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Everyting you ned fo te perfect Christmas!
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SEASONAL BEST IDEAS MARY BERRY JAMES MARTIN & GIZZI ERSKINE
WIN!
R IKES FILOY B S E W DA THE FAM s!) a ALL r Chr istm (in time
fo
COOK THE CHRISTMAS
GIFTS, CRAFTS, RECIPES, MAGICAL DAYS OUT & MUCH MORE
FEAST
EVER!
Gater round… WHY .. IS A FESTIVE FAMILY HIGHLIGHT
GIZZI’S TOP TIPS
FOR FESTIVE
DRESSED FOR DINNER
ENTERTAINING
SET A STYLISH CHRISTMAS TABLE TO REMEMBER
Four steps to te perfect Christmas! 1
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Projects to make
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Family days out
FREE!
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Delicious recipes
GEMSTONE NAPKIN RING KIT FOR EVERY READER *P&P CHARGES APPLY
Inspiring interios CHRISTMAS 2016
PRINTED IN THE UK
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AL WI TU L N B RN TH IK TO E F ES F PA AM OR GE IL Y 57 !
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MARY BERRY JAMES MARTIN & GIZZI ERSKINE PAGE 31
CONTENTS 8
christmas countdown
have a creative christmas
let there be lights 66 A WARM WELCOME
44 CINNAMON CANDLES
Don’t forget to decorate your outside spaces!
Light the way with these gorgeous votives
68 FIRESIDE STYLE
45 WHITE DOUGH DECORATIONS
Make your living room the place to celebrate
14 ALL THAT GLITTERS
A fun project to make with your free gift
71 DECK YOUR HALL
Mark the season with gold accessories
46 PAPER STARS GARLAND
Create a wonderful first impression
16 WHITE CHRISTMAS
Get crafty with sheet music and card
72 FINE FESTIVE DINING
Create your own snowy wonderland
47 TRADITIONAL WREATH
Set the table and the mood with our top tips
18 MERRY AND BRIGHT
Welcome your guests in floral style!
75 MAKING LIGHT WORK OF CHRISTMAS
Baubles and more in a host of rainbow colours
48 CARDS FOR KIDS
We meet the professional festive decorators
20 NORTHERN LIGHTS
Two simple projects that children will love
Opt for cool chic with Scandi-inspired décor
50 BEADED HEART
22 CLASSIC CHARM
Bring some sparkle into your home
80 FOR HIM
Go traditional with red and green touches
51 CHRISTMAS LETTERS
Ideal presents for the men in your life
24 CHRISTMAS TIMES
Have a go at fabric découpage
82 FOR HER
With TV viewing a festive tradition we go behind the scenes at the Radio Times
53 POMPOM GARLAND
Accessories, jewellery, homeware and more
Ditch the tinsel and go fluffy instead!
84 FOR KIDS
28 SEASON OF TRADITION
54 PRETTY PAPER TREES
Tremendous treats for tiny revellers
The stories behind our Christmas rituals
No need to vacuum needles with these trees
87 FOR COOKS
55 STAMPED GIFT TAGS
Serve them up something they’ll adore!
Silver labels that are a wonderful keepsake
89 FOR CRAFTERS
58 WINTER WONDERLANDS
Creative gifts for crafty people
Our round-up of the best family days out
91 FOR GARDENERS
62 MAGICAL CHRISTMAS MARKETS
Presents to delight green-fingered loved ones
Special reader offers to visit a selection of UK and European markets
94 STOCKING FILLERS
Our failsafe to do list for 25 December
trends & traditions
31 a
christmas feast
All the recipes you’ll need to make your Christmas dinner a delicious success! A selection of starters, main courses, side dishes and desserts, including recipes from Mary Berry, Gizzi Erskine and James Martin
the ultimate gifts
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A selection of gifts for under £10
Trends & Traditions
Celebrate new and old, from the latest décor to the most ancient customs
Photography: www.tch.net
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hristmas is a wonderful blend of ancient and modern, pairing tradition with innovation, adding new touches each year while retaining the old. Over the next few pages we salute both of these elements. Check out this year’s trends for décor, such as pared-back Scandi chic, vivid colour pops and glamorous gold. Learn the history of the most enduring festive traditions and how they’ve become part of our celebrations. And get your highlighters at the ready as we explore a modern tradition: the iconic Christmas Radio Times.
