My cut-price Christmas turkey

As you can see I managed to get my cut-price turkey - just. I had a moment's panic when we went to Sainsbury's at 3pm and found there wasn't a single turkey left.

But Waitrose had several including this under half price offer on a 5.5kg organic bronze which was reduced from £57.77 to £27.19. I could have got a cheaper one still for about £9 from their Essentials range but this seemed too good a deal to pass up. Some more free-range birds came out as I was queuing to pay.

The checkout assistant told me that last year the last turkey in the store - an outsize organic bird - had been reduced from £74 to £5.99 just before they closed at 7 o'clock so if you hold your nerve - or are prepared to cook something other than turkey if you miss out - you can probably get one cheaper still. But I'm pretty pleased with my bargain.

Have a very happy Christmas everyone, however you spend it x.

My cut-price Christmas turkey

As you can see I managed to get my cut-price turkey - just. I had a moment's panic when we went to Sainsbury's at 3pm and found there wasn't a single turkey left.

But Waitrose had several including this under half price offer on a 5.5kg organic bronze which was reduced from £57.77 to £27.19. I could have got a cheaper one still for about £9 from their Essentials range but this seemed too good a deal to pass up. Some more free-range birds came out as I was queuing to pay.

The checkout assistant told me that last year the last turkey in the store - an outsize organic bird - had been reduced from £74 to £5.99 just before they closed at 7 o'clock so if you hold your nerve - or are prepared to cook something other than turkey if you miss out - you can probably get one cheaper still. But I'm pretty pleased with my bargain.

Have a very happy Christmas everyone, however you spend it x.

Cutting the cost of Christmas food shopping

With the weather being so atrocious at the moment you may be simply grateful to get out and find anything in the shops but I’m going to suggest a strategy for cutting your Christmas food shopping bills. Which is not to shop with a preconceived idea about what you’re going to cook and just see what's on offer.

There is admittedly a danger that you’ll just snap up every bargain you find but if you buy things that will keep or which you can freeze you can pick up some really good deals as I’ve done a couple of times over the past week.

Last weekend I picked up some packs of game casserole in Waitrose, normally £4.69, reduced by 20% to £3.75 then slashed to 99p each to clear. We used them to make a game pie filling which we served with what I call floating pastry lids rather than as a pie, a trick that speeds up the cooking process, ensures your pastry remains crisp and can even leave you a couple of lids for leftovers.


Then this week I hit the jackpot in the Co-op with a leg of lamb for £4.94 which will do for dinner for six sometime over the Christmas period.


I also picked up an 800g pack of mince for a lasagne or a batch of bolognese, a 700g bacon joint for £2.50 which should feed four with lentils or butter beans and a Bury black pudding for 49p which the two of us had for lunch yesterday with a potato, apple and onion fry (all from ingredients already in the cupboard)


Tonight we’re going to have chicken casserole based on a £2.19 pack of Freedom Food chicken thighs with a 73p pack of chestnut mushrooms. OK, it will be zipped up with some leftover wine or cider and a little cream but it’ll still cost us no more than a couple of quid a head.

We’ve also decided as there are probably only going to be three of us on Christmas Day to take it to the wire and leave our shopping until the afternoon of Christmas Eve and simply see what we can pick up. That may result in us having a chicken or a joint of pork rather than a turkey but we can still make a stuffing and all the trimmings that go with the traditional Christmas lunch and I don’t think we’ll enjoy it any the less.

I admit I don’t always shop like this but occasionally it’s good to see how little you can manage to live on especially over Christmas when the pressure to spend far more than you need on food is at its greatest.

It's not as if we're laying in for a 10 day siege. (Well, unless you're unlucky enough to be snowed in). The shops will be back open again on Boxing Day and the chances are you've got enough in store to survive till the New Year even if they weren't. We certainly have.

How do you handle your Christmas food shopping? Do you find you tend to buy more than you need or have you developed strategies for keeping the cost - and waste - down?

