I’m cooking & freezing Christmas dinner now – I can’t be bothered with the last minute stress, it saves you cash too
A MUM-OF-TWO loves being prepared for the festive season - and usually starts on Boxing Day the previous year.
Tahnee Beck, 33, is hosting seven people on December 25 and wanted to get ahead of the game.
She said in previous years she has been "preoccupied" on Christmas Day with getting the food ready.
Tahnee, from Norfolk, has prepared meals for Christmas Eve, her Christmas cake and the veg for the big day.
She started cooking on September 16.
Tahnee said: "I love Christmas - and a little prep helps me enjoy it even more.
Read More in Christmas
"In the past I've been preoccupied with getting lunch ready and the day has passed me by.
"I'm now looking forward to a relaxed morning opening presents and not stressing about peeling potatoes."
Tahnee has already made meatballs with sweet and sour sauce and an orange and melon salad for Christmas Eve.
And she has her Christmas cake, mince pie filling and four kinds of cookies stashed away for December 25.
Most read in Fabulous
Tahnee said she also has pre-prepared frozen red cabbage and apple, which cost her £1.50.
She reckons this would cost £8.55 for the same quantity at supermarket prices neared the time - a saving of £7.05 on one dish.
Tahnee's getting her recipes from a vintage 1977 pamphlet by Mary Berry, called 'Freezing for Christmas'.
The booklet gives recipes for the week beginning Christmas Eve to be prepared and frozen in advance.
Tahnee said it's opened her eyes to new dishes, such as mackerel pâté.
And also contains some ingredients previously unknown to her, like 'buckling' - a type of hot-smoked herring.
Tahnee said: "I love all things vintage so this is a lot of fun for me.
"I just like to get all the work out the way so we can really enjoy Christmas
Tahnee Beck
"When I first saw the book a few years ago I thought it was amazing. I've never thought of freezing everything for Christmas in advance.
"This book is also nostalgic fun for some of my family who remember this book from the first time around.
"My husband grew up eating a lot of these dishes at Christmas and the pineapple ice cream and black forest cake are his favourites."
Tahnee starts prepping for Christmas on Boxing Day, hitting the shops to bag bargains on presents and decorations.
She cashes in on sales throughout the year and estimates she gets Christmas at around half the cost of last minute buying - saving herself £5,000 in the last seven years.
And she shares her month-by-month Christmas prepping guide, and her Christmas-cooking journey on YouTube and Instagram.
READ MORE SUN STORIES
Tahnee, married to an engineer, said: "I just like to get all the work out the way so we can really enjoy Christmas."
Fabulous will pay for your exclusive stories. Just email: [email protected] and pop EXCLUSIVE in the subject line
