Welcome to my blog – which, with just one week to go, will start out as a Christmas Blog!

While I’ve never really needed occasion to cook, there’s nothing quite like Christmas to get me motivated in the kitchen – combining traditional with new ideas, taking in the intoxicating scents of citrus, cinnamon and clove as I bake, and smashing a couple of yuletide cocktails along the way. The latter is probably how I begin the silly season, as friends pop in and we spend time in the kitchen. It’s therefore appropriate that I share a Wassail recipe with you to begin the festivities! I first enjoyed this drink when visiting “our American family”, David and Karen Sampson, in Texas. Every year when I make it, I find it’s just the thing to get us into the holiday spirit and get our home smelling like Christmas!

• 2 litres of apple juice
• 3 whole cinnamon sticks
• 2 teaspoons of whole allspice
• 1 small lemon, sliced
• 1 bottle of white wine
• 4 cups of water
• 3-quarter cup of brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons of whole cloves
• 1 small orange, sliced
• 1 litre of orange juice

Combine all the ingredients into a large pot and simmer on the stove for at least half an hour, and then, for as long as you need to keep it warm for guest arrivals.