Kirstie’s Handmade Christmas

Well here it is at long last me on Kirstie’s Handmade Christmas TV show for Channel 4. It was shown last night (18th December) so I’m now allowed to blog about it and show and tell. To be part of this prestigious show was an honour and a privilege and oh so much fun!

Kirstie’s Handmade Christmas

When it began

For me it all started back in October when I got the call to say I was a finalist on the show. Talk about thrilled, never thought I’d make it!

I had literally just got off a flight from Crete and the TV company, Raise The Roof Productions wanted to come and film me at home in ten days time.

Well that would’ve been okay and no problem, but I was jetting off to France for 4 days and would get home just a couple of days before filming so would be up against it getting the house ready and prepping my presentation piece.

Special ingredients

Went to France and bought more Pimente D’espilette (a special chilli pepper from South of France) that I was adding to my Goat’s Cheese in herbes de Provence.

Came home and went into panic mode of course. Approach Teenager for help in cleaning kitchen, amazing how she suddenly had to go out.

Clean kitchen from top to toe and snarl at Mummy’s Precious Darling Love 1 (Aga) for causing so much grease and dust and general crud. Snarl at self for not keeping up that housework regime we all imagine we are capable of at New Year and fail on completely by second week in January.

Filming at home

We were to decorate kitchen to look Christmassy and try to look festive. Tasteful white lights adorned the dresser and a few suitably artisan baubles were hung, perfect, tasteful and country.

Now what to wear? Opted for Nigellaesque cardi with jeans. Tried to match red lipstick to red cardi and Teenager accused me of looking like raddled old tart before she shot off to college.

Anyway the crew arrive and promptly redecorate kitchen with miles of flashing white lights and massive paper ornaments, yuck, hey but SO festive!

Anyway spent day making and remaking the goats cheese in herbes de Provence. Didn’t drop anything and chatted about self, hamper and Christmas.

Filming at Kirstie’s

Returned to Crete and then had to fly back early for the filming at Kirstie’s down in Devon. This meant I had one day to pack everything and practice making the crumble crackers I’d be making live on the show.

If you have ever tried to make something when it is really important and you know damn well how to do it but it just won’t work, well that was me. Hated those bloody biscuits before I even left to go to the show.
Managed to get everything into one case for the flight and headed south.

Oh what fun this was totally amazing. Stayed over for a couple of nights in lovely local hotel with some of the other competitors and my old friend Jane Means who would be judging and doing a gift wrapping demo on the show.

Filming fun

Filming was a blast and Emily, Tahmina, Tiffany and I all got on really well.

Each of our hampers was so different, it didn’t really matter who would actually win the four of us had made it to the TV stage and that was just great.
It was Tiffany who won with her foraging style hamper which was amazing.

Kirstie loved my Scottish minty macaroons and the crew were pinching them. She also loved the Goat’s Cheese but judge thought too many herbs but loved the pepper element.

Nobody mentioned the bloody biscuits thank God but they were a sodding disaster and crumbled rather too much than they should. Both Kirstie and judge loved my Scotch Mist liqueur which was great.
Back at the hotel later I met up with the gang who had been filming the Christmas stockings class (Brad you are a star!) and ended up partying in my room and polishing off my hamper. At least it was lighter to carry home!

We had to have five items in our hampers all on a theme. My theme was The Auld Alliance, the bond between Scotland and France. I was combining my favourite French ideas with Scottish.

My hamper contained;

Scotch Mist Liqueur which was my own take on the famous Drambuie liqueur.

Scottish Minty Macaroons

Bordeaux Jelly (red wine jelly)

Goat’s Cheese balls in herbs de Provence (Labneh in herb oil)

Oat & Almond Crumble Crackers

So that was it, my fabulous time on Kirstie’s Handmade Christmas Show. I have to thank Kirstie for being such a wonderfully friendly and welcoming host and Raise The Roof Productions for organising everything so perfectly right down to the last detail.

And a big thanks and loads of love to my new found friends; Emily , Tiffany , and Tahmina (go and take a look at their great web sites), here’s to the Kirstie’s Handmade Christmas, Hamper Class of 2017!

MERRY CHRISTMAS 2017!