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Get creative this Christmas Original festive recipe ideas

Ever get bored of serving up the same old seasonal dishes at Christmas? Then why not try this round up of fresh festive serving suggestions. Using firm seasonal favourites like Brussels sprouts and hazelnuts, this round up of original festive recipe ideas are guaranteed to impress guests. And should there be any food left over, we’ve also included a few ‘love your leftovers’ suggestions ideal for turkey, sprouts and spuds

Festive Starters
Brussels Sprouts with Hazelnuts, Potatoes and Ham, served on Sourdough Toasted Bread - Surprise guests with this fresh take on Brussels Sprouts. Boiled until just soft and served on top of toast with ham, Brussels make a wonderful light starter.

Xanthe Clay’s Beetroot-stained Smoked Salmon with beetroot and walnuts – this modern alternative to the traditional smoked salmon starter is great for adding a splash of colour on the festive table

Japanese style Radish and Rare Beef Roll-ups - Featuring ruby red radishes and bright green water cress, these delicious canapés are the perfect colours for a Christmas party spread.

Seasonal Sides
Creamed Brussels sprouts with nutmeg – creamy and full of flavour, this delicious side dish will have even the most adamant Brussels haters begging for more

Tenderstem® with Hazelnut & Orange Butter – Christmas memories are filled with bowls of nuts by the fire and oranges in the bottom of your stocking and this recipe uses both these flavours to create a delicious modern side dish

Jo Pratt’s Tenderstem®, Chantenay Carrot and Brussel Sauté - mix the Brussels up a bit this year with this yummy vegetable sauté

Just desserts
Pink Lady® Apple and Mincemeat Tarts - A lighter alternative to traditional mice pies, these simple tarts combine melt in the mouth pastry filled with fresh apples and mincemeat to give a really fresh twist to a Christmas classic.

Beetroot, Raisin & Stem Ginger Pudding – This is a fabulous wintery pudding for those looking for an alternative to the traditional Christmas pud, and with a bit of custard drizzled on top, looks almost exactly the same.

Love your leftovers
Brussels Sprout and Chopin Potato Croquettes – these tasty croquettes are a great way to use up leftover sprouts

Shallot and Sprout Bubble and Squeak Cakes – use up left over roast potatoes and sprouts with these tasty bubble and squeak cakes. Great with cold turkey and cranberry sauce!

Diana Henry’s Tenderstem® Nasi Goreng - Spice up Boxing Day and beyond with Diana Henry’s Tenderstem® Nasi Goreng. This recipe is guaranteed to be a family favourite and can be easily adapted to suit what you already have in the house i.e. a lot of left over turkey!

Recipes provided by:

Beetroot – www.lovebeetroot.co.uk

Love Your Greens (sprouts) – www.loveyourgreens.co.uk

Pink Lady® apples – www.pinkladyapples.co.uk

Radish – www.loveradish.co.uk

Tenderstem® broccoli – www.tenderstem.co.uk

UK Shallots – www.ukshallot.com

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Toys place at the top of Christmas lists threatened by tech: What kids want for Christmas

What children really want for Christmas

Toy’s place at the top of children’s Christmas lists is being threatened by iPads and video games.

Those are the findings of research featured in the latest issue of toy industry publication Toy News. The research was carried out for the magazine by youth research specialists, Dubit to provide insight into what children across the UK will be asking Santa for this year.

Presents

Dubit asked the children to pick five types of presents to make up their imaginary Christmas list. The kids chose electronic devices the most (chosen by 59 per cent), followed by video games (53 per cent), money (44 per cent), and toys (39 per cent).

As the children get older, the most popular gifts change considerably. Those aged seven to eight favour toys (63 per cent), while nine to ten year-olds prefer electronic items (60 per cent). Gadgets are also top of 11-12 year-old’s lists but at that age girls favour clothes over any other present.

The least popular Christmas presents with children are novelty items, jewellery, and grooming. Unsurprisingly, 11-12 year-old girls buck this trend as they begin to take an interest in beauty products.

Toys

The children were also asked which types of toys they wanted to find beneath the tree – a toy was regarded as popular if it ranked in the top three.

For this, the toys were divided into nine categories, such as board games, action figures, and blocks.

Board games are the most popular toy - placing in the top three 124 times, followed by vehicles (105), pet animals (96), blocks (88) and puzzles (83).

Despite the prominence of video games in older children’s’ playtime, board games are popular with kids aged 9-10 and 11-12, as are puzzles such as jigsaws and Rubix Cubes.

Action figures and dolls only made the top three of 78 children’s lists, with just 14 boys putting them near the top compared to 64 girls.

Brands

Finally, the children were asked to pick three items for their Christmas list – three from the toys list and three for the sectors list (gadgets, money, toys, etc.)

The most popular words used were associated with technology brands, like Nintendo DS, Xbox, and iPhone.

Lego was the most popular toy brand to be mentioned by the children. This was helped by Lego’s move into video games and partnering with brands like Harry Potter and Star Wars. Other toy brands chosen by the children included Hello Kitty, Barbie and Harry Potter.

Samantha Loveday, editor of ToyNews magazine commented: “Although consumer electronics seem to be grabbing the attention of older kids, the more traditional toys are still firm favourites with younger children.

“It’s interesting to see that the toy suppliers that have made a move into video games – and video game suppliers which have launched into the toy space – seem to be higher on the agenda when talking to kids about brands. It appears that a mix of digital and traditional is a key combination for keeping kid’s interested as they grow up. However, it is nice to see that the good old board game is still top of the Christmas list where toys are concerned.”

Luxury Hampers Company Highland Fayre Encourage Everyone To Shop Safely Online This Christmas

With recent news that shopping online has risen over the previous month and year, luxury hamper company Highland Fayre are encouraging all shoppers to shop online safely, this Christmas.

With an increased number of shoppers now going online to find some bargains and great deals this year it's vital that remaining aware and taking a few simple steps can ensure that there are no problems this Christmas.

There are many simple and effective ways to help remain secure while shopping online that can be overlooked as the Christmas period approaches. Try the following:

1. Make sure before paying or entering any kind of card details there is an 'https://' prefix present in the address bar; this will clarify that the page is currently encrypted and it's safe to enter credit card information.

2. Try to find security badges such as VeriSign, Trust-E, and PayPal, before paying. This can give you confidence in using any particular website that there are safety measures already in place. Plus services like PayPal can prevent the requirement of card details having to be entered.

3. Lastly, always try to shop with reputable sellers. This can reduce the chances of falling into any kind of scam. Therefore ensure that there is a visible address and contact number, and remember to always view the privacy policy and returns policy before purchasing anything online.

A spokesperson from luxury hamper company, Highland Fayre, said: “By following these simple and straightforward safety checks you can be sure that there are no late surprises this year.”

“Shopping around and being wary of potential scams can help keep everyone on their toes this Christmas and make sure that those great deals are the real thing. Using reputable websites and sellers can help give you peace of mind this Christmas.”

For more information on Highland Fayre, view their website at: www.highlandfayre.co.uk/

With prices starting from as little as £19.00, they are sure to have ranges of gift hampers to suit all budgets.