We’re almost there – the Christmas tree arrived during the week, I love the smell of fresh pine throughout the house. So the decorations are now complete. Don’t forget to decorate the bathroom, after-all everyone goes there !
- Make sure you have all the table linen ready, PRESS IT NOW, hang up ready to use on Christmas day.
- Clean all the silverware you will be using, don’t leave it till Christmas Eve.
- Put aside some time to do some household baking eg. Parmesan biscuits, florentines, shortbread, White Christmas etc.
- Make the Brandy Butter and freeze it. I cut mine into ‘Star’ shapes, which makes for easy and decorative serving. Store between layers of baking paper in the freezer.
If you are making a Pavlova, separate the eggwhites and yolks now, and store in separate containers in the fridge. ‘Older’ eggwhites whip up better than really fresh ones. The Christmas Meringue Roulade can be made anytime now and frozen. Remember to let it defrost overnight in the fridge.Use the yolks to make my Microwave Brandy Custard a day or two before Christmas.
- Prepare a well flavoured chicken stock, to make your turkey sauce with, and freeze it. If you don’t want to start from scratch, use at least 2 litres of good quality store-bought stock, add a bundle of fresh herbs, half and onion, a stick of celery a bay leaf and simmer until reduced by half. Strain, cool and freeze.
- Buy a tray of not quite ripe mangoes now, which leaves time for them to ripen out of the fridge for about 4 days, before chilling to serve at Christmas.
- Do the same with avocados. Buy them now, ripen, then refrigerate.
- As you will have already bought all the non-perishable goods at the Supermarket, it’s only the fresh fruit & vegetables to go next week.
- Make sure you have large foil baking trays for the Turkey and Ham, and certainly anything you are cooking in the BBQ. You can just throw them away – no washing up !
To extend the life of fresh veggies and herbs, make sure they are dry when you re-package them into storage bags to refrigerate, as moisture on them is the real enemy. I wash the produce just before using. Remember to take off all rubber bands and ties from vegetables and herbs when you get them home.
Here are the quick links to the other articles in this series:
