Innehållsförteckning för Complete Guide To Christmas 2020 från Ideal Home

After the rollercoaster 2020 has turned out to be, if there’s one thing I’ve learned this year, it’s to try to slow down and enjoy the small things, and that’s going to be my mantra this holiday season. I can’t wait to find comfort in our favourite traditions, and turn our home into a sanctuary for us to hide away in over the festive period. We may not be able to celebrate with friends and family in the same way we’ve done in previous years, but that doesn’t mean we can’t make loved ones feel extra special, near or far. We’ve gathered the best homemade gifts, decorating ideas and delicious recipes to help you add that all-important personal touch. Who knows what Covid-19 holds for us on December 25 2020,…

STYLE TIP With a neutral scheme, use different textures to create interest – mix finishes like glass, feather, ceramic and wood STYLE TIP Complement this luxe look by piling on lavish greenery. Build up a garland with flowers (real or faux) in rich tones STYLE TIP Bring warmth and elegance to the room with soft and antique golds, using shiny brass accents to add glam highlights STYLE TIP Create your own Insta-worthy tree with oversized statement baubles. Pop among plain decs so the fun shapes shine STYLE TIP Hang groupings of large decorations from varied lengths of string or ribbon to create a staggered display…

Papercut tree card Create your own masterpiece. 1 Gently fold the face of the card in half vertically and lightly draw a 4cm horizontal baseline to the right from the fold, 3cm from the bottom with a pencil. 2 Mark a point 2cm from the top along the fold, and lightly draw a line from this mark to the outside point of your baseline. Mark 3cm up the fold from the baseline, and draw a line from this point to the right-hand point of the baseline (forming a smaller triangle within the original triangle). 3 From the top point of the smaller triangle, mark 1cm intervals up the centre fold to the top of the original triangle. From each mark, use a ruler to draw a line parallel to the…

Festive spirit kit With gin the drink of the moment, surprise a cocktail connoisseur with a crate of spirit infusion ingredients. 1 Source a mini crate and give it a little makeover with some washy paint layers. After this has dried, fill with shredded-paper straw. 2 Blend herbs and teas, such as dried rosemary, citrus peel and edible flower heads or source ready-made blends from artisan gin-infusion makers. Our blend came with a muslin bag on which we added star stickers for decoration, but one could be easily crafted with a square of sheer cotton fabric knotted together. 3 Make a label featuring homemade or ready-dried citrus slices and anise by tying the ingredients together with florist’s wire and attaching to a postal tag with a blob of glue. Arrange…

3 OF THE BEST: GAMES FOR ALL THE FAMILY Keep everyone on their toes with these fun after-dinner escapades KEEP THOSE LITTLE ONES ENTERTAINED (AND HAPPILY CONTAINED) FOR HOURS Throw this instant den over a spare table and watch as the kids’ gravitate toward it faster than you can say ‘jingle bells’. Littleme Teepee Kid’s Play Den tablecloth, £105, Not On The High Street And don’t forget your pet… Knowing everyone’s looking their best and revelling in their pile of prezzies, you’d only hate yourself if you left your special friend out in the cold. Dobbies has a super range of pet treats that includes stylish beds, toys and bowls to guarantee a super-smart upgrade for your cat or dog this Christmas. Snow Berry dog jumper, from £8.99; Danish Design…

Easy pork bolognese SERVES 4 TAKES 1 HR ♦ 1tbsp olive oil ♦ 1 red onion, chopped ♦ 2 garlic cloves, crushed ♦ 1 carrot, chopped ♦ 500g pork mince ♦ 680g jar passata ♦ 300ml chicken stock ♦ 2tbsp sun-dried tomato paste ♦ 2tsp oregano or dried Italian herbs ♦ 350g large pasta shells 1 Heat the oil in a large pan, fry the onion for a few mins to soften. Add the garlic and carrot and cook for a couple more mins. Stir in the pork mince, then season generously and fry for 10 mins until well browned, turning as needed. 2 Pour in the passata, chicken stock, tomato paste and herbs, bring to the boil, cover and simmer for 20 mins until meat is tender. 3 Meanwhile,…

Fragrant turkey curry SERVES 4 TAKES 45 MINS ♦ 50g butter or ghee ♦ 2 onions, sliced ♦ 3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced ♦ 2 thumb-sized pieces fresh ginger, grated ♦ 4tbsp curry powder ♦ 6 cardamom pods, lightly crushed ♦ 100g apricots, chopped ♦ 200ml chicken stock ♦ 1tbsp mango chutney ♦ 400g tomatoes, diced ♦ 400g shredded leftover turkey ♦ Handful toasted, flaked almonds, to garnish ♦ Coriander leaves, to garnish 1 Melt butter or ghee over medium heat. Add onions, and cook for 5 mins until soft and slightly translucent. 2 Add garlic and ginger and cook for a further 3-4 mins. Then add the curry powder and cardamom pods, and cook for 2 mins more. 3 Stir through the apricots, chicken stock, mango chutney and diced tomatoes.…