Cutting the cost of Christmas food shopping

With the weather being so atrocious at the moment you may be simply grateful to get out and find anything in the shops but I’m going to suggest a strategy for cutting your Christmas food shopping bills. Which is not to shop with a preconceived idea about what you’re going to cook and just see what's on offer.

There is admittedly a danger that you’ll just snap up every bargain you find but if you buy things that will keep or which you can freeze you can pick up some really good deals as I’ve done a couple of times over the past week.

Last weekend I picked up some packs of game casserole in Waitrose, normally £4.69, reduced by 20% to £3.75 then slashed to 99p each to clear. We used them to make a game pie filling which we served with what I call floating pastry lids rather than as a pie, a trick that speeds up the cooking process, ensures your pastry remains crisp and can even leave you a couple of lids for leftovers.


Then this week I hit the jackpot in the Co-op with a leg of lamb for £4.94 which will do for dinner for six sometime over the Christmas period.


I also picked up an 800g pack of mince for a lasagne or a batch of bolognese, a 700g bacon joint for £2.50 which should feed four with lentils or butter beans and a Bury black pudding for 49p which the two of us had for lunch yesterday with a potato, apple and onion fry (all from ingredients already in the cupboard)


Tonight we’re going to have chicken casserole based on a £2.19 pack of Freedom Food chicken thighs with a 73p pack of chestnut mushrooms. OK, it will be zipped up with some leftover wine or cider and a little cream but it’ll still cost us no more than a couple of quid a head.

We’ve also decided as there are probably only going to be three of us on Christmas Day to take it to the wire and leave our shopping until the afternoon of Christmas Eve and simply see what we can pick up. That may result in us having a chicken or a joint of pork rather than a turkey but we can still make a stuffing and all the trimmings that go with the traditional Christmas lunch and I don’t think we’ll enjoy it any the less.

I admit I don’t always shop like this but occasionally it’s good to see how little you can manage to live on especially over Christmas when the pressure to spend far more than you need on food is at its greatest.

It's not as if we're laying in for a 10 day siege. (Well, unless you're unlucky enough to be snowed in). The shops will be back open again on Boxing Day and the chances are you've got enough in store to survive till the New Year even if they weren't. We certainly have.

How do you handle your Christmas food shopping? Do you find you tend to buy more than you need or have you developed strategies for keeping the cost - and waste - down?

Holiday Gift Ideas - Food

Buy it:

artisnal baking and dessert salt kit.

make a sushi kit - package together a sushi rolling mat, bag of sushi rice, nori sheets, wasabi and a bottle of soy sauce.

beer glasses and 6 pack of imported beer.

turkey brining kit.

make a cheese plate - buy a pretty plate and a few (3 to 5) different cheeses.

chocolate.

magic reindeer food.

Make it:

homemade pancake mix. pour into a jar, attach instructions with a ribbon. gift with a bottle of maple syrup, if you're feeling fancy.

flavored salt - lavender, citrus (finely grated citrus peel,dried, mixed with salt), roasted salt and pepper.

bbq rub - i like this rub from Bobby Flay.

yule wreath -very pretty and delicious.

fudge wreath from Rachael Ray. I've wanted to make this for a while now.

salted caramels - i would like to try to make these too.

shortbread cookies, of course.

Holiday Gift Ideas - Food

Buy it:

artisnal baking and dessert salt kit.

make a sushi kit - package together a sushi rolling mat, bag of sushi rice, nori sheets, wasabi and a bottle of soy sauce.

beer glasses and 6 pack of imported beer.

turkey brining kit.

make a cheese plate - buy a pretty plate and a few (3 to 5) different cheeses.

chocolate.

magic reindeer food.

Make it:

homemade pancake mix. pour into a jar, attach instructions with a ribbon. gift with a bottle of maple syrup, if you're feeling fancy.

flavored salt - lavender, citrus (finely grated citrus peel,dried, mixed with salt), roasted salt and pepper.

bbq rub - i like this rub from Bobby Flay.

yule wreath -very pretty and delicious.

fudge wreath from Rachael Ray. I've wanted to make this for a while now.

salted caramels - i would like to try to make these too.

shortbread cookies, of course.

