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00:02Christmas should be full of fun and cheer, but too often it's stressful, especially in the kitchen.
00:07Oh, got a bit of cinnamon in my eyes.
00:09Oh, but Joe, it doesn't have to be.
00:11Go!
00:12With good preparation and planning.
00:14Another recipe ticked off.
00:16I'm going to show you how you can spend just 30 minutes in the kitchen on Christmas Day.
00:2130 minutes? No way.
00:23It's a batch cook programme, that's what I do.
00:26Not only that, we have a wealth of tricks and hacks.
00:29This is controversial. I don't peel my roast potatoes.
00:32To reduce stress over the festive period.
00:35Amazing.
00:36So this year, say goodbye to seasonal stress and hello to family fun.
00:42Come on!
00:43If you can't beat it, batch it.
00:46Merry Christmas, everyone!
00:48Merry Christmas.
00:53We're in Lancashire, hoping to offer up some Christmas miracles.
00:58Joe!
00:59Hello, Suzanne!
01:00Hello!
01:00Yeah!
01:01Look at all these trees, taking that smell.
01:03You know me, I am a Christmas fanatic and every year I like to find myself the biggest tree I
01:07can find.
01:08Have you just brought me here to buy a tree?
01:09Yes and no, because around the corner live the Waddington family.
01:12This year, Mum Amy, for the first time, is hosting.
01:16It's a lot of pressure, but I'm going to show you in the Waddingtons how you can spend just 30
01:21minutes on Christmas Day in the kitchen,
01:23making an amazing feast that even Father Christmas will want to stay for.
01:27That does sound like a Christmas miracle.
01:28Right, you wait there, I'm going to grab myself a tree.
01:30Don't worry, I've spotted the perfect one.
01:32Oh, is it a big one?
01:33It's just the right size for you.
01:35Oh, lovely.
01:35That wasn't quite what I was after, Suzanne.
01:39Hmm.
01:41You do the bottom bit?
01:42No.
01:43Are you going to be this excited when we have to take it down?
01:46No.
01:48Down the road are the Waddington family.
01:51Mum Amy, Dad Dwayne and kids Jackson and Maggie.
01:54Oh, my God!
01:57And like many families, Christmas is their favourite time of the year.
02:01I love Christmas because it is time for everybody to get together.
02:05Yeah.
02:06We have, like, all family out there, play games, have fun, our aunties, our uncles, friends.
02:12You're getting excited now.
02:14Yeah.
02:15Amy and Dwayne have never hosted Christmas Day.
02:18That task falls on Amy's mum, who lives just five doors down the road.
02:24We've just piled down to Mum and Dad's house, really, and Mum takes control.
02:30Oh, hello!
02:31We revert back to being teenagers, lounge around, and Mum does all the hard work.
02:40I've always cooked Christmas dinner for 40 years.
02:44They're all having a nice time, and I'm in the kitchen, generally on my own.
02:49So, yeah, I feel like I miss out a little bit.
02:52Shall we start writing?
02:54Shall we start?
02:54Yeah, start a food list.
02:56With the average Christmas dinner cook coming in at over three hours, that's a lot of time
03:01Julie's lost with the family.
03:02I'd love to give my mum the chance to sit down and enjoy spending time with the children.
03:09Wrath potatoes, sprouts...
03:11Yeah.
03:12...carrots.
03:13Yeah.
03:13I think it's probably time we did take over.
03:16I can't believe this is what my mum does every year.
03:19I know.
03:19But how do you go about taking on Christmas when you rarely cook from scratch?
03:24I've probably cooked two Sunday dinners, and even then they were all pre-packaged, frozen.
03:33You hungry?
03:33Yep.
03:34Mm-hm.
03:35Most of my cooking skills are turning the oven on and putting frozen meals in.
03:40Here you go, Maggie.
03:41Garlic bed pizza.
03:43It's not just at Christmas where Granny Julie picks up the slack.
03:47Probably at least once a week...
03:50At least once a week we go down.
03:51...we just turn up and say, what's for tea?
03:54Granny does a lot for the Waddingtons, but Amy is keen to learn the ropes for hosting Christmas
03:59before it's too late.
04:01In 2022, we lost Dwayne's sister.
04:06She hosted Christmas for her side of the family.
04:08And it sort of made me think that one day my mum might not be here for Christmas, and we
04:17would lose that.
04:18That's where I felt that I needed to step in.
04:22Sorry.
04:25It's time now to be a grown-up.
04:27I'm ready to continue that Christmas tradition.
04:30If I don't do it now, when will I ever do it?
04:35It looks like they've called us just in time.
04:38You know what, right?
04:39We're like Santa's little batch cook helpers.
04:42We are.
04:43While the family are out, probably at Granny Julie's.
04:46Oh, nice wreath.
04:48We're going to have a little snoop.
04:50It's shiny and clean.
04:52Maybe it's never been used.
04:53Maybe they have, like, servants and cooks.
04:55Chris, myself.
04:57I did bring me soup.
04:58Did you?
05:00Let's see if the freezer is just as spotless.
05:03Right.
05:04My domain.
05:05What have we got?
05:06Oh, the dreaded chicken nuggets.
05:09It's not exactly your healthy batch cooking, is it, Suzanne?
05:13My children's dream freezer.
05:15Yeah, my kids.
05:16They'll live on chicken nuggets and chips if we let them.
05:20Oh, hold up.
05:21There's another freezer here.
05:24Who don't love a waffle?
05:26Come on.
05:28Two freezers full of convenience food explains the underused kitchen.
05:32Oh, what is that?
05:34That's really...
05:35It's a hard stage.
05:36That's going to be you later.
05:37After preparing Christmas dinner.
05:40Don't worry about me, Joe.
05:41I make cooking for Christmas so easy that even the most novice of cooks
05:45can deliver a delicious feast.
05:47Spending just 30 minutes in the kitchen on Christmas Day.
05:51Hello, you lot.
05:52Nice to see you.
05:53Thank you for letting us into your lovely home.
05:55You're welcome.
05:56We hear that you guys are big fans of Christmas.
06:00We are.
06:01And we hear that you might need my help.
06:03Definitely.
06:04Right.
06:05So, Mum and Dad, we're going to whisk you away
06:07and we'll catch up with you two a little bit later on, if that's all right.
06:09Yeah.
06:12So, I thought it'd be good for us to get a little taste
06:14of what your Christmases are like.
06:16So, I've got the old Christmas photo album at.
06:20The obligatory matching PJs I inflict on everybody every year.
06:24Stacey does exactly the same to us every year.
06:27Is that you?
06:28So, that is you and your mum?
06:29Yeah, 30 years ago.
06:31Is that a young Julie?
06:32That's a young Julie.
06:34Cooking Christmas dinner.
06:35Yeah.
06:35My mum has done it for forever.
06:38I'd like to give her a break and let her sit back and enjoy Christmas.
