Among the delicious treats that landed in my stocking this year were two - count 'em, two - kinds of gin. From one friend, damson gin, and from another, blackberry gin. I know, I know - I definitely have some of the best friends going!
One of the gin friends also gave me some fabulous Genmaicha tea. When I go over to her house, she makes me a big pot of the tea - and now I've got some of my own! It's a mix of green tea and (I think) toasted brown rice, which gives the resulting brew a nice, popcorny, nutty flavour.
And my other half got me a box of Montezuma's vegan chocolate selection. Seriously, these rock (note the photo below has been cropped to hide the strange absence of a few of the chocolates). I not only love that Montezuma's make fine, fine vegan chocolate, I love that they're not shy about putting it on the box either, which means they must think it's both a selling point, and an all-round good thing (and they're right too).
And then my folks very kindly gave me a book on making jams and preserves, along with a whole load of little jars of readymade chutneys and the like. How cute are these bad boys?
Expect to see them featuring in a load of recipes on this here blog in the near future. Perhaps in connection with another food-related Christmas present (this one's to me, from me) - a copy of Artisan Vegan Cheese.
Fantastic gifts all the way around! I'm curious about the Artisan Vegan Cheese, and can't wait to see what turns out. Blackberry gin - wow! The Genmaicha tea also sounds really good. Enjoy your gifts, and Happy New Year!
ReplyDeleteExcellent gifts! Enjoy them all, and have a great year! Looking forward to your cheese exploits.
ReplyDeleteHey, my parents gave me a similar book! I guess they want some homemade jams, right?
ReplyDeleteOh, how exciting! Artisan cheese, jams and chutneys go well together! What preserving book did you get? Andy got me "Preserving the Harvest" along with some jar lids, jar tongs and a magnetic lid wand, so we've already done chutney and mango jam. I can't wait to play around with preserving more things :)
ReplyDeleteTwo homemade gins, you are so spoiled! :) And I absolutely love genmaicha green tea... it is my favorite ever. The toasty flavor is the best. Chocolate is always a good Christmas score, and those preserves are so cute! I'd say you got a good haul this year. :)
ReplyDeleteWhat a fantastic selection of foodie gifts! I gifted myself with Artisan Vegan Cheese and a couple of other cookbooks but haven't had the chance to get into cheese making yet.
ReplyDeleteLovely presents!! :) What do you think of Artisan Vegan Cheese, have you made anything from it yet? I've got it myself and have been busy making loads of cheese the past few weeks!
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