December 2013 No. 1

Food@Home and the SA Blog Awards
I launched Food@Home in November 2013 ~ a brand new blog with the aim of inspiring you to create fresh, healthy and fabulous food. The Recipe Collection is growing daily and FoodTalk (see below) has new articles each week. Soon, I will be adding décor, design and dream destinations to the mix. Even though I am new on the Food Blog scene, I have entered the online SA Blog Awards, so please go and have a look at their site.

Please vote for Food@Home between the 2nd & 13th December 2013!

Featured Recipe ~ Christmas Cake
It’s that special time of year again! The time to relax and celebrate Christmas with friends and family. A Christmas celebration wouldn’t be the same without a wonderful menu of delicious food and, of course, a traditional Festive, Fruity Christmas Cake.

This recipe is truly tried and tested and easy to make; it is deliciously rich and moist with generous quantities of fruit, nuts and brandy. Click here to give it a try ~ you (and your family) will love it!


	Featured Ingredient ~ Almonds Almonds are delicious, very nutritious and are used in a multitude of recipes both sweet and savoury. Read more about almonds, their forms and uses, here. Add a new dimension and a crunchy texture to some of your best-loved dishes or try out a couple of my favourite recipes!

Kitchen Tips ~ Let’s go back to basics
Good quality, home-made Chicken Stock is an essential fridge / freezer staple. It’s versatility adds depth and flavour to many dishes including soups, stews and sauces and is a vital addition to any risotto. I have two recipes that I use regularly depending on the ingredients I have available ~ the one is made from scratch using raw chicken wing tips and the other uses a cooked roast chicken carcass. The latter is a good way to use up any left-overs and ensures that very little goes to waste.


	Interesting discussions on the food front ~ this week have a look at the article *“Are food manufacturers making us fat?”* I’m hoping to address many different issues such as food labelling, GM foods and much more. Please share your thoughts and comments.