December favourites

This post is a bit late owing to my inability to remember that a monthly favourites post needs writing up, well - monthly. 

December was a busy month work wise, and with Christmas as well it seemed to go by in the blink of an eye. But, there was still time for favourites - some old, some new and some... somewhere in between. 

Tea - I drink a lot of tea. More than I care to admit, especially if I'm working from home. My sister and her husband got M and I drinking Yorkshire Tea for hard water, it really does seem to work with the horridly hard water we have in London. 

Russett apples - I love Russetts, as soon as I see them in the shops I put them in my basket. One of the most oft heard complaints from me as we go around the supermarket is that there are no good apples. I hate the imported, pappy, flavourless apples that seem to be so popular these days. Most of the year I eat Cox's but can't wait for the crispy balance of sweet and tart that is a russett. To me, they're real apples. And no, I can't believe I've written a paragraph praising an apple either. What was even better was that these were from Sainsbury's Basics range - proof again that this range is such good value. 

Amaretto - last month I talked about spiking my hot chocolate with this liquer and this month I've been mixing it up with Gluwhein (from Aldi - I love their German Christmas treats) as a festive treat. 

My mum (not photographed) - while I was doing my "Don't panic it's just a roast" Christmas posts, she was there reminding me of things that I'd forgotten over the course of year, and giving me hints and tips to include - she really was a favourite last month! 

Pulses - split peas, cannellini beans, lentils... you name it. In the name of making sure that Christmas wasn't too costly I've been bulking our meals out so that I can use less meat and more vegetables without M feeling deprived of protein. 

So that's it. December favourites from the pantry. An oddly unfestive round up from me. Was there anything you enjoyed cooking or cooking with last month?