06:42But I have barely even cooked a Sunday roast.
06:46Do you cook?
06:47No, not particularly.
06:48Other meals, really, for the kids.
06:50Or even down to Julie's during the week.
06:53We all need a Julie in our lives, don't we?
06:57So, how did your Christmas day work?
06:59We wake up, open presents, and then we would head down to my mum's house for breakfast,
07:05and then mill around drinking Prosecco or playing games.
07:08Dwayne, Christmas is cushy, you know?
07:11This year, not to be horrible, that could be at risk.
07:15I'm actually probably going to have to get up and do something.
07:17You're in very good hands this year.
07:20Do not worry about Christmas dinner.
07:22That's easy for you to say, Joe.
07:24We've analysed Julie's Christmas efforts,
07:27and the figures show us just what a mammoth task we have in store.
07:31Wow.
07:32In total, Julie's spending 23 hours getting Christmas ready,
07:36and 10 of them hours is just on Christmas Day.
07:40I don't think I realised how much behind-the-scenes she was doing.
07:44And then in terms of the money, the cost is £479.
07:49Wow.
07:50That's a lot of money, isn't it?
07:51And that's just for those three days' worth of Christmas.
07:54A huge £300 of that spend is going on the Christmas Day feast for 11 people.
07:59This is three times the national average.
08:02That is more than you would spend as a family of four for a whole month, isn't it?
08:07Yeah, definitely.
08:08Easily, yeah.
08:08Yeah. You know, Christmas is round the corner.
08:11Where would you say your stress levels were right now?
08:14In the red.
08:15So we go, ooh, whatever you...
08:18But the thing is, we're not going to have you spend this amount of money
08:22or spend this amount of time or be in the red for stress,
08:27because we're going to make it all way easier than this for you.
08:31Amazing.
08:32Sounds great.
08:32Yeah, I'm so glad that you're here.
08:35I feel really guilty knowing that my mum has not only taken the financial toll of Christmas,
08:42but also how many hours she spent in the kitchen.
08:46That's unreal, really.
08:48I didn't want to say it to Amy, but to suddenly do Christmas dinner for 11 people,
08:54I feel like she may have bit off a bit too much,
08:57but if anyone's going to make this possible, it's Suzanne, the batch lady.
09:01So she's in the best possible hands.
09:05You're too kind, Joe.
09:06And over at the test kitchen, I've got plenty of hacks up my sleeve to help any first-timers.
09:13I'm starting with a favourite of mine, the mince pie.
09:16And I'm not alone.
09:17800 million are sold each year.
09:20I've been perfecting this mega mince pie that you can make in advance to wow the festive hordes.
09:26It's not Christmas at my house until I have my first mince pie.
09:30They're not my cup of tea.
09:31The name put me off as a kid.
09:33I was expecting meat and there was fruit in there, but I'm going to enjoy making it.
09:37I'm making my own mince meat, which means I can vary the ingredients to my taste.
09:42Maybe Joe might even like this one.
09:44This is so simple to do.
09:47We're just going to put everything in the one pot.
09:48I'm mixing apple, raisin, sultanas and mixed peel with some sugar.
09:53You can use any combination of dried fruit.
09:57Right. Orange.
09:59Then zest and juice and orange.
10:01Lastly, we want to add in some brandy.
10:05A little bit for luck.
10:07Whiskey, rum or sherry are all good alternatives.
10:09Or tea if you want it to be alcohol-free.
10:12Oh, now it feels like Christmas.
10:15Heat until the sugar melts and we have our mince meat.
10:19Batch into sterilised jars and it will last unopened for many months.
10:23You can use it to add a Christmas twist to all sorts of baking, like cookies or crumbles.
10:29Hold up a minute.
10:30That's a bit of a big pie, isn't it?
10:32I'm going to make a mega mince pie.
10:34This is so much quicker than messing around with a lot of little ones.
10:38And I'm using pre-made pastry too, all saving you time.
10:42I'm going to fill it with our lovely mince meat.
10:44Okey-dokey.
10:45But I've got a job for you.
10:46You always have.
10:47You're going to make the top to the pie.
10:49Instead of pastry, we're adding a crumble topping.
10:53Just flour, butter, brown sugar and some cinnamon.
10:56As is.
10:57Not great, Joe.
10:58Not going to lie.
10:59Sorry.
11:00Once the crumble is crumbly, you're just going to sprinkle on top.
11:04Easy peasy.
11:06That's going to end the oven and that is it.
11:08Ah, well done.
11:10Oh, got a bit of cinnamon in my eyes.
11:13Bake for 25 to 30 minutes in the oven at 180.
11:17You can get 12 good portions out of this,
11:19so having a few of these in the freezer saves spending on shop-bought boxes.
11:24I don't want to upset you,
11:26but even you couldn't make me eat a mince pie.
11:30Look at that.
11:31Maybe we could do something in the edit where I'm like...
11:34Mmm.
11:36Nice.
11:37Well, I can promise you, Joe, it's delicious.
11:41Still to come, we show the Waddington family
11:44that perfect prep turns the nightmare of Christmas into a dream.
11:48Go!
11:49And help them batch their way to spending just 30 minutes
11:52in the kitchen on Christmas Day.
11:55Stress-free for all of us.
11:57Sorry, I've been.
12:04This Christmas, we're in Lancashire,
12:07helping novice cooks Amy and Dwayne
12:09take the reins from Granny Julie
12:11and host Christmas for the very first time.
12:14My mum's a really, really good cook.
12:16There's a high standard for me to follow
12:19taking on Christmas and making it my own.
12:24Amy doesn't need to worry.
12:26Christmas doesn't have to feel scary.
12:29Prepping in advance and using some of my clever hacks
12:31will take away the fear.
12:33What bits are stressing you most
12:35when you think about cooking Christmas dinner?
12:37Erm, probably the time spent in the kitchen
12:40is time away from watching the kids enjoy themselves.
12:43They can all be made in advance.
12:45You're going to only spend 30 minutes in the kitchen
12:48on Christmas Day.
12:49It's that simple.
12:51Suzanne's a pro at prepping Christmas and saving time.
12:55But I am the guru when it comes to saving money.
12:59So, have you ever been Christmas shopping before?
13:01Others have maybe some crackers last minute.
13:03We're going to get a few more things
13:04than a couple of crackers.
13:05Yes.
13:05What we do know is that the average UK family
13:08spend about £700 more in the December period.
13:11Granny Julie, in December,
13:13she went Christmas shopping nine times in one month.
13:17Now, that is too many times to go shopping.
13:19Wait, wait.
13:19Granny Julie is not alone.
13:21Over half of us admit to buying too much at Christmas.
13:24But armed with Suzanne's shopping list,
13:26that is not going to be the case today.
13:29Let's get it done, shall we?
13:30Let's do it.
13:31Let's go, yeah.
13:31And the advantage of getting the festive shop done early,
13:35no crowds.
