If we know one sign that tells us that Christmas is near, it’s how frantically busy everyone becomes. Selecting presents, shops, buying presents, her office party, new outfit, school nativity play, unreasonable face time demands from parents, shops, his office party, wrapping presents, buying food, Christmas card list, exchanging new outfit, writing Christmas cards, shops, a present for the cat , his office party, sending Christmas cards, buying presents for people forgotten in first tranche, shops, deliveries, ridiculously unreasonable time demands from parents in law, buying drinks, a present for the neighbours’ cat, planning the menu for Christmas day, shops, buying a different new outfit because the first one didn’t match the tablecloth, planning the seating for Christmas day, more shops……..it’s a surprise anyone likes the whole thing at all. Then all the neighbours announce they are coming round on Christmas Eve. Seventeen of them. Even the ones who hate each other seem to have got together to plan this! But before you collapse into a nervous breakdown, we have a Cunning Plan. Which will afford you that most precious, most rare commodity that you will find this Christmas. Time. And how do you make time? Give your guests a good punch.
No more juggling 20 different wines and cocktails and beers and sherries for 20 different people, each with their own capricious needs. If you just mix up everything according to the recipe below and plonk it on the table you will save aeons of time and stress. And the beauty is-you can do some of the work the day before. So with the aid of the marvellous BBC food website, we present this handy time saving Christmas Eve Punch(click on link for full chapter and verse) [1] here we will skim over the main points
1 It’s simple: All you need are: gin, red grapes prosecco, cloudy apple juice, ice, stem ginger, rosemary and a clementine. All utterly available in your local Waitrose or Marks as you troll round on the Main Mission.
2 Its ergonomic: The day before( yup) pop the grapes, the prosecco and the apple juice in the fridge to give them that icy winter chill
3 Easy scaling up About 2 hours before The Hordes descend upon you, throw everything you’ve got into a Great Big Punch Bowl. Stir; then let it stand. Half and hour before combat arrivals take all the ice you can find and bring it down on your existing position.
4 Easy serve Just let them come up one at time and help themselves with a ladle. Keep the glasses small and let them pace themselves. With any luck you could yet turn a profit on all the bottles they have felt obliged to bring and can never take away.
We honestly believe that with the above, along with the right nibbles and decorations, even the most frazzled hostess can buy a bit of serious me-time. God knows you deserve it.
NEXT TIME: COCKTAILS FOR CHRISTMAS DAY
[1]https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/christmas-punc
#christmas eve #drinks #party #punch #festivities
Learning, Science and Society 