~Christmas Foodie Treats~

Just wanted to share a couple of my favourite foodie treats that I bought today for Christmas. I visited Tadcaster, North Yorkshire, where I love the Little Delicatessen, which stocks deli food, local produce and local brewery ales (Sam Smiths & John Smiths breweries are in Tadcaster).

This is so gorgeous if like me, you love cherries...

Organic cherry fruit beer.

I bought a few bottles as Christmas day table gifts. How lovely is the artwork on the label too?

And Tracklements Chilli Jam....

Despite making my own Chilli Jam, this was the first one I ever bought years ago, and it remains top of my list. See Tracklements range here. Here it is in front of my Kitsch kitchen Christmas tree, and yes I have already had a spoonful! Hopefully there'll be some left for Christmas Day!

The Little Delicatessen

3 High St

TADCASTER

LS249AP

United Kingdom

Tel: 01937 833244

~Betty Hula Review~

I've recently been sent some Betty Hula products to try; namely their Champagne & Spice and Rum & Blackcurrant Shea Butter Moisturising Creams. Betty Hula are a Yorkshire-based company selling a limited range of beauty products handmade using traditional techniques. The finest quality and fairly traded natural ingredients are used, such as shea butter, aloe vera, coconut oil, cocoa butter and Vitamin E. I was interested to try these as I've got quite dry and sensitive skin prone to dermatitis, and some creams actually smart when I use them. Betty Hula recommends that their creams relieve stretch marks, scarring, dry/sensitive skin, combination skin, oily skin and can be used to sooth sunburn.

Both of the moisturising creams come in 200ml tubs for £14.99, as seen above.  I reviewed a smaller sample pot. I loved the retro- 50's- glamour style of the bright packaging and would enjoy seeing it on my bathroom shelf. My teenage daughter also admired the packaging and general style of the Betty Hula website, so I think the products have fairly general appeal. Both creams had strong fragrance on first opening and I was initially dubious, wondering if the fragrance would irritate my skin, and be too overpowering. The Rum & Blackcurrant initially smelled too fruity for me, but once on the skin it mellowed and settled to a lovely buttery and marzipanny fragrance. My favourite was the Champagne & Spice; just up my street fragrance-wise and complimentary to other perfumes I wear. This too mellowed and smelled deliciously buttery on the skin, and gave gorgeous long-lasting fragrance. Consistency was slightly lighter than a body butter.  I applied it to my face, and also to newly-shaved legs - the ultimate test! It was easily absorbed, left no sticky after-feeling and my skin did feel nourished and smooth afterwards.  I would use this product again. The creams are available at Sainsbury's (and online retailers see here) and you can also order direct from Betty Hula, with free P&P for UK orders. They come in 200ml pots for £14.99. Considering the ingredients, it's a comparable price to other quality creams on the market. I'm a frugal lady, but I do like to treat myself, so I would splash out and keep this 'for best'... and hide it from my daughter!

~A *Pear* of Recipes~

A quick post to share some recipes for the welcome Autumn glut of pears. The recipe for the Italian Pear Cake I baked for Leeds Clandestine Cake Club can be found on this coffee website and is attributed to Anne Willan's Perfect Italian Country Cooking.  I thought it had coffee in the recipe until I realised it was a cake to eat with coffee...
The only addition was some amaretto when caramelising the pears.

Tomatoes optional! Lovely served warm with craime fraiche.
I tweeted last night about Pear Vodka too...I tripled the quantities of the recipe below as it only makes 1 kilner jar's worth and I wanted more!
Pear Vodka Recipe - Peel and dice some pears and measure quantity in a jug to about the 500ml mark. Mix 30ml brandy and 250ml vodka, add to clear kilner jar with 125g sugar. Add the pears - they should be submerged. Keep in a cool pantry/garage for a good few weeks, then strain into sterilised bottle through muslin. 

I use Ikea vases, like this Snartig at 59p

and buy wine corks to seal them.

I'm saving my Pear Vodka to have as an aperitif for Christmas Day.

~My key ingredients from Quay Ingredients~

I'd like to sing the praises of Quay Ingredients and display their smart logo linking to their website. I discovered Quay Ingredients herbs and spices about 2 years ago in a shop in Boston Spa near Wetherby as I was searching for more unusual ingredients to use in my chutneys and preserves. I found them excellent quality and liked the size and style of the packaging.  In addition to this, I found that they are from a family run Yorkshire company, run by Ian and Deana Southworth, and it's important to me to support Yorkshire produce.  They have got a vast range of herbs, spices and spice mixes for cooks, bakers and preservers.

 I use their vanilla pods, cumin, Ras el Hanout, cinnamon, pickling spices and cinnamon sticks to name a few! 

Ian and Deana's herb and spice business started in 2000 in Ilkley, and is now based near Skipton in North Yorkshire, on the edge of the Yorkshire Dales National Park and just a stones throw away from the beautiful Forest of Bowland. Both are keen cooks and were dissatisfied with the products on offer at the time. So they launched their business supplying an extensive range of the finest quality herbs, spices and ingredients. These are now available to buy direct and through a wide selection of farm shops, delicatessen and fine food retailers; the packaging is really attractive and I especially like their, as they say, sensible sized ‘no-nonsense’ packs meant for the serious cook. All their products are GMO free and contain no artificial flavour, colour or preservatives.
I can't praise them highly enough and am extremely pleased to have their support with making my baking as tasty as possible at future Time for Tea afternoon tea events.
Please note that Saturday 1st October is now sold out - I have decided to donate all proceeds on that day to Macmillan Cancer Relief Coffee Morning fundraising and sell raffle tickets for their funds too. I will promise to announce more Time for Tea dates on the supperclub website ASAP.