What sums up the smell of Christmas?  For me there are a lot of things.  Some typical, some not so typical.  Obviously the weeks (months) before December when you start making the Christmas cake.  The Brandy and fruit, mixed spices, combining to create a lovely dark rich cake.  Same goes for the Christmas Pudding Mix, that earthier, darker smell of Christmas.

The inside of a tin of sweets.  You know, when you crack open the Roses or Quality Street, that combination of metal tin, plastic wrappers and chocolate!

Yesterday I started making my Red Cabbage.  Not for Christmas day I hasten to add, but for dinner tonight.  I always think it tastes much better when it’s a day old, and this time I am trying out a recipe adaptation.

Take one fairy large Red Cabbage take off the outer leaves, quarter and de-stalk.  Then using a sharp knife, cut into thin slices.  Then take 3 cloves of Garlic and roughly chop.  Grab 3 red apples, remove the core and slice.  Then thinly slice 2 Red Onions.  From the cupboard you will need Soft Brown Sugar  &  1 Bottle of Mulled Wine.  Get some Butter and grease your casserole dish, then place a layer of Cabbage, a layer of Apple and a layer of Onion in the dish.  Sprinkle over a little of the Garlic, and then a dessert spoon of Sugar.  Splash your Mulled Wine, over the veg, then layer it again.  Cabbage, Apple, Onion, Garlic, Sugar, Splash of Wine.  You will probably get through about a quarter of the wine.

Tightly cover with foil or the casserole lid, and place in the oven gas mark 2 for 2.5 hours.  Remove from the oven, let it get cold, and store in the fridge.  To reheat, you can either place back in the oven for about 30 minutes on gas mark 6 or reheat in a wok or microwave.  I prefer the oven method.

This gives you the added bonus of your kitchen and house filling with the smell of Christmas 2 days running!!

Happy Cooking