Holiday Gift Ideas - Tools and Gadgets

Some practical, some fun and silly.

Make shooter glasses out of ice.

Merry and Bright towel.

food pod silicone cooking tool. man, i want this!

Piggy timer.

Digital scale.

Owl teabag holders.

silicone food ties.

boiling insert.

keep calm and eat a cupcake love this!

excellent aprons.

le Creuset salt crock

star wars cookie cutters. Scott wants these bad.

cookbook stand WITH measurement conversion chart.

decorating pen.

kids alphabet apron.

custom cake toppers.

tomorrow - the final list - food!

Holiday Gift Ideas - Tools and Gadgets

Some practical, some fun and silly.

Make shooter glasses out of ice.

Merry and Bright towel.

food pod silicone cooking tool. man, i want this!

Piggy timer.

Digital scale.

Owl teabag holders.

silicone food ties.

boiling insert.

keep calm and eat a cupcake love this!

excellent aprons.

le Creuset salt crock

star wars cookie cutters. Scott wants these bad.

cookbook stand WITH measurement conversion chart.

decorating pen.

kids alphabet apron.

custom cake toppers.

tomorrow - the final list - food!

Holiday Gift Ideas - For Babies and the Parents Who Feed Them

If you are buying a gift for someone who's expecting or already has a little one, consider food related gifts for the baby.  They gotta eat too!  Doctors recommend starting solid foods at 6 months.  If your friend or family is considering making their own baby food (as we did), here's some stuff they could use.

Baby Food Books - this is vital if you don't know what the heck a baby should eat (we didn't).  My favorite is Cooking for Baby: Wholesome, Homemade, Delicious Foods for 6 to 18 Months. This was my bible the first few months Paxton ate solid food. There is so much information in the book on what foods to introduce when, what to hold off for a while, allergies, and lots of simple and healthful recipes. Pax is a year old now so we are working him towards more "grown up food", but I still use the book as a guide, especially for allergies as Scott's family has some.

Equipment - you don't have to go crazy for equipment but there a a couple of things you should have -

Food processor - this is important, especially the first couple of months when the baby is eating thin smooth food. You don't have to spend a million dollars, but get a good sturdy one that can be used for other meal prep too. Stay away from those ones designed only for baby food, unless you are rich or something. If a food processor is more money than you planned on spending, get others to chip in or give a gift card with instructions for the money to go to a processor.

Cutting boards - for, you know, cutting up the food before cooking and also for finger food. They're not too expensive so you could buy a few and wrap a ribbon around them. Buy plastic so they can be scrubbed and tossed in the dishwasher.

Steamer insert - the first couple of months most of the baby's food is steamed or baked. Buy a silicone steamer that can be tossed into any pot to steam fruits and veggies. 

Potato masher - when the baby starts moving to thicker textures, use a masher to leave some lumps behind. This one is pretty cute.

Storage trays - I am a big fan of Baby Cubes. They work very well. They are freezer, dishwasher and microwave safe, have a holding tray and attached lids. They just make the job easier. And now we use them to also store his cut up finger foods.

Ice Cube trays - if you don't want to go the route of the storage trays, buy some ice cube trays. Load up with food, cover with plastic wrap and freeze, then move the cubes to zippered storage bags.

Floor Mat - Lord, I wish we had one of these. Kids make a mess when they eat, it's just the way it is. Buy a mat like this to go under the highchair, or better yet if you are crafty, make one.

Tableware - plastic and inexpensive. Paxton loves to lick his plates and bowls, then hurl them to the floor. We've got these Kalas plates and bowls. We used this silicone spoon for the few few months, and now use ones that are still plastic but a little more sturdy as Pax likes to use the soft spoon as a catapult for his food.

Bibs. Lots of bibs.