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STYLE IT UP
To achieve the Scandi chic look, less is defnitely more. Keep the rest of your room pared back, and bring in elements from the outside such as a real fr tree, chunky logs and pine cones.
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Photography: www.houseoffraser.co.uk
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Photography: www.houseoffraser.co.uk
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SPARKLE AND STYLE
NATURAL GLOW
WONDERFUL WILLOW
The textured edges of these Isala baubles help them to catch the light and showcase the delicate metallic colours. £14.95 for a set of four, www.nkuku.com
Welcome guests with a beautiful light-up wreath. The snow-dusted eucalyptus looks real but you can enjoy this decoration year after year. £45, www.tch.net
Crafted from natural willow, this starry candle holder is the perfect blend of rustic charm and festive sparkle. £7.50, www.tch.net
NORTHERN LIGHTS
PARTY ANIMALS Use these wooden stags for adorning gifts or adding a rustic touch to a Christmas table topper at festive feasts. £2.25 for six, www.pipii.co.uk
Look to the soft shades and natural textures of these festive home accessories for a subtle take on the ever-popular Nordic trend
BEAR-FACED CHIC We can think of nothing cuter to dress your table on Christmas Day than these bear-shaped napkins. £4 for a pack of 16, www.talkingtables.co.uk
AMAZING ANTLERS
TREE-MENDOUS
COSY NIGHT IN
This reindeer cushion offers a stylish nod to Santa’s pals and is just the thing to add a touch of Scandi chic to your living room. £12.99, www.homesense.com
We love this driftwood Christmas tree, which has a unique contemporary look and oodles of natural charm. £27.50, www.idyllhome.co.uk
When it’s cold and dark outside, get an elegant glow flickering in your home with these metallic votives. £24.95 for a set of five, www.rigbyandmac.com
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a christmas
feast
Create a menu for 25 December and beyond with our selection of seasonal recipes
Photography: www.etsy.com
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ovingly preparing festive food is a great way of showing our family and friends how much they mean to us, and sharing a meal brings us together round the dining table with our favourite people. We’ve gathered recipes to create the ultimate Christmas Day feast (plus a few ideas for Boxing Day), including fab creations from Gizzi Erskine, Mary Berry and James Martin. Gizzi also chats with us about her most memorable Christmas, her ideal festive meal and shares her advice for anyone who’s hosting a crowd for the first time!
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Photography: Emma Lee
SIDE DISH
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“MY FAVOURITE MEAL OF THE YEAR IS CHRISTMAS DINNER!” Award-winning chef and food writer Gizzi Erskine talks parties and prep…
APRE ST ECI R
Gizzi Erskin e
Do you do turkey and all the trimmings every Christmas, or do you mix things up? I’m a traditionalist so we tend to go for the same thing each year – the truth is, my favourite meal of the whole year is Christmas dinner! What makes a great Christmas party? I’m not normally a massive fan of over-the-top parties, and would rather have everyone sitting elbow to elbow with a bottle of wine or two. It’s Christmas, though, so it’s important to dress your house for the occasion and make sure everything looks and feels really festive. So good lighting, a tree of course, and great music. What’s your ideal festive get-together with friends? My mission is to bring back the buffet, and stray away from the formal sit-down dinner. I’m not a fan of canapés, really – I’d rather have a wall of buffet food, with everyone helping themselves. There would be a lovely cheese board, charcuterie, a huge ham, a big salad, some baked potatoes, a seafood platter and a few different salsas. These dishes can stay against the wall for most of the night, most of the food can be cool or at room temperature, and you just don’t really have to think of it! What are your tips for a nervous cook who’s hosting Christmas for the frst time? Prep your puddings the day before, and any of your side dishes – a sturdy vegetable such as red cabbage will only improve with age! Have everything that you can chopped, cookery school style, so they’re ready to go when you need them. There’s a great time plan in Gizzi’s Season’s Eatings for stress-free prep. When do you open gifts – before or after lunch? We do two batches! Stockings frst thing in the morning – my niece will come in with hers and show me her presents, then we open mine together. We do the tree presents at about 11.30am, so we can start lunch at about 3pm. Tell us about your most memorable Christmas… When I was a child we stayed in my mum’s friend’s house in Oxfordshire. It snowed, and there was a skylight as we were sleeping in the attic. We spent the whole night waiting for Father Christmas to fy past!
