Flipping Great Flapjacks

They're golden. They're crumbley. They're firey hot. They're my ginger and lemon flapjacks. The best bit? I didn't have to buy a single thing; all the ingredients were in my baking cupboard already. Just what the doctor ordered on a spending free weekend.

Homemade

This is the third year of being responsible for buying presents for my family whilst seriously lacking in funds. For the third year running I am turning to the phenomenon of 'making your own presents.' Since Pinterest has gained momentum, this phenomenon has meant that slightly wonky, strange presents aren't scorned at but welcomes with open arms. So the time has come, here are my homemade pressies.

English Rose, Lavender and Coconut Soy Candles

The easiest thing I've made so far. 200g of soy wax flakes off eBay for each 330ml jam jar. Put a wick in the jam jar and hold in place with un-opened chopsticks (from your local Chinese). Heat the wax in a ban-marie or a saucepan over boiling water. Add 10-20 drops of your chosen fragrance. Bobs your uncle, instant candle.

Blackberry Brandy

I only made blackberry brandy because, as you may know, I'm a big fan of aliteration. All you have to do is get an old water glass bottle that can take a litre of liquid or a kilner jar, and fill it with about 300g of blackberries and 250g caster sugar. Shake that about a bit the get the sugar incorporated as much as possible. Fill to the top with cheap brandy - about 70cl. Shake thoroughly to make sure the sugar is dissolved. Then leave for about 3 months to let it properly infuse, shaking every week or so.

Merriment Masterclass

Christmas is the time to be merry but there are many interpretations to the term 'merry.' For me, along with the majority of Britain, merry at Christmas means champagne cocktails and wine drenched lunches until you are positively pickled in the afternoon. But I very rarely experience this kind of merriment as 'merry' in our household doesn't mean ruddy cheeked tipsiness.

The real bringer of merriment in our house - along with King's College Choir's greatest Christmas hits on repeat - is mince pies. And it's lucky my lovely mum has become such an expert. Who needs a hangover when there are trays full of mince pies to keep me going til New Year?

Mum's Mince Pies...

Packet sweet short-crust pastry
A jar of finest, nicest mincemeat
Large glug of port or brandy
Grated apple
Chopped clementines
Flaked almonds
Cubes of marzipan

• Oven to 200°C, get a cupcake or muffin tin out of the cupboard.
• Roll out pastry to a couple of millimetres thickness and cut into rounds big enough for your tin and into stars or holly leaves as toppers. Place the pastry rounds into the tins.
• Empty jar of bought mincemeat into a bowl, grate the apple in, chuck in the chopped clementines, glug in the port or brandy and give it a good mix up. Fill your pastry rounds with the mixture. Bury a square of marzipan into the pie and sprinkle flaked almonds on the top.
• Top the pie with its pastry holly leaf or star and sprinkle demarera or golden caster sugar on top.
• Bake in the oven for about 10 minutes until the pies are golden on the top.
• Serve with brandy butter.

Paralympics

As soon as the coverage of the London 2012 Olympics started and the incredible Channel 4 'Superhumans' advert came out, I knew I had to get tickets to the Paralympics. People who can do high jump with one leg...lightyears better than any Usain Bolt.

It may sound clichéd to say, but the atmosphere really was electric. I've never heard crowd noise that loud before. But then I have never been to a One Direction concert. And to top it all off, we got to see Mickey Bushell win his gold in the T53 100m sprint. I'm not ashamed to say we got emotional and wobbly when the national anthem came on.

Brixton Village

A friend's birthday celebrations got wildly out of hand last night leading to a considerable amount of zambuca free flowing down my neck. I don't even like zambuca. Waking up this morning was tricky at best.

So to cure ourselves of self-inflicted ills, we traipsed the short distance down to Brixton Village to go to Honest Burger. I am not a big burger person but I make the exception for Honest. They are honestly (I know, so obvious) the best burgers I have ever had in my whole life. It's something to do with the caremilised onion relish and the salty rosemary on the chips. Drool is dribbling onto my jumper just thinking about those chips.

On our way home, we stopped off at this amazing little vintage shop called Rejuvenate. First impression of the shop was that it smelt incredible. The owner was very eager to tell us it was actually him - an egyptian lemon oil he wears as aftershave. Whatever it was, it smelt heavenly.

Brighton

What a weekend

I had a pretty tough week last week; it was self-inflicted from my previous stupidly over-the-top weekend so don't feel any pity for me. In order to complete my recovery, this weekend had to be quiet and calm and self-indulgent.

It really bloody was. Best weekend of my life. That was probably an over-statement - I'm still basking in the well-being and relaxation of it all.

Bubble bath, with a glass of wine, a mug of chocolatey horlicks (after the wine, not at the same time) and singing along to Disney's Greatest Hits on Friday night. Followed by sofa-lounging, TV-watching and food gorging daytime on Saturday. More eating and TV watching on Saturday night with Helmand. Then the piste-de-resistance of the weekend: Sunday brunch with Polly and Katie and a casual stroll around Regents Park.

Two days of complete recuperating bliss.