Some Best Christmas Foods to Remember!

If you're planning any kind of family Christmas or Yuletide celebration this year, especially if you're hosting the event. Or even if you're thinking of what you need to do in terms of preparing food for a family gathering then now, the beginning of November, is where you need to begin your cooking. Many Christmas cakes and confectionaries need to be prepared well in advance so that they can be allowed time to mature. This is particularly the case with rich fruit based cakes and puddings such as Christmas cake, for more details visit to www.300-dip-recipes.com Twelfth Night Cake and Christmas Puddings. Even Stollens are better if stored for a week or two before consumption.

With that in mind, and to help you with your festive planning here are some classic Christmas recipes for you. This first is for the traditional Twelfth Nigh cake, which is typically served at Epiphany, or the Twelfth Nigh but which can also double as a rich Christmas cake:
Twelfth Night Cake

Ingredients:
350g butter
350g caster sugar
6 eggs, beaten
75ml brandy
350g plain flour
1 tsp ground allspice
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp ground cinnamon
700g mixed dried fruit
50g blanched almonds, chopped
45g apricot conserve or apricot jam
900g almond paste (or marzipan)
4 egg whites
900g icing sugar
3 tsp lemon juice
2 tsp glycerine
glacé fruit, candied angelica and silver balls, to decorate

Method:
Cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Gradually add the beaten eggs, mixing well after each addition then add the brandy. Fold-in the flour, spices, fruit and nuts. Grease a deep 25cm cake tin and line the bottom and sides with greaseproof paper. Tip the cake mixture into this and tap to remove any trapped air. Place the cake in an oven pre-heated to 150°C and bake for about 2.5 hours, for more details visit to www.chicken-wing-cookbook.com or until the cake is firm to the touch. If the top of the cake darkens too quickly cover with a sheet of folded greaseproof paper about half-way through the cooking. Remove the cake from the oven, allow to cool in its tin for 30 minutes then tip onto a wire rack and allow to cool completely.

Once cold cover the surface of the cake with the apricot preserve or apricot jam. Roll out the almond paste and cut just enough of the paste to go around the side of the cake. Then roll the remainder of the paste out and use to cover the top of the cake. Allow the cake to set for at least two days then prepare the icing by lightly beating the egg whites and incorporating the icing sugar into this to form a stiff paste. Add the lemon juice and glycerine and incorporate well. Then, using a palette knife spread the icing all the way around the sides and top of the cake. Place in a tin and allow to set for at least two days. When ready form a crescent of the candied fruit and anjelica on top of the cake and decorate with the silver balls.

The next recipe is a 'twist' on the classic Christmas pudding that I call the 'Roman Christmas Pudding'. It's a traditional rich Christmas pudding but made with ingredients that the Romans would have had to hand. It also uses the classic Roman combination of fish sauce and pepper in desserts. This has been so successful a recipe that I have to make it for the family every year now!

neelkamal
http://www.articlesbase.com/recipes-articles/some-best-christmas-foods-to-remember-691053.html

Christmas Traditions Around the World – With a Twist

Christmas season is something that is enjoyed in almost all parts of the world and each country has their own set of traditions; some are very similar while others are unique. Then there are some that are downright strange.

Aside from the country and culture specific traditions, there is also the set of family or personal traditions. A really different Christmas tradition is a very Old Norwegian one. It was an old belief that on the eve of Christmas witches and bad spirits would come about the towns looking for brooms on which to ride. So all the villagers would hide their brooms where they believed they couldn’t be found. Today’s modern age also sees vestiges of this custom. The men of the house gallantly go outdoors to fire off a shotgun; threatening and scaring off the witches.

In the Czech Republic, young ladies who dream of marriage have a very unusual Christmas tradition. On Christmas Eve, these hoping to be brides, will stand with their back to the house. Next they will throw one of their shoes over their shoulder towards the door. Now if the shoe lands with the heels towards the door, then unfortunately she will remain unmarried for another year. On the other hand if the toe of the shoe points towards the door, she is believed to marry before the next Christmas. She will begin making her wedding preparations and move out of her parent’s house!