Shortly after Kate Hollingsworth had decided it was time to move to a home with a bigger garden, she was pleased to see a familiar property come onto the market. Five years earlier, after making an offer on a late-Victorian house in Hereford, she had lost out to another buyer. But here it was again, and this time it became hers to share with her sons, Billy and Jake. ‘I am pretty intrepid and tend to move every three to four years, but this is the biggest, boldest move I’ve made,’ she says. Old houses have a habit of throwing up surprises once work gets underway, and this was no exception. ‘When you buy a house, you have an idea of what you’re going to spend your money on, but…

Hang an oversized wreath full of berries and dried fruit above the fireplace to add instant wow STYLE TIP Give a classic look a modern twist by swapping traditional red accents for orange STYLE TIP Christmas lunch deserves a fabulously dressed table, so go big with plenty of lush foliage and flickering candlelight Include dried festive fruit among your decorations to add colour and a delicious aroma Adding delicate fairy lights to a display will bring it to life and also give it an extrafestive touch STYLE TIP Change up a shelf display to reflect the holiday season with festive prints and paper decs…

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Aperol spritz marmalade MAKES 1.5ltr TAKES 2hrs 30mins, plus cooling ♦ 2 red grapefruits ♦ 1.2kg oranges ♦ 1kg bag jam sugar ♦ 50ml Aperol 1 Cut the skin and pith from the grapefruits and discard. Wash the oranges then cut off and discard a slice from the top and bottom of each fruit. Cut the oranges in half and put into a large deep pan with the grapefruits and sugar. 2 Pour in the Aperol and 500ml water. Bring to the boil and reduce the heat then mix. Gently boil the mixture for 2 hrs, stirring occasionally. 3 Using a sugar thermometer check the mixture’s temperature, it should be 105C. Remove the pan from the heat and, being careful not to splatter yourself with hot marmalade, use a hand…

When selecting a tree for your home, there are lots of things to consider. Here’s how to choose the one that best meets all of your needs. Q How do I know if it’s fresh? Needle retention is a good indicator of a tree’s freshness. To test it, lift the tree by the trunk and tap it on the ground. If too many needles fall off, look again! Q What do I need to do first when I get it home? If you buy a cut tree, saw off the bottom 2.5cm of trunk and then stand it in water for as long as possible before bringing it indoors. This will keep it looking fresher for longer. Q Does it need water? As with fresh cut flowers, a tree will…

Luscious layers Sample this great combination of flavours: chocolate and orange brownie, Belgian chocolate and maple-flavoured buttercream. Slice open to unveil the chocolate cereal malt balls, all topped with an edible Christmas bauble. Tesco Finest Chocolate Orange & Maple Bauble Cake, £13, Tesco ‘Christmas is busy enough already, so treat yourself to a shop-bought pudding’ Samuel Goldsmith, Food Editor Roundly indulgent Brand new for 2020, this pudding will shimmer under the Christmas lights! It’s full of fruity flavour, soaked in sherry and pink gin and has a surprise Victoria plum and gin sauce centre. Specially Selected Damson Plum and Pink Gin Pudding*, Aldi Sweet abode Gluten free and vegan friendly, this creamy dessert-duo is filled with moreish dark morello compote and tasty chocolate mousse, all sat on a tiffin base.…

Showstopper Christmas turkey SERVES 6-8 TAKES 2 HRS 40 MINS, PLUS RESTING ♦ 1 bunch of fresh thyme ♦ 1 onion, peeled and quartered ♦ 1 lemon, quartered ♦ 2 fresh bay leaves ♦ 4kg free-range turkey ♦ 75g butter ♦ 1 garlic clove, peeled and quartered ♦ 3 large carrots, chopped into 3cm rounds ♦ 1?2 orange TO GARNISH (OPTIONAL) ♦ 1 punnet redcurrants ♦ 5 star anise ♦ 1?2 packet rocket ♦ 2 figs ♦ 5 caper berries, all halved YOU WILL NEED ♦ Cooking string and a meat thermometer 1 Heat the oven to 200C/Gas 6. Stuff the thyme, onion, lemon and bay leaves into the turkey cavity with plenty of Maldon sea salt and cracked black pepper. Rub the butter all over the skin, and season…

