Wishing your pets a very furry Christmas!

A new study from Co-op Insurance shows that despite the UKs rising cost of living, we're set to spend an average of up to £873 million on presents for pets including dogs and cats this Christmas, as four-fifths (82%) of pet owners plan to spoil their beloved cats and dogs, by spending up to £50 on gifts as part of the festivities this year.

Despite the pinch, three-fifths (61%) of cat and dog owners agree they like to spend money on their pets at Christmas, and this year they won’t be cutting back. 

But unfortunately, it looks like Aunties and Uncles are set to lose out, as two fifths (40%) of those planning to spend up to £50 on pets say they won’t spend anything on gifts for their extended family.

Over three-fifths (62%) of dogs and cats in the UK will be receiving their own Christmas present this year, with over a nearly a quarter (23%) set to feed their pet from their own Christmas Dinner plate. Some pet owners (4%) are even go so far as giving their pets Christmas card - despite pets not being able to read!

Ways people include their pets at Christmas time:

They give them Christmas presents (62%)

They give them special Christmas toys (43%)

They give them more food treats (43%)

They go on a special Christmas walk (25%)

Make their pet a special Christmas meal with leftovers (27%)

Feed their pet from their own Christmas Dinner plate (23%)

They give them an advent calendar (15%)

They let their pets sit at the dinner table (13%)

They put them in a Christmas Jumper (8%)

They're allowed to sleep in owner's bed (7%)

They give them a Christmas card (4%)

The new data also points towards a rise in Empty Nest Syndrome, with 91% of pet owners 55 and over saying they are planning to buy their furry friend a Christmas gift. This is compared to 84% of those aged 25-34 and 64% of Gen Z animal lovers.

With over a quarter (27%) of dog and cat owners planning to make their pet a special Christmas meal with leftovers, be warned, it’s sharing Christmas leftovers that can pose unwanted health problems.

 From pet poisonings, to gaining a few extra pounds, a pet's wellbeing can be negatively impacted. The most common heart conditions in pets are linked back to obesity, so be certain to re-think the offerings this year, and opt for something healthier. 

It’s vital to do the research and avoid popular festive ingredients causing poisoning in animals, such as chocolate, grapes, garlic, onions, and even poinsettias.

Andrew Nevitt at Head of Co-op Pet Insurance said: "Despite the cost of living, it seems we’re still a nation looking to include our pets in family traditions, with Christmas being a time when pet owners obviously want to make sure their dogs and cats are included in our celebrations.

"Our research confirms how much our pets really mean to us, so although it’s vital to many to include their pets in Christmas and in many cases take the opportunity to spoil their pets, it’s important to keep our furry friends safe. So keep them away from those Christmas chocolates!

“Despite the festivities, we also advise animal lovers to closely monitor their pets’ food intake, as their weight and appetite can be the tell tale signs of several health concerns. Overfeeding your pet at Christmas, or offering them a one-off taste of human food, may do more harm to them than initially thought, so it’s best to stick to treats specifically manufactured for them in order to avoid unwanted trips to the vet this winter.”

For more information about Co-op Pet Insurance plans, which includes 24/7 access to vets online, visit: https://www.coop.co.uk/insurance/pet-insurance

(Image courtesy of Oli R and Pixabay)

Asda launches brand new Jingle the Reindeer Double-Smash chocolate cake along with range of themed products!

Asda has announced it's introduced a new festive mascot for the Christmas season. Perfect for some family fun in the lead up to the big day, the brand’s new Jingle the Reindeer range includes 14 new and delicious products.

A standout centrepiece of the collection, Asda’s new Double Smash Jingle the Reindeer Cake (£14), features decadent and rich chocolate sponge layers and creamy chocolate frosting. With two milk chocolate domes, the cake is the first of its kind to feature two smashable elements.

Once inside the first deliciously smooth dome, Jingle the Reindeer’s face can be seen, with two golden chocolate antlers and icing eyes. From there, those looking to indulge can smash his bright red nose, revealing a selection of yummy treats.