13:36I don't know how you make your roast potatoes in your house,
13:38but in my house,
13:39it's all about the crunch on the outside.
13:41Yes.
13:42And the fluffy potato.
13:43Fluffiness on the inside, yes.
13:43You know what we're talking about.
13:45You're on the potato level with me.
13:47To achieve maximum fluffiness,
13:49we're after a flowery potato.
13:51For me,
13:52the best roast potato
13:54is made from a Maris Piper.
13:56Yes.
13:56Let's get a couple of bags to feed your lot.
13:58Yes.
13:58Lovely.
13:59Let's do it.
13:59Chuck them in.
14:01We need to grab some other veg,
14:02and of course,
14:03it wouldn't be Christmas without sprouts.
14:06Not the biggest fan.
14:06You're not the biggest fan of these?
14:08At Christmas,
14:09there are 750 million of these.
14:12That's a lot.
14:13That's a lot of rats.
14:14That's a hell of a lot.
14:15But do you also know
14:16that only half of them get eaten?
14:17The rest of them are chucked in a bin.
14:19I get that.
14:20What a waste, eh?
14:21But they're not like the old ones.
14:22In the old days,
14:23they were quite bitter.
14:23They've bred the bitterness out of them now.
14:25They are a great vessel for flavour.
14:28Right.
14:29Let's talk about the star of the show, shall we?
14:31Yep.
14:32Chicken wings.
14:33Chicken wings.
14:34Don't worry,
14:35you're still going to get your turkey.
14:36We're talking gravy.
14:38Homemade gravy has a rep
14:40for being time-consuming
14:41and a bit of a faff to make
14:42alongside your Christmas dinner
14:44or your roast.
14:45But it's no bother
14:46if you're making it in advance.
14:48Me and Suzanne
14:48have got a great gravy recipe
14:50using chicken wings.
14:51And you can batch this gravy
14:53weeks before Christmas,
14:54stick it in the freezer,
14:55that's another job
14:56you don't have to worry about.
14:57Let's grab some chicken wings.
14:59What is life about a bit of gravy, eh?
15:03Back at the house,
15:04Amy and I are making space
15:05for Christmas batching.
15:07I thought we'd start
15:08with this cupboard here.
15:10The key to a stress-free Christmas
15:12is getting organised
15:13before Santa
15:14has even dusted off his sleigh.
15:16There's no point in being organised
15:18if everybody eats it, OK?
15:20Definitely Christmas cupboard,
15:22keep off.
15:22Yeah.
15:23Once you've got this space,
15:25you can grab bits
15:26on your weekly shop
15:27in the months before Christmas,
15:28which helps to spread the cost, too.
15:31We can also get the freezer ready
15:33well ahead of time.
15:35We need one full freezer drawer
15:37for a family of four for Christmas.
15:39That's how it generally works.
15:40You're going to be feeding...
15:41Eleven.
15:42...so we're going to need
15:43at least two drawers,
15:44if not a little bit more.
15:45You can maximise space
15:47by removing cardboard packaging.
15:49I'll get you some freezer bags.
15:51Another tip is to spend a week
15:53eating up your freezer food.
15:54This both saves money
15:56on that week's shop
15:56and creates space
15:58for Christmas batching.
15:59And with all that space freed up,
16:01there's plenty of room
16:02for the main event,
16:03the turkey.
16:05At Christmas,
16:05do you know there's
16:0610 million turkeys sold?
16:08A lot.
16:08That's a lot of people
16:09looking to get themselves
16:10a turkey for Christmas.
16:12Now, the trick is for me,
16:15frozen turkey.
16:16Because not only
16:17do you get them nice and early
16:18because the supermarkets
16:19haven't been weeks
16:20before Christmas,
16:20if you get yourself the crown,
16:22it's got all the best meat
16:24around it,
16:24it cooks evenly,
16:26cuts nice,
16:27tastes beautiful.
16:28That all sounds good to me.
16:29Christmas game changer,
16:30this is.
16:32Winner, winner,
16:32turkey dinner.
16:34Hello, mate.
16:35Are you all right?
16:35How are you?
16:36How are you?
16:37Not too bad, thanks.
16:39All ready for Christmas?
16:41We are now.
16:42Good, excellent.
16:44Make a plan,
16:44make a list,
16:45so simple to get your
16:46shopping done in next to no time.
16:48Planning is the way forward.
16:49There we go.
16:50Good job, man.
16:51Let's go.
16:52One trolley,
16:53one shop,
16:54Christmas done.
16:55Brainy Julie
16:56is not going to believe
16:57that we've done Christmas
16:58in one guy.
16:59No.
17:03Hello, everyone.
17:04How are you doing?
17:06Shopping is all done.
17:07Um, listen,
17:08when you're gallivanting,
17:09we've cleaned out the cupboards.
17:11No, don't.
17:11We're not going to put anything away just yet.
17:13We are going to go from shopping bag
17:16to freezer bag.
17:17No need to put the food in the cupboards.
17:20We are going to prep
17:21our delicious Christmas roast right now
17:23so it's in the freezer
17:24ready for the big day.
17:26And this can be done months in advance.
17:28So it's stress-free for all of us.
17:31This is the first step
17:32to making sure
17:33we'll spend just 30 minutes
17:35in the kitchen on Christmas Day.
17:37So you guys are going to start
17:38with some streaky bacon.
17:40Lovely.
17:40And make a lovely lattice
17:41that goes over the top of our turkey.
17:43Okey-dokey.
17:43Let's go, mate.
17:44Let's do this.
17:46Frozen turkeys
17:47are a budget-friendly option
17:48and this lattice
17:50turns it into a real centrepiece.
17:52I'm going to try and plait this.
17:54And why about the turkey
17:55and the Christmas dinner?
17:56Everyone will be talking
17:57about the lattice.
17:58It doesn't just look pretty.
18:00The bacon adds moisture and flavour
18:02while it's cooking.
18:04It's a little bit like that.
18:05What's that thing?
18:06Ghost.
18:08We'll do the lattice together.
18:12Another trick I like
18:13for preventing a dry and bland turkey
18:15is flavoured butter.
18:17Mash it together.
18:18This is going to add
18:20so much flavour to your turkey.
18:22I love using sage
18:23but any dried herb works.
18:25Or even chilli
18:26if you like your Christmas
18:27a bit spicy.
18:28We're going to make
18:29a little parchment Christmas cracker.
18:32Twist each end
18:33keeping all the butter in.
18:34That's it.
18:36And we are going to freeze that.
18:38You can use this butter
18:39all year round
18:40on things like steak,
18:41fish or steamed veg.
18:43Just chop a bit off
18:44and then add it
18:45to whatever you're cooking.
18:46Yeah, yeah.
18:47I can't have a roast turkey
18:49without stuffing
18:50and it freezes brilliantly.
18:52You'll be able to use it
18:53for Sunday lunches
18:55when you come to it as well.
