What’s that you say? The party invitations are flooding in whilst your waistline is expanding from over indulging on mince pies? Who cares? 'Tis Christmas!
But before you head home for a few days of sheer unchecked gluttony (courtesy of Mum’s credit card and the usually unaffordable Waitrose) you want to celebrate the joyous occasion with your family away from home. We like to call this lovely little Christmas warm up ‘Mini Christmas.’
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So turn on Mariah Carey, gather your friends and let the games begin. Here's what you need:
The 4 course cocktail menu that'll get you singing Christmas carols
No room for food comas at this Mini Christmas party, Grandma. Which is why the 4 course cocktail menu is as significant as the food. Naturally.
Start off with a classic Cosmopolitan. No, not just because it's red and got cranberries in it. But because this is about celebrating your mates. And so was Sex And The City. And, yeah we're getting a bit overwhelmed and Christmasy now but....
Crack out a St Germain cocktail with your turkey and aforementioned bread sauce. Made from Martini Prosecco, St Germain, Lemon and Soda, it's refreshing enough not to have you unbuttoning your trousers cos you've already overindulged too much. And you can make it in bulk as a punch like this and just leave it in the middle of the table for people to help themselves.
Move on to the dark and stormy stuff for dessert (because really, who actually likes Christmas pudding?) with a Rum Old Fashioned- Bacardi dark rum, angostura bitter, water, sugar syrup and orange zest.
And finally, after dinner - when you've forgotten the fight over the last roast potato and the Christmas playlist has reached Mistletoe & Wine (i.e. you know it's time to turn it off) whip up some Espresso Martini's. They'll power you through until the early hours; it's the last time you're going to see your mates until New Year, after all.
The questionable homemade Christmas outfits
There’s no room for Christmas jumpers here. No siree. Homemade Christmas outfits are the only ones for Mini Christmas. Because no sequined all-in-one Christmas tree affair can beat a carefully crafted Christmas present cardboard box that fits neatly over your head. Who wants to look sexy anyway? Just finish it off with a big red ribbon and, voila! Check out this homemade version here.
After all, would you rather look around the room to see all of your mates dressed head to toe in their finest garb (boring) or dressed in hastily botched together costumes that turn them into Santa, a misshapen reindeer and a snowman wearing nothing but a carrot for a nose? We'll go with the latter thanks.
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The expensive but oh-so-worth it food
If you’re anything like us, you’ve probably spent a small fortune on new shoes and faux-fur coats (yo, it’s Christmas, this stuff is important) leaving you, once again, scouring e-bay for your family’s presents. So the idea of spending your final £50 on a turkey probably isn’t that appealing. Instead, get your mates to all chip in a tenner, which means you can still order a turkey from the local butcher and have some cash left over for extras.
Speaking of trimmings, the easiest way to make this Mini Christmas a culinary extravaganza is to put some serious attention into the detail. For example, no matter what everyone tells you, bread sauce is NOT better out of a packet. Here’s a very simple recipe, which you can delegate to someone who's a better cook than you.
All of the sparkles and tacky glittery stuff
What is it with mums not liking multi-coloured tinsel? And for god’s sake, does Christmas really have to have a different colour theme every year? Bah humbug! No time for any of that at Mini Christmas either. This is the ultimate in glittery sparkly decorations and there’s no such thing as going over the top.
Invest in a fake Christmas tree (they’re recyclable, so it’s like, way greener than chopping one down) and hit the pound shop to make up for all those years of ‘Darling, honestly! Those pink and silver baubles are hideous! And anyway, they’ll clash with all the lovely handmade reindeer I bought from the farm shop’s Christmas bazaar.’
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This article originally appeared on The Debrief.