THE PERFECT BOXING DAY

THE PERFECT

BY ROSALIND TULLOCH

If only every day could be like this…

As much as I love all the fuss and excitement of Christmas Day, I can’t wait for Boxing Day to arrive. It is a day reserved solely for relaxing and over-indulging, for watching movies, tackling 1000-piece jigsaw puzzles and eating leftovers. Some of you may be experts in Boxing Day chilling already, but if not, we bring you some inspiration to help you make the most out of what is, arguably, the best day of the year.

WAKE UP

Literally wake up whenever you like. Do not set an alarm, and do not feel bad about enjoying your welldeserved lie in. You may have to get up with kids or pets, but under no circumstances do you need to get dressed, that is very much a problem for later in the day or tomorrow. Get the kettle on and why not grab a couple of chocolates for breakfast? It is perfectly acceptable to eat chocolate for breakfast on Boxing Day.

VENTURING OUTSIDE?

Sometimes, a walk on Boxing Day can do you the world of good, if it is a fresh crisp day it can blow away the cobwebs and prepare you for tackling those leftovers. If you have dogs that need exercise this will hopefully tire them out for an afternoon of sofa time too. On your return from your walk, you can simply slide back into your pyjamas or don that Christmas onesie you were gifted!

MOVIE MARATHON

Boxing Day is generally a great day for movies on television. You will usually find family-friendly films or sitcoms on most channels, or if there is nothing you fancy simply turn to the never-ending libraries of Netflix, Prime, Disney+, or any other streaming service you subscribe to. You may be open to a movie marathon of all the Harry Potter movies, however this would take you 19hrs 39mins without breaks, so we think you would need another day to achieve this. Alternatively, you could opt for the Godfather movies, the Lord of the Rings trilogy or all nine Fast and Furious films (again, you will need more time). If there is ever a day to binge watch a Netflix series, this is it, so start making a list of all the shows you want to watch and get settled in to make a dent in that list.

JIGSAWS

In my house, Boxing Day is known to be a jigsaw day and everyone has to help. We usually get a 500-piece jigsaw started in the morning in the kitchen and over the day everyone takes a shot at filling some of it in. Any time someone walks past they stop and try to put a piece in, it also keeps the kids entertained, and if you have a gin and tonic in hand you will feel all the better for it. If you have younger kids why not set up a jigsaw for them too and see who can finish first!

LEFTOVERS

It’s time to eat again. There is nothing better than using up leftovers by making turkey sandwiches packed with pigs in blankets and cranberry sauce, there may even be a parsnip or Brussel sprout thrown in there for good measure. If you are looking to use up every last vegetable and side dish in your fridge, you can’t go wrong with making a huge pie to feed everyone. This pie will vary every year, depending on what we have left over, but it is always follows the same principal: 1 Chop up left over carrots, parsnips and Brussel sprouts and sauté them in a little oil in a large frying pan. 2 Chop up the turkey meat and add this to the pan, then add a good splash of double cream – you want it really saucy. Add some seasoning and allow that to warm through. 3 Transfer into an oven proof dish and then layer any other leftovers on top. Slice pigs in blankets in half and make a layer of them, slice or crumble stuffing over to make another layer, add a layer of red cabbage or roast potatoes and even add a splash of gravy to them.

4Then add a ready rolled sheet of puff pastry on top, score it with a sharp knife, brush it with egg and pop it in the oven for 20 minutes or until the pastry is golden brown and looking delicious.

A LITTLE TIPPLE

The perfect end to a relaxing day may involve a Baileys on ice, a tub of Celebrations and falling asleep in front of the TV. Or it may involve building your child’s new Lego instalment from Santa, or even a family board game that gets everyone involved. Whatever it is, just make sure you are enjoying yourself, this day only comes around once a year and you deserve it. That Baileys won’t last until next year so best not waste it.