liTtle moMents oF
CHRISTMAS CHAOS 1
LET’S FACE IT - A PERFECT CHRISTMAS JUST WOULDN’T BE CHRISTMAS! Every year, in homes across the country, children and relatives will argue, at least one element of the Christmas dinner will be undercooked or burnt, and the cat will almost certainly climb the tree at some point. Rather than trying to achieve the so called ‘perfect’ Christmas, this year we’re taking a stand and celebrating Christmas in all its chaotic glory. We have teamed up with some of the UK’s best loved bloggers to share their tales of Christmas Chaos and top Christmas hacks, which we hope will help you embrace, escape and survive the festive period.
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EMBRACE THE CHAOS
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TOP TIPS “In my house, Christmas is always chaotic! My top tip for coping is to be well organised when it comes to cooking Christmas dinner. It is a family tradition that on Christmas Eve we all do food preparation together. Wearing Christmas jumpers and singing along to Christmas songs, we peel, chop and prepare all the veggies, make the stuffing and parboil the potatoes, saving precious time on Christmas morning. Everyone has fun and enjoys contributing to their Christmas dinner.”
Snack hack: Cheesy Santas Super simple to make. These tasty Santa crackers will bring a festive feel to your Christmas gathering and are easy enough for the little ones to get involved too. Ingredients: • Crackers of your choice (preferably round!) • Pack of salami • Stick of celery • Handful of black peppercorns • One tube of Primula Original Cheese Method: • Cut each slice of salami into six triangles (Santa’s hat) • Slice the celery stick into small pieces (Santa’s moustache) • Decorate each cracker as shown in the photo, using the peppercorns as eyes and Primula Cheese as the beard and hat trim. • To achieve a really precise result try using a piping bag for the Primula Cheese
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Wendy McDonald (www.insidethewendyhouse. blogspot.co.uk)
“I prepare for the impending chaos by clearing the conservatory. We have the Christmas tree in there and so, bar the stockings, we open all our presents there. In the conservatory chaos can rule and it doesn’t take over the whole house. My motto is ‘embrace the chaos’ I often find if you fight it, it’s way worse.” Charlotte Pearson (www.mummyfever.co.uk)
RECIPE: SNOW TOPPED MINI YORKSHIRES These snow topped mini Yorkshires are packed full of flavour and can be prepared in advanced, making them perfect for canapes or just a tasty snack to enjoy yourself amidst all the chaos.
golden, then add the garlic and cook for a couple minutes Ingredients (makes 30): • Place the onion and garlic with the remaining • One tube of Primula Cheese with Ham cabbage bake ingredients into a large casserole • 30 Mini Yorkshire Puddings dish and place into your preheated oven for 2 hours, • 15 Tomberries, halved (or small cherry tomatoes) remembering to stir at regular intervals (preparing Cabbage Bake: the cabbage bake can be done well in advance and • ¼ red cabbage, thinly sliced it can be frozen or stored in Kilner jars ready to • ½ red onion, cubed pop open) • 200g Dark Muscovado Sugar • Following pack instructions cook your mini • 200ml balsamic vinegar Yorkshire puddings (or even better make fresh) • 100ml boiling water • Fill each Yorkshire pudding with one teaspoon of • 2 garlic cloves, chopped Method: cabbage bake. Top with Primula Cheese with Ham • Preheat your oven to 180°C/gas mark 4 and finish with half a tomberry or cherry • In a frying pan braise the onion with a little oil until tomato – delicious!
