Every year just after All Saints' Day, Christmas decorations appear in the shops and the salespeople try to convince us that we should start buying gifts immediately. I think that every year this Christmas fever begins a bit earlier. Regardless of the shopping madness, the nearer we get to Christmas the more we want noodles with cabbage and mushrooms, herrings or poppyseed cake.

In December my kitchen smells of spicy seasoning. I often make dishes with cranberries. I often prepare sweet and sour kissel or I add fruit mousse to desserts. Today I would like to share with you the recipe for a swift cake with cranberries. It is excellent, has a mild flavour, and my children asked me to prepare it again soon.

Ingredients
200g of flour
100g of potato flour
1 teaspoon of baking powder
half a teaspoon of baking soda
250g of butter
150g of brown sugar
3 eggs
150g of cranberries

"It was so yummy" said my daughter, putting her plate into the dishwasher. I think my daughter is growing up, because a few months ago she didn't even want to look at my favourite dinner salad. Additionally, she used to turn her nose up at kale and nuts. When my son stops grizzling at every dinner, I will announce more Christmas miracles.

I have to give her her due; the salad was really excellent: bulgur, kale, nuts, pomegranate, red onion and a spicy sweet and sour dip. I recommend this salad as a dish on its own, but it may also be part of a main course. It may be served hot or cold.

Ingredients:
4 big kale leaves
100g of bulgur
half a pomegranate
2 fistfuls of nuts
1 small red onion
1 lemon
chili pepper
2 tablespoons of olive oil
3 tablespoons of maple syrup

December is the pre-holiday time when, as well as buying gifts, cooking and scouring our houses, we should spend some time with the family and friends. Christmas decorations and music are a little cheesy for some people, but even if we don't want them to, they make us feel kind of different. Unless we are like the Grinch, but I hope that there aren't many such people among us.

A lot of us in December get touching invitations to the school Christmas party. Sometimes we prepare Christmas goodies to make the difficulties of our little actors a bit sweeter. I have participated in such events and I think that sometimes the treat is the most important part of the Christmas party. Today I would like to share with you the recipe for very showy cake pops in the form of small Christmas trees. They don't need much preparation and I assure you that the children will be delighted.

Ingredients
dough
220g of flour
3 tablespoons of cocoa
150g of brown sugar
1 teaspoon of baking soda
1 teaspoon of vinegar
1 teaspoon of spices
1 teaspoon of vanilla essence
5 tablespoons of oil
250ml of milk