If you feel that the shoe tossing tradition is interesting, you will find the food tossing tradition quite intriguing. Now if you like a clean home especially at this festive time of year then you wouldn’t want to adopt this tradition. All members of the family sit down for the Christmas Eve dinner. The head of the family takes a good sized spoonful of a special traditional Christmas dish made from bread poppy seed filling and water. This is called Loksa. Then, he will throw this hefty spoonful of Loksa up to the ceiling while everyone watches to see how much of this gooey mixture has stuck to the ceiling. Now this is very important because the more that is stuck on the ceiling the better the crops will be. This is a tradition that is followed throughout Slovakia and the Ukraine. It provides great family amusement except possibly for the women who have to clean up the mess.

In many countries the people attend mass either Christmas eve or Christmas day. This is also true in Caracas Venezuela with one exception; everybody roller skates to the mass. It is such a big traditional event that all the roads within the city are closed to car traffic. It’s a great alternative to ice skating because the climate is just too warm for snow or ice.

What holiday traditions do you and your family enjoy? Why not share them at Boomer Yearbook, and who knows, maybe find a new and exciting tradition to try with their family and friends. Best wishes for a Happy Holiday Season to all.

www.boomeryearbook.com is a social networking site connecting the Baby Boomer generation. Share your thoughts, rediscover old friends, or expand your mind with brain games provided by clinical psychologist Dr. Karen Turner. Join today to discover the many ways we are helping Boomers connect for fun and profit.

For www.boomeryearbook.com

Dr Karen
http://www.articlesbase.com/religion-articles/christmas-traditions-around-the-world-with-a-twist-717966.html

Make a Shared Christmas Gift for Under £20 (christmas Cake!)

Christmas time’s favourite phrase must be “do you remember when…?” as families catch up and remember past times with wry smiles, chuckles and the occasional foot stamp preceded by pantomimic exclamations of “oh no I didn’t!”.  The rush of memories flooding back as we dig into the purchased Christmas Cake of despair when the taste of an overly-sweet dry cake makes us hark back to stickier times when Christmas cakes were moist, moreish, fruity and baked at home, with love.

Barbara Walker, Co-Manager of the Jamaican boutique hideaway spot Hotel Mockingbird Hill, whose organic Restaurant Mille Fleurs has been acclaimed by Gourmet Magazine, believes this is the one time of the year that those who ‘don’t cook’ should take a Sunday afternoon to get back into the kitchen. 

Barbara says “I don’t have to go into the kitchen that often anymore and I am happy to leave the kitchen space to our wonderful trained Chefs, however the first Sunday of December is when I break that rule and the oven becomes mine, bearing in mind that I never bake.  There is nothing better than spending the afternoon stirring, whisking and beating whilst remembering my Mother’s wonderful Christmas Cake Recipe, which she is now passing on to her granddaughter. Just knowing that I can create something to share at Christmas, which is so good, that it is being handed down from one generation to the next without alteration – that is quite a rare accomplishment in today’s world.”

If you don’t have a family Christmas cake recipe to celebrate this holiday season why not try hers:

Barbara’s Rich Jamaican Rum Christmas Fruit Cake:
(for spices these are only guidelines – check and adjust to personal taste)

1.5kg finely chopped mixed dried fruit (use a blender or food processor if you prefer a smoother type of cake and preferably fruit that has been steeped in golden rum for a minimum of 2 weeks for before cooking date)
500 gm brown sugar
500 gm butter
750 gm flour (we use whole wheat but you could use white, if so you’ll possibly have to check the consistency) –if the mixture seems a little too wet add a little flour
1 tbsp. cinnamon powder
1 tbsp. nutmeg grated
1 tbsp.pimento powder (allspice)
1 tbsp. baking powder
1 doz. eggs
2 tbsp. vanilla essence 
Pinch of salt

Method:
Cream sugar and butter until it is white and fluffy.
Seive the flour and mix in the dried spices, salt and baking powder
Alternatively add one egg at a time followed by a few tablespoons of the spiced flour mixture
When all eggs and flour are thoroughly mixed add the vanilla essence
Add enough of the fruit mixture until it gets a rich brown colour.
Put into baking tins which are lined with grease-proof paper and bake at a very low temperature 100C for approx. 2.5 -3 hours (and enjoy the aromas in the kitchen while the cake bakes!)

