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“If your grandmother wouldn’t recognise it don’t eat too much of it.” This is one of the teen-speak gems on ‘It’s my turn to cook’ – an e-cookbook launched this week by Claire Gourley and her mum. It could be just the thing for a last minute Christmas present for that hard-to-buy-for teen. It has simple recipes, demos of the difficult bits, healthy eating tips and all the techno stuff that teens are into. Who knows… it might help them into the kitchen and out of the burger bar. As Claire says, “Fact: too much junk food gives you a big bum”!

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Flat out at work? No time to get into the Christmas mood? Wondering how you’ll make it through five more weeks of kids bickering and complaining? Wishing you drove a truck so you could ‘accidentally’ reverse into that rude car that just stole your car park? Counting the items in each person’s grocery basket as they go through the ‘maximum 12’ checkout? Grumpy? Frantic? Stressed? Try changing your wallpaper. Not in your home, on your computer.

I’ve found some neat Christmas wallpaper that is sure to put you in the Christmas mood each time you sit at the computer. That is, unless you have a serious case of pre-Christmas-itis. In that case I suggest sleep for 4 days. When you wake up, it will all be over!

Most weekends we have a family movie and pizza night. I whip up a pizza using a simple pizza base recipe of half white, half wholemeal flour, baking powder, herbs, olive oil and reduced fat milk. Some salt reduced tomato paste, a few of the following: bocconcini, sun dried tomatoes, wilted spinach, mushrooms, anchovies, olives, ham, pineapple, a hot oven and within 20 minutes both dinner and DVD are ready to go.

It’s the last weekend before Christmas so I’ll be looking for a Christmas themed DVD to remind us what the celebration is all about. Top choice will be ‘The Nativity Story’ starring New Zealand’s own Keisha Castle-Hughes or for the younger kids try Veggie Tales ‘The Star of Christmas’. Have fun!

When I think of Christmas in New Zealand, I always think of berry picking. It’s perfect entertainment for kids – running wild through the vines, gobbling berries and if you’re lucky, picking a few to take home. It’s healthy too – eating fruit, exercise and having fun. My favourite Christmas dessert would have to be meringue topped with loads of strawberries or mixed berries and a dollop of cream or Greek yoghurt. It looks so pretty. A dish full of fresh berries looks great as a centrepiece for the table. Isn’t it good to know that something so delicious and so pretty is also incredibly healthy. Not too many of the other traditional Christmas foods can claim this. So go berry picking and make it one of your Christmas traditions.