Ep 5. Preparing for Christmas

Sam: 00:16

Hey guys, it's Sam. How are you all doing? I can't believe that we're less than a month away from Christmas. So I thought that for this episode's chat, we should really focus on all things Christmas. However, the fact that I'm actually willing to talk about Christmas in November is huge. You see, I've got a December birthday. So ordinarily, I refuse discussion of Christmas until my birthday has been and gone. However,

As I get older, the desire to even think about my birthday is very, very low. So back to Christmas. Are you hosting Christmas this year? I wonder if you're feeling a little bit overwhelmed by it all. And if so, how do you think you might combat that potential overwhelm in the kitchen around Christmas? I don't know why, but it just seems to put a sense of added pressure onto everyone. Don't you think? Or maybe you are in your element at this time of year.

loving the festivities and all the hard work that goes into it running smoothly. And I'm guessing if that is you, then you probably don't see it as hard work at all. Again, the fact that we have all had different experiences around Christmas and what it represents means that we will experience Christmas differently. And then I wonder if some of you are more like me. As an only child, Christmas has never been a big deal. Sure.

I loved it as a kid, I loved the lead up to it, getting the real tree has to be a real tree or not one at all in my book. And I loved finding what to gift people, friends and family. But Christmas itself tended to be a fairly low key affair. Often it was just me and my parents. So a really relaxing, quiet time of the year. As I got older, my nana and my lovely uncle Len might be with us.

But again, the festivities were always low-key and the numbers involved also low. Interestingly, this history with Christmas now means that it plays out in how I celebrate Christmas now, meaning that the silly season doesn't tend to be silly for me. It's really a time when I switch off from the world and it's possibly the only time that I really totally do switch off.

I digress a little, sorry. As well as chatting about what causes a sense of overwhelm and some ideas to combat these feelings, I've also got a few really simple Christmas gifting ideas that you could perhaps think about making. I really think people will be impressed. They're easy to make, they're cost effective, and they'll be personal. So I thought I'd share some of those ideas with you.

Before we dive into that though, I just want to say a thank you to those of you who have reached out. It really means the world. And I thought I'd read out a couple of the messages that I've received. One friend said, it was great to hear your podcast while I was in the bath. Just what I needed to start back to doing what I love and brings me joy, cooking and food. I'm going to start planning our meals and I'm going to try an online shop.

And another friend said, hey Sam, congrats on the birth of your new podcast. I've listened to two episodes and I'm very impressed. Your message hit home and I'm sick of eating unhealthy food when I'm tired, short on time and stressed. I need to improve my eating habits and to this end, I intend to follow your upcoming pods. Less frozen chips and more veg.

There are others of a similar vein and every time someone says to me that they've listened and enjoyed the podcast, it makes me smile and I just feel really content. I didn't know what to expect, but to know that what we're talking about has hit home for many of you and has inspired change is just amazing. So please do keep sending your messages through, keep me on my toes. And I would love to share more of those messages with you all.

And also don't forget, if you've got any tips or suggestions that relates to anything that you've heard me talking about, then please do share those so I can then share them with everyone else. So on with Christmas, preparing for Christmas and not feeling overwhelmed in the kitchen at Christmas. Why does Christmas bring more pressure? I think again, there are probably quite a few factors that can impact and it's often a combination of a few things that can create

high levels of anxiety.

We can put so much emphasis on the Christmas dinner and lunch. The countdown seems to be forever in this day and age. And with that comes that feeling that it has to be perfect. The food has to be perfect. The family has to be perfect. Everything has to be perfect. God forbid if something isn't perfect. I'm just stressed thinking about the perfect Christmas. And related to this are the expectations that we then

place on ourselves, what we think it should be like and what the food should be like as well. There are things like the desire to impress guests or maybe to replicate some family traditions, to make new and overly complicated dishes, cater for new people or family members that might be joining you for the first time. There can be so many scenarios that have an impact.