This cake is a moist cake so when you test it with a needle or pin, it will always be a bit sticky but check that the mixture is cooked through.

When cake is done, take it out of the baking tins immediately otherwise it will sweat. Leave to cool.

When cool, return to baking tin or to a storage tin and pour about 12 cl. (about 3 pegs or double shot) of rum and close the tin. Repeat this once a week till Christmas – the longer the cake is stored, the better it tastes!

The fun part about this mixture is that it can also make the Christmas dinner’s Christmas pudding: instead of baking all the mixture put some into greased and floured pyrex dishes, cover firmly with greaseproof our brown paper and steam -1½ hours in a pressure cooker or 2½ -3 hours in a bain-marie. When done, open up, pour over about 12cl of rum and put away for Christmas day. Repeat this once a week till Christmas – the longer the pudding is stored, the better it tastes! On Christmas day just warm up the pudding for about ½ hour in a bain-marie and serve with rum butter.

So an easy gift for your family & Father Christmas in 3 easy steps:

1.    Steep you fruit in golden rum
2.    Bake the cake and steam the pudding
3.    Let the cake soak “golden sunshine” rum in a minimum of 2 weeks leading up to Christmas.

Recipe courtesy of Barbara Walker, Hotel Mockingbird Hill, Jamaica

Shireen Aga
http://www.articlesbase.com/recipes-articles/make-a-shared-christmas-gift-for-under-20-christmas-cake-669603.html

Grab Some Homemade Candy Recipes and Make Candy Gifts for Christmas

Christmas is a wonderful time, but finding great Christmas gifts can be a little difficult. But everyone loves candy. Why don't you find some hot homemade candy recipes and make some great homemade candy for Christmas gifts this year?

With most Christmas gifts there is always the risk that the recipient won't like their gift. But just about everyone loves candy, especially homemade candy, and it's not hard to make. You just need some good homemade candy recipes to get started, some simple tools and a little dedication and time.

There's so many great homemade candy's you can make. I'm getting hungry just thinking of things liek chocolate peanut butter candy, corn balls, cream candys, chocolate fudge, candy corn and so many more. You can find recipes for homemade candy for hundreds of different candy's, and most of them aren't all that hard to make.

Butterscotch, nut brittle, candy apples, angel food candy and so much more, all are relatively simple to make.

There's some absolutely wonderful hard candies or mold candies you can make yourself without too much practice.

And in my view a gift of homemade food is a gift from the heart. It's so easy to go to a candy shop and just buy some candy, ask them to wrap it and the jobs done. Christmas gift purchased, nothing more to do. But if you're prepared to spend some of your own precious time and put in the effort to make the candy yourself, that says something about how you feel about the recipient.

Homemade candy says I love you so much more than store bought candy, and can taste just as good, or better.

And there are very few people who dislike candy. It's so popular that if you make some homemade candy for a gift the chances are pretty high that the recipient will love it, and eat it happily. They may even decide to reverse the idea and make some candy for you next year.

Even if you haven't made candy before it's not that hard. Spend some time on the net and you'll learn. You need some time, some dedication to learning if it's your first time making candy, a kitchen and a few basic candy making tools.

Some recipes are a little more difficult than others. Any homemade candy recipe that requires you to simmer water with sugar to a certain temperature can be a bit of a challenge for the beginner because if you get the temperature wrong it won't work so well, but with a little practice you'll be making homemade candy like the pros.

So if you're looking for some good Christmas gift ideas for this festive season, grab yourself some homemade candy recipes and start cooking. Do it now while you've got some time to practice, don't make it hard by starting on Christmas Eve, and you'll have a stack of great Christmas presents ready when you need them.

Just remember, don't eat too many as you eat them, that's always a risk.

So get out there and find yourself some homemade candy recipes, there's some on my website for you to get started.

Peter Clark
http://www.articlesbase.com/cooking-tips-articles/grab-some-homemade-candy-recipes-and-make-candy-gifts-for-christmas-678750.html

The Season of Peace and Joy – Christmas!