Facecloths - we have an enormous pile of facecloths. When Pax was a little little guy we used them for wiping his face, cleaning up spit ups, and poop removal. Now we was his hands and face (obvs) in the am and pm as well as after meals; bathtime, and we use them as wipes during mealtimes. They also make fun play hats.

If the baby you are buying for is ready to eat now and you think it would be appreciated, think about making some basic foods yourself, freezing and delivering them. There are lots of good websites out there. You can't go wrong with purees of apple or yam or pear.

Or give the intended a coupon good for one baby food making session. Then show up with a bag of appropriate fruits, veggies etc, make sure you have all the necessary supplies, and fill the freezer up!

Nextie: Tools and gadgets.

Holiday Gift Ideas - For Babies and the Parents Who Feed Them

If you are buying a gift for someone who's expecting or already has a little one, consider food related gifts for the baby.  They gotta eat too!  Doctors recommend starting solid foods at 6 months.  If your friend or family is considering making their own baby food (as we did), here's some stuff they could use.

Baby Food Books - this is vital if you don't know what the heck a baby should eat (we didn't).  My favorite is Cooking for Baby: Wholesome, Homemade, Delicious Foods for 6 to 18 Months. This was my bible the first few months Paxton ate solid food. There is so much information in the book on what foods to introduce when, what to hold off for a while, allergies, and lots of simple and healthful recipes. Pax is a year old now so we are working him towards more "grown up food", but I still use the book as a guide, especially for allergies as Scott's family has some.

Equipment - you don't have to go crazy for equipment but there a a couple of things you should have -

Food processor - this is important, especially the first couple of months when the baby is eating thin smooth food. You don't have to spend a million dollars, but get a good sturdy one that can be used for other meal prep too. Stay away from those ones designed only for baby food, unless you are rich or something. If a food processor is more money than you planned on spending, get others to chip in or give a gift card with instructions for the money to go to a processor.

Cutting boards - for, you know, cutting up the food before cooking and also for finger food. They're not too expensive so you could buy a few and wrap a ribbon around them. Buy plastic so they can be scrubbed and tossed in the dishwasher.

Steamer insert - the first couple of months most of the baby's food is steamed or baked. Buy a silicone steamer that can be tossed into any pot to steam fruits and veggies. 

Potato masher - when the baby starts moving to thicker textures, use a masher to leave some lumps behind. This one is pretty cute.

Storage trays - I am a big fan of Baby Cubes. They work very well. They are freezer, dishwasher and microwave safe, have a holding tray and attached lids. They just make the job easier. And now we use them to also store his cut up finger foods.

Ice Cube trays - if you don't want to go the route of the storage trays, buy some ice cube trays. Load up with food, cover with plastic wrap and freeze, then move the cubes to zippered storage bags.

Floor Mat - Lord, I wish we had one of these. Kids make a mess when they eat, it's just the way it is. Buy a mat like this to go under the highchair, or better yet if you are crafty, make one.

Tableware - plastic and inexpensive. Paxton loves to lick his plates and bowls, then hurl them to the floor. We've got these Kalas plates and bowls. We used this silicone spoon for the few few months, and now use ones that are still plastic but a little more sturdy as Pax likes to use the soft spoon as a catapult for his food.

Bibs. Lots of bibs.

Facecloths - we have an enormous pile of facecloths. When Pax was a little little guy we used them for wiping his face, cleaning up spit ups, and poop removal. Now we was his hands and face (obvs) in the am and pm as well as after meals; bathtime, and we use them as wipes during mealtimes. They also make fun play hats.

If the baby you are buying for is ready to eat now and you think it would be appreciated, think about making some basic foods yourself, freezing and delivering them. There are lots of good websites out there. You can't go wrong with purees of apple or yam or pear.

Or give the intended a coupon good for one baby food making session. Then show up with a bag of appropriate fruits, veggies etc, make sure you have all the necessary supplies, and fill the freezer up!

Nextie: Tools and gadgets.

