift, you need to look at a couple of aspects – Relevancy and usefulness.
The Tin Cup answers those requirements, this is a great Christmas stocking filler for golfers…it’s also very cheap!
Prices start from £19.95, which includes the Tin Cup and a marker pen in a gift bag. The Tin Cup is a 100% stainless steel personalised imprinting system for your golf balls. It gives every golfer the chance to put their own identity on their golf balls.
Tin Cup ball markers have been made for world golf superstars on both the PGA and European Tour, so you are in good company.
With over 60 designs in their range, it is easy to find your mark as favourites include the Jolly Roger, Union Jack and Paw Print, as well as a Martini Glass and Cigar. Custom designs and corporate logos can also be made on special order.
To buy one of these great Christmas stocking fillers for golfers or for more information visit the Tin Cup website.
I review OXO quite regularly, and have never been let down by any of their products. As all are designed to make everyday living that little bit easier, the award winning
OXO Good Grips range offers over 200 stylish, yet practical tools for the home including kitchenware, organisational tools, bathroom and cleaning products.
I am so pleased to be sharing a couple of kitchen tools that will without a doubt help everyone with the Christmas Turkey this year! Whether it’s your first attempt at Christmas dinner or you’re a natural at cooking, OXO’s festive-themed kitchen tools are packed with clever hidden features bound to make any Scrooge smile.
I absolutely love the Gravy/fat separator! What a fabulous and clever tool it is! We all know that Christmas dinner wouldn’t be the same without lashings of delicious gravy. Taking the juice from your meat and using that as your gravy base in truly mouth-watering. Now, with OXO’s ingenious gravy/fat separator you can cut the unwanted fat which just greases your gravy but still keep all the goodness of a beautiful stock. Simply pour the gravy into the container and watch the fat rise and stay at the top while lean gravy settles at the bottom. Complete with strainer and stopper, the gravy/fat separator also features convenient measurement markings, while OXO’s soft trademark grip handle adds comfort and ensures a firm hold. Coming in two sizes, no matter how large your family is, there will always be enough gravy to go around! The 2 cup jug costs £10.21, and the 4 cup costs £13.28.
OXO’s Oven Thermometer could also be very useful! You can now cook up your festive feast with confidence using this clever little oven thermometer. It features large easy to read numbers and a non-slip heat resistant ring for easy handling on the shelves. The unique clip can either hang from or stand on the oven shelf, and won’t fall off while in use. Ingenious at £11.23!
The Instant read thermometer will ensure that your Christmas turkey is cooked all the way through, whilst remaining succulent and moist. With an angled face, extra large numbers and a non-slip silicone ring, this should be a little kitchen gadget that everyone should have this Christmas. There are also recommended cooking temperatures on the body of the storage sleeve which is very helpful indeed! It costs a very well spent £10.21.
The OXO range is widely available from a selection of national retailers. For stockist details visit http://www.oxouk.com or call 0114 290 1455.
Christmas wouldn’t be Christmas without some delicious chocolates to delve into. And, with Guylian Chocolates easy to get at hand, there is no better way to share treats with your loved ones! The world’s favourite Belgian chocolatier, like every year, has something for everyone, and is certain to keep all the family happy.
With many delectable boxes available to us, it will be hard to choose which one you want! But, as they are all at fantastic prices, why not pick up one of each for a true treat! Below are two that I have had the pleasure of tasting.
La Perlina really is a mouth-watering box of chocolates. Each individual chocolate is made from 74% dark or milk chocolate and filled with a velvety smooth milk truffle centre. Yes, they do taste as good as they sound! Guylian’s 132g La Perlina box provides an intense chocolate sensation, guaranteed to appease chocolate lovers this Christmas. These would make great stocking fillers for many, but even better as a gift to yourself! These are available in a choice of milk or dark truffles and costs £3.99.
Guylian Temptations Gift Box is another fabulous chocolate selection! This latest creation takes their trademark Guylian seahorse shape, with each seahorse individually wrapped. The chocolates are then presented in a wonderful creative gift box, which doubles as a serving tray when opened. Each box contains an assortment of the Original Praliné (copper wrapper), Dark Praliné (dark brown wrapper), and the Milk Truffle (blue wrapper). These too would make a great gift, and are wonderful for putting on the table for guest.
Guylian’s Chocolates are available from all high street retailers and will without a doubt make a perfect accompaniment to your shopping basket this Christmas. For further information, please check out http://www.guylian.be. You can also visit their Facebook page where you will find lots of interactive fun.