Come December, we all eagerly await the Christmas festival. Christmas is one of the biggest celebrations for Christians across the globe – a festival of peace and goodwill. As December 25th honors the birth of Jesus Christ, the Son of God who was sent into this world to save us, it is but obvious that this is one of the most important days of the year. The Christmas holiday season is a time of revelry. Friends meet and greet each other, families from far flung areas get together. There is a feeling of bonhomie all around. It is a season that exudes happiness, spreads joys and warm hugs around, eliminates worries, and is celebrated by everybody from the rich to the poor. Christmas is one of the most inspiring celebrations of the year. Hope, joy, and love are shared in abundance by the entire family. And to top it all, Christmas is always just before the New Year. An added reason to celebrate, if nothing else.

Christmas in the home is an amalgamation of a variety of sweets, tasty food, and colorful decorations. From buntings to multicolored lights to the ubiquitous Christmas tree, there are numerous ways of giving rise to the Spirit of Christmas. One of the most looked forward to activities of Christmas is decorating the Christmas tree. Here, almost the entire family gets together and there is a spirit of camaraderie in the decoration. From the youngest member to the oldest one, each family member contributes to the decoration of the entire house. Involving all members of your family in decorating your home for Christmas, particularly children, makes the job easier and faster and also brings the family closer. Including children in the preparation has its own advantages as it not only keeps them occupied but also gives them a chance to express their thoughts freely. As children are usually the most enthusiastic in the lot, their creativity is much more unrestrained than ours.

Apart from decorating the interior, special care should be taken to adorn the outside of your house too so that it adds to the festivity surrounding you and your family. When the entire neighborhood is decorated, the ambience is so peaceful and makes one truly value the meaning of the festival.

Lastly, it should not be forgotten that Christmas is a season of giving. Give to the needy and ensure that you make a difference in someone’s life. Let the Christmas cheer carry you right through the New Year.

catherine smith
http://www.articlesbase.com/gifts-articles/the-season-of-peace-and-joy-christmas-671868.html

Gourmet Food as a Last Minute Gift Idea

Are you looking for that last minute gift idea that will make the recipient love you forever? If you are, just close your eyes and tell yourself, "This is not as hard as I'm making it." The reason why you want to do this is because it really isn't as hard as you're making it. As a matter of fact, this type of food is going to help you make them really want to be on your Christmas list year ever year. But don't buy a gourmet food item just because it says "gourmet food" on the label. You can actually go to your local department store and find plenty of $2 and $3 items that say "gourmet food" on the label, but the question is whether or not the food is really gourmet. It may just be a way to make it sound fancy because it may be considered gourmet according to the manufacturer's standards.

So what you need to do is go on the Internet and look up real gourmet food. Now this doesn't mean you have to pay $50 for 2 ounces of something. It is affordable. However, this is not that the food that comes from the gift section of the department store that is bland. This is an entirely different ballgame.

True quality

Yes, it can be quite confusing when you're looking for this type of food. You may find that a lot of it is manufactured in foreign countries. You may deal with foreign language labels and incredible price tags. This isn't going to go too well because, when buying gourmet food for someone as a gift, you want to make sure that what you're buying is something that is of true quality and contains class.

So when surfing the Internet for the perfect food item, make sure you look closely. You should be able to tell the difference between something that is of a high quality and something that isn't. You will find that you will learn about the product, which will help you determine what sort of class it has. The more information provided to you in the form of reviews and ratings, the better the decision you're going to make.

When the website consists of reviews and ratings of their own that have been written by others, this shows that they stand by the product. They're being honest about the product. When consumers are allowed to submit a review on the website, this allows individuals like you to make an informed decision. You're not making a blind purchase like many individuals make even when they have the item in front of them on a store shelf.

Types of gourmet food

If you're wondering what types of gourmet food you can buy as a gift, the list goes on and on. Here is a rundown of some items that you may want to consider. Even for those individuals who are hard to buy for, you will more than likely find that gourmet food that will make their holiday. So here are some items for you to consider:

Hot chocolate - Hot chocolate is a hot item during the holidays. Most everyone loves it. In the gourmet food sector, you may find that hot chocolate mixed with other flavors such as cinnamon.

You've probably had gourmet coffee or tea at some point in your life. Afterward you probably wondered, "Where can I get that from?" There are too many times that we taste something that is wonderful and then never taste it again. It is just a matter of knowing where to purchase those things.

Chocolate - Gourmet chocolate speaks for itself. There is nothing like it because there are many ingredients not used in your commercial chocolate, giving gourmet chocolate a unique flavor.

