Christmas dinner and all the trimmings can be more of an ordeal than a celebration for the host. Sometimes you get so exhausted by the time you finally serve the food that you can actually fall asleep at the table. So how is it possible to make Christmas dinner less of a chore? “Of course, there are always little cheats and shortcuts to take the stress from cooking on the big day,” says Colette Shannon, Marketing Manager, Spinneys, adding that it helps to be prepared way ahead of the big day.
Shannon gives you ten easy ways to make a calm and successful Christmas dinner.
1. Get organised: Before you do anything sit down with a big sheet of paper and write down the number of guests, your menu, what you need to order and what you can make ahead. This will not only reduce stress but also ensure you don’t overspend.
2. Plan ahead: There are lots of things you can make well ahead of the big day like your Christmas pudding and cake. You can also prepare other stuff such as mince pies, bread sauce and parboiled potatoes for roasting. You can even parboil your Brussels sprouts for two minutes, but remember to refresh in cold water to preserve the colour.
3. Cheat a little bit: You can use some of the prepared foods available in Spinneys and add your own twist. The popular mince pies can be reheated in a moderate oven, sprinkle with icing sugar and serve with a dollop of cream or custard. If you are making your own mince pies don’t feel bad about using a jar of mincemeat. Perhaps as master baker Mary Berry suggests, add your own twist such as apple puree to reduce the spice level.
4. Chalk out your dinner plan: You can get the children involved by writing the place cards or laying the table. Prepare your vegetables the day before and make stock for your gravy using turkey giblets. Prepare the turkey, stuff it, weigh and calculate the cooking time. Decide what dishes, cutlery and tableware you will need from serving to plating so you are not rummaging around for the carving knife at the last minute.
5. Plotting the time is paramount: It’s important to manage your time, in particular to organise your oven space. Start at the end, the time you wish to serve, and work backwards. Remember to leave time for your turkey to rest.
6. Don’t complicate matters: Don’t put too much pressure by deciding on a fancy starter — remember the main is the hero. You can prepare and freeze soup ahead of time or do a cold starter such as smoked salmon or pâté with a festive relish.
7. Prepare desserts in advance: Traditional desserts such as pudding or Christmas cake can be prepared well ahead of the big day. Traditional trifle can benefit from being made the day before and you can add the fresh cream on minute.
8. Keep the table simple: Set a colour theme for your table but keep it simple. On the table don’t have very high decorations or it will block conversation. Simple touches such as a stocking hanging on the back of the chair or a bowl of baubles in the centre work well. For the plate setting use white linen napkins with a sprig of rosemary and a little coloured bauble.
9. Get a little creative with decorations: A welcoming front door gives a favourable first impression to your visiting family and friends. And of course the Christmas tree, which is fun to decorate. For a traditional look choose red, green and gold or for one of this year’s hottest trends, the vintage look, go for antique gold and silvers with accents of dusty pink.
For a touch of Arabia, Spinneys has some great jewel colours in store too (purple, turquoise and pinks). When lighting up your home, always consider LED lights. The colours are really quite nice and vivid. They are energy-efficient, last a long time and you can buy a string of different hues. They put out very little heat, so there is no danger of them getting hot on the tree. You can use a real tree or an artificial tree.
10. Be safe: Always make sure the exterior lighting fixtures are approved for outdoor use. Lights and decorations that aren’t approved for outdoor use can cause premature burnouts, electrical shorts and even fires.
— With input from Creators.com
