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Friday, 13 December, 2002, 09:38 GMT
Countdown to Christmas
That's Rob on the right...
Not long to go, but if you're still looking for some tips or advice for Christmas, our guide might be able to help.
(Please note that the BBC is not responsible for external websites.)
Let's talk turkey
If you wish to stuff your turkey, prepare your favourite stuffing recipe and fill the neck cavity only. You may like to put a large Bramley apple or peeled onion into the body cavity. Sprinkle the bird with salt and pepper then place it breast side down (covered with foil if you prefer) in a roasting tin. The oven should be pre-heated to and the bird cooked at this temperature for 30 to 60 minutes depending on size, before reducing the heat to About 30 minutes before your turkey's done (see the table below for suggested cooking time), open the foil if you are using it and turn the bird on to its back to brown the breast. Try to avoid over-cooking. Test with a fork on the inside of the thigh - the bird is ready when the juices run clear. After cooking, allow the turkey to rest for about 15 to 20 minutes before carving.
Carving The following tips should make for easy carving.
For more advice, recipes and turkey trivia, try the British Turkey Information Service. For a farmfresh turkey, look at the website of the Traditional Farmfresh Turkey Association. Get out the sprouts
But there's been double trouble this Christmas as the bad weather has made it difficult to harvest the crop. Plants have keeled over because of the rain and high winds, making it hard for machinery to pick them up. So more workers are being taken on to do the job manually. The British Sprout Growers Association has been running a campaign to raise the profile of the sprout and there has even
Not surprisingly, Christmas is a big time for sprout growers - we'll eat more than 5,000 tonnes this year. The annual market is worth £30m. But apart from the traditional way of boiling them (well-cooked but not too soggy!) we're being urged to try different ways of eating them. Here's a couple of ideas: Sprouts Quiche
Lightly cook the sprouts in water, leaving them a bit underdone. Dry fry the bacon, then add the mushrooms. Mix together the créme fraiche, eggs and cheese. Line a flan case with thinly rolled puff pastry and sprinkle over some breadcrumbs then fill with the sprouts, bacon and mushrooms. Pour the cheese, eggs and créme fraiche over and add the almonds. Bake in pre-heated oven at 175C for about 40 mins. Sprouts Soup
Fry the onion in oil until soft and lightly coloured.
Stir in sherry and add stock. Add sprouts, a pinch of nutmeg and seasoning. Simmer for 30 mins. Pass soup through a sieve, puree in a blender, season to taste and serve hot.
In November, shoppers spent more than £1bn in a month for the first time.
The number of online shoppers has jumped from 7m to 10m, and sales are up by 95% in the past year, compared with an increase of just 6% in general retail sales.
In fact, UK surfers are the biggest web shoppers in Europe. Last Christmas 68% of internet users visited retail sites.
All this might not seem much when you consider we're likely to spend nearly £50bn this Christmas, but online shopping is clearly growing fast.
Reservations about credit card security and delivery times are being addressed by the industry, which is predicting that growth will continue.
There are schemes aimed at taking the worry out of online buying.
Splash Plastic offers pre-paid cards for web spending, much like pay-as-you-go mobiles.
There is a government-backed website at www.trustuk.org.uk which aims to help shoppers buy with confidence.
And Cardwatch, the banking industry's card fraud prevention body, has advice on its website.
Here's a selection of Christmas sites to get you started.
Xmastime
Christmas Trees
For a small Norway Spruce, you might pay £15, but if you looking for something a bit bigger or classier, such as a Fraser Fir, expect to pay £40.
Whatever you get, it will need looking after.
Here are some tips from the British Christmas Tree Growers Association.
Tree care
A tree should last about four weeks, so it's a good idea not to buy one too early.
Conifer trees do shed needles, especially if they dry out, so it should be treated like any plant being brought into a warm, dry atmosphere.
Cut Trees
The needles should not be dull and dried up. The branches should not be brittle.
After you have bought your tree it should be kept outside in a cool shaded place, preferably standing in water, until it is required indoors. Before bringing the tree indoors it is an advantage if about half an inch is cut off the butt. This will help the tree soak up water. Mount it in a water-holding stand or wedge it in a bucket with pebbles, small stones or screwed up newspaper, and place it away from direct heat. Keep the container topped up with water every day - you'll be surprised how much it needs.
Trees with bare roots The small roots break off and no soil comes with the larger root system. It's best to soak the roots in water before potting the tree in moist earth. The earth should be kept moist. These trees will last longer if they are kept away from direct heat when they are brought indoors. There is a slight chance that these trees will survive if planted out after Christmas. They should be watered very well.
Root-balled trees Earth is retained by wrapping the roots in sacking or similar material. The roots should be kept damp and the trees, having had the sacking removed, should be potted in moist earth. These trees should remain fresh, retain their needles, and have a reasonable chance of survival if planted out after Christmas.
Container grown trees The trees themselves should look fresh. They will be small - seldom more than three foot. The trees should be watered and cared for as for any house plant. After Christmas they can either be planted out with a very good chance of success or they can be left to grow on in their pot.
Links:
Toys
This year it's predicted we'll spend £2bn on presents for children. Each year, toy retailers predict the top 10 toys. This year's list, in alphabetical order, is:
If you are looking for these, or any other toys, you might want to check out:
Hamleys Happy Christmas! |
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