Start planning early. You shouldn’t necessarily become one of those people who buy their Christmas cards half price every January, or who put their tree up in October, but anyone who has run round the shops in a blind panic on Christmas Eve will understand it is worth giving the big day some thought towards the beginning of December. If you are hoping for a decent turkey or goose, for example, it is worth ordering it early, or even buying it in advance and popping it in the freezer (don’t forget to get it out the freezer on Christmas Eve though, unless you fancy blowing it with a hairdryer on Christmas morning).
Similarly, anything you can prepare in advance will be a huge help to you on Christmas Day. Vegetables can be peeled late on Christmas Eve, and stored in pans of water in the fridge ready to chop and cook the following day. Par-boiling the vegetables in advance of roasting them will drastically cut down on cooking time on a day when oven space will most likely be at a premium.
Cheat Wherever you Can
Most supermarkets now do excellent ranges of frozen party food – mini spring rolls, blinis, canapé-sized quiches and so on – and a selection of these stashed away will mean that you can welcome any unexpected visitors over the festive period with open arms. Similarly, a large tin of mince pies, whether home-made or shop-bought, is invaluable when hungry people are lurking around at tea-time.
Set Expectations at a Realistic Level
If you know that you are not the world’s best cook, don’t expect that you will be able to rustle up a Christmas dinner for a dozen people from scratch. Remember, the important part of Christmas is the opportunity to relax and enjoy the company of friends and family, and if this means buying ready-prepared food where someone else has done all the work for you, then so be it.
Get People to Help
Even young children are usually very happy to be involved in anything that’s going on, and can be given simple tasks to do such as helping to set the table. This is not only more sociable, it also means that no-one ends up doing more or less than their share; for example, a relative who does not wish to contribute to the cooking of the meals can be swiftly put in charge of washing up.
Above all, try to enjoy it all… if this is beyond you then console yourself with the fact that Christmas comes but once a year!
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