With the full range unveiled and prices starting from just 65p, whether it's a baking activity with the kids, a show-stopping dessert, or even a tasty afternoon treat - there’s something for everyone.

Perfect for those colder winter nights, the Jingle the Reindeer Hot Chocolate Melt makes for a fantastic stocking filler. Simply pour warm milk over the reindeer shaped chocolate melt to release the fluffy marshmallows and create a mouth-watering hot chocolate that’ll melt even the biggest chocoholics.

To add a reindeer twist on a classic, the Jingle the Reindeer and Friends Icing Kit (£2) gives aspiring cake decorators a chance to create their own Jingle themed Christmas cake icing, with all the ingredients included to create their very own Jingle the Reindeer out of icing and instructions available via a QR code on the pack.

Looking for a selection of treats to enjoy this Christmas Eve? Look no further than Asda’s Jingle the Reindeer Mini Rolls (£2) and Jingle the Reindeer Gingerbread Biscuit (65p each), with the finger food snacks perfect for adding Christmas magic to any evening. Plus, the Jingle the Reindeer Swiss Roll Cake (£6) was made for sharing with loved ones this festive season.

The full range is available to buy in-store now, with products also available to buy online while stocks last.

www.asda.com

With Asda Christmas deserts, bigger is better!

The bigger, the better; Asda proves that the age-old adage is true this year. As part of their Christmas range, the retailer has introduced three larger-than-life dessert offerings sure to excite little ones and grown-ups alike. Comprised of a Giant Éclair, a Giant Mince Pie, and a Giant Santa Themed Donut, these limited-edition giant desserts each serve up to six people and will bring smiles all round.

Firstly, there’s the Extra Special Giant Belgian Chocolate and Caramel Éclair (£7). Decadent as ever, this choux pastry éclair is filled with chocolate and caramel flavour mousse. On top, it’s coated with chocolate fondant and a caramel flavour fudge icing. 

To add a certain je-ne-sais-quoi, the pastry is topped with a gold coloured sweet dusting. This isn’t your typical dainty dessert, however, the Giant Éclair serves up to 10 people. Bon Appetit!

If you’re after something a little more traditional this year, why not go for the Extra Special Giant Mince Pie (£4.50)? Encased in an orange zest infused all-butter pastry, the pie has a deliciously rich mincemeat filling infused with brandy and port for a truly wonderful flavour. For just £4.50, this giant dessert serves up to six people, making it perfect for any festive gathering.

There’s one last giant dessert to bring ho-ho-home this year: the Giant Santa Belt Donut (£7). The donut is filled with cream and topped with a yummy raspberry glaze. And, of course, a Santa's belt. What better way to pay tribute to Old St. Nick than a giant dessert in his honour? The donut serves 4 lucky guests for £4 total.

Between the Giant Éclair, Extra Special Giant Mince Pie, and Giant Santa Belt Donut, there’s plenty to choose from when looking for that party-perfect dessert to bring to the next festive gathering. The bigger, the better and the more, the merrier.

For a limited time only, all three giant desserts are available from the bakery in Asda stores now.

Over half of Brits prefer Christmas leftovers to the main meal – yet 90 million plates are thrown away on average each year, says Asda

At the most wonderful time of the year, for many the food takes centre stage at Christmas. Yet whilst we all love a Christmas dinner, leftovers are inevitable and Asda's new research shows, on average, 90 million plates of leftover food are thrown away each year after the big day.

To help make leftovers go further this Christmas, Asda has partnered with Celebrity MasterChef finalist, Sam Nixon, to create three delicious new recipes that are a far cry from the standard leftover recipes that grace people’s social media feeds post-Christmas. 

Each recipe is easy to make and takes no longer than about 25 minutes. From Yorkshire pudding doughnuts to risotto with a stuffing crumb and a brie-topped Brussels sprouts bake, these recipes will give a new lease of life to the nation’s festive leftovers.

