With guests arriving to celebrate Christmas with you, this is my go to Christmas Eve recipe which will delight your guests and save you time.
This week on my Instagram I shared a behind the scenes story of the Christmas preparations and I had so many requests for what I was making that I thought I’d share with you. It’s a Mary Berry recipe and never fails not only to impress, but is super delicious and can be made in advance. Personally I think it tastes much better if made ahead of time and you’ll have the added benefit of spending time with your guests rather than missing all the fun if you’re in the kitchen.
The Game Casserole, can be popped it in the freezer and we will have it on Christmas Eve. All I’ll need to do is warm it in the oven and serve with with buttery egg noodles or creamy mashed potatoes. Roasted carrots, parsnips, or a green salad can also be refreshing. Use crusty bread to soak up the tasty sauce.
Stunning Christmas calmness with Country Abodes
Mary Berry Game Casserole (serves 8)
Ingredients
Vary the proportion of meats as you like, and, if you have difficulty getting the exact amounts of mixed game, you can make up the difference with braising beef or Boneless chicken. In season, some supermarkets sell packs of mixed game – often including venison, pheasant, rabbit, wild duck and pigeon.
1.4kg (3lb) mixed game meats (see above)
2 tablespoons sunflower oil
2 tablespoons sunflower oil
75g (3oz) butter
200g (7oz) smoked bacon lardons
450g (1lb) whole frozen chestnuts, thawed
4 leeks, thickly sliced on the diagonal
50g (2oz) plain flour
300ml (½ pint) red wine
600ml (1 pint) chicken stock
4 tablespoons redcurrant jelly
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 large orange
To serve
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1 orange, sliced
Method
Trim the meats and cut into 5cm (2in) pieces.
Heat the oil and half of the butter in a large non-stick frying pan or casserole, and brown the game and bacon over a high heat until sealed and brown. You will have to do this in batches. Add a little more oil if necessary. Don’t be tempted to put too much meat in the pan at once as it won’t seal or brown properly.) Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside.
Add the remaining butter to the frying pan and brown the chestnuts. Lift out with a slotted spoon and set aside. Add the leeks to the pan and fry over a high heat for a few minutes.
Sprinkle in the flour, and gradually blend in the red wine, stock and redcurrant jelly. Bring to the boil, stirring, season with salt and pepper, then add the whole orange and the meats.
Cover and cook over a low heat for 1½-2¼ hours or until the meats are tender. You could also cook the casserole in the oven preheated to 160°C/Fan 140°C/Gas 3 for about the same time.
(The cooking time will depend on the variety of meats used: venison, for example, tends to take a little longer to become really tender.) Check the liquid halfway through cooking, adding a little more stock if necessary.
About 15 minutes before the end of the cooking time, add the whole chestnuts.
Once the game is tender, lift the softened orange into a sieve, cut in half, stand over a bowl and push the orange through the sieve, collecting the juice. Gradually stir the juice into the casserole until the taste is perfect. Check the seasoning and add a little more stock if the casserole is still a little thick.
Garnish with freshly chopped parsley and orange slices. Serve with mashed potato and fresh vegetables – celeriac purée and red cabbage (see pages 110 and 112) go particularly well.
Top Tips
To Serve As Individual Pies
Cook the casserole as directed. Roll out a 375g packet of ready-rolled puff pastry so that it is a little larger and cut out eight 10cm (4in) circles.
Crimp the edges of each circle and lightly mark a diagonal pattern on the surface. Glaze with beaten egg and bake at 200°C/Fan 180°C/Gas 6 for about 15 minutes until golden brown (this can be done ahead).
Serve a spoonful of casserole on a plate and slant a puff pastry circle on top to make a ‘pie’.
Preparing Ahead
Casseroles are often even better a day or so after cooking as the flavours have chance to mellow, and this one is no exception. Cook the casserole as directed. Cool quickly, cover and keep in the fridge for up to 2 days. Reheat gently until piping hot, adding a little more liquid if needed. This is meal planner is a super little tool I always use to help me with Christmas preparation..
To Freeze
Prepare the casserole to the end of stage , cool quickly and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw thoroughly, then reheat gently until piping hot, adding more lic id if necessary, Garnish with chopped parsley and orange slices.
Aga Cook as above up to the end of Stage on the Simmering Plate.
Bring to the boil on the Boiling Plate, cover and transfer to the Simmering Oven for about 2½ hours until tender. Continue as above.
What’s better than a Christmas Walk on the beach before coming home to a delicious meal with the family.
I hope you enjoy this recipe and find the time to make in advance. It really will make all the difference!
Let me know in the comments what you do to spend more time with your friends and family.
