Today is widely reported to be the busiest day for online Christmas shopping in the UK.  An estimated £8 billion will be spent during the course of the day by online Christmas shoppers.  We think that sounds pretty disgusting considering the world of abject poverty many live in.  So instead of a post talking about stocking fillers and gift ideas we thought we would offer a bit of light, but tasty, relief.

Put down your credit card, forget about choosing between next day delivery or standard delivery, ignore the manufactured pressure to conform by joining the world of AWOL employees (yes an acronym for everything, apparently today AWOL means At Work- On Line) and join us for a bit of baking instead.

Here is an incredibly simple recipe for some tasty, warming scones to cheer up your bowl of soup this lunchtime.

Measure out 10oz self raising flour into a large bowl with a pinch of salt and a pinch of mustard powder (optional).  Add 2oz of cooking margarine or butter and using an everyday knife shop the fat into the flour until it is all in tiny pieces.  Use your fingerstips to rug the mixture together until it resembles breadcrumbs.  Grate 3oz cheddar cheese, combine with the flour mix.  Pour in 1/4 pint of milk and combine until the dough leaves the sides of the bowl.  Turn onto a floured worksurface and either or roll out or gentle press out with your fingers until the dough is about 2-3cm thick.  Cut out your scones, this amount of dough should produce about a dozen scones.  Bake in a hot oven, 200C, for 8-10 minutes.

Enjoy hot with butter and a hearty bowl of soup.  Delicious, and not an online bargain in site.

Despite the relatively mild temperatures and pleasant weather this week, we are probably going to get our fair share of cold winter weather in the coming months.  Don’t be lulled into a false sense of security – get ready for winter now with our range of winter essentials.

We are eargerly awaiting another order of these lovely hand warmers from our friends at the Ways & Means Trust, a charity that for four decades has been providing rehabilitation and training for adults with recurring mental ill health or with a learning disability.

With more than 20 years experience of making heat pack products the Charity produces handmade heat packs which our customers love.    Their Hot Bots have a discreetly channelled award winning design to ensure a constant, even distribution of oats.  They larger heat packs will snuggle comfortably into the body’s natural contours, to give relief and help relax muscles knotted by injury, inflammation or everyday living.   But possibly the most popular of the heat packs we sell are the Hot Bots hand warmers.  Simple heat up and keep your hands nice and warm whatever the weather.

To heat, place the heat pack in a microwave for the required length of time (full instructions included).  Microwaving heats the starch within the husk of the grain; the stronger the husk, the longer both the heat and the product lasts.  These heat packs are made using only oats, which have extremely robust husks, unlike wheat or rice, often used by other manufactures of heat packs.  Simple but really effective and very cosy.

We also stock other heat pads and wheat packs.  To come and have a look at these lovely stocking fillers pop into the shop.  More Winter Essentials coming soon, watch this space.

We have now had our first taste of winter.  The clocks have been wound back and hour, the guisers have been – to those you of from south of the border ‘guisers’ are Halloween Trick or Treaters – and Guy Fawkes night has gone off with a bang.

Beautiful but very cold!

It was the perfect night for a bonfire, a lovely crescent moon, clear skies and millions of stars shining overhead.  Of course, the clear skies meant that it was a very cold night and the next morning the windows were covered in stunning frost ferns contrasted against the chill blue sky and sunshine.  Absolutely gorgeous.

But lets not be lulled into a false sense of optimism for the coming winter.  By all accounts there is some serious weather on the way.

We have just finished unpacking our second, yes, second of the season already, delivery of ice grips for shoes.  This year, after a lot of research we have gone for an ice grip from the USA – where they really know a thing or two about serious waeather – Yaktrax Walkers are ice grips that fit on over your normal shoe or boot to provide extra traction for snowy and icy conditions.  The clever part is the hand coiled rustproof metal spring that provides the grip.  So no sharp studs to replace.

They are really easy to pull on and quick to take off when you enter a building or a vehicle.  We love them, and judging by how fast they are jumping off the shelves we will be placing another order very soon, and with any luck, before the snow comes.

Are we in for more of this?