And these types of expectations just add an unnecessary degree of complexity to things. I think we should just allow things to be and unfold in a way that is natural to us and our families. And we mustn't forget the media and adverts that feed this requirement for perfection and heighten the expectations around the day. They seem to tell us for an eternity before Christmas about how perfect it should be.

I think we just need to remember that in most cases, it's just a roast dinner and one to be enjoyed. At this point, I have to mention family dynamics. You can't pick your family, right? But apparently, you should spend time with them at Christmas. As I look back, maybe that's another reason why my family Christmases were relaxed and peaceful. Extended family generally weren't involved. And actually, when additional guests were there, my Nana,

my uncle Len, maybe my granddad, there did tend to be a slightly more stressed atmosphere in the house. Sometimes the emotional stress of family gatherings and having to get on when maybe you really don't adds another layer of pressure to the kitchen atmosphere. You know, having to work under the watchful eye of a parent or a sibling, nothing better, right? I think time pressures can also weigh heavily on us at Christmas. Perhaps...

Perhaps if there was a couple of weeks of holiday before Christmas it would all work out and be perfect. There'd be time to enjoy the festivities and make all of the food that we wanted to make and we would feel well rested to tackle the potential frosty family members. But the reality is we're pushed for time at this time of year. We're balancing work, holiday prep, shopping, kids' school plays and assemblies. It really isn't an easy lead up.

we can actually feel frazzled rather than ready for the onslaught of cooking for the masses. This is not conducive to wanting to be in the kitchen at Christmas. One of my biggest fears around cooking has always been getting the timings for everything right. And Christmas is one of those times that freaks me out. There are so many different elements to a Christmas dinner that it feels like a disaster waiting to happen. Maybe cold veggies with a cooked turkey and some lukewarm gravy.

Mmm, tasty. It can feel so complicated, particularly for those of us not feeling confident in the kitchen at the best of times. And if you've got guests that have a way of eating or perhaps an allergy that isn't a usual part of your meal prep, this too can just add to the fear factor. With all of these factors at play, it's understandable that many of us feel apprehensive about cooking at Christmas.

I've probably missed out a few things that can impact on the overwhelm we feel in the kitchen at Christmas. And if I have, let me know and I can maybe address them personally. But these are the ones that stand out for me as I reflect on Christmases of the past.

actually made my Christmas cake in the October half term. It got me thinking back then about what Christmas time can be like in relation to food and those expectations that come with it and for some that feeling of dread and overwhelm. It's only the second time I've ever made a Christmas cake, last year being the first.

And I say our Christmas cake because it is shared with my parents. And I can tell you now, pre-Thermomix, there wasn't a chance in hell that I'd have put myself forward for this task. So for me, if the numbers are small, I can cope with mealtimes at Christmas, but it probably won't surprise you that the thought of prepping food for lots of people sends me into a bit of a spin, which is probably why I've never really done it. So we've explored what can lead to a sense of pressure.

why don't we look at some potential strategies that might make it easier? We can maybe avoid some of the pressures and overwhelm by preparing a little bit in advance. As I've said before, a little bit of planning can go a long, long way to alleviating stress in the kitchen. So by this, I'm thinking about your menu. I'd say choose a couple of key dishes that you can maybe consider pre-making.

so that they can be cooked from frozen on the day that they are needed. This results in less on the day prep time and more quality family time or downtime. I think embracing this idea is an absolute winner. Things can be prepared ahead of time and simply reheated on the day. There is nothing wrong with doing this. They will taste just as good as if they were made on the day. In fact, they can often taste better as they mature.

Think casseroles, sauces, desserts, anything that's gonna help reduce the stress levels. For the big day and elements of your meal that perhaps can't be pre-made, think about chopping the vegetables, marinating the meats, and maybe measuring out ingredients you're needing the day before. That means the tedious side of cooking will be removed on the actual day. It becomes much more about assembling than prepping, which in turn relates to less stress.

more fun for you. I think another big coping mechanism for me at Christmas, particularly if I'm with large numbers, is just keeping things simple. Overall, it's about creating a balance between your effort and enjoyment. That age old adage of less is more really is true. And I'm like a broken record, but I really do feel that the less that you do, the more you will get out of it.

