So I’m sure you’ve all seen the reports about the crazy winter storms that are hitting parts of the world that normally only receive a meagre dusting of snow each year. From China to the UK to Florida, countries are being brought to a standstill because of the terrible weather conditions.

Having lived in a cold country, I know that it’s possible for councils and governments to get their acts together – especially in countries like the UK. A lot of people are arguing that since this kind of weather is uncommon in England, that it should not be seen as irresponsible for governments to not be prepared for winter weather – it should just be sort of a lesson so that they know to prepare better next time. I just hope that when all of the snow thaws, that the councils have begun to prepare for the flooding that is no doubt likely to occur…

So, what happened to Global Warming? According to some scientists, the entire northern hemisphere has entered into a “mini ice age”. Weather isn’t something that can be predicted, it has always fluctuated – heating up and cooling down.

And according to the US National Snow and Ice Data Centre in Colorado, since 2007, the Arctic summer sea ice has increased around 26%. Global warming?! I don’t think so.. It’s just the Earth going through it’s natural *random* cycle of warming and cooling. What caused the medieval warming period? Were the medieval pilgrims burning too much wood? Were their carts not carbon friendly? Were the cows too gassy?

And these weather scientists.. They can’t even get next week’s weather right, but they expect to be able to predict the weather for the next 100 years?! I don’t think so..

For those of you in England who still have their rubbish from Christmas sitting outside their houses, I hope your local council get it in gear and picks up your rubbish before Easter!

In the meantime, why not sit back and enjoy a nice winter warmer with a kick! Or for the warm wintery taste but without the alcohol why not try a virgin winter warmer!

Enjoy!

Please enjoy responsibly!

With winter here, there is nothing better than nice warm drinks with a kick to get you feeling the holiday spirit!! Here are some alcoholic winter drink recipes for you to try this at home holiday season. I’ve given party sized ingredient lists – they can be reduced or increased accordingly.

Bear in mind that when you are chosing a wine for these recipes, don’t think that you can get away with the cheapest one because you’re mixing a whole bunch of other things with it. If it tastes awful normally, it will probably taste even worse when its warmed up – even the spices won’t be able to disguise it! Make sure you pick a decent wine that you like!

For non-alcoholic drinks, check out some virgin recipes here

Also, a VERY important point to remember is that when warming alcohol, you cannot let it boil – otherwise the alcohol will evaporate, which sort of defeats the object!!! So just warm the liquid slowly and gently and make sure it does not boil!

Please enjoy responsibly!

Glogg with Raisins

Glogg is a Scandinavian recipe that dates back to medieval times. Its origins are from mulled wine, but has more sugar and a greater alcohol content. This makes it the perfect drinks for those long cold winter nights!

It goes really well with cinnamon rolls, gingerbread and friends and family!

• 4 bottles red wine (suggestions: Cabernet Sauvignon, Zinfandel, Merlot)
• 4oz dried orange zest
• 4oz cinnamon sticks
• 40 cloves
• 2 lb blanched almonds
• 2 lb raisins
• 1.5 lb sugar
• 10 oz brandy

Warm the wine in a pot. In a cheesecloth, put the orange, cinnamon, cardamom and cloves. Tie and warm in pot for 15 minutes. Add in the almonds and raisins; warm for an additional 15 minutes. Remove from heat. Add in sugar and brandy. Stir, and remove spices. Serve hot.

Spiced Apple Champagne Punch

This is a lovely fruity mixture that will be a big hit at your holiday parties this year!

It is a nice alterantive to mulled wine, and still has those great spiced flavours.

• 3 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1-1/2 teaspoons ground nutmeg
• 1-1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1 Tbsp grated orange zest
• 12 oz frozen apple juice concentrate, thawed
• 3 bottles white wine
• 1 bottle Champagne, chilled

Fruit Garnish.

• 1 lb pineapple chunks
• 2 orange, sliced into rounds
• 8 oz maraschino cherries, drained

Put the spices, orange zest and apple juice into a pan. Bring to a boil. Simmer for 10 minutes, then remove from heat.In a large container, mix the warm juice and white wine. At this same time, prepare the fruits.Strain the liquid, and put into a large punch bowl. Add in the Champagne. Top with the fruits and serve.