18:56We're starting
18:57with a standard packet mix
18:58but elevating it
18:59by adding sausage meat.
19:01If you can't get hold
19:01of sausage meat
19:02you can just use
19:03normal sausages
19:04and just take the skin off.
19:05Yeah.
19:06Then we're adding
19:07cheddar cheese
19:08and a Christmas twist
19:09with some orange juice.
19:11It's making it
19:11a bit more festive.
19:13Yeah.
19:14We're rolling the mix
19:15into balls
19:15and then placing
19:16in the freezer
19:17on a baking tray
19:18for a couple of hours.
19:20This method
19:21is called flash freezing.
19:22Generally takes
19:23about an hour
19:24and just makes sure
19:25that they are solid enough
19:26to be bagged up later.
19:28Look at this.
19:29We are very proud
19:30of ourselves by the way.
19:31I'm impressed.
19:32I had a brainwave right
19:33so if we're going
19:34to freeze this stuff
19:35could we roll it
19:37like this?
19:38That would save you
19:38some space in the freezer.
19:39You after my job Joe?
19:40Well no I'm just
19:41you can have that one
19:42free for your next book.
19:43There you go.
19:44Well done.
19:44Grab your veg
19:45you're off.
19:46See you later ladies.
19:47Bye bye.
19:47Good luck with the gravy.
19:49Right gravy
19:49have you ever made it?
19:51No.
19:52Many of us
19:53end up with basic gravy
19:54because it's too much hassle
19:56to make on Christmas Day.
19:58But making it in advance
19:59takes all the stress away.
20:01I've had some chicken wings
20:02and veg roasting away
20:03for about 40 minutes
20:05and now Amy is smooshing
20:07that down with some flour
20:08over a low heat.
20:10Then add stock
20:11and time for flavour
20:13the white wine is optional.
20:15Bring this to the boil
20:16for five minutes
20:17and all that lovely flavour
20:18is going to end up
20:19in the stock.
20:20It smells delicious.
20:22It's fancy smelling
20:23a little bit like Christmas
20:23now innit?
20:24It is.
20:25Dwayne and I
20:26are prepping all the veg now
20:27so it won't take up
20:28loads of precious time
20:29on the big day.
20:30When we can enjoy
20:31the day as well.
20:32And that'll be you then
20:33every Christmas
20:34through the next ability years.
20:35I'll be peeling carrots
20:37and parsnips, yeah.
20:39The final step
20:40to the gravy
20:41is to strain it
20:42at hey presto.
20:43Once it's cool
20:44we can get it
20:45in the freezer bag.
20:46A faff that you don't
20:47want to be doing
20:47on Christmas Day.
20:48Definitely don't want
20:48to be doing that
20:49on Christmas Day.
20:51And you don't want
20:52to be doing
20:52these little fellas either.
20:55The trick is
20:55to make the sprout
20:57not look like the sprout.
20:59So shredding them
21:00like this
21:01that's a lot less
21:02intimidating for people.
21:03It is
21:04than that on your plate.
21:06Amy and I
21:06are moving on
21:07to the roast potatoes.
21:08You really can prep
21:10every bit of your
21:11Christmas dinner
21:11in advance
21:12and these can even
21:13be cooked straight
21:14from frozen.
21:15Have you ever
21:16made them before?
21:17I've done
21:18shop bought
21:18roast potatoes
21:19before.
21:21Now this is
21:22controversial.
21:23I don't peel
21:23my roast potatoes
21:24because that's
21:25why it takes
21:26an hour and a half.
21:27The skin is good
21:27for you.
21:28It still crisps
21:29up really well.
21:30Just give them
21:31a quick scrub
21:31and pop them
21:32in a pan of cold
21:33water before boiling
21:34for seven minutes.
21:36I would have
21:36naturally just
21:37put them in
21:38boiled water.
21:39If you put them
21:39in hot water
21:40they're going to
21:41actually start to
21:41cook on the outside
21:42and not cook on the inside.
21:44You want to drain them?
21:45Yep.
21:45Everyone has their
21:46own technique
21:47for a crispy roasty.
21:48I like to put mine
21:50back on the heat
21:51for a bit after
21:51draining to dry
21:52them out.
21:53You just want to
21:54get it before it
21:55starts to stick
21:56to the bottom
21:56of the pan.
21:57Then add a
21:58sprinkling of
21:59corn flour and
22:00drizzle generously
22:01with olive oil.
22:02I'm just adding
22:03salt but to jazz
22:05them up you could
22:05add garlic, herbs
22:07or parmesan at
22:08this stage.
22:09How easy was
22:10that?
22:10What did you
22:11think?
22:11Really easy.
22:12Yeah.
22:12I'm excited to
22:13have proper
22:14roast potatoes
22:15for Christmas
22:16dinner.
22:17You're just
22:17cooking straight
22:18from frozen
22:19so they're
22:19that simple.
22:20Parsnips and
22:21carrots are
22:21just as easy
22:22but start them
22:23in boiling water.
22:25Seven minutes
22:25and then drain
22:26and season.
22:28You could add
22:28a few crushed
22:29garlic cloves
22:29or like me
22:30add sage.
22:32Once cooled
22:33all the veg
22:34is flash frozen.
22:35How are you
22:36feeling?
22:37More confident.
22:38The more and more
22:39recipes we get
22:39through the more
22:40and more confident
22:40I'm feeling.
22:42Excellent.
22:43That's what I
22:43like to hear.
22:44On to the final
22:45veg preparation
22:46the beloved
22:47sprout.
22:48It's so easy
22:49especially when
22:50you have a Joe
22:50who's already
22:51shredded them
22:52for you.
22:53They're just
22:53cooked in oil
22:54with some onions.
22:55I always use
22:56frozen of course.
22:58And then once
22:59softened we add
23:00cranberries,
23:00pecans and a
23:01pinch of nutmeg.
23:03This is my take
23:04but sprouts work
23:06with all sorts
23:06of flavours.
23:07Chestnuts,
23:08bacon, maple syrup
23:09even anchovies.
23:11Another recipe
23:12ticked off.
23:13Yeah, you have
23:14literally prepped
23:15all your Christmas
23:17dinner.
23:17That's amazing.
23:19We'll get everything
23:20bagged up and
23:21into the freezer
23:21and then later on
23:23I'll show Amy
23:23how to get it all
23:25cooked in just
23:2530 minutes.
23:27Batching is such
23:28an easy way to do
23:29a Christmas feast.
23:30If a novice like
23:31Amy can do it
23:32and do it that
23:32quickly and
23:33successfully,
23:34anybody can do it.
23:35So come Christmas
23:37Day, 30 minutes
23:38in the kitchen,
23:39that's all you need
23:40to go from this
23:41to a Christmas feast.
23:43Amazing.
23:44The rest of your
23:44Christmas Day
23:45is for you.
23:47Excellent.
23:48Well done!