All three recipes were developed to make heroes of the foods many find the hardest to use or are most likely to be thrown away. When it comes to the most disposed of festive food, the ever-divisive Brussels sprouts (20%) top the list for people who have leftovers followed by broccoli (15%), cabbage (15%), and cauliflower (14%). Over 1 in 10 of those who have leftovers say they find it hard to use or throw away their leftover Yorkshire puddings (13%), cranberry sauce (14%) and stuffing (13%).

Asda’s research also showed lunch was the most popular time for people to enjoy festive leftovers, with over a third (37%) citing this as their favourite and 2.9 million of us Brits say they prefer to have their Christmas leftovers for breakfast!

A nation of leftover lovers, almost two-thirds of those who have leftovers (64%) say they enjoy Christmas leftovers more than the main Christmas dinner itself. But whilst the likes of turkey curry or a turkey and ham pie may seem the obvious choice, over a third say they don’t enjoy or wouldn’t eat these dishes (35% and 34% respectively).

Sam Nixon, TV Presenter and Foodie says: “Christmas is a time for enjoying great food with family and friends, but we’re all guilty of having eyes bigger than our stomachs at this time of year! That’s why I’ve partnered with Asda to help people get the most out of their leftovers this Christmas and avoid throwing out any perfectly good portions of food. It’s been so much fun developing these recipes and trying to do something different than the usual turkey curry!”

An Asda spokesperson says: “We know food waste can be an issue at Christmas and with the rising cost of living people will be looking for ways to make their food go further. We hope these exciting leftover recipes will give people inspiration on what to do with their surplus food which may have otherwise been thrown away and help them enjoy their delicious leftovers all the way to New Year!”

Find full details on the delicious recipes below and online at https://www.asda.com/good-living.

Leftover Parsnip and Chestnut Risotto topped with a Sage and Stuffing Crumb

A creamy and delicious dish that gives a new life to leftover veggies!

Ingredients - Serves 4

2 tablespoon olive oil

½ white onion, finely chopped

1 stick of celery, finely chopped

2 garlic cloves, crushed

350g Arborio rice

Optional: 1 small glass of leftover fizz or white wine

1.5 litre vegetable stock (use as needed)

250g leftover roasted parsnips - cubed

1 handful of leftover cooked chestnuts - finely chopped

1 knob of salted butter

Freshly milled black pepper and salt to taste

100g cooked leftover stuffing

4 sage leaves, finely chopped

20g Parmesan, grated

Method

Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat in a large pan with a lid and cook white onion and celery for 1-2 minutes, add garlic and cook for a further minute. Add in rice and stir, pour in leftover fizz, or wine (if using) and bring to a boil.

Slowly incorporate the vegetable stock, stirring well at a simmer. Cook for a total of 15 minutes until the rice is al dente.

Stir in cooked parsnips and chestnuts and season with a knob of butter, salt, and pepper. Cover again and cook for a further 5 minutes.

Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil to a small pan and fry off sage leaves and cooked stuffing to a crumb-like consistency and golden brown.

Serve Risotto in bowls topped with generous helpings of stuffing and sage mix and a sprinkle of grated parmesan.

Leftover Ham, Cauliflower, Brussels Sprout & Brie Bake

The ultimate cosy brunch dish to warm you up after a long walk with loved ones. Think cauliflower cheese meets potato gratin - YUM!

Ingredients - Serves 4

200g cooked gammon - chopped into lardon-size pieces

750g leftover cooked cauliflower - broken into florets

250g leftover cooked brussels sprouts - finely chopped

50g butter

40g plain flour

500ml semi-skimmed milk

1 tsp wholegrain mustard

75g cheddar cheese - grated

165g leftover Brie - sliced

Method

Preheat the oven to 200C/180C Fan/Gas 6. Layer the leftover cooked cauliflower, brussels sprouts, and gammon into an oven-proof dish

To make the cheese sauce, use a small saucepan and melt the butter over a medium heat. Turn down to a low heat and stir in the flour for 1 minute until cooked.

