Term has ended ......

The house smells so Christmassy having spent time with Sarah and Festive Aga last week and Susanna and Festive Flowers this week.

It has been a very busy term, and I have met so many lovely new people.

Nineteen of you came to Aga on Friday 28 November. Having spent the last two years mastering Turkey in the Aga, we decided to offer something different this year, and Sarah showed us how to make a delicious Beef Wellington and a Festive Ham. But the real treat was the Trifle. Made with a base of chocolate muffins, truly delicious. Sarah is about to launch a shop on her website (link from this blog) and you will be able to buy her recipe books and other kitchen items from there. She also makes gorgeous cashmere hot water bottle covers in her spare time (I can't work out when that is though!?)

This week Susanna came twice for Festive Flowers, in came the buckets full of foliage, deep red amaryllis, avalanche cream roses, ink dipped carnations and large deep red roses. The smells of eucalyptus, pine and cinnamon filled the kitchen.

Everyone made fantastic door wreaths, all so different from each other. Slices of oranges, grapefruit and apple were wired in, cinnamon, ribbons and new this year - small apples and pears from Holland that have been dipped into wax and then glitter. Very pretty.

You can make your wreath now and just before Christmas buy 3 beautiful flowers, such as roses and tuck them in. Keep it sprayed with water and it will last for weeks.

Top tips from Susanna include adding a teaspoon of bleach and a tablespoon of sugar to your vases of flowers, to help the flowers and keep the vases clean.

If buying amaryllis, which are expensive but last a long time, fill the stem with water, push in a garden cane or stick, plug it with some cotton wool and then arrange into your vase.

Claire and I had 4 Watercolour classes in quick succession recently, there were some beautiful Winter Scenes and Robins painted.

Teleri's Robin

We have put together the classes for the first half of 2009, a collection of favourites and some new classes. NEW is an Art for the Terrified class on Monday 2 February, which we hope those of you too frightened to have come before, can take a deep breath and join in! For the regular and intermediate/advanced artists we are going to have a 2 day Masterclass at the end of April, where Claire can get tackling slightly more complicated techniques and ideas such as buildings and people, things we've only just touched on before.

I am selling Gift Vouchers at the moment which make great Christmas presents, and I think I have managed to mail out to all of you your Christmas card and some dates for 2009.

Paul at Kitchenmonger is doing a great job telling shoppers about our classes, especially the lost and bewildered looking husbands, frantically searching the Saturday before Christmas! (If you come on one of Vanessa's Cookery classes, you receive a 10% off Kitchenmonger shopping voucher!)