Our columnist Katy Hofstede-Smith, who’s a dab hand when it comes to Christmas entertaining for family and friends, gives her three tips for avoiding stress this Christmas.
Christmas, entertaining and stress, for some, go hand in hand. However, it doesn’t always need to be this way. Assuming that you don’t want to become an antisocial recluse during the festive period and are deciding instead to remove the stress element, there are some simple key ways in which you can achieve this. Whether you’re entertaining hordes of friends and family throughout Christmas, need to cater for people who have unexpectedly dropped in or are just having a dinner party during the festive period, the following key elements will help you enjoy the entertaining and minimise the stress.
1. Organisation
This has to be the most important and most obvious element to removing the stress at Christmas: lists, lists and more lists. Work out exactly what you want to cook and when for and list out everything that you need. That way you can ensure you buy everything when doing the shopping and don’t have to run out for any last minute items, a sure fire way of increasing the stress levels. I know this may sound a step too far for some, but I have a Christmas food shopping list that has been running for about 5 years now and it’s always my starting point. Each year I add new things to it and take off any elements that I don’t need, but it covers everything from breakfasts to suppers and Christmas lunch to extra dishwasher tablets, toilet rolls and headache tablets. As I add the things I’ve forgotten previously, it has become a pretty thorough list! A key part of the organisation is in getting things bought early. If you like to shop online book a Christmas delivery slot as soon as they open that way you won’t forget. Order your turkey and any butcher’s bits or farm shop items as soon as you can, then forget about them. It helps the suppliers to know what they’re aiming for, ticks an item off your list and makes sure that you’re not tied up in the busy last-minute supermarket scrums.
2. Flexibility
When you’re catering for different numbers over several days, flexibility is key in ensuring that you don’t run out, waste too much or just get too worked up when numbers or timings change. One of the lovely things about Christmas is that food can be as fancy or simple as you like. Christmas lunch aside there are generally few expectations and this can work in your favour. Choose dishes that can multi-task: a delicious homemade soup, for example, is quick and easy to make and can serve as a lunch, be dressed up as a starter or served in small shot glasses as a canapé. Make homemade sausage rolls using shop-bought puff pastry and sausage meat with some added chopped herbs or spices: these can supplement the soup or accompany some cheese and salad for a lunch, be used as a canapé or light supper, or be cooked and taken for a Christmas walk snack. One pot dishes are great as they can be added to easily to cater for more people. Curry with extra rice, naan breads and a side vegetable dish can stretch to a lot of guests, fish pie or a casserole can be supplemented with a couple of vegetable dishes if extra guests turn up. If you’re having guests for a drinks party rather than making food or additional canapés, put together a charcuterie board with mixed sliced meats, sun-dried tomatoes and olives or a cheese board. As a large platter they will look fantastic and, served with lots of crusty sliced bread, will easily cater for a large group. Any leftovers can then be used for another day’s lunch or to go into a different dish.
3. Prior planning
We all know when Christmas is coming, but every year it seems to suddenly creep up on us. As silly as it may seem starting the Christmas cooking in October, the more that you can do in advance, the less you have to do and think about over Christmas, and it’s a great way to spread the cost. If you’re cooking roast chicken, freeze a couple of carcasses and then when you have the oven on another day roast the chopped up bones along with a packet of chicken wings, some onion and a couple of carrots. Use this to make your gravy and freeze it, then all you need to do on Christmas Day is reheat. Accompaniments such as bread sauce, cranberry sauce and stuffing can all be prepared ahead and frozen. Christmas puddings and Christmas cake can easily be made a few months in advance but so can mince pies and cakes: just double wrap them, freeze and reheat when you want them.
Most importantly if things do change, more people turn up, the food runs out or the power goes off, just remember what really makes Christmas special: friends and family. Don’t stress but just enjoy their company, and if all else fails there’s bound to be a takeaway open somewhere!