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Take the hassle out of Christmas dinner
Don't let Christmas dinner turn your home into Hell's Kitchen. Although it can require a lot of attention, it's possible to plan so that the most stressful thing about it is the washing up.
There are a number of options open to you to make preparation easier, with the end result still being a great meal.
Peel and trim your veg the day before and store them in water so that they don't go brown.
Prepare as much as you can before the day itself. Peel and trim your veg, and store them in water so that they don't go brown. Make sure that your meat is ready to go straight into the oven - and that everything is defrosted properly. Wrap the sausages in bacon on Christmas Eve.
This way, when it comes down to it, all you'll need to do on the morning itself is cook the individual parts and make a couple of other items (like gravy and sauces).
Consider trying a couple of less time- and space-consuming alternatives to the traditional elements. Pickled red cabbage is a great alternative to boiled veg; it goes perfectly with turkey and can be prepared in advance or bought in and served cold.
Serving mashed or boiled potatoes instead of roast means that you can have more space in the oven for the meat, stuffing etc. You can use the boiled water from the potatoes for your gravy and even steam other vegetables on top of the potato pan, in a covered colander.
Consider buying an easy-to-carve turkey crown, pre-made stuffing, bread sauce mix, gravy mix, and so on. While it would be great to be able to serve everything home-made, there are many pre-made elements of the meal in the shops which taste as good as your own, are cheaper to buy, and will save you time and stress on the day itself. The same goes, of course, for desserts.
If you're stuck for ideas, consider a hamper. It will provide you with many of the extra elements you'll need to liven up your meal (sauces, chutneys, etc) as well as giving you some useful inspiration.
Large amounts of food take more time end energy to prepare than sensible portions. Wasted foods translates directly to wasted time, energy and money. It's great to see people full on Christmas day, but try not to go overboard.
On the big day itself, write a list and stick to it. Stick it on the wall in your kitchen and tick off jobs as they're done.
And finally, get someone else to do the washing up - you'll have earned a rest.
