DECEMBER NEWSLETTER
A HUGE Christmas offer for you, plus mince pie tips, LOTS of seasonal recipes, and a look at my festive cookbook shelf.
Hello you lovely lot.
Welcome to my monthly newsletter. I’ve got a big old Christmas offer for you, plus mince pie tips, LOTS of seasonal recipes, and a look at my festive cookbook shelf.
TECHNICAL NOTE: This post is packed so may appear as clipped or truncated in an email. If so, just press VIEW ENTIRE MESSAGE at the end of the email, or head to the app or online version.
20% off. Forever.
In case you missed my post last week about this special Christmas offer, here it is again:
To say thank you for your support this year…
I’m offering 20% off upgrades. Forever.
That means when you take an annual subscription to Tales From the Veg Patch, you pay just 60p a week. Forever. Which is the price of an organic apple.
The offer applies to annual subscriptions and is live until 31 Dec 2023.
(And if you upgrade pronto, you’ll be in time for the Christmas pressie going out to paid subscribers later this week. CLUE: it’s an ebook)
Mince Pie Time
Last week I took my mince pies to Magic FM radio station to share with the drivetime team (one of whom had confessed that she didn’t like mince pies, so I was brought in to convert her). You can hear how I got on by listening to the replay here. The mince pie business starts from 25:30. (SPOILER: I totally converted her. Of course I did.)
I made three types of mince pies, each for a different occasion: a classic, a cheat and a special surprise something for when you want to break some rules. (SPOILER, again: it’s got vegetables in it.)
My Christmas Cookbook Shelf
I have a LOT of cookbooks. And I’m surprised (actually, not that surprised) by how many are Christmas cookbooks. I read them in bed to make me feel Christmassy, and I browse them at the kitchen table as as plan a week of feasting. Here are my most loved:
Jamie’s Christmas Cookbook, Jamie Oliver.
Cook. Eat. Repeat, Nigella Lawson (the Christmas section is, I think, better than Nigella’s Christmas. Controversial.)
The Christmas Chronicles, Nigel Slater
Christmas at River Cottage, Lucy Brazier
Advent, Anja Dunk
Complete Christmas, Sarah Raven (worth it for the hilarity of her starting preparations in July. July!)
Delia’s Happy Christmas (don’t be snooty, it’s a classic)
What did I miss? Leave me a comment and we’ll make a virtual library.
Recipes for Christmastime
Here are some of my favourite seasonal recipes I’ll be cooking this month:
You might also like the Root Veg, Marmite and Cheddar Pie in my regular Simple Things magazine column this month, the recipe for which is also on their blog.
Christmas on Substack
It’s all very festive on
, and my fellow Recipe Stackers are pulling out all the stops. Here’s a round up:And finally…
A big sloppy kiss from Humphrey the spaniel and a more gracious, but no less enthusiastic, hug from me to wish you all a very lovely Christmas. I’m taking a bit of time off. I won’t be posting over the break and have, therefore, paused subscription fees until 8th January.
Don’t forget there’s still time to buy a gift subscription to Tales From the Veg Patch if you’re short of a pressie. Might go nicely with a copy of my cookbook…
See you on the other side…
Know someone who might enjoy this free newsletter? Spread the word:
What a great selection of Christmas books - and DELIGHTED to be among your festive substack links, thank you
Lovely stuff Kathy. Thanks so much for sharing my Christmas Bonanza. I very much like the look of your quincemeat Bakewell tart. YUM.