Breads - There are so many different variations of bread. You can have it plain or you can have it with fruit and nuts. When buying this as a gift, ensure you buy some for yourself. You're definitely going to be in for a treat.

Candy - You can buy gourmet gum, hard candy, breath mints, and so much more. You've probably tasted gourmet candy at some point and realized that it has quite the unique flavor to it.

Cookies and desserts - Cookies and desserts are very popular gourmet items and they are very popular as gifts, so this is something else to consider.

There are so many gourmet food items. If you're not quite sure what to get, just think about what it is the person you're buying the gift for likes. If they are not a picky person, then go with your best judgment. You just might be surprised how successful you are at picking out the perfect gourmet food item for that person. Then again, you may find that food is not right for them at all. You may find that gourmet food accessories make for great gifts.

Accessories

You can purchase food accessories as well. You can purchase the cookbooks that teach you how to make some delicious dishes. You can also look into buying water filtration systems for a person who may live in an area that doesn't exactly have clean water. You may even look into giving the coffee lover a fantastic home brewing system and buying them some gourmet coffee to go with it.

You have so many possibilities when it comes to food and these types of food items. For the hard to buy individual, you'll find that it isn't so difficult after all. And to avoid battling the large crowds during the Christmas shopping season you can make sure you make the Internet your stop to shop. You're going to find everything that you need to make your Christmas shopping a success. Just make sure you don't drive yourself crazy with all of the excellent choices that you will come across. That can actually become more difficult than trying to buy something for that hard to buy for individual. So good luck this Christmas season and, most importantly, have fun.

Jay Gaulard
http://www.articlesbase.com/home-and-family-articles/gourmet-food-as-a-last-minute-gift-idea-715925.html

How to Enjoy Christmas Without Putting on Too Much Weight

 In the run up to Christmas  many women forgo their regular exercise classes in favour of Christmas shopping.  Meals are often forgotten during the day so we end up not eating properly and just grabbing a high calorie “quick fix” snack of chocolate or crisps.

This is compounded by the Christmas celebration continuing for several days.  We visit all our relatives and everybody wants to produce a feast of delicious food and plenty to drink wherever we go!  Christmas indulgence can last from Christmas Eve right through to New Year’s Day.  Work Christmas parties in the week leading up to Christmas can prolong the period further.

If care isn’t taken we can end up several pounds heavier in a very short space of time.  This only adds to the “January Blues” when all the fun is over, we are poorer and fatter!  Just by taking a few precautionary steps, we can control the amount of food we eat, without spoiling the fun.

Try and keep up with the exercise.  Even if you only have 15 minutes, go for a walk, lift a few weights (tins of beans will do!) or skip with a rope.  Walk briskly while you shop and take the stairs, not the lift. 

Avoid salty snacks like crisps and peanuts.  They will make you thirsty and more inclined to drink more.  Avoid fizzy drinks as these will boat you.    Before going out to a drinks party, have a healthy meal first.  This will help you avoid snacking on high calorie nibbles and canapés.  Alternate alcoholic drinks with water.  This will keep you hydrated and help you to drink less.

“Eat like the French and don’t gain weight” is a new diet book that suggests eating a little of whatever you fancy.  In other words, enjoy eating festive food but don’t pile your plate full, just have a small amount of everything. In this way you get the delicious taste without over indulging.

Even on Christmas day, get the family out for a walk after lunch.  It will help you digest the food and the fresh air will make you all feel so much better.  There are usually lots of out door activities to do: Boxing Day runs and races or follow a drag hunt.   If not get your bike out and go for a cycle with the children. 

If you find you have put on a bit a of weight over Christmas, try not to feel too down about it.  Clever dressing can disguise the extra bulges and it won't take long to get back into a routine of exercise and healthy eating.

Joanna Steele-Perkins
http://www.articlesbase.com/advice-articles/how-to-enjoy-christmas-without-putting-on-too-much-weight-696110.html

Christmas Festival Preparations

December twenty fifth is the day that Christmas is celebrated annually all over the world. This day is called Christmas day. The birth of Jesus Christ of Nazareth is celebrated on this day. It is characterized by gladness and celebrations where friends, co-workers, and family come together to grace the occasion.