23:50The confidence
23:50is definitely
23:52growing so what
23:53started off as
23:54a really overwhelming
23:56task is less
23:57overwhelming and
23:58the stress levels
23:59reducing so
24:00that's looking
24:01good.
24:03It's not just
24:04Christmas dinner
24:04you can prepare
24:05in advance.
24:06We're back in
24:07the test kitchen
24:08with some speedy
24:09snack recipes.
24:11Cheesy twists,
24:13pesto parmiers
24:14and Christmassy
24:15sausage rolls.
24:16At Christmas time
24:17in terms of having
24:18people over,
24:19what's it like in
24:19your house?
24:20We generally just
24:21have like an
24:21open door policy
24:22so we need a
24:23constant flow of
24:24food.
24:26These picky bits
24:27can be made
24:27months in advance
24:28and cooked straight
24:29from frozen
24:30so you can focus
24:31on hosting rather
24:32than cooking in the
24:33busy lead up to
24:34Christmas.
24:35This ready made
24:36puff pastry is all
24:37you really need.
24:38Joe is making the
24:39cheese twists.
24:41Cover half the pastry
24:42sheet with yeast
24:43extract.
24:44This is my
24:44Stacey's favourite
24:45thing to have on
24:46toast.
24:47And then sprinkle
24:48with a handful of
24:49cheese.
24:49Then you just fold
24:51over and cut into
24:52strips and twist to
24:54make them look fancy.
24:56I hate to say it
24:57but I'm sure people
24:58are going to think
24:58it.
24:59I feel like my
25:00twister is better
25:01than your twister.
25:02Oh really?
25:04Well let's see how I
25:05get on with these
25:06Parmiers.
25:07Cover the whole
25:08pastry sheet with
25:09tomato puree,
25:10pesto and a
25:11sprinkling of
25:11Parmesan.
25:12You keep banging
25:13on about me being
25:14untidy but yours
25:15looks like someone's
25:16dragged it in from
25:17the night out.
25:18You wait till you
25:19see the end result.
25:21He's got it in for
25:22me today.
25:23To make the
25:23classic Parmiers
25:24shape, take the
25:26long edge and roll
25:27the pastry into the
25:28middle from both
25:28sides.
25:29Then cut into
25:30individual portions.
25:32It's like a pastry
25:33butterfly.
25:35Now on to the
25:36sausage rolls.
25:37Oh I love a sausage
25:37roll.
25:38Well we're going to
25:38make a Christmassy
25:39version.
25:40To make the
25:41filling add chopped
25:41bacon to turkey
25:42mince.
25:43Get in there and
25:44give it a good mix
25:45around.
25:46Then I've cut my
25:46pastry in half
25:48lengthways and I'm
25:49adding some
25:49cranberry sauce.
25:50Here you go.
25:52And add the
25:53filling.
25:54Fold it over and
25:56then we can crimp
25:57that edge.
25:58The word is here
25:59gentle.
26:00I'm with your
26:00name that.
26:01I was listening to
26:02you but it's just
26:03gone a little bit.
26:04Not so cocky now
26:06Joe are you?
26:07Then we just need to
26:08cut up the sausage
26:09rolls.
26:10Remember this is just
26:11a little nibble.
26:12We're not feeding
26:12somebody a lunch.
26:13We don't want them
26:14there all day do we?
26:15No.
26:16And there we have
26:17our three pastry
26:18snacks.
26:19Egg wash and then
26:20flash freeze on
26:21trays for an hour
26:22before bagging them
26:23up.
26:24You can just grab
26:25out however many
26:26you want, cook them
26:27directly from frozen
26:28for whenever people
26:29arrive.
26:30Into the oven at
26:31180.
26:3225 minutes for the
26:33sausage rolls,
26:3420 for the cheese
26:35twists and just 12
26:36for the parmiers.
26:38I love these.
26:41So simple and such good
26:43value and I can feel
26:45nice and smug serving
26:46up homemade snacks to
26:47people popping over at
26:49Christmas.
26:56This year Amy and
26:57Dwayne are taking on
26:58Christmas for the very
26:59first time.
27:00It's so overwhelming.
27:02I can help, can't I?
27:04If you'll let me.
27:05Yeah, I feel like you
27:06would help.
27:07Granny Julie spent 10
27:08hours in the kitchen last
27:10Christmas but I'm showing
27:11Amy my hacks to deliver a
27:13delicious feast in just 30
27:15minutes.
27:16But I know only too well
27:17that stress isn't limited
27:19to just Christmas Day
27:20where you have a big family
27:21that like to socialise.
27:23Dwayne, what do you
27:24usually do for Christmas
27:25Eve?
27:25Amy's working so usually
27:27she'll get back a bit
27:28later and then we have
27:30all the family around.
27:31Everybody brings a
27:31different pie and we all
27:32just tuck in.
27:33So how about this year
27:35you are the host with the
27:37most and you're going to
27:38supply it all for them?
27:40Yes, why not?
27:40Let's give it a go.
27:41This fancy take on a
27:43family favourite will be
27:44perfect for the
27:45Waddingtons Christmas
27:46Eve.
27:47This lobster mac and
27:48cheese can be made weeks
27:49in advance and then frozen
27:51to be used later.
27:52These are lobster tails.
27:54Yep.
27:54So they just come like
27:56this.
27:56Buying lobster tails is a
27:57really good budget way of
27:59having lobster.
28:00We've defrosted these and
28:02are cooking them in the
28:03butter they come with.
28:04They're so easy to do.
28:06You're not having to
28:06figure out what to do
28:07with the whole lobster.
28:09Mac and cheese is so
28:10versatile we're going to
28:11knock up a chorizo version
28:13too.
28:13It always makes sense to
28:15cook extra and keep that
28:16freezer stocked.
28:17Smells good when you've
28:18got fresh food cooking in
28:19the kitchen.
28:20You only probably smell
28:21that when you go to your
28:21mother-in-laws along the
28:22road, don't you?
28:23Yes.
28:25Next we part cook the
28:26macaroni just three
28:27minutes.
28:29Remember we're making it
28:30in advance for the
28:31freezer.
28:32When you bring it out of
28:32the freezer we're going to
28:33put it back in the oven.
28:34So we don't want to
28:35overcook your pasta.
28:36We're going to get on and
28:37make the cheese sauce.
28:39We need to make a roux.
28:41I'm assuming you haven't
28:42made a roux before.
28:43No.
28:43Okay.
28:43It sounds very fancy.
28:45It's super easy.
28:46Just mix flour and butter
28:48in a pan.
28:49That's the roux.
28:50You look so scared.
28:52I'm like the food is
28:53going to bite me.
28:55It's going to get really
28:56thick but don't worry about
28:58that because we're going to
28:58start adding our milk.
29:00It starts off a bit lumpy
29:01but don't panic.
29:03Just keep stirring.
29:04This is a white sauce which
29:06can be used in lasagna or
29:07chicken pie.