Lime & honey vodka cocktail SERVES 6-8 TAKES 15 MINS ♦ 600ml (2½ cups) vodka ♦ 4 limes, juiced ♦ 60ml (¼ cup) clear blossom honey TO SERVE ♦ Soda water (optional) ♦ Strips of lime zest (optional) 1 Mix the first three ingredients in a jug and chill until ready to serve. Ten minutes before you serve, add some ice to the jug and keep in the refrigerator. 2 Serve either neat in cocktail glasses, or add soda water and serve on ice in highball glasses, both garnished with strips of lime zest. Crispy potato skins with vegan chive dip SERVES 8 TAKES 1 HR 50 MINS ♦ 8 unpeeled potatoes ♦ 4tbsp olive oil ♦ Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper ♦ 1tbsp chopped rosemary leaves ♦…

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When chosen well, houseplants can have a real festive edge. A windowsill might seem like the logical place for them but the temperature fluctuations there, especially with a radiator underneath, can make life hard for houseplants. Display them somewhere bright, with a steady temperature. A cool spot will also help to prolong flowering. Many houseplants originate in humid places, and the atmosphere in our homes can be too dry for them. Regular misting will help. It’s also possible to add moisture to the air by standing the pot on a tray of pebbles or clay granules, filled with tap water. POINSETTIA POISE Choose plants grown as locally as possible so they are kept in full light and don’t have to travel in dark lorries. Buy early – you’ll have a…

Upcycled festive frames Create your own vintage-style signs using old picture frames and metallic marker pens. 1 Remove the backing board from the picture frame – leaving just the frame and the glass. 2 Choose your festive message and either print out in a handscript font or you can write freehand. 3 Place the printout behind the glass as a template. Using a marker pen, trace the message onto the glass. Woollen stars These cute textural stars can be used as tree decorations, or you can make a big one as a tree topper. 1 Cut star shapes from thick card (brown cardboard packaging is perfect). 2 Use a hot-glue gun to attach beads or bells to the points of the stars (to stop the yarn popping off the ends).…

CUT BACK ON WASTE WITH REUSABLE CRACKERS These snapless reusable Christmas crackers will put paid to excess of waste on your festive dining table each year. There are six designs to choose from, ranging from mistletoe motifs to robin designs – just fill with a mini gift of your choice and make them a feature of your Christmas spread, year after year. KEEP SANTA’S MAIL SAFE We all have different ways of getting the kids’ Christmas lists to Santa – but if you pop them in the local letter box, you never get to keep the heartfelt pleas your children craft each year. Wilko’s brilliant mailbox will guarantee the big man gets his mail and you get to keep the evidence to show your children when they’re older. ‘Why not…

Christmas cake with pistachio and fig SERVES 14 TAKES 2 HRS 20 MINS, PLUS OVERNIGHT SOAKING ♦ 150g each dried figs and apricots, chopped ♦ 200g dried cranberries ♦ 350g mixed dried fruit and peel ♦ 140ml brandy, plus 2tbsp ♦ 400g butter, softened ♦ 260g dark brown soft sugar ♦ 1tsp vanilla extract ♦ 5 eggs ♦ 400g plain flour ♦ 1tbsp mixed spice ♦ 100g toasted pistachios, chopped ♦ 4tbsp icing sugar ♦ 200g natural marzipan ♦ 200g ready-to-roll icing YOU WILL NEED ♦ A 23cm springform tin, greased and lined with baking paper, leaving a 5cm overhang 1 Soak the fruit and peel overnight in the brandy. Next day, beat the butter and sugar together until pale and fluffy. Add the vanilla. Beat in eggs, one by…

Tiffin tree SERVES 16 TAKES 25 MINS, PLUS OVERNIGHT CHILLING ♦ 300g dark chocolate ♦ 400g unsalted butter, plus extra for greasing ♦ 4tbsp golden syrup ♦ 100g shelled hazelnuts, chopped ♦ 100g flaked almonds, toasted ♦ 250g digestive biscuits, broken ♦ 100g dried figs, chopped ♦ 100g crystallised ginger, chopped TO DECORATE ♦ 30g toasted almonds ♦ 20g pistachios, chopped ♦ Glace cherries 1 Place two 15cm, and one 10cm and 5cm round cutters on a baking tray lined with baking paper. Grease each cutter, then cover the bases with cling film, pulling taut. 2 Melt the dark chocolate, butter and golden syrup in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water, stirring until smooth and evenly mixed. Remove from the heat and stir in the remaining…

The perfect festive hot chocolate SERVES 6 TAKES 15 MINS Pour 1ltr full-fat milk into a large pan and add 150g chopped dark chocolate, ½ tsp cinnamon and a generous pinch of nutmeg. Bring gently to the boil, stirring with a wooden spoon to dissolve. In a bowl, lightly whip 150ml double cream with 1tsp icing sugar until it just holds its shape. Divide the hot chocolate between six mugs. Grate over a little extra chocolate, spoon some cream on top and serve with 100g mini marshmallows. With a gingerbread biscuit to dunk, you’re all set for Christmas! TIP Add a splash of brandy or rum for grown-ups…