Holiday Gift Ideas - Cookbooks

It's that time of year again.  Do you struggle  to find the "perfect" gift for your loved ones?  Fear not!  The next few days I'll share some kitchen and food related gift ideas.  The perfect gift for someone may lurk within...

Cookbooks

I am a HUGE cookbook-aholic, although most of mine come from charity book sales and secondhand shops.  Here's some books I love AND some books I wish I owned:

Nigella Lawson's Kitchen - click to see what I thought of it. In summary though, a gorgeous book with delicious recipes. On Amazon.

Bobby Flay's Throwdown A fun show turns out a really fun book. My family are STILL having throwdowns. I think they're addicted. On Amazon.

Canadian Living Vegetarian A brilliant book for everyone, not just Vegetarians. My favorite book this year. On Amazon.

The Little Saigon Cookbook: Vietnamese Cuisine and Culture in Southern California's Little Saigon I bought this because they're are NO Vietnamese restaurants in Kamloops and it's my favorite food. I really like this book, informative and easy to follow.

The Sweet Life in Paris: Delicious Adventures in the World's Most Glorious - and Perplexing - City A fun book to read if you've ever dreamed about living in Paris. Delicious recipes too.

And here's some books I don't own but I wish I did but I know they'd make great gifts:

Around My French Table by Dorie Greenspan. I borrowed this from the library and was immediately sad that I had to take it back. What a book! A gorgeous collection of French home cooking.

I Like You: Hospitality Under the Influence by Amy Sedaris. I borrowed this one from the library too and it was hilarious.

Simple Times: Crafts for Poor People by Amy Sedaris. How can this not be excellent?

Vegan Brunch: Homestyle Recipes Worth Waking Up For--From Asparagus Omelets to Pumpkin Pancakes by Isa Chandra Moskowitz.

Appetite for Reduction: 125 Fast and Filling Low-Fat Vegan Recipes also by Isa Chandra. Love her food.

Next - Cookin' with for babies.

Holiday Gift Ideas - Cookbooks

It's that time of year again.  Do you struggle  to find the "perfect" gift for your loved ones?  Fear not!  The next few days I'll share some kitchen and food related gift ideas.  The perfect gift for someone may lurk within...

Cookbooks

I am a HUGE cookbook-aholic, although most of mine come from charity book sales and secondhand shops.  Here's some books I love AND some books I wish I owned:

Nigella Lawson's Kitchen - click to see what I thought of it. In summary though, a gorgeous book with delicious recipes. On Amazon.

Bobby Flay's Throwdown A fun show turns out a really fun book. My family are STILL having throwdowns. I think they're addicted. On Amazon.

Canadian Living Vegetarian A brilliant book for everyone, not just Vegetarians. My favorite book this year. On Amazon.

The Little Saigon Cookbook: Vietnamese Cuisine and Culture in Southern California's Little Saigon I bought this because they're are NO Vietnamese restaurants in Kamloops and it's my favorite food. I really like this book, informative and easy to follow.

The Sweet Life in Paris: Delicious Adventures in the World's Most Glorious - and Perplexing - City A fun book to read if you've ever dreamed about living in Paris. Delicious recipes too.

And here's some books I don't own but I wish I did but I know they'd make great gifts:

Around My French Table by Dorie Greenspan. I borrowed this from the library and was immediately sad that I had to take it back. What a book! A gorgeous collection of French home cooking.

I Like You: Hospitality Under the Influence by Amy Sedaris. I borrowed this one from the library too and it was hilarious.

Simple Times: Crafts for Poor People by Amy Sedaris. How can this not be excellent?

Vegan Brunch: Homestyle Recipes Worth Waking Up For--From Asparagus Omelets to Pumpkin Pancakes by Isa Chandra Moskowitz.

Appetite for Reduction: 125 Fast and Filling Low-Fat Vegan Recipes also by Isa Chandra. Love her food.

Next - Cookin' with for babies.

