With only 13 days left until Christmas, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed by all the festive preparations. To take the stress out of the holiday season, here are our top tips for a delicious, stress-free Christmas.
Make ahead and freeze – If you’ve got a few hours to spare, get organised and prepare some festive dishes in advance. You can make and freeze a soup to serve as a starter on Christmas Day; make biscuits, chutneys and mince pies to give as gifts; or cook a huge pie or lasagne to enjoy on Boxing Day.
Pick a date, book a table – Got a bunch of mates who can’t agree on when or where to meet for a pre-Christmas catch-up? Take charge and get a table booked ASAP – the best restaurants fill up fast in December.
DIY drinks – If you’re hosting a party but don’t want to be on drinks duty all night, consider a few DIY options. Buzzfeed has a great list of party punches and you could also set up a ‘Pimp Your Prosecco’ bar where guests can spike their glass of fizz with fruit and liqueurs.
Skip the sit-down meal – December is a food-filled month so if you’re having friends over, don’t feel obliged to provide a 3-course sit-down supper. Instead, offer fabulous canapés, dips, skewers, and platters of cheese and charcuterie that guests can pass around and help themselves to.
Give the gift of food – Edible gifts are great for foodie friends or relatives who are tricky to buy for. Treat them to some posh cheese or chocolate, a hamper of goodies you’ve hand-picked, or the ultimate gift for foodies – an OpenTable Gift card to spend at a top UK restaurant.
Keep extra gifts to hand – You never know who will pop round in December with a surprise gift, so it’s worth keeping a few spare cards and gifts around. Edible gifts are ideal for this – think posh chocolates, homemade fudge, jams and chutneys, DIY baking kits, and bottles of fizz.
Hate shopping? Schedule a treat stop – A few hours of gift shopping will fly by if you know there’s a treat at the end of it. Find somewhere fabulous for lunch or cocktails after your shopping spree.
Go easy on the festive spirits – It’s tempting to go wild at the office party or Happy Hour with your mates, but those festive hangovers can be brutal. Know your limits, eat something, and drink plenty of water – you’ll thank us when you feel fresh (and smug) the next day.
Have you got any tips for a delicious, stress-free Christmas? Let us know in the comments.
