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Help your New Year’s Eve go with a bang!

Party ideas for New Year's Eve

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Help your New Year’s Eve go with a bang!

Ok, so I may not actually be following my party planning tips – yet!

With three small children and no babysitters, we usually struggle to stay awake to toast in the New Year in our pjs with a glass of lukewarm Prosecco and a few peanuts. However, in a few years’ time I will make up for it with a few fabulous parties! Excuse me if I start to sound like Pippa Middleton, but here are my plans for future New Year’s Eve gatherings, and how I celebrated pre-children.

I always think it is more
appropriate to offer a buffet
rather than a sit-down meal.

Then everyone can circulate and chat easily without having to converse with those sitting next to them. It also means that I can invite more people without worrying about chairs. I set the scene with sparkly silver decorations and lots of candles. I am old-fashioned too and absolutely LOVE party games. Charades and Pictionary or Cranium always evoke plenty of laughs, especially after a glass of champagne!

Lots and lots of delectable nibbles and delicious things to drink. I like to provide a mixture of shop-bought snacks and homemade. This enables me to enjoy the preparation without getting too stressed out. Mulled wine is a wonderful start to the evening but I also provide something non-alcoholic for the drivers and non-drinkers.

One really easy (old Dairy Diary!) drink I have made on numerous occasions is a jug of cranberry juice heated in the microwave with brown sugar, orange peel and freshly squeezed orange juice. Strained into glass mugs and served with a slice of orange. Delicious!

And for the food? A range of cheeses and crackers and grapes is easy and always popular. I offer bowls of crisps and homemade dips, as well as some succulent stuffed olives. I cook a few good quality pizzas and garlic breads and slice thinly.

And for your homemade goodies? They vary from year to year, but here are just a few of the best from Dairy Diary past and present.

Dairy Diary Festive Recipes for party food and drinks

If you’re entertaining on New Year’s Eve you will want to make the preparation as easy and hassle free as possible.

We have put together a super collection of our favourite Dairy Diary and Dairy Cookbooks festive and party recipes so that you can plan ahead to ensure that you enjoy the party too! They include…

Dairy Diary Favourite Festive Recipes has been formatted for mobile devices and PCs, so you can easily read the ingredients when shopping and follow the recipes in the kitchen or print from your computer. Take a look now http://www.dairydiary.co.uk/festive-recipes

 

Should auld acquaintance be forgot, and never brought to mind…….. Happy New Year all!

 

 

 

Great ideas for party food and drinks

Dairy Diary Favourite Festive Recipes collection

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Great ideas for party food and drinks

If you’re entertaining over the festive break you will want to make the preparation as easy and hassle free as possible.

We have put together a super collection of our favourite Dairy Diary and Dairy Cookbooks festive recipes so that you can plan ahead to ensure that you enjoy the party too!

  • Starters
  • Mains
  • Puddings and bakes
  • Party food and drinks

The Dairy Diary Festive Recipes collection is available FREE at
http://www.dairydiary.co.uk/festive-recipes

Dairy Diary Favourite Festive Recipes collectionFestive Recipes has been formatted for mobile devices and PCs, so you can easily read the ingredients when shopping and follow the recipes in the kitchen or print from your computer.

Take a look now http://www.dairydiary.co.uk/festive-recipes

 

 

2013 diary | How to start your Christmas Day menu in style

Starters for Christmas Day

 

How to start your Christmas Day menu in style

Roast turkey may well be our favourite choice for the Christmas Day main dish, but how can you ensure that this important meal starts with something special?

We have a selection of inspirational recipes
for Christmas and the New Year festivities
including these four impressive starters
that are easy to prepare but will add style
to any dinner menu.

Smoked salmon is a traditional starter but we have added a delicious twist with our Egg & Smoked Salmon Timbales. The Forestier Pâté recipe will please pâté lovers everywhere and yet requires just 20 minutes of your time. The Salmon Swirls look impressive, taste fabulous and are remarkably easy to prepare and if you are preparing a vegetarian starter then our seasonal Chestnut Soup can be prepared in advance, frozen and reheated on the day.