29:08If you're making one
29:09portion you may as well
29:11make more.
29:11Freeze that into bags you
29:13know so that you've just
29:14got them mid-week ready to
29:15grab out.
29:16Made sauce.
29:18Dwayne.
29:19Now we just add the cheese.
29:21At Christmas this is a
29:23great way to cut food waste.
29:25If I've had a big cheese
29:26board and I've got lots
29:28left over you can make a
29:29big cheese sauce with
29:30anything.
29:31Next add some paprika and
29:33cherry tomatoes along with
29:34the macaroni.
29:35And you give it a stir
29:36around.
29:36For two tasty meals mix the
29:38lobster meat into one and
29:40the chorizo into the other.
29:42This is the great thing about
29:43something like mac and
29:44cheese.
29:45You can add all different
29:46flavours to it.
29:47You know ham.
29:48A leftover ham at New
29:50Year.
29:50The final touch is
29:51Parmesan shavings and some
29:53breadcrumbs for a good
29:54crunch.
29:55We have now made mac and
29:57cheese.
29:58This has taken less than
29:5920 minutes.
30:01Now into the oven.
30:02180 for 40 minutes until
30:04golden brown.
30:06And Dwayne even has a
30:07spare for a mid-week meal.
30:09Oh here we go.
30:11Shall we get Amy in?
30:12Hello hello.
30:13This smells gorgeous.
30:18This is absolutely amazing.
30:21It is.
30:21Now you know how to do it you
30:23are going to be doing this on a
30:25regular basis.
30:27I was blown away by it.
30:29He is definitely the mac and
30:31cheese man now.
30:32Having this is just amazing and
30:35knowing that you are taking
30:36control of Christmas Eve is
30:38even better.
30:39I've never really cooked from
30:40scratch before so it was
30:42great fun and it's great now to
30:44know that I can now contribute
30:45towards Christmas.
30:46It was lovely working with
30:48Dwayne in the kitchen.
30:49I can already see that I'm
30:50getting him away from those
30:51chicken nuggets and frozen
30:52ready meals.
30:53He'll be batching his own
30:54meals in no time.
30:56The last piece to the
30:57Christmas puzzle is dessert
30:59and we're off to Granny
31:00Julie's.
31:02So Julie what is the
31:03protocol when it comes to
31:04dessert at Christmas?
31:05Well we have Christmas
31:07puddings in the cupboard but
31:09they never come out.
31:10Right.
31:10And we make trifle but
31:13often we don't even touch
31:14it.
31:15There's a lesson here.
31:16Don't stick to traditional
31:17Christmas desserts if no one
31:19likes them.
31:20Wow Granny Julie.
31:21It's 2013.
31:23That is older than your
31:24grandkids.
31:27Tiramisu is a great
31:28alternative to a Christmas
31:29pud.
31:30It can be made well in
31:31advance and involves next to
31:33no prep on the day.
31:35My turn to cook so I'm
31:36enlisting the kids as my
31:37helpers.
31:39It's a big responsibility
31:40doing the dessert for
31:41Christmas isn't it?
31:42Yeah.
31:42We're going to get this
31:43right.
31:43Shall we get cracking?
31:44Yeah.
31:45Literally.
31:46First crack it.
31:47Separate the eggs.
31:49That's it.
31:51That's it.
31:52Keep the yolk in there.
31:52Perfect.
31:53Chuck the yolk into this
31:55side.
31:56Good job.
31:57Perfect.
31:58Nice scale.
31:59Then whisk the whites
32:01until they're fluffy.
32:02Hold on to the ball.
32:03Hold on to the ball.
32:04Good tip.
32:05Forgot to tell them.
32:06Go.
32:09It's going to go faster.
32:11Yeah.
32:13And everyone knows how to
32:14test when they're done
32:15right.
32:16One.
32:17Two.
32:18I hope this goes well.
32:20Three.
32:20Go.
32:22Give it a little tap.
32:23That's brilliant.
32:24Liv, give yours a tap.
32:25Come on.
32:27Brilliant job.
32:28On to the ball with the
32:29egg yolks.
32:30Another opportunity to make
32:32a mess.
32:33We add sugar and
32:34mascarpone and mix.
32:36I don't know if to run for
32:37cover or not.
32:39Go.
32:39Go.
32:43I think you're done.
32:45You're the winner.
32:49Then gently fold in the
32:50egg whites.
32:51Like you're putting it to bed.
32:53That's it.
32:54Because you want to try and
32:55keep as many in the bubbles
32:56in there as possible.
32:58So now what we're going to do
32:59is we're going to make two
33:00different versions.
33:01Jackson, you're going to do
33:02the adult one and you'll do
33:03the kids one, all right?
33:04So we're going to layer this
33:06up like a lasagna.
33:08Both versions start with a
33:09base of sliced cake.
33:11Shop bought is inexpensive
33:12and saves time.
33:14Chocolate marble for Maggie
33:15soaked in cold hot chocolate
33:17and the adult one uses
33:18hazelnut cake soaked in
33:20coffee and Irish cream
33:22liqueur.
33:22We'll let your nan decide
33:23how much of this we should
33:24use.
33:25How good do you want your
33:26Christmas to be?
33:28OK, Joe.
33:29Stop, stop, stop.
33:30Stop, stop, stop.
33:31I didn't hear you.
33:34The next layer is the
33:35mascarpone and egg mix.
33:37That's it.
33:38Great bit of spreading,
33:39nice and even.
33:40You could be a bricklayer
33:41without sort of spreading.
33:43Now I'm in the Christmas
33:44spirit.
33:45Why does everyone love
33:46Frosty the snowman?
33:48Don't know.
33:49Because he's such a cool
33:49guy.
33:52Hold up, I've got another
33:53one.
33:53What do you call Santa
33:54when he stops moving?
33:56Santa paws.
33:58Did you get it?
33:59No.
34:00Enough of that.
34:01On with the tiramisu.
34:03Keep building the layers
34:04of cake and cream to the
34:05top of the dish.
34:06It's pure finesse with
34:08Joe.
34:08Pure finesse.
34:09Look at that.
34:10A final sprinkling of
34:12nuts or chocolate and
34:13job's done.
34:14Look at these.
34:15Look at your maid,
34:16guys.
34:16Look.
34:17I think it's going to go
34:17down an absolute treat.
34:19Is this something that you
34:20might want to do again?
34:21Yeah.
34:21These can now go straight
34:23into the freezer and just
34:24need to be defrosted on
34:25Christmas Eve, ready for
34:27the big day.
34:28How exciting is that
34:29going to be for you two
34:30on Christmas Day, knowing
34:31that after dinner, it's
34:33your dessert?
34:34And here's some I made
34:35earlier.
34:36Maybe not quite so boozy,
34:38Joe.
34:39Look at this.
34:40Oh, look at this.
34:44Oh, that's delicious.