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TALES OF CHAOS
“I was pouring the wine one year and as I leant over the table my hair caught fire on a candle! Everyone thought it was hilarious as I was jumping up and down as they didn’t realise what had happened. From that year onwards we have never had candles at the table again!” Fiona Martin (www.mummyslittlestars.com)
“A few years ago we bought our boys pogo sticks for Christmas. They had no idea how to use them, so we went in the garden and their Grandad demonstrated. It was hilarious to see.” Claire (www.blogmumjd.wordpress.com)
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ESCAPE THE
CHAOS
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TOP TIPS Snack hack: Festive topped oatcakes By Vicki Psarias (www.honestmum.com) • Salmon oatcake: start off by squeezing a generous helping of Primula Cheese with Chives onto an oatcake. Then top with fresh Scottish smoked salmon, zesty capers and fresh chives to garnish • Vegetarian oatcake: start off with a good squeeze of Primula Original Cheese and top with sliced spring onion, sun blushed tomatoes and chives. I love the zestiness of the spring onion against the sweetness of the tomatoes and the creamy cheese. It’s the most wonderful flavour combination
Vegetarian version Photo: Honest Mum
“When I need to escape from the madness in the run up to Christmas I use gift wrapping as my get of jail free card. Obviously for it to look good I can’t be ‘helped’ by the toddler, so my husband plays with him whilst I shut myself away in another room with Christmas tunes playing, a glass of wine and a mince pie (or two) and quietly wrap some presents. I love making everything look beautiful and find it really therapeutic.” Briony (www.anywaytostayathome.com)
“I escape the chaos by going for a walk after dinner with the family – the kids run ahead giving me time to relax and calm down after cooking the dinner.” Fiona Martin (www.mummyslittlestars.com)
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RECIPE: SAVOURY CHRISTMAS PUDDINGS We didn’t think Christmas puddings could get any better, until now! You can prepare your meatballs the day before and then simply cook and assemble before serving. Ingredients (makes 15): • 500g lamb mince • 70g panko breadcrumbs • 1 tube of Primula Original Cheese • 1 handful of chopped parsley • ½ red onion • 3 tablespoons of water • 1 garlic clove • ½ tsp salt • Zest of half a lemon • 2 tablespoons of olive oil • Cocktail sticks • Parsley for garnish Method: • Braise the onion with olive oil until golden then add the garlic and cook for one minute. Remove from the heat and add the chopped parsley and lemon zest then allow to cool • Add the lamb mince and 35g of breadcrumbs and season • Add a beaten egg and water, season, and mix well • Roll into small meatballs • Sprinkle the baking tray with your remaining breadcrumbs so your meatballs don’t stick together To Cook: • Place in a preheated oven at 200°C for 15-20 minutes • Remove from oven and allow to cool for a minute before squeezing over the Primula Cheese topping and placing a piece of parsley on top
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TALES OF CHAOS “We were due to entertain my brother-in-law and his family on Christmas Day. The turkey was coming along nicely and all the vegetables were prepared. ‘Let’s meet up in the pub,’ my husband said. Two hours later and my brother-in-law still hadn’t arrived. When he finally came through the door, full of apologies, my husband bought them all a drink. So we had to have another one, and another. We paid our bar bill, walked out into the village square and, bam, then it hit me. Outside in the open air, I was barely able to stand, let alone walk. I spent the rest of Christmas Day tucked up in bed, with my husband popping in every now and then to ask what he needed to do to crisp up his roast potatoes and could I remind him how I did my gravy. I surfaced at lunchtime on Boxing Day. Never again.” Maddie Grigg (www.maddiegrigg.com)
“Every year my mum gets me a vegetarian alternative to the traditional Christmas dinner and always forgets to cook it. I don’t mind as I love all the vegetables anyway but it’s a good job!” Rachel Hirst (www.umeandthekids.com)
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SURVIVE THE CHAOS
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TOP TIPS
Snack hack: Christmas Star Sandwiches ByJordon-Courtney Winter (www.jordancourtney.co.uk) • White Bread (1 slice per star depending on the size of your cutter) • Primula Cheese of your choice • Chives - finely chopped • Red Chillies - finely chopped • Cucumber - cut into ribbons • Star Cutters (2 Sizes) • Knife • Toaster Method: • Lightly toast the bread • Using the largest cutter of the two cut as many stars as you need out of the toast. • Use the smaller cutter to cut the middle out of half of the stars • Spread the whole stars with the Primula flavour of your choice • Top the Primula with chives, red chilies or sliced cucumber then finish off with the cut out stars
