Image: Magnet
With Christmas around the corner, Kitchen design and retail specialists Magnet have predicted the top 10 festive kitchen decoration trends this year.
From winter wreaths to festive crockery - here is how to turn the heart of your home into a luxury winter wonderland this Christmas!
THE TOP 10 MOST POPULAR CHRISTMAS
DECORATIONS FOR YOUR KITCHEN IN 2021
1. CHRISTMAS WREATHS
Images: Home Bunch / Home Stories A to Z
Images: It all started with paint / The Turquoise Home
8. CHRISTMAS OVEN MITTS AND TEATOWELS
Images: Soil Solutions Homestead / The Danes
9. FESTIVE BOWL OF WINTER INGREDIENTS
Images: Sunny Side Up / Pinterest
10. WINDOW LEDGE CHRISTMAS SCENE
If you're looking for a more subtle nod to Christmas you can utilise popular Scandinavian decor. This minimalist trend incorporates natural elements such as foliage, paper and wood, along with classic Christmas colours such as red, green, gold or silver. Decorations tend to be sparse and made from natural materials and have a simple yet festive style.
On the other end of the scale, you can choose a more maximalist approach to your decor. For this trend, there are no restraints to the use of colours and patterns to liven up your kitchen.
Images: Magnet / Lauren M Mills
1. CHRISTMAS WREATHS
Christmas wreaths are not only for your front door. In recent years, Magnet designers have witnessed an increase in popularity of displaying elegant wreaths inside the kitchen!
The most popular locations to adorn kitchen wreaths are on cabinet doors, kitchen windows, or on units above the hob or oven. However, it’s important you make sure wherever you place your wreath, it is safe and not at risk from setting alight.
Images: The Blushing Bungalow / Nesting with Grace
2. FOLIAGE GARLANDS AROUND KITCHEN WINDOWS
The simple addition of a window garland can transform your kitchen into a festive haven this Christmas!
Hanging faux (or real) greenery to the frame of your windows brings nature into your kitchen and creates a cosy aesthetic. You can add fairy lights, pine cones, berries or eucalyptus leaves to further emphasis and fill out the feature.
If you do not have any suitable windows to work with, you can attach garlands to the top of wall cabinets or doorways for a similar effect.
Images: Ella Claire Inspired / Home by Heidi
3. DECORATIVE CHRISTMAS JARS
Using jars you may already have in your kitchen to create a cute winter scene is a great way to subtly decorate your kitchen counters this Christmas.
These are especially handy if you have young children or pets as it’s a safer way to display smaller ornaments which could be a choking hazard!
To create your scene, first add a layer of white sugar to the base of the jar to replicate snow. You can then fill your jar with edible objects such as miniature gingerbread shapes or candy canes.
Alternatively, you can choose to use small ornaments such as baubles or trees. Finish off the look by adding red ribbon to the handle of the jars!
Images: Dining Delight / Life on Summerhill
4. TIERD CHRISTMAS ISLAND CENTERPIECE
For those who have an island in their kitchen (or a spare corner on their counter top), adding a DIY Christmas centerpiece is a great way to make your kitchen feel festive. Last Christmas, Magnet designers noticed a rise in interest for tiered centerpieces in particular - and predict the trend will continue this year!
You can repurpose a tiered tray stand, by adding small festive objects such as pine cones, candles and ivy. Pick colours that compliment your kitchen's colour scheme or classic Christmas colours such as red and green.
Images: Home Bunch / Home Stories A to Z
5. FESTIVE CHAIR DECORATIONS
If you have chairs or stools in your kitchen, adding simple decoration to the back of them will give your room a festive makeover.
Foliage, ribbons or miniature wreaths are a great option for a sophisticated and stylish look.
Images: Ella Claire & Co. / Donna Hay
6. ON DISPLAY GINGERBREAD HOUSE OR CHRISTMAS CAKE
Gingerbread houses and Christmas cakes are made to be eaten - but they also are a great decorative piece to display in your kitchen. Thanks to these treats lasting over a week in most cases, they can be incorporated into your decor in the run up to Christmas.
You can go as big or as small as you wish with this decor - and you can even get the kids involved. If you want over-the-top inspiration, every year, Kris Kardashian gifts her children lavishly decorated Gingerbread houses which they share online. If you do have yours on show and wish to eat it, make sure you cover it overnight to make it last longer and keep it fresh.
Images: It all started with paint / The Turquoise Home
7. CHRISTMAS CROCKERY
Swap out your regular dishes and mugs with Christmas alternatives.
From Santa and reindeer mugs to candy cane plates, you can display them on shelves or countertop corners to make your kitchen feel festive. Many find it fun to build their unique collection each year, by buying new or pre-loved pieces!