Slowly whisk in the milk until smooth and then (still whisking) bring to a simmer. Add in the French mustard and grated Gruyere cheese.

Pour the sauce over the ham, cauliflower and brussels sprouts and then top with slices of leftover Brie. Bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes until bubbling and golden brown.

Serve with cranberry sauce for an extra special festive treat!

Dark Chocolate Cinnamon sugar ‘yorkie doughnuts' made with leftover Yorkshire puddings

Give leftover Yorkshire Puddings a new lease of life with this deliciously sweet and spiced dessert

Ingredients - Makes 4

4 leftover Yorkshire Puddings

100g dark chocolate

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1 tbsp Demerara Sugar

Optional, to serve: 4 scoops of Vanilla Ice cream

Method

Preheat the oven to 200C/180C Fan/Gas 6. Place the leftover Yorkshire puddings on a wire rack and put in the oven for 3-5 mins to reheat thoroughly.

In the meantime, melt dark chocolate in a heat-proof bowl. Combine the Demerara sugar and cinnamon in a separate bowl.

Once the Yorkshire puddings are hot, spoon over melted chocolate and dip in cinnamon sugar mix. Serve and enjoy!

For an added treat, place a scoop of vanilla ice cream in each yorkie doughnut

That's Food and Drink: GUNNA Drinks sends 'cheeky' message to big rival o...

That's Food and Drink: GUNNA Drinks sends 'cheeky' message to big rival o...: Award winning craft lemonade brand, GUNNA Drinks has delivered a cheeky middle finger sculpture made of plastic cola bottles to Coca Cola wi...

Tesco to bring back its Kids Eat Free scheme from Boxing Day

Tesco has announced it is bringing back its popular Kids Eat Free scheme in its 312 cafés across the UK between Boxing Day and 6 January 2023.

Tesco cafes are offering one free Kids Hot Meal Deal, Kids Breakfast or Kids Pick ‘n’ Mix deal with each item bought by an adult from as little as 60p when showing their Clubcard at the till.

Popular kids menu items include beans or avocado on toast, fish fingers, baked chicken goujons or a sandwich. Main meals include a vegetable side dish and sandwich pick n mix includes a piece of fresh fruit so there’s something healthy and satisfying to feed hungry children from breakfast until dinner.

Kids Eat Free is part of Tesco’s work to help customers save money during the Christmas season and help families provide children with a balanced meal.

Across 2022, Tesco expects to have provided over 400,000 free meals to children during school holidays. 

Recent research from leading food charity The Food Foundation shows that 4 million children in households are affected by food insecurity, the highest level they’ve tracked since the start of the pandemic. The research also shows that households with children are more likely to experience food insecurity than households without children (25.8% versus 16%) .

Jason Tarry, Tesco UK CEO, said: “We're pleased to bring back our Kids Eat Free initiative in Tesco Cafés, offering a little extra support over the Christmas holidays. We want to help parents and carers to provide children with nutritious food – saving them some money at a time when budgets are tighter than ever. Children can get a balanced meal and hopefully get into the Christmas spirit, too."

Anna Taylor, Executive Director of the Food Foundation said: “It’s great to see Tesco supporting families in this way, particularly at such an important time of year. We know that the cost-of-living crisis has put increased pressure on vulnerable households, so the ability for parents and carers to get a free meal in so many communities across the country is very welcome. Hunger doesn’t take a holiday, so it’s vital that both the government and businesses act to support families as we head into what will be a very challenging Winter for many,”

James Toop, CEO of youth-led campaigning organisation Bite Back 2030 added: “It’s a critical time for the health of young people. The cost of living crisis is impacting families' and making it much harder to afford the nutritious food children need to thrive. Tesco’s offer of a free hot balanced meal is offering support for families in a healthier way.”

“Our next generation needs our support now more than ever, commented Elaine Hindal, CEO of the British Nutrition Foundation. The guarantee of one free nutritious meal per day this Christmas season will provide reassurance to so many disadvantaged communities.”