34:45Yeah.
34:45Oh, it's scrumptious.
34:47Well done to the pair of
34:48you.
34:49It was very nice seeing
34:50Granny relaxing because
34:51she's usually always up
34:52helping us and it'd be
34:54nice to take the pressure
34:55off Mum on Christmas
34:56Day because she's already
34:57got a lot of cooking to
34:58do.
34:58Do you think Nanny
34:59Julie's going to stay out
34:59of the kitchen?
35:00She's probably going to
35:01say, oh, you're doing
35:01this wrong, oh, you're
35:02doing that wrong.
35:04Me and Jackson, we've
35:06both got like our parts
35:07now so we can just make
35:08the tiramisu every year.
35:11I've got loads of kids
35:12myself.
35:13They love getting
35:13involved with the
35:14cooking.
35:14You keep encouraging
35:15them next year, you
35:17know, they could do the
35:18roast potatoes, they could
35:19do the stuffing, they
35:21could do the bacon
35:21lattice.
35:22There you go.
35:30In Lancashire, Suzanne and
35:32I are preparing the
35:33Waddington family for
35:34Christmas.
35:35And it's time for me to
35:36put my theory to the
35:37test.
35:38Can Amy serve an epic
35:40Christmas dinner?
35:41while spending just 30
35:42minutes in the kitchen.
35:44What we need, Suzanne, is a
35:46real test run.
35:47Christmas jumpers and
35:48all.
35:49Who's going with you?
35:50One more.
35:53Frozen!
35:57While the family enjoy the
35:59festivities, it's time for
36:01Amy and I to get started on
36:02our super speedy Christmas
36:04dinner cook.
36:05I'm hoping that I can do it
36:07within 30 minutes.
36:08We are going to do it.
36:09I've got your help.
36:11Our 30 minutes in the
36:12kitchen will be split into
36:13small chunks.
36:15We're starting three and a
36:16half hours before we want to
36:17serve.
36:18This will allow enough time for
36:20the turkey to cook and rest
36:21and plenty of time for us to
36:23relax too.
36:24Put the butter that we've made
36:25under the skin.
36:26Swidge it down like it's a bit
36:28of the kids' Play-Doh.
36:29That's it.
36:30All the food has been
36:31defrosted in advance apart from
36:33the roasted potatoes and
36:34veg, which we'll cook from
36:35frozen.
36:36That's perfect.
36:38We add Joe and Dwayne's
36:39bacon lattice to the top of the
36:40turkey crown.
36:41This is all adding moisture and
36:43flavour.
36:44No dry, tasteless turkey here.
36:46And our first job of the day is
36:49done.
36:49Stop the timer.
36:50While the turkey cooks, Amy
36:52has two hours to enjoy time with
36:54her family.
36:55Oh, just inside.
36:57Smells delicious.
36:59Looking fab.
37:01And while we wait, we're back in
37:03the test kitchen with some great
37:05ways to make use of Christmas
37:06leftovers.
37:08Do you like a pie?
37:09I love a pie.
37:11I just think they're so versatile.
37:12You're easily pleased.
37:13I love it.
37:15270,000 tonnes of food are
37:17thrown away at Christmas.
37:19My turkey and anything goes pie
37:21will feed the family and help
37:22reduce seasonal food waste.
37:25We start with a white sauce,
37:27flour, butter and milk.
37:28Add some creme fraiche and then
37:31some frozen peas and allow the
37:33sauce to cool.
37:34We want to make the pie cold so
37:36that we're able to heat it up
37:38whenever we want it.
37:39Gotcha.
37:40Then in goes all our leftovers
37:41straight from the fridge.
37:43Turkey, ham, carrots and
37:44parsnips, but this could be
37:46anything you want.
37:48What veg do your kids like?
37:50Stacey does a lot of growing in
37:51the garden.
37:52We have loads of veg on our
37:53plate at Christmas.
37:54Then add the sauce to the dish.
37:57Looks lovely, that, doesn't it?
37:58And lay the pre-made pastry on
38:00top.
38:01Don't even have to find a
38:03rolling pin.
38:04Brush it all with egg wash.
38:06Have you done painting and
38:07decorating?
38:08No, I'm banned from doing that in
38:10the house because I'm too messy
38:11apparently.
38:12And there's our finished pie.
38:15At this stage now, we could put
38:16this in the freezer if we wanted
38:18to or we can put it directly in
38:19the oven.
38:20That's why we've done it.
38:21It's a batch cook programme.
38:23That's what I do.
38:24Now it makes sense.
38:26Come on, Jo.
38:27While the pie cooks, I've got a
38:29slightly out there idea for another
38:31way to use up those Christmas
38:32leftovers.
38:34We are going to make a Christmas
38:37dinner ice cream.
38:40No, no, hear me out.
38:41Hold up a minute.
38:43It's got that sweet and saltiness
38:45about it.
38:45It's like salted caramel.
38:47Bear with me.
38:48I think you've lost it, Suzanne,
38:50but this might be a fun thing to do
38:51with the kids.
38:52If you can't have a laugh at
38:54Christmas, Jo, when can you?
38:56The process is simple.
38:57Softened vanilla ice cream in a
38:59bowl.
38:59This is some leftover gravy.
39:03Then I add some cranberry sauce
39:05like a raspberry ripple.
39:07I'm still trying to figure out
39:08whether this is a big wind-up.
39:10It's not.
39:11You're going to love it.
39:12Then some more gravy,
39:14stuffing sprinkles,
39:15and a pig in a blanket.
39:17And then I've just got a little bit
39:19of turkey skin as our wafer.
39:21Oh, great.
39:23Swashies Christmas Sunday.
39:25Don't attach my name to this, mate.
39:27You going to try it?
39:29It's got gravy in it.
39:30Just try it.
39:35It tastes better than I thought
39:36it was going to taste.
39:37It's like salted caramel.
39:39Suzanne loves it,
39:40but for me, the jewellery's still out.
39:42I'll leave it for you lot to the side.
39:45Amy and I are back in the kitchen
39:47to tend to our turkey.
39:49Right, timer is on.
39:51We're going to get the turkey out.
39:53This next bell in the kitchen
39:54should be about an hour and a half
39:55before you want dinner on the table.
39:58We haven't had to worry
39:59about basting this turkey
40:00because we've already got
40:01the bacon on the top of it.
40:03It smells fantastic.
40:05Look at that.
40:06It looks amazing.
40:07You've done that.
40:09Resting the meat will make it juicier
40:10when it comes to carving later.
40:12And also frees up space in the oven
40:14for the roast potatoes.
40:16Win-win.
40:17Cooking these from frozen.
40:18They're literally coming out the bags
40:20and onto the trays, OK?
40:22This is so simple.
40:23I'm starting to wish
40:25I'd have done this sooner.
40:27All the hard work
40:28has been done already
40:29and now we're reaping the rewards.
