Here are some helpful and not to miss suggestions
to get you into the Christmas spirit!

Books
These books are great for inspiration, either for their recipes
or for the Christmas feeling they give you:

• Elizabeth David’s Christmas by Elizabeth David
• Christmas from the Heart of the Home by Susan Branch
• Nigella Christmas by Nigella Lawson
• Delia Smith’s Christmas by Delia Smith
• Christmas Cooking Around the World by Hanne Kruse & Marie Bille

On my Wish List!

• Christmas Cooking in New York by Peter Buhrer
• The First Christmas in New England by Harriet Beecher Stowe
• Feasts: Food for Sharing from Central and Eastern Europe by Silvena Rowe

Festive Food Sites
BBC on food for Christmas
Epicurious on Christmas
Nordpole.com Mrs Claus Cookbook
Nigella Christmas Bites recipes
Susan Branch

What to do with Cranberries top 5

• A cranberry syrup and champagne cocktail
• cranberry and white chocolate cookies and biscotti
• cranberry and orange caramel sauce
• apple and cranberry crumble
• brownies with cranberries and white chocolate

Tip: I’ve already got one great idea from the site. Recently I made cranberry syrup from the new book by Tessa Kiros, Apples for jam. Mix this with lovely Prosecco and you have what Nigella calls ‘Christmas in a glass’! At another show on Sunday I saw this topped by a cocktail maker who combined champagne with apple juice and cranberry juice and put some frozen berries in the glasses. It looked great.

My Christmas Cooking Songs Top Five!

• Tchaikovsky: Nutcracker Suite (I’m a ballet girl)
• Let it Snow by Bing Crosby
• Sleigh Ride by The Carpenters
• Last Christmas by Wham
• It’s The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year by Andy Williams

My Christmas Album Top Five!

• White Christmas by Bing Crosby
• Home for Christmas by Anne Sofie von Otter
• Christmas Collection by The Carpenters
• Boogie Woogie Christmas by Brian Setzer Orchestra
• Christmas with Julie Andrews

And it’s not Christmas until I’ve seen

• The Snowman (from the song ‘Walking in the air)
• Miracle on 34th Street (1947)
• A Christmas Carol (1951)
• Charlie And The Chocolate Factory (the Original of course)
• Groundhog Day (don’t ask!)
• Jul i Svingen / Kerst met Linus (Norwegian / Dutch) all 24 episodes

Also nice to watch during the season

• The Holiday with Cameron Diaz and Jude Law
• Love Actually with Hugh Grant
• Little Women
• It’s a wonderful life with James Stewart

I will update this post when I find more Christmas Cooking cheer to share.