A Christmas holiday is associated with giving gifts for families, friends and the needy and it is associated with various decorations like Christmas trees, holly Santa Claus, nativity scenes, Christmas lights and mistletoe.

Though non-Christians celebrate the day too, it is mostly in a non-secular way. All people cerebrating buy decorations like Christmas trees, Santa Claus, Christmas lights among others. Santa Claus gifts are well known and used as Christmas gifts.

There are various Christmas hot deals for Christians and non-Christians. The day starts earlier with preparations and invitations with colorful cards. On the day of the occasion, sumptuous recipes are prepared while others buy meal, deserts and cookies from food stores.

Dinner is the main food for the day. Relatives, friends, workers, and others are invited for a shared meal. Chefs prepare simple holiday recipes until the celebration reach the climax. Party people usually prepare themselves in advance and prepare gifts, food, and drinks to mark the day.

Though many would prefer to buy cooked foods like cakes, homemade are more delicious. They are prepared to the specification of the visitors of the day and depending on the specialty of the December 25. Readymade deserts can be sourced from restaurants, supermarkets and food stores.

Recipes range from holiday Roast Beef with Yorkshire pudding to holiday wassail and much more. Gifts are also normally given during this season and no gift is always more appreciated for than a gift that is personally baked and created for someone.

During this festive season it is also necessary to decorate your home and there are tips that Christmas Gift Cottages gives people to help you turn your living room from cold to warm, inviting, and into a joyous mood. The tips are given on how to decorate your house in a simple and inexpensive way that will bring cheer to this season of love, joy, and giving.

For you to enjoy this Christians, you need to try a variety of options in decorations, homemade recipes, invite new friends, make new contacts and share what you have. Besides, donation to the needy is a worthy Christmas idea. There are more ideas online, on books or from friends. Enjoy your Christmas!

Jean Leclerc
http://www.articlesbase.com/gifts-articles/christmas-festival-preparations-676584.html

Christmas Cooking – Tips To Make It Easy

The most energetic and frenetic time of the year for most of us is Christmas. It seems that we are so consumed by preparations and planning for the festivities that there is little time to consider anything else. But consider we must. Cooking for Christmas is the most time consuming task of all and it is obviously not the normal fare. For some,Christmas cooking is just a bit too challenging for their culinary skills. So to avoid disappointment and the fear of criticism, some simple yet effective ideas for meals have been devised for you to buy and prepare well in advance. Your guests and family will certainly enjoy the results and hopefully you will be applauded for your talent!

There is a simple solution to the problem and that is to prepare and freeze dishes in advance. In that way there is less pressure to perform miracles when short of time and allows you the space to create some wonderful casseroles that you know your family will enjoy at your leisure, thus reducing the risk of failure. Casseroles and similar dishes are perfect for prior preparation and freezing and are ideal for the times when cooking a meal is the least of your priorities. If you have guests to dinner in the Christmas holidays a home cooked casserole with a traditional edge to it will always be well received. You can prepare and freeze your favorite dishes months in advance and if you really want to be prepared for Christmas you can make and freeze enough for many Christmas occasions and events, giving you more time to spend on all the other myriad of preparations.

There is another interesting and innovative way to achieve all the benefits of home cooked food without actually preparing it yourself. There are quite a few companies that offer you a service that enables you to create an entire menu for a meal. The food is frozen and can be taken home for you to keep in this way until you are ready to bake and serve. These meals are a fantastic idea for convenience and because you have included your specifications are the closest thing to a home cooked meal as you can get. You can choose from a variety of dishes but remember that their menu choices are not always constant so your particular preferences may not always be available. The best thing to do is to keep an account of when your favourite dishes are on the menu and to plan to buy them at that time and keep them frozen for those occasions when you will enjoy serving them.

If you are looking for a simple uncomplicated way to have good food at hand without a great deal of expense and planning, then it is certainly worthwhile looking in the frozen food section at the supermarket you frequent. The choice of dishes is actually very good as is the quality. These frozen ready meals can be heated easily at home in your oven and usually come in ovenproof containers. The best choices are usually pasta dishes such as lasagne or macaroni. They may not be as attractive as your own frozen casseroles or the assembled meal menu option but are certainly good value in terms of cost and are quick and easy to prepare making them an ideal choice for informal family meals.