Christmas Cake

The top of this year's snowflake cake.

I think the first year I started blogging, which was 2005, I went into great detail about our Christmas celebrations and food. Not much changes from year to year in the department, but there are differences. Usually it's something one of the kids has requested or a recipe I caught from a magazine that I had to try. This year one of the desserts was something I haven't made for about 12 years - a snowflake cake.

I can't remember what magazine I found this beauty in, but I thought it was one of the prettiest cakes I've ever seen and had to tackle it. Back then I had 3 children and lots more time, so it wasn't so taxing to get it done. Over the years, as we added 4 more kids and lost some time I let it slide and intended to make it, but never got 'a round tuit'.

This year I wanted to make that cake come Hell or high water, and I did. I was amazed at how easily it went together and quietly scolded myself for not having done it earlier. It was a show stopper - as it was meant to be - and the cake itself was so good that my mother-in-law called (on behalf of my brother-in-law) to ask if we had any left.

My first snowflake cake from 1997.

The cake itself is one of my newest favorites, Dorie Greenspan's Perfect Party Cake, which I first made with the Daring Bakers almost 2 years ago. I have since come to love that cake and use it as a base for many, many desserts. This time I made 4 layers of the cake and sandwiched ALDI's Fruits of the Forest Spread between the layers (this spread is to-die-for and you must find an ALDI and seek this out) and topped the cake with a basic buttercream icing.

Once assembled, I piped 'snowflakes' (which were really more star-like because they have more than 6 sides) out of melted white chips and added pearlized dragées to them. I usually use silver or gold dragées, but they were hard to find this year.

Once the snowflakes are set, I add them in a pile to the top of the cake and sprinkle the whole top with large crystal sugar to give it extra sparkle. Give it a try sometime - it's a good cake for all winter long, not just Christmas.

What are the food traditions your family can't live without? What is something new you've tried this year?

Turkey leftovers

There is a large half-eaten turkey sitting in the shower. Why? Because it won't fit in the fridge, the kitchen is too warm and anywhere else my daughter's visiting cat would get at it. (It has already half-demolished our landlord's pot plant - the cat, not the turkey, obviously) The health police would of course be appalled but we didn't finish eating till 10 o'clock last night so there was nothing else to be done.

Today will be devoted to ensuring it doesn't go to waste or that we don't get driven mad by endless turkey meals. My usual strategy is to have it cold for lunch on Boxing day (By far the best meal of Christmas IMO) then to prepare little parcels of white and brown meat for other uses and make stock with the carcass.

My youngest son particularly likes the brown meat fried up till crispy with the leftover turkey gravy so that takes care of some of that. I usually make a rich turkey and mushroom lasagne or a korma like the chicken one I cooked on You and Yours the other day but if I can find some tarragon I may try and make the splendid jellied terrine in the book which comes from a food writer friend of mine, Andrea Leeman.

The stock makes terrific soup but is so rich it tends to overwhelm more delicate vegetables. I like it for a chestnut soup (I do have a few leftover chestnuts, happily) or a dark mushroom soup or risotto. It's good with lentils too.

Incidentally I managed - yet again - to buy a larger turkey than we needed, largely because the butcher had run out of smaller birds by the time I got round to ordering one. (Memo to self, order earlier next year). We usually stretch the turkey anyway by serving plenty of sausages as well as the stuffing so there really is no need for an outsize bird.

I did however manage NOT to buy a Christmas cake (my daughter made a chocolate one which has already been scoffed) or any dates, figs, nuts or excessive quantities of cheese or twice as many sprouts as we needed so the cost of Christmas is well down. And you know what? We didn't miss any of them.

How did your Christmas go? Any bright ideas for the leftovers?

Turkey leftovers

There is a large half-eaten turkey sitting in the shower. Why? Because it won't fit in the fridge, the kitchen is too warm and anywhere else my daughter's visiting cat would get at it. (It has already half-demolished our landlord's pot plant - the cat, not the turkey, obviously) The health police would of course be appalled but we didn't finish eating till 10 o'clock last night so there was nothing else to be done.