Images: My 100 Year Old Home / Blogs by Aria
8. CHRISTMAS OVEN MITTS AND TEATOWELS
As well as replacing your crockery, you can also swap your everyday kitchen textiles, like tea towels and oven mitts, with their seasonal Christmas counterparts!
Having these on display is a useful and natural way to celebrate the festive season.
9. FESTIVE BOWL OF WINTER INGREDIENTS
Get into the Christmas spirit this year by making your very own dried potpourri. Not only will this decoration be beautiful to look at - it also will make your kitchen smell amazing! You can also assemble your potpourri into glass jars, and give it to family and friends as a festive gift.
You can make your potpourri to your own taste by choosing what ingredients to dehydrate and add. We recommend cinnamon sticks, essential oils, herbs, vanilla beans and dried fruits such as oranges.
You can use your oven to dry the items out. Drying out your fruits will take the longest (up to 3 hours). Cut the oranges into 1-2cm slices and place them on baking paper in the oven. Start at 120°C and turn them up every half hour - they will start to develop a brown shade, but you must also keep a close eye on them regularly to judge when they are done. Too cool, put them on a metal cooling rack!
10. WINDOW LEDGE CHRISTMAS SCENE
If you have a window ledge in your kitchen, you can create your very own winter village scene this Christmas - an increasingly popular trend!
By assembling model homes in between faux Christmas trees, on a bed of cotton wool, you can build your very own winter wonderland. Not only will it look great from the inside of your home, you can spread the festive cheer as your neighbours will also get to see the scene too!
Lizzie Beesley, Head of Design at Magnet commented:
“If you are using your kitchen as a hosting space, or just want to raise the cook’s spirits, there are many simple tweaks to festively spruce up the hub of your home. You can use resources like Magnet’s trending decor predictions above, or sites such as Pinterest, for sources of inspiration.
If you're looking for a more subtle nod to Christmas you can utilise popular Scandinavian decor. This minimalist trend incorporates natural elements such as foliage, paper and wood, along with classic Christmas colours such as red, green, gold or silver. Decorations tend to be sparse and made from natural materials and have a simple yet festive style.
On the other end of the scale, you can choose a more maximalist approach to your decor. For this trend, there are no restraints to the use of colours and patterns to liven up your kitchen.
The aim is to be bright, bold and eccentric, embracing the joy of the festive season.
And last but not least, traditional Christmas decor is also another popular way to add some festive cheer to the heart of your home. This includes the use of Christmas colours and decorations such as garlands, candy canes, bells, wreaths and gingerbread houses for a decadent feel.”
And last but not least, traditional Christmas decor is also another popular way to add some festive cheer to the heart of your home. This includes the use of Christmas colours and decorations such as garlands, candy canes, bells, wreaths and gingerbread houses for a decadent feel.”
Article Source: Magnet UK
I do eat a lot of chicken it seems. More often than not it is on the menu. That is probably for a variety of reasons!
One it is reasonably affordable, and two its a pretty versatile protein to prepare. It goes with just about anything and adapts to many flavors and cooking methods!
I never run out of interesting and delicious ways to prepare this healthy source of protein!
I especially love to use Chicken breasts. With their mild flavor they provide a canvas upon which to layer many other textures and flavors.
I love to play with them and come up with delicious ways of preparing them. This is one of my favorite things I have ever done with them.
You end up being able to get in several of your five a day, as well as some tender moist and flavor filled chicken. The cheesy sauce and crispy topping is the icing on a very tasty cake!
WHAT DO YOU NEED TO MAKE CHICKEN WITH CHEESE, LEEKS & SPINACH
There is nothing much out of the ordinary here. It might seem like a long list, but its a really simple list.
boneless, skinless chicken breasts (try to get them as evenly sized as possible)
baby spinach leaves
Leeks (you will only need the white and light green parts
butter (I use salted)
flour (all purpose, plain)
salt and pepper
dry mustard powder
milk (I use whole milk, but feel free to use semi-skimmed or 2%)
a good strong cheddar cheese
some stale bread
HOW TO CLEAN LEEKS
Leeks are a hugely versatile and delicious vegetable that is pretty much available to us all year round these days. They can be somewhat gritty however and do require thorough cleaning to get rid of that grit.
Because leeks grow for the most part under ground, much like an onion, they often accumulate sand and sediment in their layers. Some people can find it very troublesome to remove this, but if you follow my instructions that won't be a problem.
First you will need to cut off the root end and the tougher dark green tops. You can easily do this using a sharp chef’s knife. You’ll have the light green and white stalk left.
Slice this lengthwise down the middle to form two long, skinny halves. This will expose all the layers in the middle of the leek.
Soak the stalks in a bowl of cold water for 10 minutes or so, then rinse under cold running water in the sink. The long soak allows the water to penetrate the leek’s many layers, clearing out all the bits of debris.
You are now ready to go! Simply slice or dice, etc. as per the recipe requirement. In this case you will be slicing them into half moons.
