Jo's Christmas Message

December 18th, 2009

Hi Everyone,

Happy Christmas and kind wishes from our family to yours. As I write this newsletter, the advent calendar has fewer and fewer little window boxes to open so Father Christmas is definitely on his way.

We have been in Chrissy mode for a while now with Christmas nibbles, Baking and Barbeque "easy peasy" Christmas Cook classes all fully booked and happening daily!! Have you seen the December issue of the Australian Women's Weekly - what a fabulous magazine jammed packed with great reading and wonderful Christmas catering ideas. All designed to take the stress out and put some fun and personal satisfaction back into this special time of the year. I think we are so ridiculously programmed to try to do too much with long lists of "To Do's" and hardly getting to tick off any of them.

Permission granted to make it easy on yourself - total cheating allowed and please focus on what's really important to you. Not everyone can hand-make cards, print their own calendars, build gingerbread castles complete with lights inside ( as Martha Stewart does ) plus run a community carol singing evening and cook Christmas dinner for an army. Relax - Breathe - have Fun! Remember, we live all year in moderation and now is the time to liberate ourselves from our everyday good intentions. Go on, have a splash of cream on your pudding and pass the mince pies!!!

Heres my recipe for lovely Christmas Pudding Truffles, sneakily made out of store bought christmas puddings and a Quick Ham simply glazed with Marmalade or Apricot jam.

My Most Useful Present Ideas.

Grannys & Grandpas: Australian Womens Weekly Subscriptions for the gals, Golf or Geographic ??? Magazine subscriptions for the boys. Vouchers at their local cafe for coffee & cake with the gang!! Lessons at Senior Net or pay their membership, everyone can email & surf the net - old dogs can be taught new tricks and it helps grandies keep up with their kids & grandchildren.

Teenage Boys and Gals: Always a decent can opener and a large can of their favorite "baked beans or spaghetti". A decent Frying pan & Tongs or better still a Blender for smoothies, soups or power juice cocktails. Cook School Vouchers with Emily who takes younger people classes and Gluten Free Classes or Lunch & Learn Cook Classes with me!

Kids: Cookware - little chef uniforms & aprons, small frypan & spatulas & cute little mini tongs! Little silicone moulds are great, let them be mini cooks in the kitchen. Cook Class Vouchers for Kids, Emily runs these happening every school holidays.

Pressy's for Mum's and Dad's: Cook Class Vouchers; BBQ clases for blokes & Jo Seagar Lunch and Learn Vouchers. A Microplane Zester ( you can throw out the old cheese grater lemon rind method ) or Top of the List, The Biggest Brightest Shiniest Red KitchenAid - better than diamonds on my list!!!

Seagars @ Oxford Update

We have had a busy year, lots of changes, upgrades & plenty of progress at Seagars. The Kitchen Store has moved to a new home next door, creating more space to browse around and enjoy the experience of shopping for those kitchen essentials and gifts with a difference. Online shopping is available for those who want to browse through the website for Kitchen Store essentials ... must haves!!!!

The Cafe has expanded into the Kitchen Store space. A relaxing place for people who are just wanting to have coffee and cake, read the paper, have a beer or wine after work plus adding extra tables to keep wait lists down for the busy lunchtime period.

We have had a successful year of opening Thursday nights for a casual dinner, again relax with a glass of wine or beer, coffee and desserts. These will continue next year with thoughts to stay open later each night during summer next year.

The B&B's are definitely a happening thing, rather frightful at the moment as the renovations are being done. The existing old block of flats are being transferred to look like the Cafe and Cook School on the outside ( wait for that photo when it is complete ). It is going to look fabulous!!! The rooms are all being done up with new carpets, drapes, bathrooms & kitchenettes. We have 2 studio rooms nearly complete, another studio plus a 3 bedroom flat due to be finished by very early in January. Perfect for Cook School classes to all stay under the same roof just minutes away!

Cook School, classes for 2010 are now listed for the first 6 months of the year. They are already filling fast so if you are keen. make the decision!! Please note Dave the Cheese Maker has a date listed for March. We can secure Dave for more classes but we need to know interest soon. If you are keen, contact Lyn through the website.

Christmas Blessing from us all @ Seagars So Eat, Drink and Be Merry my friends, it's Christmas and we love Everybody. So here's a kind wish and a kiss for the cook, with love from me and our Management team at Seagars: Jo, Ross, Deborah, Phil, Barnaby, Lyn, & Trish