Today will be devoted to ensuring it doesn't go to waste or that we don't get driven mad by endless turkey meals. My usual strategy is to have it cold for lunch on Boxing day (By far the best meal of Christmas IMO) then to prepare little parcels of white and brown meat for other uses and make stock with the carcass.

My youngest son particularly likes the brown meat fried up till crispy with the leftover turkey gravy so that takes care of some of that. I usually make a rich turkey and mushroom lasagne or a korma like the chicken one I cooked on You and Yours the other day but if I can find some tarragon I may try and make the splendid jellied terrine in the book which comes from a food writer friend of mine, Andrea Leeman.

The stock makes terrific soup but is so rich it tends to overwhelm more delicate vegetables. I like it for a chestnut soup (I do have a few leftover chestnuts, happily) or a dark mushroom soup or risotto. It's good with lentils too.

Incidentally I managed - yet again - to buy a larger turkey than we needed, largely because the butcher had run out of smaller birds by the time I got round to ordering one. (Memo to self, order earlier next year). We usually stretch the turkey anyway by serving plenty of sausages as well as the stuffing so there really is no need for an outsize bird.

I did however manage NOT to buy a Christmas cake (my daughter made a chocolate one which has already been scoffed) or any dates, figs, nuts or excessive quantities of cheese or twice as many sprouts as we needed so the cost of Christmas is well down. And you know what? We didn't miss any of them.

How did your Christmas go? Any bright ideas for the leftovers?

Don't panic!

With just over 24 hours to Christmas Day and even less till the shops close I have just two words to say to you. Don't panic!

Even if you have to nip out to fetch a few last minute ingredients like fresh bread or milk don't feel you have to sweep up everything else that's on offer in your wake.

The shops will be open again on Saturday, some probably on Friday. You more than likely have enough food in your fridge and freezer to last till January 27th, never mind December 27th.

If you find you haven't got something you need it's not the end of the world. Improvise, substitute or get a family member or friend to bring it with them.

Just do yourself a favour and avoid that final mad rush . . .

A very happy Christmas to you all.

Don't panic!

With just over 24 hours to Christmas Day and even less till the shops close I have just two words to say to you. Don't panic!

Even if you have to nip out to fetch a few last minute ingredients like fresh bread or milk don't feel you have to sweep up everything else that's on offer in your wake.

The shops will be open again on Saturday, some probably on Friday. You more than likely have enough food in your fridge and freezer to last till January 27th, never mind December 27th.

If you find you haven't got something you need it's not the end of the world. Improvise, substitute or get a family member or friend to bring it with them.

Just do yourself a favour and avoid that final mad rush . . .

A very happy Christmas to you all.

Bought-in can be more frugal than home-made

With the family arriving at the weekend I’ve been starting to plan what we’re going to eat on and around Christmas Day. And the sad fact is that I could save myself money if I just descended on Aldi or ASDA and bought what we need. Christmas puddings, Christmas cake and mince pies are all cheaper to buy than to make from scratch. Aldi’s Christmas pudding costs just £2.99, their mince pies 89p. It costs less to buy their roast potatoes with goose fat at £1.29 than to buy a pot of goose fat to cook your potatoes in (let alone a goose . . )

Of course that’s not the whole story. There’s a pleasure in making and eating home-cooked food that ready-bought products simply can’t provide. My kids would all be outraged if I served up a packet sage and onion stuffing instead of our traditional chestnut one or deprived them of the pleasure of making mince pies together in the kitchen. I also want to support my local shops over the Christmas period to help them stay in business at a difficult time.

You're also more likely to overspend if you go somewhere where there's a load of cut price offers. Look at the people who've been thronging round Woolies. It's easy to buy far more than you need - and also a lot of pretty unhealthy food. But it is, I admit, a temptation and one to which I would probably succumb if I had to go in to work over the holiday period

So what are you doing - have you bought in your Christmas staples or are you making your own?