Winter Mulled Wine

The word “mulled” means heated and spiced. Mulled wine is a traditional drink from northern European countries that dates back to medieval times. This drink was believed to keep people healthy during the long cold winter months. Just like it’s cold counterpart, Sangria, there are a lot of variations to mulled wine. This is a basic mulled wine recipe that is easy to make. Share this lovely winter drink with your friends and family this holiday season.

• 4 bottles (750 ml) of red wine (suggestions: Cabernet Sauvignon, Zinfandel, Merlot)
• One peeled and sliced orange (keep peel to add zest to taste into cooking pot)
• 1/2  cup of brandy
• 8-10 cloves
• 1 cup honey or sugar
• 3 cinnamon sticks
• 2 tsp allspice

Combine all ingredients in either a large pot or a slow cooker. Gently warm the ingredients on low to medium heat – make sure you don’t boil it, for 20-25 minutes. Stir occasionally to make sure that the honey or sugar has completely dissolved.

Classic White Winter Mulled Wine

This is a spin on the classic mulled wine recipe as it uses sparkling white wine. There is a bit of prep time involved with the oranges, but it’s worth it!

• 3 bottles Sparkling Wine
• 400ml (3/4 pint) Blackcurrant Syrup
• 5 large Oranges
• 30 Cloves
• 4 Cinnamon Sticks
• 4 tsp All spice

• Vodka or Gin to taste (optional)
• 600 ml (1 pint) Fruit Juice (optional)
• Sugar to taste

Preheat oven to 180°C: 350°F: Gas 4. Stick 3 cloves in each orange and place the whole oranges in a deep ovenproof dish, bake for around 20 minutes.

Slice the oranges into a bowl. Heat the wine, but do not allow to boil, (adding the fruit juice if using) with the cinnamon and all spice. Add the blackcurrant syrup and the oranges and cloves and continue heating. Sweeten to taste, then add the vodka or gin. Serve immediately.

Homemade Amaretto

If you’re feeling really ambitions this winter, here is a recipe for home made liqueur. It makes a great addition to your holiday get-togethers or you could give it as a home-made gift.

• 2 cups sugar
• 2 cups water
• 2 cups vodka
• 2 cups brandy
• 4 tsp of almond extract

Bring the sugar and water to a boil and let simmer for 10 minutes until it becomes syrup-like in consistency. Cool the syrup at room temperature and stir in the rest of the ingredients. Pour the mixture into seal-able glass bottles and let it age for at least one month before consuming.

If you’re making this last-minute as a gift, make you you let the recipients know they should wait for a period of time before opening the bottle!

Sometimes you might want to enjoy the seasonal tastes of the classic holiday drinks – but without the alcohol. Here are some virgin recipes that are great for family gatherings this holiday season. The kids in the family will feel so grown up drinking these “adult drinks”!

Check out some winter drink recipes with alcohol here.

These recipes are party sized, and can be reduced or increased as needed.

Virgin Mulled Wine

This is a great drink for family functions and the children will love it.

• 3 litres non-alcoholic grape juice
• 2 cups water
• 1/2 lb sugar
• 15 whole cloves
• 6 cinnamon sticks
• The peel of 1 orange and 1 lemon
• 1 crushed nutmeg seed
• 2.5 cups of hot lemon/lime juice

Heat the water and add the sugar, cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg and peel. Boil for 5 minutes and leave to simmer for 5 more. Strain this syrup into a large pot and add the citrus juice, heat until it is gently bubbling. Add the 2 litres of grape juice and keep the mixture on a low heat, serve with a slice of  lemon.

Hot Cranberry Cider

• 3 litres unsweetened apple juice or cider
• 1 litre cranberry juice
• 3 whole cloves
• 1 cinnamon stick

Mix the apple juice, cranberry juice, cloves, and cinnamon stick in a large pot and bring to a boil for 5 minutes. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 30 minutes. Remove the cloves and cinnamon stick before serving. Serve warm.