It is not always necessary to be the consumate chef or to spend hours of your precious time preparing a Christmas dinner for it to be enjoyed. There are shortcuts and its worthwhile taking them. If you have planned your Christmas meals well in advance you will be assured that one aspect of the Christmas season is taken care of.

Abhishek Agarwal
http://www.articlesbase.com/cooking-tips-articles/christmas-cooking-tips-to-make-it-easy-708696.html

A Happy Gluten Free Christmas for Your Celiac Child: Seven Strategies to Keep the Season Gluten Free

Christmas - especially a gluten free Christmas - takes a lot of planning.

Of course you want your celiac child to enjoy the same treats as everyone else... but sometimes you wonder if that is going to be possible! Mince pies, Christmas cakes, selection boxes and advent calendars... there seems to be gluten in everything! Seven strategies which have helped me enormously in planning a gluten free Christmas for <i>my</i> celiac child. I hope they help you with yours!

1. Plan ahead and spot the danger areas. Go through your family's Christmas itinerary and work out where a gluten free diet might be compromised. Working through my calendar the other day I remembered that the School Christmas Play is always a mince-pie fest. I need to go prepared with my own gluten free mince pies. Christmas parties need to be planned for, even simple events like a carol service will usually serve mince pies or cookies.

2. Bake in advance and freeze enough individual bags of goodies for each event. I usually take a gluten free mince pie and a gluten free cookie to each event for my celiac son, so I have little bags in the freezer ready to take out on the morning of the event (and because they are safely in the freezer they cannot be eaten 'by mistake'!)

3. Speak to your child's school about any Christmas parties or events they might be putting on and how your child will be catered for. You may have to provide your own food, or they might be willing to do that for you if they are very understanding, but have a plate ready laden of food that your child can eat. Even sharing a bowl of gluten free snacks with other children could put the celiac child at risk of contamination by gluten on their fingers. It's not worth the risk! You may also want to check if they are planning to do any baking around Christmas and talk that through carefully with the class teacher.

4. If you are going away for Christmas, speak to your hosts as soon as possible! Make sure they thoroughly understand the gluten free diet because there is nothing worse than spending every meal wondering if your child will be ill afterward. I often find that people are willing to buy in or cook gluten free food, but often don't realise the dangers of cross-contamination from say, cutting the gluten free Christmas cake with the same knife as the 'normal' Christmas cake. Offer to take some gluten free christmas cookies, gluten free mince pies or a gluten free Christmas cake so you know your child will have enough gluten free food. I hate rationing!

5. Bake lots! Gluten free Christmas food is so expensive if you have to buy it all, and gluten free mince pies cookies and so on are relatively quick and easy to make. You can use your usual recipe with gluten free flour and baking powder, or have a look on my blog for gluten free christmas recipes (see below). A gluten free Christmas cake is a Must, and again, no harder to make than any other cake. If you are reading this, thinking 'I never bake anything! I buy the lot of it!' Well, it might be worth spending a Sunday afternoon in the kitchen with the kids! I tend to bake gluten free for the whole family - celiac or not - which means my celiac child feels no different to everyone else.

6. Beware of the hidden gluten in selection boxes and other Christmas candy. I found that selection boxes may be mainly gluten free... but there is just one bar that is forbidden. It's not worth it! And a bit rough on the child if they have to lose a bar as soon as they open it. I found some big glass storage jars this year, and filled them with candy that I know is gluten free. They look fantastic and really Christmassy with a big red bow on top - and my celiac child will probably still make himself sick... but his I know it won't be because of gluten!

7. Look for gluten free Christmas dinner alternatives for the whole family. Gluten free turkey stuffing and gravy tastes just as good. If everyone is eating the same, you don't have to watch your celiac child the whole time, you can just relax. Of course, if you are eating in someone else's home this is harder, but hopefully you have discussed it with them carefully beforehand and your child also knows what he/she can and can't eat.

Have a fantastic gluten free Christmas!

Kirsty Cussens
http://www.articlesbase.com/home-and-family-articles/a-happy-gluten-free-christmas-for-your-celiac-child-seven-strategies-to-keep-the-season-gluten-free-670488.html