Christmas Gems

Christmas To Do List

If you want an easy Christmas you need to face up to the fact that it will be here sooner than you think.  You have two choices - you can either panic and adopt the 'oh no, I'll never get everything done' attitude and be totally frazzled by Christmas Eve or you can take a deep breath and calmly assess what needs to be done.  This is where the Christmas 'To Do' list comes in.  The Christmas 'To Do' list is designed to give you an easy passage into the festivities and it ensures that you can enjoy Christmas without feeling totally exhausted.

The Christmas ‘To Do’ list always starts with a clear-out of the kitchen cupboards.  Get a large bin liner and be ruthless, chuck out everything that you are never going to use or is way past its sell by date.  Give the freezer the same treatment – you will need all that space for the Christmas goodies you are going to make or buy.  Now is the time to decide what you will need for the festive season and item no 2 on the Christmas ‘To Do’ list is Internet shopping.  We do a lot of on-line shopping for all sorts of things, but you will be amazed how much on-line food shopping you can do.

From meat and poultry for the Christmas dinner to cheese and smoked salmon - it is all available on-line, and so are some great wines and after dinner chocolates.  You would not need to leave the house at all, if you didn't feel like it.

If you have a local farm shop or local supplier of meat and poultry get your order in early as there is always extra demand over the Christmas period.  This also means that you can forget about it and don't have a last minute panic wondering where to get your turkey or meat.  Get your Christmas tree early - it can sit in a bucket of water in the garden until it is time to bring it in.  The best trees sell out quickly and by the middle of December there is usually not a decent tree to be had.

If you are making your own Christmas Pudding make it early enough so that it has time to mature.  A lot of people make their Christmas Pudding at the end of November when ‘Stir Up Sunday’ is celebrated in the Anglican Church.  The end of November is also an ideal time to make home made mincemeat for the mince pies.

The first week in December would be ideal for making the Christmas Cake.  That will give you three weeks to feed it with Brandy and get it covered in marzipan and royal icing a few days before Christmas.

Don't forget to stock up on the essential non food items like foil, especially the extra wide variety for the turkey, clingfilm, bin liners and food and freezer bags.  Make sure you have spare lightbulbs, fuses and batteries.  Check in good time that last year's Christmas tree lights are in working order, otherwise now is the time to get a new set.