Dairy Diary Favourite Festive Recipes collectionJust four inspirational recipes from Dairy Diary Favourite Festive Recipes – formatted for mobile devices as well as your PC so you can easily read the ingredients list when shopping and use the recipe on your phone or tablet in the kitchen – or you can print the recipe if you prefer.

In addition to these starters you will find an inspirational choice of recipes for the whole festive break including main courses, puddings, party food and drinks.

And it’s FREE, so why not check it out now?

2013 diaries | How to cook the perfect Traditional Turkey Roast

The perfect Traditional Roast Turkey recipe

The perfect Traditional Roast Turkey recipe

How to cook the perfect Traditional Turkey Roast this Christmas

It can seem a daunting task, but with a little planning and organisation the perfect traditional Christmas dinner is easily achievable.

And to make things simple for you we have gathered together our favourite festive recipes and published them online as the Dairy Diary Favourite Festive Recipes.

Included in the collection is the Traditional Turkey Roast recipe which will guide you through the whole process of preparing and cooking:

  • The perfect roast turkey
  • Chestnut stuffing
  • Cranberry sauce
  • Turkey gravy

Dairy Diary Favourite Festive Recipes is formatted for mobile devices as well as your PC. So you can easily read the ingredients list when shopping and use the recipe on your phone or tablet in the kitchen – or you can print the recipe if you prefer.

In addition to the Traditional Roast Turkey you will find an inspirational choice of recipes for the whole festive break including starters, main courses, puddings, party food and drinks.

And it’s FREE, so why not check it out now?

Wallace & Gromit’s Great British Tea Party

Wallace & Gromit's Great British Tea Party

Wallace & Gromit’s Great British Tea Party

Put the kettle on. Wallace & Gromit’s Great British Tea Party is back!

The Christmas season is in full flow after the start of advent yesterday. It’s so indulgent and decadent, it’s nice to give a little back and do something special to help those less fortunate.

People from all walks of life are being
invited to put the kettle on and get
baking to take part in Wallace & Gromit’s
Great British Tea Party this December.

The Great British Tea Party is the perfect way to get together with friends, family and colleagues for a traditional teatime get-together that raises money for sick children. Every penny really does count and helps thousands of patients in children’s hospitals and hospices.

If you would like to host a tea party then please register today online by clicking here http://www.wallaceandgromitfoundation.org/register or email info@wallaceandgromitfoundation.org for your fantastic and free fundraising pack!

And what to bake?

How about these festive treats? Who could resist……

Cinnamon Stars recipeCinnamon Stars recipe
These biscuits are soft and
chewy when baked.

Wrap in pretty, festive paper
and give to friends and
relations who visit over Christmas.

St Andrew’s Day

St Andrew's Day

An icon of St. Andrew the Apostle by the Bulgarian iconographer Yoan from Gabrovo. 19th century.

On Friday it’s St Andrew’s Day – commemorated by the Scottish to remember their patron saint.

Andrew was a fisherman from Galilee, one of the original apostles who spread the gospel.

He was crucified by the Romans for his advocacy of Christianity. Some 300 years after his death the emperor decided to move his bones.

Legend has it that a monk was warned of this by an angel, who told him to move St Andrew’s bones to keep them safe. The monk transported them from Greece to Scotland. The place where he brought them shore is now known as St Andrews.

Of course, nowadays St Andrews is famous for
more recent events, such as the meeting place of
William and Kate – at Scotland’s oldest university –
and for its magnificent golf course.

I haven’t been fortunate enough to visit yet, but it does look like a lovely place, with magnificent beaches. Perfect for a blustery walk followed by a fish and chip supper!

 

 

For a taste of Scotland try these two delicious recipes

Scottish Oatcakes recipe and Cock-a-Leekie Soup recipe

Cock-a-Leekie Soup  and Scottish Oatcakes – both recipes are taken from the Around Britain cookbook.

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