Christmas Day is hectic, but if you do the prep, it will be a breeze.
- Prep the night before, with a glass of wine in one hand and a potato peeler in the other . Champion the old hospitality saying of “mis en place saves your a**”. All veggies can be prepared in advance.
- Use outside as a fridge. Take the balancing act out of the refrigerator and using natures own cold cuddle outside.
- Never ever leave any wrapping till Christmas Eve. No matter how fun it may sound, it’s never as romantic as they say in the movies. Once the food prep is done, Christmas Eve should be about relaxing before the big day.
- When doing the washing-up take out the cheese! Cheese is best when served at room temperature.
- Prepare ideas for what to do with any leftover food wastage. Turkey risotto, beef curry, bubble and squeak? The list is endless.
- Always rest your meat. Whatever cut or meat you choose, once it’s cooked it will need approximately 20 minutes to rest. This is the classic re-heating time, juggling of the plate warmer, and the quick tidy of the kitchen moment!
- If your Christmas wrapping paper can be recycled – make sure it is. Don’t forget to separate all recyclable materials. It can be a chore, so start as you mean to go on, have the box ready whilst the kids are opening their pressies!
- Bubbles, Bubbles Bubbles. It’s the perfect way to start the celebrations. It’s a great drink to have to break up the day, especially if you may feel sluggish. Have plenty of bubbles, you can never have enough!
- Playlist! There is always someone who wants to play DJ, and you can’t please everyone. Set up a Spotify list everyone can access, and invite each guest to add their top 10 tunes that can be played at random throughout the day. Everyone will stay happy.
- Plan a walk, get out of the house. Break up the day, clear your head form the night before, walk lunch, or start the day with a jog. The TV guide may be packed with entertainment but make sure you get some form of fresh air and exercise on the big day.
- Take photographs. The day is hectic. The host will be so busy they may not see all the magic. Give a guest the duty of capturing the day. Naturally, after all no-one wants to say cheese every 5 minutes.