Tips on Tuesday - The perfect Christmas Lunch!

Hello again girls

Well here we are at that magical time of year again. The countdown has officially began to your Christmas dinner, so it is time to get planning!! 

1. So the number one key to the perfect Christmas meal is planning!! Sit down with your books and decide what culinary delights will be on the menu this year. To keep things interesting, mix some new recipes in with your trusty old traditional dishes ones. Maybe try a new starter or a new side dish. But remember, Keep it Simple, the last thing you want is to spend all Christmas morning slaving in the kitchen!!!
2. Make sure you get loads of help. It is Christmas time, the house is full of people that should be able to peel a potato, so make sure you delegate any jobs you can.
3. OK, so it is Christmas Eve, the menu is planned and the shopping is done. It is time to pour yourself a glass of Baily's and start the prep work for tomorrows feast. Prepare any food you can in advance, peel the vegetables and leave them soaking overnight in water, prepare the stuffing (it will taste better the next day anyway) and remember to leave your turkey at room temperature overnight ( this will reduce the cooking time, leaving you time to enjoy a glass of ANYTHING before dinner).
4. Lay the table the night before, so everything is ready to go for the big event. Remember to set the plates with a small treat such as walnut whirls yum! this makes the table setting look super special.
5. Make sure you are cooking recipes you have tried out and are comfortable with the timings. Timing is the second key ingredient to a perfect Christmas dinner, the last thing you want is your veggies getting all soggy while waiting for the turkey to finish cooking.
6. Serve your meal with some nice wine, it is the one meal of the year you can splash out a few extra dollars on a special bottle of wine to accompany all that delicious food you have spent hours preparing.
7. Don’t make too much food. I know it is hard to do, but just think the money you save from not overbuying food, you can spend on that special bottle of wine!
8. The final key ingredient is to relax and enjoy yourself. There is no point in stressing out in the kitchen, armed with some basic tips you are guaranteed to enjoy the perfect Christmas meal.