Gizzi Erskine
PERFECT ROAST POTATOES The quest is over ‒ Gizzi has created the ultimate recipe for our favourite side dish (serves 4) INGREDIENTS 6 large potatoes, peeled and quartered 6 tbsp 50:50 vegetable oil and goose fat, for the perfect mix of crispness and flavour A few rosemary sprigs 1 garlic bulb, halved horizontally Sea salt flakes
HOW TO MAKE THE ROAST POTATOES Pre-heat the oven to 220°C/200°C fan/425°F/Gas Mark 7. Place the potatoes in a large pan and cover them with cold water. Add 1 teaspoon of salt. Bring to the boil, then parboil for 7 minutes until the potatoes are a bit “furry” or faky on the outside but still frm and uncooked in the middle. Drain them and give them a bit of a shake in the colander or sieve so the edges become grainy – this will give you the crispiest potatoes. Leave them to “steam” for 15 minutes, to remove the excess water and make them extra fuffy all the way through. 3 Pour the fats into a large baking tray, and pop it into the oven to heat for 5 minutes. Tip the drained, “steamed”, parboiled potatoes into the hot fat. Turn them to make sure each potato is coated in the oil. Add the rosemary and garlic and roast in the oven for 50 minutes, turning them every 15-20 minutes. 4 Remove the potatoes with a slotted spoon and drain on kitchen paper. Sprinkle generously with sea salt fakes before serving. This recipe is from Gizzi’s new book, Gizzi’s Season’s Eatings (Mitchell Beazley, RRP £25). Turn to page 36 for a special reader offer. 1 2
Photography: Jon Gorrigan
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have a creative
christmas Lots of things to make and do to craft the perfect festive season
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ifts, decorations, cards, tags… there are so many ways that you can give your Christmas a handmade touch. To get you started here are ten quick and easy projects for everything from paper trees and pompom garlands to candle holders and a wreath. There are decorations to make with your free Simply Christmas cookie cutters, and the kids can turn their hand to making some unique cards to send. Of course, Christmas is a time for making memories too, so we’ve found ten of the best festive family days out.
WINTER
WONDERLANDS Get into the spirit of the season with family visits to venues around the UK. Here’s our pick of 2016’s Christmas events
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or many of us, Christmas is at the heart of our childhood memories. From lovingly filled stockings and homemade mince pies to wonkily handmade tree decorations and finding the perfect carrot for the snowman’s nose, it’s all precious stuff. Reliving treasured experiences while creating new traditions is a huge part of contemporary family life – we’re always looking for ways to make the season special. As well as the big day itself, there are so many more festive events to enjoy from November, even October, onwards. At home, there’s stirring the Christmas pudding and making cards for family and friends to look forward to, while out in the community there will be numerous fairs to visit and enjoy. If your family tradition is to have a real Christmas tree, the whole experience of visiting a farm or grower, picking ‘the one’
and bringing it home to be lovingly decorated is wonderfully festive. Meanwhile, a trip to town might reveal stalls with stocking filler presents and roast chestnuts, or if you’re fortunately placed, a full-on festive market packed with stalls selling local foods, gifts and crafts (turn to page 62 to take advantage of our handpicked all-inclusive tours to Christmas markets in the UK and Europe).