40:31These and the parsnips and carrots
40:33need 40 minutes at 200.
40:35They're just going to crisp up lovely.
40:38Amy has so much spare time
40:39to enjoy with the family.
40:42Right, OK, are we ready?
40:44So, TV, I mean, film.
40:47No talking, Joe.
40:49What was it?
40:49Two words.
40:51Second word.
40:56Ghost!
40:56Ghost!
40:58Pottery.
40:59Pottery throw down.
41:01Harry Potter.
41:02Yes!
41:04Hang on!
41:09With just 40 minutes until dinner,
41:11we're back in the kitchen
41:12to check the veg.
41:14Joe is such a cheat.
41:16Cheeks every time.
41:17Excuse me.
41:18Right, we're going to start the timer.
41:20We're going to get the rest of the sides out.
41:23The potatoes and roasted veg
41:24are coming out of the oven,
41:26but we'll go back in five minutes
41:28before serving
41:28to get the perfect crisp.
41:31Look at those.
41:32Do they look as good
41:33as your normal freezer-bought ones?
41:36Even better.
41:37They look amazing.
41:39Our homemade stuffing,
41:41along with some shop-bought pigs
41:43and blankets can go in now.
41:45They need around 30 minutes.
41:47We have done so well.
41:49We've got a bit of time,
41:50so let's just do the clearing up
41:51so we don't even have to do that later.
41:53A great way to keep on top of the kitchen.
41:56Then it's back to the family.
41:59Hooray!
42:02The perfect preparation
42:04for your first relaxing Christmas.
42:07Bottoms up.
42:08Cheers!
42:10Merry Christmas!
42:11Merry Christmas!
42:13At this stage,
42:14we could serve up the pastry snacks
42:16we made earlier
42:16to tide over our guests.
42:18Right.
42:19OK.
42:20Can we start our timer again?
42:22This is our final stretch in the kitchen.
42:2516 minutes to get everything ready
42:27and on the table.
42:28Let's get our gravy
42:30and our sprouts on now.
42:33And with those on the hob,
42:34we can get ready to serve.
42:36This dinner set
42:37I have been collecting for years.
42:40Your matching stuff is gorgeous.
42:42But if you don't have things like this,
42:45maybe you don't have a gravy bowl.
42:46I've got a friend
42:47who just uses a teapot as a gravy bowl.
42:49That's such a good idea.
42:51Yeah.
42:52Amy, we have cooked everything.
42:54And we've still got eight minutes
42:56to get it all plated up
42:57and on the table.
42:59Amazing.
43:00I literally couldn't believe
43:03that I was ever, ever going to do Christmas Day,
43:05especially in under 30 minutes.
43:07Let's give everybody a feast tonight, shall we?
43:10I hope they're all hungry.
43:10Yeah.
43:11So, in records time,
43:13the Waddington Christmas dinner
43:14is ready to be served
43:16with a new head chef at the helm.
43:19Come on, you lot.
43:20Look at this.
43:21Wow.
43:21It may be a practice run,
43:24but for this feast,
43:25we've pulled out all the stops.
43:27That looks amazing.
43:29That looks really good.
43:30I love the way you've done the bacon on the top.
43:33Oh, yes.
43:35Oh, girl.
43:36Thank you, Grandma.
43:37Come on, Granny.
43:39Shall we do our crackers?
43:40Crackers?
43:41Three, two, one.
43:43Whee!
43:44Right, I reckon we should tuck into this dinner.
43:48Kids, are you having a bit of everything?
43:49Yes, please.
43:52So far, so good,
43:53but the proof is in the eating.
43:56The stuff is really good.
43:57This food is absolutely amazing.
44:01Does this taste like a 30-minute Christmas dinner?
44:04It's exceeded my standards.
44:06It's absolutely beautiful.
44:08Never in a million years
44:10did I think I could hold something like this off.
44:13It's amazing.
44:14Immensely proud.
44:15She's done absolutely fantastic, yeah.
44:17Job done.
44:18Job done.
44:19Over the Christmas period,
44:21the family were spending almost £500 on food,
44:24and Julie was prepping in the kitchen
44:26for almost a whole day.
44:27Wow, that is a big task.
44:30So, have we managed to make the Christmas merrier?
44:33You ready, everybody?
44:35Yes.
44:35Here we go.
44:37Wow.
44:38We've compared the same three-day period as before,
44:41and my festive recipes and batch cooking
44:44has more than half the cost of Christmas food,
44:46saving over £270.
44:49Incredible saving.
44:51I think that goes in the holiday fund.
44:53Absolutely.
44:54I think so.
44:56And as for time,
44:57they've saved 12 whole hours,
44:59nine of which are on Christmas Day itself.
45:02I'm blown away that's half a day of Christmas I can get back.
45:06And I've got to ask you,
45:08how are your stress levels?
45:09Definitely in the green.
45:10No doubt in the green.
45:12So, what we really want to know is,
45:14are you feeling more confident
45:16about putting on the water on Christmas dinner this year?
45:18A hundred percent.
45:19And I can't wait for Christmas now.
45:22Granny Julie is going to be having her feet up.
45:24I absolutely am, yeah.
45:25Here's to Granny Julie.
45:27Cheers, everybody.
45:28Cheers.
45:29Cheers.
45:30Cheers.
45:30Cheers.
45:30Cheers.
45:32I think this evening's been ace, hasn't it?
45:35It has, yeah.
45:35Even Granny was more than happy.
45:37Yeah, yeah.
45:39She's just been able to sit down and do nothing.
45:42A hundred percent well-deserved.
45:43It seems to be going down great, doesn't it?
45:46Really, from now on, I think Amy's got this.
45:48I'm going to let them take it forward.
45:50I think that's the future of Christmases from now on.
45:53I definitely feel I'm ready to take the reins from my mum
45:57and take on Christmas for the next 30 years.
46:01Do not, yeah.
46:02We're leaving you in good hands,
46:04and I'm sure you'll have the most stress-free Christmas.
46:06Yeah.
46:07And Merry Christmas, everyone!
46:09Cheers.
46:10I think Santa brings you what you want.
46:14That's definitely something we can see us doing more.
46:17Absolutely.
46:17It's something that we really need to introduce
46:19into just day-to-day life, not just Christmas.
46:23There we have it, Suzanne.
46:24Batch cooking is for life, not just for Christmas.
46:32Also helping us to keep chilled and organised,
46:35Jamie is getting all his turkeys in a row
46:37with Cook Ahead Christmas starting this Monday at 8.
46:39And on Tuesday, we're off to see The Wizard,
46:42a very festive Wizard of Oz.
46:44Castle Howard is getting a bit of a wicked makeover.
46:46A very British Christmas is at Eid.
46:49Up next, new Gogglebox.
46:50Thanks.
46:51What can be a book?
46:54What can be a book?
46:55That's true.
46:55Thanks.
46:55What can be a book?
46:56We'll be here, too.
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