HOW TO MAKE CHICKEN WITH CHEESE, LEEKS & SPINACH
It might seem complicated, but really if you break it down into parts you will find that this is really a simple dish that goes together very quickly.
One of the components of this dish is a lush cheese béchamel sauce. This is very similar to make as you would a sauce for macaroni and cheese.
Melt the butter, whisk in the flour and dry mustard powder. Cook for a minute or so to cook out any flour taste and then slowly whisk in the milk, whisking constantly until the mixture bubbles and thickens. You can taste and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper. Set aside.
You could always sauté the leeks in some butter to soften them, but I like to soften them in the microwave, which saves on fat and calories.
Just pop them into a glass measure/dish and add a bit of water. Cover with plastic cling film and microwave on high for about a minute, then set aside to cool.
You can melt the butter in the microwave as well, which will be mixed with bread crumbs for the crispy topping. I usually make my own bread crumbs by whirring some stale bread in a food processor, but you can use any bread crumb you like. Panko gives a nice crispy finish.
You can lightly pound your chicken pieces between some cling film to even them out so that they are all one thickness. Once you have done that it is simply a matter of layering things in a baking dish.
The uncooked baby spinach goes on the bottom of the baking dish. Don't worry, it will cook in the heat of the oven to perfection. You place the chicken on top of the spinach.
Spoon the leeks over the chicken and the top with the cheese sauce and buttered crumbs. That's it. Your dish is now ready to bake to perfection!
Half an hour later you are rewarded with some tender and juicy pieces of chicken, bathed in those lovely leeks and that rich cheese sauce, all bubbly and scrumptious, with a crispy, buttery, crumb topping.
What's not to love about that!! This is quite simply delicious!
I served it with some steamed baby potatoes and a mix of frozen grilled Mediterranean style vegetables. They were very easy to warm up in the microwave. You can dress them with a bit of balsamic if you want.
This was one very delicious Mid-week supper!
Chicken with Cheese, Leeks & Spinach
Yield: 4
Prep time: 15 MinCook time: 30 MinTotal time: 45 Min
This makes for a delicious supper, midweek. All you need on the side is some rice or potato and a vegetable, or salad. Simple and hassle-free, my kind of cooking. Use good quality chicken breasts for this.
Ingredients
- 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, trimmed
- 2 leeks, washed and thinly sliced (White and light green parts only)
- a small bag of baby spinach leaves, washed and dried and de-stemmed (about 4 handfuls)
- 2 TBS butter
- 2 TBS flour
- 1/2 tsp dried mustard powder
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 1/2 cups (300ml) whole milk
- 1 generous cup (125g) grated strong cheddar cheese
To top:
- 2 sliced of stale bread made into crumbs
- 1 TBS melted butter
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400*F/200*C/ gas mark 6. Butter a shallow baking dish large enough to hold the chicken in one layer. Set aside.
- Make the cheese sauce by melting the butter in a saucepan. Whisk in the flour and mustard powder. Cook for a minute, whisking constantly, then slowly whisk in the milk.
- Cook, stirring constantly until the mixture bubbles and thickens. Remove from the heat and whisk in the cheese to melt. Season to taste with salt and black pepper.
- Put the leeks into a large bowl with 1 TBS of water. Cover with plastic cling film. Microwave on high for 1 minute until well wilted. Set aside to cool.
- Melt the butter and toss with the bread crumbs. Set aside.
- Place the spinach into the baking dish in a single layer. Lay the chicken breasts on top of the spinach.
- Divide the wilted leeks equally between the chicken breasts, laying them on top of the chicken. Pour the cheese sauce evenly over all. Top with the buttered crumbs.
- Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until golden brown and the chicken is cooked through. The juices should run clear. Delicious!
This content (written and photography) is the sole property of The English Kitchen. Any reposting or misuse is not permitted. If you are reading this elsewhere, please know that it is stolen content and you may report it to me at: mariealicejoan at aol dot com Thanks so much for visiting. Do come again!
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When we were growing up one of our favorite parts of any holiday meal was the inevitable soup we knew that my mother would be making in the days following.
We would have a nice meal on the first day, perhaps leftovers on the second, sandwiches and then on about the third day my mother would put the bones in a pot on the stove and we knew we were in for a real treat!
At Thanksgiving and Christmas it would be a nice pot of turkey soup. Roast Ham at New Years and Easter meant we would be having our favorite French Canadian Pea Soup.
Sometimes if it was a roast beef we would end up with beef and vegetable. We were not picky. My mom made great soup and we were happy to have a bowl of it set before us no matter what kind it was!
My mother was the best soup maker and I learned all that I know about making soup from watching her. As adults when we went home for a visit we knew that mom would always have a big ice cream container of her homemade soup waiting for us in the deep freeze!
