Trudi ‘The Foodie’ Nelson is here to provide you with her top tips for stress-free Christmas hosting this festive season.
Christmas – it’s the most wonderful time of year – and the most stressful and expensive.
But it doesn’t have to be. One woman who’s an expert in all things Christmas feasting and hosting is iconic broadcaster and organic orchardist Trudi ‘The Foodie’ Nelson.
She recently hosted Woolworths Christmas Table, a limited time pop-up restaurant experience where the entire feast was created with nothing but Woolworths Own food range and seasonal produce, to prove you don’t need fancy, expensive ingredients to make a special festive meal.
Trudi’s tips are:
- Make a plan
Decide what you’re making ahead of time and create a shopping list to avoid a last-minute Christmas Eve shopping trip.
- Pre-prepare dishes ahead of time
To make Christmas morning as easy as possible, try to prepare ahead of time. This could be chopping up veggies for side dishes, casseroles, or appetizers that can be stored in the fridge for up to two days.
- Thrifty thinking
This year has been rough and lots of people don’t have cash to splash, that’s why it’s the perfect time to embrace op shopping and funky retro tableware. Matchy-matchy is so last year.
- Make the most of your napkins
Napkins are, of course, incredibly practical, but they can also add festive cheer. Fold them into elf hats, Christmas trees or bows and use them as seasonal and fun plate decorations.
- Don’t forget about your slow cooker
Slow cookers can be a fantastic way to keep sides like mashed potatoes, veggies and gravy warm without wasting valuable oven space.
- Get the kids helping
Giving youngsters a job for Christmas morning is a great way of getting them involved and making things easier.
- Embrace store-bought
Woolworths Own range has a huge range of sensational desserts including smash cakes, fruit mince tarts, cheesecakes, and a Biscoff Trifle that’s to die for. Pick up one and voila – an easy dessert that’s perfect for when everyone is too full of ham to even think about cooking.
- Smile, smile and smile some more
As you get dressed in that green or red outfit or festive sparkly hat, look at yourself in the mirror and smile. Say “You got this” and walk into your festivities with a beaming smile and a great attitude! This works wonders.