Fruity Winter Punch

• 2 litres apple juice
• 1 litre orange juice
• 3 tbsp lemon juice
• 5 tbsp honey
• 5 tsp ground cinnamon

Combine apple juice and orange juice in a pot. Heat over medium heat until steaming hot – but not boiling. Remove from heat and sir in lemon juice, honey and cinnamon. Serve hot.

Tropical Winter Warmer

• 1.5 litre apple juice
• 1 litre pineapple juice
• 1/2 litre cranberry juice cocktail
• 1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 3 whole cloves
• 6 lemon slices

Combine all of the ingredients in pot and simmer 10 minutes. Serve hot. Simple!!

Non Alcoholic Hot Toddy

(makes 1 serving)

This is great for if you have a cold, or aren’t feeling too good. And if you like the original Hot Toddy and want all the taste without the alcohol, this is for you!

• 1 mug hot tea
• 1 tbsp honey
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• grated cinnamon
• ground cloves
• grated nutmeg
• lemon wedge for garnish

In an Irish coffee glass pour the honey, lemon and spices. Top with hot, brewed tea. Stir to make sure everything is mixed. Garnish with a lemon wedge.

For some people, winter really takes its toll on the skin. I’m not just talking about the skin being a little dry, I’m talking flaking, irritated, cracked skin and sometimes even eczema. As soon as you turn the heat on in your homes or cars, the skin immediately starts drying out. Going from cold temperatures outside to dry heat indoors really assaults your skin. Unfortunately, just slathering yourself in a boatload of moisturizer and hoping for the best isn’t the most effective way to keep your skin looking winter wonderful.

The main thing to remember is to keep your skin hydrated. Contrary to popular belief, the amount of water that a person drinks is NOT reflected in their skin. Of course, you have to drink water for your overall health, but the best way to keep your skin hydrated is: Moisturize, moisturize, moisturize! It’s really important to pick the right moisturiser for your skin type. Moisturizers that are too heavy and oily can leave the skin feeling even more irritated. I’ve been using Spectro Ezema Care Cream, and it works really well. I have extremely dry and sensitive skin, and I’ve been really impressed with this cream. It’s a very intense cream, but feels very light and I don’t have to moisturize 20 times a day.

Cleansing is also extremely important. Again, the right cleanser is key. You don’t want to remove all of the good oils from your skin, as this will cause your skin to dry out more. Cleansers that contain alpha-hydroxy acids (AHA) should be used very carefully and really only if you need to use them. AHA is normally found in cleansers for very oily/acne prone skin, such as Clearasil, Clean ‘n’ Clear and some Neutrogena and L’oreal products. I’m not slating these products or telling you not to use them, but if you do, it is VERY important that you moisture, as they take away the skin’s oils and exfoliate the top layer of skin – which initially is good for dry skin, but leaves the new skin out in the open and unprotected against the brutal winter weather.

It’s imperative to remember that whether you’re washing your face, showering or just washing your hands, if the water is too hot, it will dry your skin out as all the good oils, along with the bad, will be removed from your skin. It’s comparable to washing the dishes; think of how quickly oil and grease is removed from a pan with hot soapy water – it comes right off! But to keep the good oils on your skin, lukewarm water is the best along with a gentle soap or body wash for showering or bathing. I know hot baths and showers feel great in the cold winter months, but they really aren’t good for your skin. If you have to take a hot bath, use oils. Moisturising is vital after cleansing your face, showering or even washing your hands. For best results, moisturize as soon as you have dried your skin. If you wait too long, the skin will rapidly lose moisture and begin to feel tight and itchy. It essentially seals in the moisture and ensures that the skin does not dry out. Humidifiers are also very helpful. Having them around the house and in your bedroom at night are a great way of making sure the air isn’t too dry.

Lastly, don’t forget to protect your lips. The skin on your lips is different to the skin on your face. This is why you don’t put lip balm on your face, or moisturizer on your lips. Look for lip balms with an SPF or if your lips get really chapped in the winter, look for medicated ones like Blistex. This will help keep your lips ready for some action under the mistletoe!

I hope this information helpful. Remember to drink water and keep moisturized. I hope that you will all have beautiful angelic skin this winter season!