Whether you are aged 9 or 90, you can battle against Christmas boredom by making a bee-line for the baking tray, the bun-tin and the balloon whisk all on hand at the LucyCooks cookery school in Staveley, near Kendal.  This Lake District oasis of culinary genius has everything a food lover could want – excellent kitchens, with workstations for 24 people, inspiring courses and opportunities to share the love of food around the family.  While the pre-Christmas period sees many courses that can prepare a cook for the festive feasts they will be called upon to conjure up, there are also courses running between Christmas and New Year, which are ideal for do-something-different devotees. The first of these takes place on 29th December 2011 and is entitled Done with Christmas – Healthy Light Dishes From Around the World. This course will take the taste buds globetrotting, as it explores culinary dishes that are gems of a particular country’s cuisine and which provide all of the taste and less of the waist! This course will inspire anyone who thinks that good dishes only come with high calorie warnings and will show how other countries lead the way in eating healthily, for the wellbeing of both body and mind. The cost is £145, including refreshments, lunch with a glass of wine, all tuition and recipes and a goody bag of the food cooked to take home. The course runs from 9.30am to 4pm and can be booked online. On 30th December 2011, there is a perfect opportunity to get the children away from the video games and into the kitchen, where they can direct their energies towards the creation of tasty, hand-cooked dishes. Little chefs will have heaps of fun on the Family Fun Day Christmas Special at LucyCooks, made all the more relaxing by not having to worry about making a mess! They will also be able to create their own New Year’s treats to take come and share – along with all the bubbly tales of what they did in the LucyCooks massive and hugely awe-inspiring kitchen! The Christmas Family Fun day costs £125 for one adult and a child, with additional children being charged at £62.50. The day is usually suitable for those aged from around 5-6 and runs from 10am to 4pm. The price includes refreshments, lunch and a goody bag of the food treats that have been created on the day to take home. Bookings can be made by calling 01539 822507. The third option is a chance to spend your New Year’s Eve watching a chef demonstrate how to prepare the banquet on which you will feast. The LucyCooks Demo and Dine Gala Dinner will run from 8.30pm on 31st December 2011 to 12.30am on 1st January 2012 and includes canapés, four-course meal, demonstration, recipe folio, welcome LucyCooktail and a champagne toast at midnight. All of this costs just £75 per person and again places can be booked online.