The big countdown has commenced...

So now we're five days into December...five already?! Is it me or has 2012 just disappeared in an instant? It's true what they say, time flies when you're having fun and 2012 has been a very busy fun-filled year and December shows no sign of bucking the trend!

What I want to know is are you ready for the big event? For the first time I am ultra-organised! All the Christmas shopping was completed a few weeks ago and everything is wrapped. Well, it was until yesterday. The problem now is I cannot stop buying, I really need someone to take my VISA away! The Christmas cards are written and some have even been posted. I've decided that the cost of stamps these days is ridiculous so with a bit of foreword planning, I'm managing to post only 5 Christmas cards this year and will give out the others when I see people through the month.

The only thing left to do now is some festival meal and recipe planning. I'll admit I am a bit late with this as I normally start planning in September (I know...) however I've been so busy recently I haven't had time and plus, being on a diet means that looking at yummy food hasn't been high on my agenda! I plan to spend a few evenings this week and next planning and making some shopping lists. 

That's not to say that I haven't started stockpiling oh no. The Christmas food cupboard (yes, I have a dedicated one) is positively bulging with delights I have been picking up as I go along. Also, you may have seen a badge over there (that way ---->) telling you I am a Sainsbury's Christmas Ambassador - I was asked a few weeks ago to be part of their Food Blogger network. Well the nice people at Sainsbury's sent me £150 to spend Christmas goodies which meant the other day I threw a few extra bits in my shopping trolley.

All Christmas essentials don't you think? I actually only spent about £22 of my vouchers because I got a few bargains. The frozen party food, £2.25 a box was on a BOGOF so that really WAS a bargain. I like to keep some things like this in the freezer as over the Christmas holidays we tend to have a few "picky" teas where we eat from the fridge or have party food - I love party food.  I was quite restrained through, and the frozen party food desserts were also in the BOGOF so I may well return soon.   The goose fat was reduced by about a £1 and you need that for the roasties don't you? And then there were what I would call Christmas must-haves - pickled onions, peanuts, Cheeselets and ginger ale!

Another good deal I picked up was the mulled wine. After sampling some delicious mulled wine on Saturday, I got a bit of a taste for it and did a shout-out on Twitter asking for mulled wine recipes. I received one or two recipes but what became apparent was most people just buy it in a bottle and the name that kept coming up again and again was Sainsbury's!  I therefore decided before I buy tons of ingredients I'd give the Sainsbury's mulled wine a go. You can spy two bottles in the picture and that's because it was on 2 for £6 which I thought was a really good price  I haven't tried it yet but I will do at the weekend and will be sure to report back!

I love Christmas food shopping don't you? Although I always buy way too much. Next week when I go shopping I plan to pop in some extra things and donate some food down to our local food bank as our local Sainsbury's has a collection point at the moment.  It's a worthy cause so do check out the The Trussell Trust website to see if there is a food bank near you.

All that talk of food has made me hungry. It's 10am, not too early for a mince pie is it?