Perhaps that's not always true for everyone, but for me in this situation, it really is. I find that instead of trying to serve every holiday dish that is expected, focusing on just a few classic favorites can really make everything feel more manageable. For instance, if your family has a traditional dish that everyone loves and expects to see, make that your centerpiece and build around it rather than trying to offer everything to everyone.

I find that keeping it simple helps everyone enjoy the experience rather than being overly focused on the food itself. If you're hosting, I'd also suggest, why don't you be open to contributions from your guests? There's absolutely no shame in asking for help. Perhaps a friend or family member could bring a side dish or a dessert. And if that isn't possible,

Be sure to delegate tasks on the day so everything isn't left to you. That could just include the simple things of setting the table, washing up, or chopping some of those ingredients if you haven't managed to do it before. This will not only lighten your load, but it actually will create a sense of a shared celebration. And let's not forget the power of making things a little bit more casual. This is me to a T.

If you feel overwhelmed about having the perfect table set up or the perfect meal, why not embrace something like a buffet style meal? This will allow for more flexibility and it will let people pick and choose what they want to eat. Again, this will just reduce the pressure on you to have to deliver a flawless dining experience. As I'm thinking about all of these ideas that I'm sharing, it actually makes me realize that even though numbers were small at Christmas when I was a child,

I've got lots of these ideas from my mum and dad. They did a lot of these things, which is perhaps why my Christmas always felt so calm and relaxed. And for me, in more recent times, I have my Thermomix to thank for taking away the stress and overwhelm of Christmas dinner. The fact that I know that what I'm going to make is guaranteed to be successful really helps.

I'm not fearful of the moment that somebody pulls a funny face as they try something and politely tries to cover up that it clearly isn't very good. A couple of things I can immediately think of that I have made that I would never have made before a Thermomix, a smoked salmon terrine, panettone, and of course the Christmas cake that I mentioned earlier. I am also able to pre-make lots of elements of my Christmas dinner so easily that Christmas just isn't a stressy affair.

Some of my favorite easy to pre-make dishes are smoked salmon mousse, cheese straws, the salmon terrine I've mentioned, chicken liver parfait, chicken liver parfait, never made that before, a shredded Brussels sprout salad rather than the overboiled ones I remember as a child, spiced red cabbage, cranberry sauce, brandy sauce, and even some Christmas chocolate truffles. You can see that the list is quite long and honestly, it's effortless to have all of these ready in advance.

But what I also really like about this is everything we're eating is still clean. We might be indulging, but I also know that there is nothing nasty in any of the food that we're eating. Whilst you might not have a Thermomix, you've probably got other kitchen appliances that could really, really help you. Maybe it's the pressure cooker for the cooked ham, the air fryer for the roast potatoes, maybe the pigs in blankets. This will give you more space in the oven for your enormous turkey.

Try and make use of everything you've got so your day is as enjoyable as it can be. Something else that has changed in my kitchen is the fact that I now make a lot of my Christmas gifts rather than buy them. I like them for a few reasons. They're really personal, they're more heartfelt, they're definitely appreciated, and they're actually really cost effective. And I can make them ahead of time, which is a massive winner. No more last minute shopping for me.

So why not consider gifting things like jars of homemade granola, spiced nuts, or even maybe some homemade jams and chutneys. You could also make cookies, fudge, or brownies and package them really, really nicely. So I think that's enough about Christmas for now, but let's just remind ourselves that whilst the Christmas period can certainly bring added pressures to our kitchens, it doesn't have to be overwhelming. By planning ahead,

simplifying our menus and making use of tools like the Thermomix, we can enjoy the festive season without the stress. So let me know what you do to prep ahead of time and I would absolutely love to hear from you after Christmas on how it all went. I'm gonna head off now and make a start on some of those Christmas gifts. I do know my mum really loves the granola. So until next time.

Don't feel overwhelmed in the kitchen because together we really can flourish and not flounder with food.