Welcome to this blog, based on my experiences that I hope you’ll find useful if you are preparing for your child to leave home for University for the first time. I’ve compiled a list of what we did to prepare and what we packed in the hope it helps you support your fresher and family.
Firstly, congratulations! I really think we as parents need to stop, breathe and give ourselves a pat on the back of getting this far in parenthood. Yay! I hope that by sharing my experiences of navigating this emotional rollercoaster of a time, it”ll help you feel that you’re not only not on your own but it will help you save more and spend less.
It’s hard to believe that this time last year we were through with exams, both our teens had completed GCSE’s and A levels earlier in the summer, and we were in limbo waiting for results…
Our eldest had applied to University and is the first to leave home. In all honesty, I wasn’t ready.. I’m not sure if it’s because of lockdown and all the usual landmarks of school prom, leavers assemblies and more, hadn’t happened. It seemed the lead up to this time arrived so darn quickly..
This time reminds me very much of how it was when we were expecting our girl to arrive into the world – no idea what to expect as new parents, what we would really need, (the list appeared endless for such a teeny human!) and also how we would feel as a couple becoming a family.
Except this time was so very different, we were getting ready for our 18 year old to fly out into the big wide world and my heart was breaking. Of course I wouldn’t dampen her excited spirits but we’re close and it was so very odd, knowing our lives would be changed..
“Slipping through my fingers all the time I try to capture every minute The feeling in it Slipping through my fingers all the time”
Lyrics from Slipping Through My Fingers, Abba
There seemed SO much and yet so little information out there about our young adults leaving home. This period of time reminded me of when we were expecting our second child. I was keen each of our little family equally involved in the new arrival. Except this time we were preparing for a sibling to leave home, not arrive for the first time. We are extremely lucky, our children are very close. I knew my sons life would also change, they aren’t just as siblings, they are friends. Life would be different for all of us in our little household.
What did I do? I got list writing and preparing of course! It’s what I do!
I’ve compiled a list of what we packed and what we did to prepare in the hope it helps you support your fresher and family.
Kitchen Items
The temptation is to go overboard and get one of everything you own in your home kitchen. The truth is, you really don’t need to.
Here’s what we bought and has proved very useful – our girl used everything!
Tin opener
Sharp knife
Wooden spoon
Spatula
Kitchen Tongs
Kitchen Scissors
Cheese grater
Vegetable peeler
Saucepan (1 large, 1 small)
Frying pan
2 plates, 2 bowls 2 mugs
Resealable freezer bags
Sealing clips of different sizes for bags of pasta etc.
Bedroom Items
Similar to the kitchen items, I’d advise to pack what you know you will need and anything else you can order via Amazon or use as an excuse to visit! Remember even though they have gone off to University, shops exist and they will be fine!
Prepare with an aim to make the room as homely as possible. My girl and I went to buy the dovet and covers together, it was fun deciding on a new colour scheme from her room at home. I added a couple of items which I’ll share in my next blog Little Mission ~ Helping Your Fresher Settle Into their new Life
Cushions, throws, rugs, plants and photographs all add an instant homely feel. Check University halls individual guidelines as most won’t allow items such as kettles and candles.
Storage solutions are key for Uni rooms and this is where your trusty home furnishing stores such as Ikea, Homebase, Dunelm etc come in. Baskets and under bed storage bags are invaluable.
We packed smart as much as we could.
The dovet, pillows, pillow cases, towels etc we vacum packed into storage bag which saved a huge amount of space in the car. When in the room, these bags
A top tip we were given was to simply lift the clothes out of the wardrobe on their hangers put a dustbin bag over the hangers to form a temporary cover. When you arrive, you can simply hook them straight into the hanging space!
By planning ahead and spreading the costs, over what is an extremely expensive time, I hope you will have saved a little money too. Remember facebook marketplace and many of the homestores I mentioned earlier will have offers on for Univeristy students so keep a look out.
On that note, we found that shopping earlier, especially in Ikea, was key. (not an ad at all!) The store proves very popular at this time of year so don’t leave everything to the last minute.
I really hope this has helped take away a little of the overwhelm for you and your new University student in the preparation for them flying the nest. It’s an emotional roller coaster of a time but ride the wave in the knowledge you’ve supported your little one to this stage and you aren’t alone.
Stay in touch for more in this series including helping your fresher settling into their new life and how to manage moving in day!
Let me know in the comments if this helped and how you’re feeling.
The first Wednesday of April is National Walking Day in the UK and I’d love you to join me on a walk to celebrate. Read on to find out more about why we celebrate this special day.