Mom has been gone from us for almost three years now and there is not a day goes by but what I don't think of her multiple times. When I am feeling poorly I long for a bowl of her homemade soup.
It was indeed good medicine and made all of your troubles seem smaller and insignificant, and chased away all the sniffles. Homemade soup to me is just like one of my mother's hugs in a bowl.
Having a bunch of leftover turkey bones made me want to make a big pot of homemade turkey soup. Although this recipe makes a lot, that is not a problem. It freezes very well and who can't use a container of homemade soup in the freezer to take out as a pick-me-up or a hug when you need one!
WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE TURKEY CARCASS SOUP
Nothing too extravagant. Simple ordinary every day ingredients.
- a spent turkey carcass with plenty of meat clinging to the bones (if you don't have a lot of meat left on it add a chicken leg or two)
- a few chicken bullion cubes (not necessary but they add additional flavor)
- onions, celery
- carrots
- cabbage
- rutabaga (swede)
- a can of chopped tomatoes
- Worcestershire Sauce
- a variety of herbs and seasonings
- pearl barley
- split peas (optional but nice)
HOW TO MAKE TURKEY CARCASS SOUP
Its really simple really. If your turkey carcass is rather on the large side, break it up into smaller pieces. Pop it into a saucepan along and cover it with water. Bring to the boil.
Once you have brought it to the boil, reduce to a simmer and add the bullion cubes if using. Leave this to simmer for about an hour or so at which time any meat left on the carcass will be falling off and the broth should be really fragrant.
You need to carefully remove your bones from the broth now. They will be hot. Remove and set aside, then strain the broth in the saucepan into a clean saucepan through a sieve. This will remove any solids that you might have missed.
Pick all of the meat from the bones, dice and return it to the pan with the broth. Bring back to the boil and then add the remaining ingredients.
Reduce to a simmer and cook, covered, for a further hour until all of the vegetables are tender and the barley and spit peas have cooked. Taste and adjust the seasoning as required. Discard the bay leaf.
That's basically it. Your soup is done and ready to eat. We love it with crackers in our house. Mom always let us put butter on our crackers.
There was probably more butter than cracker! That's one thing my mom always used and that was real butter. We never had margarine. It was one of her little extravagances.
And she never minded us spreading it thickly onto our bread or crackers. Dad always used to say to us, "Would you like more bread with that butter?" But we kept slathering it on anyways.
To this day I love butter. It is a weakness of mine and will probably kill me in the end, but I will die with a smile on my buttery lips!! 😄
I really hope that you have saved your turkey carcass and that you will give this tasty soup a go. When I worked at the Manor they always wanted me to make soup with the carcass and also with chicken carcasses after a roast chicken.
They loved my soup. I guess I inherited my mother's talent for making a great pot of soup! (Amongst other things.) Enjoy!!
Turkey Carcass Soup
Yield: 12
Prep time: 45 MinCook time: 2 HourTotal time: 2 H & 45 M
This delicious soup makes a fair amount, but it freezes really well. I enjoy it on the day and then freeze it in two serving sized containers to enjoy at another time.
Ingredients
- 1 turkey carcass
- 4 quarts (4 liters) water
- 3 chicken bullion cubes
- 1 small rutabaga, peeled and diced
- 4 large carrots, peeled and sliced
- 2 stalks celery, trimmed and diced
- 1 large onion, peeled and diced
- 1 ½ cups coarsely shredded cabbage
- 1 14 ounce/400g can diced tomatoes, undrained
- ½ cup (93g) uncooked pearl barley
- 1/4 cup (50g) of split peas
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 ½ teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1 bay leaf
- ¼ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon paprika
- ¼ teaspoon poultry seasoning
- 1 pinch dried thyme
Instructions
- Place the turkey carcass into a large soup pot or stock pot and pour in the water; bring to a boil, add the bullion cubes reduce heat to a simmer, and cook the turkey frame until any meat remaining falls off the bones, about 1 hour.
- Carefully remove the turkey carcass. Remove and chop any remaining meat from the carcass and discard the bones.
- Strain the broth through a fine mesh strainer into a clean soup pot. Add the chopped turkey. Bring to the boil.
- Reduce to a simmer and stir in the rutabaga, carrots, split peas, celery, onion, cabbage, tomatoes, barley, Worcestershire sauce, salt, parsley, basil, bay leaf, black pepper, paprika, poultry seasoning, and thyme. Simmer until the vegetables are tender, about 1 more hour.
- Taste and adjust seasoning as required. Remove and discard the bay leaf. Serve hot, ladled into heated soup bowls with some crackers or crusty bread on the side.
This content (written and photography) is the sole property of The English Kitchen. Any reposting or misuse is not permitted. If you are reading this elsewhere, please know that it is stolen content and you may report it to me at: mariealicejoan at aol dot com
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