My get ahead Christmas list:

 Brandy butter and cranberry sauce keep well in the

fridge for 2 to 3 weeks.

 Salad dressings can be made 4 to 5 days in advance.  Salad leaves and herbs can be washed, dried and kept

for up to 3 days.

 If you’re serving a soup, this can be made and frozen

weeks ahead.

 Soak your ham for up to 24 hours before cooking. I cook mine on Christmas Eve so it has soaked all day and saves me time on Christmas Day, which also means I can have a sneak tasting as well!

 Blanch the Brussels sprouts, carrots and broccoli the day before and keep them in a little water, covered in the fridge ready for you to use.

 Lastly, have the garnishes ready: toasted nuts and lemon zest, rosemary, bay leaves and fennel in water in the kitchen and slices of citrus for the drinks.

 Sugared cranberries and rosemary will keep for a

number of days.

 Oven dried orange slices keep for weeks.