Hello dear reader,
Drum roll please with accompanying fanfare!
Vohn’s Vittles is one year old today!
It has been such an amazing year and I have enjoyed every minute of sharing my foodie exploits with you.
My first ever foodie blog post, on 18th December 2012, was for Spiced Plum Chutney which I made as a Christmas gift for my father. So what better way to celebrate a year of Vohn’s Vittles than to show you some of the edible gifts I have made to give away this Christmas!
Breakfast muffins
The recipe for these “Christmas Morning Muffins in a Jar” comes from the Great British Chefs website and was written by one of my new blogger friends Karen, who blogs at Lavender and Lovage. It is a brilliant gift idea and you can vary the mix depending on which dried fruit and nuts you happen to have. I have made up this jar to give to my step-daughter – she is cooking her first Christmas dinner this year and this will make for a quick and easy breakfast!
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Rose hip jelly and Rose hip Syrup
Rose hip jelly is delicious on toast and can also be used as an accompaniment to game. The rose hip syrup is great to ward off colds, as it is chock full of Vitamin C, or to soothe your throat if you are already under-the-weather. As you can see, my own jar of Rose hip syrup is half finished – I have been taking a spoonful every day to ward off the dreadful flu-ey cold Mr Vohn had a couple of weeks ago – so far so good! The other little jar will go in my gift box for my father as, like me, he seems to pick up every cold out there!
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Papaya and Melon Jam
I am not usually one for buying tropical fruit because I believe in eating local ingredients whenever possible. Also, fruit that has been picked before it is fully ripe and then flown half-way across the world is never as tasty as fruit eaten at the right time in its place of origin. However, I do sometimes pick up tropical fruit in the discount trays at the supermarket. My reasoning is that if I don’t buy it it will likely be binned & then what an even bigger tragedy all those air miles are! So I had an overripe melon and an overripe papaya but what on earth to do with them? Make jam of course! I like to think of these little jars as bottled tropical sunshine. They are tasty enough to brighten any Christmas breakfast table!
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Gingerbread reindeer
My crazy reindeer are great gifts for children. Simply pop them in a cellophane bag and tie with Christmas string. If you want to make these yourself the recipe is here.
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Christmas Pudding Truffles
My little Christmas Pudding Truffles take a little while to make but can then be stored in the freezer for a few weeks. Make up a big batch and then box them up when you need an instant gift! They are quite rich and dark, so probably best just for adults. If you want to make them yourself, the recipe is here.
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Bramble brandy
Finally, this one is definitely just for the adults – a delicious Christmas tipple. It takes a couple of months to mature but if you want to make your own next year, the recipe is here. I really did plan to give this as a gift but every night, since I have bottled up the finished product, it just seems to make its way into a glass in my hand! There is one miniature left, which I am trying very hard to keep for Christmas Day. I must make lots more of this next year, so I can give it as a gift!
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So that’s my round up of some of the foodie gifts I have made to give to friends and family this Christmas – a lovely way to celebrate my blog’s one year anniversary.
One thing I certainly didn’t expect when I started blogging was the warmth and support I would receive from the food blogging community in particular and the world in general. I have had so many kind comments from people all over the world and my little blog has been viewed by someone in almost every country. I feel so honoured to now count among my friends some of the top food bloggers in the U.K. and even a few further afield. That these busy, popular, successful bloggers take the time to give me encouragement and offer friendship means so much to me.
Thank you so much to you too, dear reader, for all the support and kindness you’ve given me this year. I really and truly appreciate it! I can’t wait to see what we get up to together next year!
Vohn
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