ICE CREAM PLUM PUDDING

Didn’t get around to making a plum pudding yet? Why don’t you try this ice cream one. No need to make it months in advance, the night before will be fine. All you have to do is cut up the fruit, add in the spices and gelatine, stir through the ice cream and put it back in the freezer till you need it. Merry Christmas…..

PARTY MEATBALLS

I haven’t actually made these meatballs, but I do make a version with pork mince, chicken noodle soup and a dash of soy sauce that work really well. I make them for picnic lunches on driving holidays and to take to the F1 motor racing at Albert Park. Mine don’t have the cream cheese, but I think that’s a great idea and I’ll add it into the next batch I make.

HONEYED SCALLOP AND CHILLI STIR-FRY

Scallops are one of my favourite seafoods, but sadly I don’t buy them very often. Back in the 90s I used to make this dish as an entrée for dinner parties, but I’d totally forgotten about it until I found the recipe in one of my old cookbooks. It’s definitely time to make it again.

BEEF WITH THYME BUTTER

This recipe is from a 1991 Woman’s Day Christmas Recipe zip-out. If you’re looking for a main course dish that isn’t pork, turkey or chicken this might work for you. Although really you could serve it any time of the year, not just at Christmas.

CHRISTMAS HAM ROAST

Although Christmas is still quite a few weeks away shops have put up their decorations, so I guess it’s time to start to work on Christmas menus. I found this old cutting in Mum’s collection and thought that the Guinness, mustard, ginger and cardamom basting combo sounded interesting and I thought that the carving instructions were useful bonus.