Looking for the perfect drink to help bring the year to a close? I've chose a few cocktails to share that are easy to make at home and don't require a lot of ingredients. Hopefully this collection of cocktails will help you to keep your party going until midnight or block out the horrors of 2016... it's been a tough year, right? 

The Clermont Whiskey Sour is a variation on the classic Whiskey Sour and doesn't need to be served with egg white which I'm not fond of putting in drinks. The sour evolved from the practice of adding lime juice to rum rations to prevent scurvy among sailors in the British Navy in the 1700s.  You will need sugar syrup for this cocktail but it is simple to make yourself. Just add equal quantities of sugar and warm water to a jar and shake until dissolved. This syrup mixture will keep for up to one month if kept in the fridge. 

Add ice, fresh lemon juice, fresh orange juice, sugar syrup and Jim Beam Bourbon to a shaker. Shake vigorously and strain into a rocks glass. Garnish with an orange wedge and serve.

Take a short glass and fill to the top, with crushed ice. Pour in the gin and lemon juice. Stir, add the Chambord. Finish with a lemon wedge. If the drink is a little sour for your taste you can add a little sugar syrup. The drink is traditionally made with creme de mure but I've substituted it with Chambord because I already had some at home. 

I'm going to be having a night in this year with a good movie, board games, nibbles and a few cocktails. I hope you have a wonderful New Years Eve and here's hoping 2017 is brighter and less tumultuous that 2016. Onwards and upwards! 

I didn't leave the house for three days over Christmas and it was absolute bliss. Martyn and I don't have a large family to dash around and visit or who expect us to eat separate dinners with them on Christmas Day. We did the rounds on Christmas Eve, delivering presents and visiting Sookie so we were able to have a relaxed Christmas and Boxing Day on our own in our new home for the first time. 

As we were't expecting any visitors I didn't get up until about 9am and didn't feel the need to get really dressed up. As is traditional in my house we had a full fry up for brunch and a late dinner at around 4/5pm. It's tiring enough just cooking a Christmas dinner, I don't know some of you cope driving around all day visiting relatives. 

I had lots of brilliant new board games for Christmas including The Great Game of Britain which compliments my other railway game Ticket to Ride really well. The Great Game of Britain is a nostalgic race around the historic railway networks of Britain. The aim is to be the first commuter to travel from London to each of your mystery destinations and back again. Watching out for station closures and hazards along the way. I highly recommend this game, it is great for a family or just two players and may result in a few tantrums and tears like all the best games do.

I've enjoyed relaxing in my fluffy robe and drinking chocolate Baileys like it's going out of fashion but I'm back in work now and so sad it's all over for another year... I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and have amazing plans for 2017, make it your best one yet!

I had my first ever cheese fondue whilst on holiday in Grenoble over three years ago and it's been a long wait to have one again. Grenoble is known as the Capital of the Alps and a popular ski resort so fondue can be found in many restaurants across the city. Fondue is great served after a long day on the slopes but you can enjoy it at home too so I'm sharing my recipe for a Swiss/French fondue. 

Rub the fondue pot with the garlic clove, you can either discard the garlic or leave it in the pot for some extra flavour.

Put the chopped and grated cheese into the fondue pot with the wine and heat until boiling on the hob, by which time the cheese should have melted. 

Turn the pot down to a simmer. Mix the cornflour with the Kirsch in a small bowl, and add to the fondue pot.  I used wine instead of Kirsch which is just as tasty but less traditional. 

Season with the pepper, stir well and place the fondue pot over a flame at the table. 

A cheese fondue mixture should be kept warm enough to keep the fondue smooth and liquid but not so hot that it burns. When the fondue is finished there will be a thin crust of toasted cheese at the bottom of the pot. This is called la religieuse (French for the nun). It has the texture of a cracker and this can be lifted out and eaten. Martyn bought us a fondue pot but you could keep a pan and your cheesy mix warm by popping it on a grill rack or wire cake cooling rack with some tea light candles underneath.

Remember, don't drop your bread in the fondue because if you're a woman you kiss your neighbours around the pot and if you're a man you buy a round of drinks for everyone at the table.