I love to walk and put on my walking boots almost daily to stomp in the Devon lanes. So that probably makes me a little biased about this wonderful day! I found myself on this years National Walking Day in one of the many parks in Sheffield. Did you know it’s a 15 minute city?
“Everyone living in a city should have access to essential urban services within a 15 minute walk or bike. The 15-Minute City Project is designed to help access-focused urban transformations be what we need them to be: ambitious, inclusive, measurable and effectively implemented.”
Why Walk?
There are so many benefits to getting outside in the fresh air, rain or shine.
Getting outside is an important element to maintaining a healthy lifestyle.
Walking is a great way to get out doors and get your daily dose of vitamin D (did you know a deficit of this important vitamin can mimic signs of depression?)
It improves our health. Walking for 20-30 minutes or maintaining 10,000 steps per day is an effective way to improve your own health, physical and mental well-being
It’s easy to do – No weights necessary. No special skills or talents. Just get out there and walk!
Walking increases blood flow to the brain and does wonders our mood.
Regular walks can help to prevent cardiovascular diseases, lower your blood sugar and boost immune function. Walking for 30 minutes can also help maintain a healthy weight
Walking can help improve your sleep, all that fresh air!
On top of that, it is free and easy to fit into our daily routines.
I love to walk first thing in the morning before everyone wakes up. The best time of day for getting some vitamin D and daylight on to our faces.
A mini Mission for you – to embrace today and get outside, rain or shine and go for a walk.
As Hippocrates says “Walking is man’s best medicine.”
Will you join me on a walk today? Or better still, add a walk to your daily or weekly #powerofanhour Share with a friend you’d love to walk with!
What does the word “Kindness” mean to you? It is possible to be too kind? In this Blog, I’d like to explore the concept of kindness and how it affects us..
Kindness and what it means, is a topic I’ve been chatting with my friends over the last few months, which have created some really interesting conversations based on our experiences and our upbringing.
What does the word “Kindness” mean?
A good place to start might be to define the word kindness.
Kindness is a type of behavior marked by acts of generosity, consideration, rendering assistant or concern for others, without expecting praise or reward in return.
WIKIPEDIA
According to the Oxford English Dictionary, Kindness is “the quality of being friendly, generous, and considerate.”
“he thanked them for their kindness and support”
For me, kindness all about how we treat people, how we act towards others without expecting anything else in return. Remembering things, such as important dates, anniversaries, interviews that are important to my friends,
One of the lessons my grandmother Ruby always taught me was “treat others how we wish to be treated”
I took that as to treat people without agenda, without expectation; I guess essentially, to “be kind” for me is to do react in a way that is authentically me; by being true to myself and my personal beliefs.
What does kindness mean to you?
Where do your beliefs come from?
What if your kindness is misunderstood?
It is through conversations with friends, that it’s not unusual for an act of kindness (or to be kind) can be very much misunderstood. It can make people on the receiving end feel uncomfortable.
As a result, kindness can be misperceived, become expected and even abused.
A good friend of mine, let’s call her Catherine, shared how she’d taken a bouquet of flowers to a friend who was remembering the passing of a family member. Catherine wanted to show her friend that she cared, because she understood and could empathise what an emotional time she was going through and how she wasn’t on her own.
Sadly, the flowers weren’t received with the love, thought and kindness anticipated. Catherine was thanked but told that her kindness, the gift of the bouquet, had made the recipient feel very uncomfortable. Not because she had remembered the the emotion around the date and the pain her friend would be going through but that the gift of the flowers, had made Catherine’s friend feel in debt, that she now needed to do something in return, to reciprocate the act.
I wonder if this scenario sounds familiar to you?
If you have ever experienced this happening, because you’re not alone. It happens, it hurts but it does happen to all of us.
Is it okay to question someones kindness?
Another friend, let’s call her Anna, was hurt dreadfully during the pandemic..
A time where we all felt out of sorts and struggling to make adjustments to the crazy world of lockdowns and uncertainty. Anna’s kindness, empathy and understanding of a mutual friend of ours was rejected in a bitter way, of which she still feels hurt today..
Anna was told she was “too kind” by remembering to check in on our friend who was struggling with grief and having a stressful time, like many of us were.
Anna’s friend questioned her “why” and saw her kindness and thoughtfulness as a threat.
“Why are you being so nice?”
“My friends think you’re weird”
“It’s as if you have a hidden agenda, why are you being so kind?”
What to do if your kindness is rejected?
These are all pretty hurtful comments I wonder if you agree? Does this response say a little more about the place that Anna’s friend was at this time and not the actual act of kindness itself. Could it be that Anna’s friend was feeling vulnerable, anxious and out of sorts? We are yet to know, but I sincerely hope she’s in a better place now and can except any kindness that comes her way without questioning why.
