Greetings!   

So that time of year has snuck up upon us once again, with Christmas just over a week away.  

This month we're keeping things light-hearted with a Christmas Quiz (perhaps a little challenging, do share amongst your team and let us know how you get on!) and two of our favourite Christmas recipes. 

We hope you've had a successful 2011, hope you have a recuperating Christmas break and wish you all the very best heading into 2012 - enjoy! 

December's blog posts: 

• Caption Competition  
• Planning 360-degree feedback: should it be anonymous? 
• Reducing spending on Learning & Development  
• How to write a clear email 

1. What did Frosty the Snowman use for a nose?

2. Of which country is Christmas Island a territory?

3. What especially useful present did Harry Potter receive for his first Christmas as Hogwarts?

4. In which country was Christmas Day only declared a public holiday in 1958?

5. What word concludes the opening verse of popular carol Good King Wencelas?

6. 1954's film White Christmas was the first to made using which new Paramount film format?

7. In which season was Jesus born according to the Bible?

8. How many sides does a snowflake have?

9. On which date do the Nordic countries (namely Denmark, Norway and Sweden) mainly celebrate Christmas?

10. In which year were electric Christmas lights first used?

11. Which popular 1950's Christmas song by US child star Jimmy Boyd was at first banned by Boston's Catholic Church?

12. In which language were the original lyrics to Silent Night?

13. What is a poinsettia?

14. What carol is sung outside Scrooge's office in "A Christmas Carol?

15. In which non-European country do Christian priests take part in a procession through town carrying umbrellas with fancy decorations?

16. What is glögg?

17. What and when is a réveillon?

18. What are the six stock characters in pantomime?

So how did you do? Find the quiz answers here. 

We've gone for a walnut and spice theme in our suggestions this year - we hope you enjoy them!

Sweet & spicy nuts  

Ingredients: 1 egg white, ½ cup dark brown soft sugar, 2 tbsp ground cinnamon, 1tsp ground ginger, 1 tsp ground cloves, 1 tbsp vanilla extract, 500g halved walnuts (or other nuts according to your taste)

Preparation:

• Preheat oven to 300°F / 150°C and line baking tray.
• Beat egg white in a large bowl and when foamy stir in brown sugar, cinnamon, ginger, cloves and vanilla. Then stir in nuts so covered in mixture.
• Spread evenly onto baking tray and bake for 30 minutes or until golden brown - stir occasionally. Allow to cool before serving.

Chocolate & apple pudding

Ingredients: 2/3 cup raisins, ¾ cup all-purpose flour, ¾ cup wholegrain flour, 2 tsp baking powder, 1 tsp ground cinnamon, ½ tsp ground nutmeg, 1/3 cup cocoa, pinch of salt, ¾ cup butter, 1 ½ cups white sugar, 3 eggs, 2 cups apple purée, ½ cup roughly chopped walnuts

Preparation:

• Preheat oven to 350°F / 175°C and grease and flour a 10inch tube pan.
• Soak raisins in boiling water for 5 minutes and drain.
• Sift together all-purpose flour, wholegrain flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, cocoa and salt; set aside.
• Cream the butter and sugar in a large bowl and when fluffy beat in the eggs. Then stir in the apple purée, the flour mixture, the raisins and the walnuts.
• Spread batter in prepared pan and bake for 80 minutes or until a knife comes out from the middle clean! Leave to cool in pan for 10 minutes and move to wire rack; allow to cool before serving.