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“My top tip for surviving one of the hardest things about Christmas, the trip to meet Father Christmas, is to go prepared, I’m talking military style here. There will be queues, lots of them, do your research and try to book somewhere with time slots. Take snacks and lots of them – these help with the queues, reduce costs and you’ll know that you will be able to feed them something other than sugar whilst you are out. If possible bring an army of helpers, let Nanny and Grandad enjoy the ‘experience’, Auntie wants to get a picture, bring her too, the more the merrier. Better still let them do the entire trip whilst you stay at home.” Briony (www.anywaytostayathome.com)
“We all have those pieces of art that our children bring home from school or nursery that are just a squiggle on the page. I cut these into rectangles and use as gift tags for Christmas or birthdays, meaning I always have personalised gift tags available.” Leyla Brooke (www.thisdayilove.co.uk)
RECIPE: CHRISTMAS AVOCADOS
Ingredients (makes 4): • Two ripe avocados • One tube of Primula Cheese with Ham • Chorizo sausage (two small or half a large sausage) • Eight sundried tomatoes (chopped) • Basil leaf to garnish Method: • Fry the chorizo in a pan until cooked
• Wait for the chorizo to cool then mix with the Primula Cheese with Ham • Spoon the mixture into the middle of each avocado then top with the sundried tomatoes and basil • If you’re feeling really fancy decorate with a few pomegranate seeds
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TALES OF CHAOS “We like to play a game called ‘Kingdoms’ at Christmas – all you need is some paper and pens, a large bowl and about 8 - 10 players. To start, each player writes down the name of a famous person past or present, for example Charles Dickens. This is folded up and put it in the bowl. Another person reads out all the names slowly so that everyone can hear them as they are being called out (it’s best if the person reading out the names isn’t taking part in the game, or doesn’t recognise the handwriting). One player (usually the youngest or the noisiest) goes first, and asks another player if they are ‘Charles Dickens’ or one of the other names read out. If this is the name they have written down, they say ‘yes’ and the two people join together and make a ‘Kingdom’. If the answer is ‘no’, the player incorrectly identified may ask another player of their choice if they are one of the names read out.
The game goes with players forming ‘Kingdoms’ which can become quite large as groups join together. However, some of the names that have been originally read out are often forgotten and this makes the game more fun as people try and remember the names (often hard if you have had a lot of food and drink) and find out the identities of each player. The winner of the game is the leader of the Kingdom who has guessed the last person correctly. Or if no one can guess the remaining name, then the person who can’t be identified is the winner.” Jenny Itzcovitz, Editor Sixtyplusurfers (www.sixtyplusurfers.co.uk)
“We hosted a family get together on Boxing Day last year, I had laid out a lovely buffet in the kitchen for everyone to help themselves to. I was under the impression that my son wasn’t tall enough to reach the food on the counters, until he wandered back into the party with handfuls of mince pie. There is no stopping a toddler on a mission.” Briony (www.anywaytostayathome.com)
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TOP CHRISTMAS HACKS
Blogger Vicki Psarias and her family celebrating Christmas
“Storing Christmas lights on a coat hanger keeps them tidy and makes them easier to unravel too! If you’re making Christmas dinner and inviting family and friends, designate a dish to each family so you’re not responsible for everything on the day.” Vicki Psarias (www.honestmum.com)
“Have a bin bag at the ready for all the paper. After a few presents have been opened get the children to see how much they can pick up in ten seconds before they open anything else. Have a large cardboard box for each child with their name on that they can put all their presents in once opened – keeping things safe and off the floor really helps, especially if you have younger children.” Charlotte Pearson (www.mummyfever.co.uk)
“Pop a couple of wrapped presents under the tree, in case of unexpected visitors!” Wendy McDonald (www.insidethewendyhouse. blogspot.co.uk)
“Don’t get carried away with this year’s latest colour trend – red and green are always in fashion for Christmas, so you can use your decorations year after year.”
“If you are particular about decorations, give the kids a small tree for their rooms and get them to decorate that instead of the big tree.” Jen Walshaw (www.muminthemadhouse.com)
Erica Price (www.92three30.com)
“The biggest Christmas stress saver is ordering presents online all of them! Shops tend to get so busy during the festive period and items are often out of stock. Save the hassle, stay at home in your PJ’s and get everything ordered next day delivery!” Jordon-Courtney Winter (www.jordancourtney.co.uk)
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PRIMULA WOULD LIKE TO THANK EVERYONE WHO CONTRIBUTED TO THIS LITTLE MOMENTS OF CHRISTMAS CHAOS BOOK AND WISH ALL OUR FRIENDS A VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS! www.primula.co.uk PrimulaCheese Primula_Cheese loveprimula PrimulaCheeseTube primula_cheese
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