Bought-in can be more frugal than home-made

With the family arriving at the weekend I’ve been starting to plan what we’re going to eat on and around Christmas Day. And the sad fact is that I could save myself money if I just descended on Aldi or ASDA and bought what we need. Christmas puddings, Christmas cake and mince pies are all cheaper to buy than to make from scratch. Aldi’s Christmas pudding costs just £2.99, their mince pies 89p. It costs less to buy their roast potatoes with goose fat at £1.29 than to buy a pot of goose fat to cook your potatoes in (let alone a goose . . )

Of course that’s not the whole story. There’s a pleasure in making and eating home-cooked food that ready-bought products simply can’t provide. My kids would all be outraged if I served up a packet sage and onion stuffing instead of our traditional chestnut one or deprived them of the pleasure of making mince pies together in the kitchen. I also want to support my local shops over the Christmas period to help them stay in business at a difficult time.

You're also more likely to overspend if you go somewhere where there's a load of cut price offers. Look at the people who've been thronging round Woolies. It's easy to buy far more than you need - and also a lot of pretty unhealthy food. But it is, I admit, a temptation and one to which I would probably succumb if I had to go in to work over the holiday period

So what are you doing - have you bought in your Christmas staples or are you making your own?

Christmas Memories, Part One

This year marks the 40th Christmas I will have had in my life. That's a lot of Christmas. I certainly don't remember them all, but there are a few that really stand out in my memories and I wanted to share them.

I've found that the leaner the holiday, the better it was, so I'm hopeful that this year will be a good one. We've never gone without, but we've been so close on many occasions to having nothing at all and those were the times that we witnessed real miracles.

I don't remember even one Christmas before I lived in Pennsylvania. We moved here when I was 4 and shortly after that my parents separated and eventually divorced. Prior to that we'd lived in North Carolina, Indiana and the state I was born in, Michigan. Although there were 5 of us kids, not long after mom and dad's split two of my brothers went to Michigan to live with dad and 3 of us, oldest, youngest and middle-child, all stayed here with mom.

My oldest brother took on a sort of fatherly role that he has never quite lost for his siblings and was a very large part of every Christmas. He was allowed to hole up in mom's room and wrap gifts until his fingers cramped. He was quite good at it and he took charge when it was time to hand out gifts. We always exchanged gifts on Christmas Eve and always one at a time. He also helped with the tree - always a 4 foot tall tree that sat on a small round table in our front window. Mom and Bobby would decorate painstakingly so that everything was symmetrical. The house was decorated impeccably, the food my mother made was nothing less than perfect; Christmas was looked forward to very much in our home.

I still remember the year I got my favorite doll, My Baby Beth - it was also the year my youngest brother, Sean, got his Spider-man action figure and helicopter. Really cool stuff for way back then. One year in particular I wanted a Barbie styling head. I wanted that more than any other gift ever. I was not a child to ask for things over and over or to let it show that I was upset if I didn't get what I wanted. So, when the gifts had all been passed out and she was not there, I did my best not to do exactly what I wanted to do - cry.

Just as we were cleaning up, my brother came down the stairs from mom's room with another unwrapped gift. Mom said, "Oh, look! I guess we forgot a gift." I was swoony over that silly plastic head of hair, but just like My Baby Beth, I can still recall the way it smelled and how soft the ultra-blonde hair was and how not-as-easy-as-the-commercials it was to get make-up on it.

My childhood Christmases were never of the too-much kind. We didn't have a lot and mom sometimes just did as much as she could with what she had. She had remarried, but my step-dad was a steelworker and didn't make a king's wage. Other than that baby doll and doll head, my two other favorite gifts were a beautiful pink sweater my mother had actually gotten at a thrift shop and then packaged beautifully for me, and a clear cased Mickey Mouse watch. I really wish I still had all four gifts, but what I'm really grateful for is the memories I still have of them.

I'll be sharing a few more stories soon, so please check back.