How to be a domestic festive goddess

Bookmark recipes you've tried and loved and keep time-honoured family favourites to create the ultimate festive cooking resource.

Plan your menu early and designate one dish to each guest - sides and sweets are ideal. Plus, it frees up space in your oven and fridge.

Ingredients hastily scrawled on the back of an envelope won't do at Christmas! Write up a comprehensive list and divide items into categories like ‘bakery', ‘fresh produce' and ‘herbs and spices'.

An afternoon baking gingerbread men gets everyone in the spirit - and the spoils make the perfect last-minute gift.

Work backwards from the hour you want to sit down and eat Christmas dinner, factoring in cooking times for all your dishes. This timeline will help you keep everything in line (including your sanity!)

Jolly St Nick and his reindeers need their nourishment, too! Jazz up his cookies by sprinkling sea salt on top, while Rudolph and co might appreciate another colour other than orange. (You can re-heat the carrots for lunch the next day!)

A beautifully decorated table really sets the mood, so attend to this first. Make sure everything fits into your colour scheme and theme, be it vintage, fine dining or industrial chic.  

This hard-working kitchen staple helps food be its best - and keeps tins and trays cleaner. You can even use it to wrap up leftovers, make food parcels for nibbles or desserts and to stop food sticking as it cooks.

Speed up cooking times by featuring seafood as your centrepiece. This stunning platter takes just 15 minutes on the barbecue.

It's Christmas! Enjoy this special time in the kitchen - it only comes around once a year. Make sure you choose things you like to cook, rather than dishes that are going to stress you out.

Leftovers are almost as important as the meal itself - consider packing individual lunchboxes for a quick fix on Boxing Day. Then, you can put your feet up and relax!

Think outside the sandwich. These egg and ham tarts are delicious for brunch and definitely impress more than ham, cheese and pickle!

Be sure to plan early, but don't forget to enjoy the festive season. This guide is brought to you by GLAD.