 As well as Kids Eat Free, Tesco also supports families in the community through its partnership with Fareshare and the Trussell Trust. Through its Community Food Connection programme, Tesco provides surplus food to thousands of local charities and community groups. Customers can also use food sharing app, OLIO, to find free food that has been donated by Tesco.

Tesco also has long-term partnerships with health charities Diabetes UK, the British Heart Foundation and Cancer Research UK to raise awareness about the condition risks and prevention.

"Be careful this Christmas" warning as NHS staff strike

Families up and down the country have been advised to be extra careful as NHS staff are taking strike action.

The NHS is asking patients to use services wisely during industrial action and take simple steps to help ensure care is available to patients who need it most.

This includes using NHS 111 online as the first port of call for health needs and continuing to only use 999 if it is a life-threatening emergency.

The NHS is already facing record demand on urgent and emergency care services – October and November were the busiest on record for A&E attendances and the most serious ambulance callouts.

Industrial action means these services will be under increased pressure so it is vital that people use the services available appropriately.

Patients should continue to call 999 if anyone requires life-saving care with ambulance services prioritising the most clinically urgent cases. If it is not life-threatening you may have to wait longer than usual for an ambulance.

General practice, community pharmacies, and dentistry are not impacted by strike action.

The NHS is also asking the public to play their part by taking simple steps during industrial action to look after themselves, loved ones and checking in on vulnerable family members and neighbours.

People can help by taking sensible measures to keep themselves and others safe during this period by not ending up in A&E – such as drinking responsibly or stocking up on their medication.

Today nurses are striking in 44 NHS Trusts across England. Ambulance workers will be striking at nine out of 10 ambulance trusts tomorrow.

Patients whose conditions are not life-threatening will have to wait longer than usual for an ambulance and, where safe and appropriate, may be asked to make their own way to hospital – although it is important that they get medical advice from 111 or 999 before doing so.

In all cases, priority will be given to those patients with the most clinically urgent health needs.

NHS Medical Director Professor Sir Stephen Powis said: “There is no doubt the NHS is facing extreme pressure and industrial action will add to the already record demand we are seeing on urgent and emergency care, and so it is really important that the public play their part by using services wisely.

“This means continuing to call 999 for life-threatening emergencies – if it is not life-threatening you may have to wait longer than usual for an ambulance.

“And using 111 online for other health needs where you will receive clinical advice on the best next steps to take.

“But people can also help by taking sensible steps to keep themselves and others safe during this period and not ending up in A&E – whether that is drinking responsibly or checking up on a family member of neighbour who may be particularly vulnerable to make sure they are ok.

“NHS staff have worked hard to minimise disruption but it is inevitable as with any industrial action that we will see an impact on services but it is vital if you need lifesaving care, to continue to come forward”.

The NHS has been preparing extensively for industrial action and for winter, with plans already in place to manage additional demand including 24/7 control centres, additional bed capacity, more mental health support for ambulance services and more community falls services.

The NHS will contact anyone whose appointment has to be rescheduled due to strikes. If the NHS has not contacted you, please attend appointments as planned.

Guidance issued ahead of industrial action by ambulance services asked local systems to discharge patients who are medically fit and asked that local areas only cancel elective procedures as a last resort.

The NHS has also launched the latest phase of a TV campaign encouraging the public to use NHS 111 online.

After entering answers about health needs online, the service makes an assessment and directs you to the best place for your care – this can include a consultation with a pharmacist, a call back from a nurse, or visiting a same day urgent treatment centre or A&E.

Figures show over 6.5 million people used the NHS 111 online service in the last 12 months, with an average of 20,000 users being directed to the right support every day according to the latest data.

NHS England and local NHS areas have plans in place to ensure life-saving care continues and to minimise disruption to patient care.

Regional and national teams will support local areas needing any further assistance on strike days to help local areas coordinate responses.

Last month, NHS England issued guidance to local NHS employers on what derogations they should seek from local union representatives to ensure certain vital services such as chemotherapy continue.

(Image courtesy of Cezary Paweł and Pixabay)