Aaahhh – the approach of a New Year – the time when many of us, irritated with ourselves for not being where we thought we should be or wanted to be by the end of the old year, resolve to do better next time.  So we come up with another list of resolutions, probably the same as last time and also like then, ones we are not likely to fulfil. For a lot of women (and men) weight comes very high on that list and we promise all sorts of thing to ourselves in the drive to do better. We resolve to make all sorts of changes, often all at once, starting on 1 January every year. How has that been going for you so far?

The time of the year when preparing a fabulous desert the day before is such an asset is now - Christmas time when we seem to have so much to do and so little time to do it. I always find that no matter what happens when it comes to hosting family meals, if you have a fabulous desert hidden away that you can bring out when the time is right, then all is forgiven and forgotten. And what can be more fabuolus than pre-rolled balls of homemade plum icecream served in an icebowl you also made several days before, to accompany a white chocolate cheesecake - you guessed it - made prior. Its the classic, “here’s one I prepared earlier” scenario.

Christmas is one of those times where everyone seems to loves tradition and that includes a lot of the treat foods you associate with your own childhood festivities. I still remember the year my clever and creative sister made a gingerbread house which took pride of place on the china cabinet. Mum always made the Edmonds cookbook Belgium Biscuits which we stuck together with homemade jam and had a lot of fun icing. I have done it with my own children and still do- even thought they are all grown up. The smell of the cookies baking definitely brings back good memories for me and I hope they do for you.

Its mid-November now and those of you who are gardening down here in the part of the world where I live in the southern hemisphere (New Zealand) are in the midst of peak planting time. By November the ground should have warmed up enough for you to get most of your vegetable plants in to the outdoor garden and you should have a good planting of everything in the ground.   Even if it is the first row of something that you are going to keep succession planting – but the combination of day length and increasing ground temperature means that the conditions are just right for peak growing.

Weeds in the wheelbarrow - how to avoid overwhelm in the vegetable garden.

Lemon Meringue Pie - Delicious comfort food.

“Spring stands at the gate with her finger on the latch”

I love this line by Patience Strong where she is perfectly describing this month where even though it is still winter, the promise of spring is in the air and popping up around us. She was of course writing in Northern Hemisphere so it was February she was writing for but the euivalent month for us down at the bottom of the world is August.

July here in our part of the world is till the depths of winter and although I’m thinking and preparing for the new season – there is not much time spent in the actual garden. It is  great to get out there on frosty morning to see how the ground is chilled and laced with ice – and to think triumphant thoughts about slugs and other pests not surviving the winter chill to make it through to eat my precious spring plants.  And then there is the occasional warm day when you notice that the daffodils are emerging and you realise that even when you can’t see it, there is still growth and movement going on.