GETTING OUT AND ABOUT For a truly memorable family outing, however, forget the shopping and find a full-on festive excursion. The choice of experiences is amazing and you’re bound to find one to suit your family’s interests as well as that all-important budget. While a light dusting of snow would undoubtedly enhance the festive feel of our surroundings, we’ve long since realised that,
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in the UK, white Christmases are few and far between. But all is not lost – there are many opportunities around the country to embrace the midwinter atmosphere in a range of venues, from theme parks and aquariums to stately homes and museums. Theatres will have planned a wonderful Christmas schedule of productions, too, for everyone from toddlers to grandparents – every good panto includes jokes for all ages! Look in your local papers, magazines or parenting bulletins for more ideas close to home (and often discount vouchers), but there are also some venues worth making a journey for – Blenheim Palace, Edinburgh Christmas and Lapland UK just for starters. We’ve had a sneak peek at what’s coming up for Christmas 2016 and picked out ten events up and down the UK that will be worth a visit. So plan your day out and enjoy making those treasured memories...
Fans of Frozen, both young and old, will adore this lavish skating production of the film
Father Christmas will be in residence at Lapland UK
The majestic gardens of Blenheim Palace have a brand new trail of lights
DISNEY ON ICE PRESENTS FROZEN 13 OCT – 30 DEC
The appeal of Disney’s Frozen hasn’t melted away yet and this touring ice spectacular is perfect for fans of Elsa and Anna. Sing along with Let it Go, DoYou Want To Build A Snowman? and more, plus learn the snowman dance during the pre-show warm-up. The show will be at venues in Glasgow, Manchester, Sheffield, Birmingham and more from 13 October. Prices vary according to venue and seating. INFO www.disneyonice.com
EDINBURGH’S CHRISTMAS 18 NOV – 8 JAN
Edinburgh’s Christmas is a spectacular, six-week season of festive entertainment in the heart of the Scottish capital. The calendar of both free and paid-for events features ice skating, food and craft markets, and fun rides, including the 60-metre-high Star Flyer with breathtaking views over the city. Keep an eye on the website as new events are still being revealed in the run-up to the opening day.
the palace. Along the way you’ll find a scented fire garden, singing Christmas trees, a swaying lawn of fibre-optic colour, illuminated cascades and much more. Visitors will be able to toast marshmallows, ride the vintage carousel, browse the gift shop and enjoy traditional Christmas fare. An advance family ticket costs £48. INFO www.blenheimpalace.com
LAPLAND UK
visitors walk though snowy paths, help out at the toy factory, go skating, see real reindeer and huskies, and meet Santa himself. Family tickets start at £55.
18 NOV – 24 DEC
INFO www.laplanduk.co.uk
Now in its tenth year, Lapland UK is worth a visit if your little ones love Santa but a trip to the real Lapland is beyond your budget! The award-winning immersive theatre experience ofers families a journey through the Arctic homeland of Father Christmas and his elves. Hosted in Whitmoor Forest on the Windsor estate in Berkshire, the event lets
INFO www.edinburghschristmas.com
CHRISTMAS AT BLENHEIM 25 NOV – 2 JAN
This year’s Christmas at Blenheim features a brand new festive trail of lights around the formal gardens of
NATIONAL TRUST NOV – DEC
Few do a traditional Christmas as well as the National Trust. From stately homes to grand castles, many of its properties will be decked in historical styles this year, including Edwardian, Tudor and Victorian. Liverpool’s Speke Hall will be hosting Victorian Christmas Fridays – take a stroll around the beautiful house, decorated for a traditional Victorian Christmas, listen to carols in the Great Hall and enjoy a festive meal in the restaurant. Or head to Clumber Park, Nottinghamshire, for the Garden of Fire and Light, complete with fre sculptures and leaping fames. Entry fees apply. Visit the website for more information on each venue’s celebrations. INFO www.nationaltrust.org.uk
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STYLE IT UP
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Photography: www.sainsburys.co.uk
Choose a variety of textures to create depth to your dĂŠcor, such as sequins, glitter, foil and sparkly fabric. These will combine to create a wonderful atmosphere when illuminated with candles or lights.