Our guide to a cracking Christmas in july

Brrr, its colder than a snowman stuck in a freezer out there but doesn’t that make the idea of Christmas in July all the more appealing!

So, what do you need to make a brilliant Christmas in July

Food, drink, games, merrymaking and of course, spending time with friends – That’s what Christmas in July is all about!

Here’s our guide to having a cracker of a Christmas in July:

Everyone needs a theme for a Christmas in July Party –

The Ugly Sweater Party

If you managed to go this long in life without acquiring some horrific Christmas sweater — you know, the ones with the puff paint snowmen and the mistletoe-patterned mock turtlenecks — from your great aunt Mildred, then you may have to run to the nearest opp-shop to purchase one for this party of Christmas fashion faux pas.

Festive Flick Marathon

From It’s a Wonderful Life and Miracle on 34th Street to National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation, and this generation’s classic Elf, it’s hard to pick which festive flicks have a place in your Christmas film festival. Just keep it to less than five to avoid merry movie fatigue.

Christmas Carol Karaoke Night

You may not be a fan of carol singers banging on your door at night, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t enjoy an opportunity to bust out Mariah Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas Is You.” Load your music system up with some Jingle Bell Rock out to the holiday’s best jams.Classics are fun for the whole family, but sticking with some cheesy pop re-interpretations by the likes of Kylie and Jason and just about every Reality TV show winner will help you stay on track.

Winter Warming Food

Christmas in July really is a great time to take advantage of the cooler temperature, particularly with all of this talk of snow and share a Family Pie with your friends and family. At the end of the day who really needs an excuse to cook up a feast and stuff yourself silly.

Pies made to warm your cockles:

The classic Cottage Pie was originally created for farmers to come home to after a long day in the fields, so there really couldn’t be a better Pie to share with your family. After all Family time is Pie time!

Did you know that when we bake our Family Cottage Pie we use hormone-free beef mince cooked in our delicious gravy. Of course a Cottage Pie wouldn’t be complete without some lovely fluffy mashed potato.

Why not pair it up with a Perfect Pie Partner

A great way to finish off your wintry meal is with a wintry dessert, and it doesn’t get much better than a Flourless Chocolate Cake, sprinkled with icing sugar, it even looks like the the start of a snowfield.

Pop your Flourless Chocolate Cake into the microwave for a few minutes and you’ll have a soft, gooey chocolate delight that’s just crying out for an avalanche of ice cream. Yummy!

Some good ideas for party drinks include bucks fizz (champers and orange juice) or some lovely mulled wine. You could ask guests to bring a bottle of something so you don’t get stuck with a huge liquor bill.

Don’t forget to set up the Jingle Bells

Okay, so we all know it’s not really Christmas, but that’s not to say you can’t just dig out the good ol Christmas bits and bobs to create a jolly good time:

  • Music: Dig out that cheesy Christmas CD that only comes out once a year and make that your party soundtrack.
  • Tinsel or baubles: You don’t have to go overboard, but put out a few bits of Christmas glitz and you can quickly create a wintery wonderland.
  • Crackers: There’s always a few left over from Christmas so go all out and make this Christmas in July a real cracker!

Here’s to a Jolly good time to one and to all, and a very Merry Christmas in July to all of our friends!