“For beautiful eyes, look for the good in others; for beautiful lips, speak only words of kindness; and for poise, walk with the knowledge that you are never alone.”
AUDREY HEBURN
It’s hard to feel that you have caused any upset by being yourself. Remember this, if you are acting out of genuine care and by being your authentic true self, without agenda, knowing in your heart you mean no harm – that surely is OK?
Our behaviours and responses to situation such as the ones I’ve described above, stem from our experiences and upbringing. It is for that reason we can’t always appreciate that others will take our gestures as we mean them or even understand that there IS no agenda..
Reflection and knowing your personal boundaries is a good thing!
“Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable–if anything is excellent or praiseworthy–think about such things”
I’d love to know your thoughts on this. Why are we kind to people?
Are we kind to people for selfish reasons of the feeling of gratitude?
Are we kind to people, for genuine and honest reasons? I know I am.
In conclusion, is it possible to be too kind?
Let’s keep the conversation going.
I’d love to know your comments and experiences,
Love and best wishes
Join me on Instagram and join in the conversation. I’d love to see you there.
I’m going to show you how you can save a life by doing three things today. Saving a life sounds pretty dramatic doesn’t it? However, in this Blog, I’ll be sharing simple tools that’ll help in less than 2 minutes.
” Knowing that little bag of goodness is potentially going to save someone’s life who you’ve never met is incredibly hard to describe until you do it!
It’s the most surreal feeling, so to anyone thinking about it – do it!”
Jade, stem cell donor
2. Talk!!
Yes, so simple but SO effective. Only 3% of the populations are on the Stem Cell register. Many don’t know about the incredible work that DKMS do…
We can change that..
Please help me spread the word.. Tell your friends, share this link and together we can help so many more people by raising awareness and funds for this super important cause, close to my heart.
Every 27 seconds, someone somewhere in the world is diagnosed with blood cancer.
Whenever you shop, the “donation reminder” will flash up reminding you the company you are shopping with will donate a percentage of your order to the Mission 50.
It sounds too good to be true but it really isn’t! There are hundreds of brands involved so whether you’re completing your online food shopping or renewing your pet insurance, you can add valuable pennies to DKMS without doing anything at all!
You can turn your weekly grocery shopping into big donations for DKMS_UK when you use easyfundraising. They’ve even put together all the latest donations and offers from your favourite supermarkets in one place!
Not only that…
You can WIN daily prizes worth £100 for yourself by entering the #easyfundraising Summer of Fun giveaway until 31st July!
For an entry, visit their competition page and shop with any of the listed brands. The FREE donations you raise will also make a BIG difference to us, so please take a moment to get involved! Visit here and find out more…
Finally;
Follow me on instagram for more regular updates on what crazy things I’m up to and how you can support.
Here’s what’s coming up!
July 2022
Virtual 5km Fun Run or walk.
I have fab news that if you missed the virtual 5km run / walk on 7th July, you can still join in! 𝐖𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 5𝐤𝐦? Anytime before the end of 31st July 2022 𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐝𝐨 𝐈 𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐞𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐦𝐲 𝐅𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐦𝐞𝐝𝐚𝐥? Take a selfie, share on your social media, using the hashtag #mission50fordkms and I’ve just run 5km for @dkms_uk and @Claire_womanonamission We will then send you a medal as a thank you for taking part!
Virtual Ride from SWDevon to DKMS HQ in Chiswick
You may remember in March I cycled from DKMS HQ, London to DKMS HQ in Germany, totalling over 330 miles? Well, I’m at it again!
This time from West to East!
A total of 220.8 miles on the Keiser bike! Huge thanks to Digme Fitness for their ongoing support.
August 2022
Turns out I’m a little bonkers! Shh, don’t answer that! My two teenagers and I are throwing ourselves out of a plane at 17,000ft, free falling for 60 seconds and skydiving to the ground. All for @dkms_uk
This alternative triathlon involves a 17km cycle across Snowdonia National Park, a 14km trek up Snowdon and 4km paddle round the stunning Llyn Padarn. Take in the sights of the UK’s wildest adventure playground, challenge yourself, and raise money to help delete blood cancer!
Join the Team This will be a 100% DKMS event, so a great way to meet fellow supporters and feel part of Team DKMS.
I was really hoping to be able to run my 5th London Marathon in London, but it was not meant to be. Instead, I have a virtual place and will be trekking along the South West Coastal Path whilst the masses run the streets of London.
There’s a lot more planned so keep posted..
If there’s one thing you do today is to remember there are three ways you can help save a life:
Trim the meats and cut into 5cm (2in) pieces.
