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Christmas is a hectic and mesmerising affair that can fly by quicker than you ever imagined. Ensure you can make the most of your time with family and friends by organising things well in advance, avoiding all the stresses and ensuring things run smoothly. Take note of a few of these FOODLOVER tips to make your Christmas that extra bit special:
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PLAN AHEAD
A mad rush can creap up on us before we realise. Make sure you know how many guests you are cooking for and when, as early as possible. Purchase any non-perishable goods early.
WRITE LISTS It sounds silly, but the best way to
make sure everything gets done is to
write down what needs doing, when, and stick to it!
In advance Make Christmas puddings – Tip: make double the quantity as they’ll store, it’ll make life easier next year
Make Christmas cake Order from the butcher: Joint or bird Gammon Bacon Sausage meat Dripping
Order veg box
A few weeks to go Make and freeze party canapés Stock up drinks cupboard Make food gifts Make mincemeat Buy Christmas crackers and napkins Marzipan and ice Christmas cake Start an on-going shopping list Make sure you have enough cold storage
A few days to go Finalise food shopping list Make extra desserts Make mince pies Collect meat from butcher Make pigs in blankets – Tip: Get your sausage meat early, make ahead and freeze Cook gammon joint and store
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START EARLY: THINK (AND ACT) ON
CHRISTMAS EVE By the 24th December your kitchen will look like an enormous larder, with ingredients a plenty ready to be transformed into the one-off feast of the year. Take a moment to sit back and admire, but resist the temptation to embark on a journey of sherry-induced haziness. There is time for that! Embrace tip 2 and plan. The military-like precision of the next day’s
meal rests on two main points: The size of your turkey What time you intend to eat Calculate your cooking time based on weight, allowing 45 minutes to rest, and subtract it from your intended eating time. Bingo. Check you have a pan (and an oven!) big enough to roast your turkey, and enough foil to cover it. Double-check the previous week’s plans to ensure that everything needed for the morrow’s event is already in your house, for now is the final time to make any last-minute purchases. Think plates, serving spoons, chairs!
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IF IT CAN BE PRE- COOKED,
PRE-COOK IT! Many things can be readied on Christmas Eve to minimise Christmas Day panic. This will allow you to
spend time unwrapping presents, greeting guests and being an all-round superstar. Items such as brandy butter, mince pies, Christmas puddings, cranberry sauce will keep in the fridge. Finally, prepare vegetables and leave in a pan of water, then lay the table before hitting the hay.
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The Main Event
TIPS TO MAKE YOUR CHRISTMAS THAT LITTLE BIT MORE SPECIAL
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