Mrs Thrifts ‘Twelve Tips Of Christmas’

I try to think of Christmas dinner as just a posh ‘Sunday Roast’, as this way I don’t get stressed about cooking it.  Below are my ‘Twelve Tips Of Christmas’ to avoid any disasters with your Christmas dinner.

My Twelve Tips Of Christmas:

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If you have a frozen turkey, don’t forget to check how long it will take to defrost so it is ready to cook on Christmas day.

Don’t make the classic mistake of finding that your roasting tin is not big enough for your turkey.

Try and plan a starter that you can make the day before.  Last year on Christmas Eve I made a Spicy Parsnip Soup, as it was easy to reheat quickly the next day.  You can find the recipe here.  

Prepare your vegetables the day before.  Peel potatoes, squashes, carrots, parsnips and they will be fine kept in water overnight. Washed and prepared vegetables can be kept in plastic food bags overnight e.g. Brussel sprouts, cabbages, swede, cauliflower florets and broccoli, etc.

Consider using a steamer to cook your vegetables if you have one.  It is more economical as you can cook more than one type of vegetable at a time, which also means you can cook a larger selection of vegetables.

Before the day, decide what time you want to eat your Christmas dinner and then work out what time you need to put your turkey in the oven.  Work out all your other timings too e.g. plan what time you need to par-boil your roast potatoes, cook your vegetables etc. and write it down, so you have nothing to worry about on Christmas day.  

Lay the table the night before, so it’s one less thing to do on Christmas day.

Don’t forget that if you are cooking larger volumes of vegetables than you are used to cooking, then they will take longer to cook.

If you want to warm your plates up and you have no room left in your oven, fill the sink with hot water and submerge the plates for a few minutes.  Take them out and dry them ready to serve your dinner.

Your food will stay warm for longer if you put it on your table in serving dishes.  It also looks more festive too on Christmas day.

To avoid the skin on your turkey shriveling as it cools, baste the turkey as soon as it comes out of the oven.

If you aren’t lucky enough to have a double oven, cover your turkey when it is cooked with foil and a couple of tea towels. Leave it in a warm place while you roast your potatoes.  The turkey will keep lovely and warm and it will help the turkey retain moisture.

I hope these tips will help.

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I have been writing my blog for six months now, every Monday to Saturday.  It does take quite some time each day to plan and write.  I have therefore decided to take a small break over Christmas, so I can give my full attention to my family.  I’m sure you will understand.

I will be back when the schools reopen on Tuesday 8th January 2013

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Just before I finish writing…..

Don’t forget that you can buy all next year’s wrapping paper, Christmas cards and even your Christmas pudding for 2013, in the January sales.  There are usually nice gift sets etc. that you can buy cheaply and store for birthday presents throughout the year.

However, please remember that “a bargain is only a bargain if you wanted in the first place”, so take a list with you and stick to it.

Don’t forget that the on-line shops have their sales starting on Boxing Day.  In fact I have even heard that the Amazons sale starts on Christmas day this year!

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And finally…

Our Christmas’s now are cheaper than all our Christmas’s past, but I can honestly say they are also better.  I think that homemade Christmas’s come from the heart and give lovely memories in years to come.

Thank you for your support over the last six months. I hope Santa brings you everything you dream of for Christmas.

HAVE A MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR

Love from Mrs Thrift

My Daughter’s Homemade Chocolate Log